geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Azure Flash on Sun, 18 May 2014, 05:18:27
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I have no idea how this could've happened, but as I was typing, I noticed one key was loose... I thought it was just the keycap, so I take it between my fingers to try and push it back into place... and the whole ****ing thing comes off the keyboard.
THE WHOLE ****ING THING.
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Poor thing ;-; I may try to glue it back into place using a small brush to apply glue over all the fractured areas, but what kind of glue to I use? Some sort of epoxy?
What could've caused this? Pressure from my pinky or something over time? Hitting it or pressing too hard and the plastic fissure enlarging over weeks going around the key? Some freak accident? Maybe the spring was slightly stronger than normal?
Maybe this is finally a good enough excuse to shell out for a Topre Type Heaven and try out Topre switches, though :P (I'd prefer a Realforce but there's no way I can put 300$ on a keyboard and not get lapidated by everyone I know and all the businesses I deal with)
P.S. my comma key actuates before any click, tactile or auditive, happens. The spring is aligned right, it feels alright to type on but sometimes a light brush can cause it to actuate. Any ideas?
P.P.S. will try to think of getting a shot of the broken part on the keyboard itself once I get it cleaned, it is pretty filthy at the moment and long overdue for a total cleanup.
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Contact Unicomp, they have repair programs.
They would probably also sell you a barrel plate (aka "chimneys" to them) for about $10, if you were willing to do a bolt-mod.
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The barrel plate on an M13 is not the same as your standard M barrel plate. I don't believe Unicomp stocks them, but as it often is with them, it may be a question of who you ask.
For gluing it back together I'd try crazy glue gel first as you can use very small amount with little overspill, letting it sit for at least a day. If that didn't work I'd move to a clear two part epoxy again using very little. If anything drips down to the pivot plate you're likely screwed (or bolted, as you'll have to do a bolt mod at that point if the plate gets glued to anything).
Assuming you bought it used, I would suspect that this was broken at some point and repaired and that repair has finally failed.
As for the comma key, you may want to reseat the spring, but if it's actuating in the breeze, there may be dirt/corrosion in the membrane. Giving the keyboard a few whacks may dislodge it enough, or again you may need a bolt mod.
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Unicomp provides repair service, yes, but as I heard, they just replace insides - barrels, membrane and all - with their own.
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Yeah, they swap out the guts for that of a new Unicomp, that's their repair.
I'd take it apart, for a bolt mod, and while it is apart, take some JB Weld, or Loctite brand superglue to get the chimney mount back on. I'd not really recommend doing it without a bolt mod, because if any glue drips below and you've ****ed the keyboard. Plus, while bolt modding it, you can work on reenforcing it, and making sure it doesn't repeat anywhere else.
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Yeah, I think a bolt mod would be appropriate sometime in the future when I get around to giving this keyboard the love it deserves. It needs a thorough clean, an overall inspection, probably a bolt mod, and fixing that broken ^ key (I can still use it by pressing directly on the spring, lmao) and iffy comma key. Also, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I snapped out the stem of the intellipoint mouse with pliers, because it was in the way of my stupid improvised typing method (only removing the cap wasn't enough, the stem was bothering me). This keyboard deserved none of the wear it got and I don't deserve using such a rare and noble piece :/
I don't see any glue residue or anything foreign in the wound on the keyboard's body, so I don't think it was a past repair. Given where I live (small town way north of Canada), this keyboard was probably briefly used in the 90's then put in a box until it reached me (my brother bought it in a vintage computer stuff lot for 50$, gave it to me for my birthday). My best guess is that I hit it one time (I don't hit my keyboard often at all, I swear) and it created a small fissure that propagated over time.
I googled around for solutions to glue PBT specifically (since it is kind of a tricky plastic to chemically alter in general). Henkel's material adhesive application guide recommends Loctite 401 with Loctite 770 as a surface primer. Other companies have similarly priced recommendations. Sounds great, but each bottle costs 30$. Add to that costs of up to 100$ for bolt modding, and that means I'll have to buy a replacement (pretty set on a Topre Type Heaven as my intro to Topre) and shelf this brave little guy until I feel like restoring it and have 200$ burning my pockets (that doesn't happen often).
Thanks to everyone who pitched in, and I look forward to being able to talk about Topre with some first-hand experience :D