geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Zhuni on Tue, 14 June 2011, 07:20:36
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So I got a new ninja recently and like a couple of my old filcos the left shift and backspace both had a small squeak. Usually caused when the key was pressed with a slight forward motion.
I didnt have any grease and having never greased a keyboard didnt want to change the feel. So I opened up all of the filco caps that had the same problem and they all had one thing visually in common.
Either the left or right supporting upright on the board just above the bar had a small amount of white plastic residue from the white plastic holder attached to the key rubbing on it. I simply took an alcohol swab and wrapped it over the end of a match stick. Then I cleaned the uprights and the back of the white plastic that comes in contact with the uprights and refitted the key. Bingo...instant problem solve. Fixed 5 keys like this across 3 boards and all have remained silent since....been a couple of weeks now.
I popped off a key with stabilizer on a key that hadn't been pressed on my new ninja and it seems sometimes there is a small notch or ridge on the back of the white plastic holder when new. After a few presses it wears in but sometimes comes off on the back support and rubs. Cleaning this off has fixed the issue without lube.
Picture below is Ripsters. I highlighted the bits I cleaned red. I should have took pics as I went so sorry about thar.
It probably helped that I just kept using the squeaky keys for a couple of weeks so the white plastic holder got the extra bit of plastic filed off by its self before cleaning. None of my 5 squeaky keys had anything at all to do with the metal bar though. I'm sure on some the metal bar is the culprit but just wanted to post these findings for reference.
Sorry if none of this makes any sense :D
(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/5652/5175898020d754967abfz1.jpg)