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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: brimborion on Sun, 18 January 2015, 02:41:26

Title: Cable Burn
Post by: brimborion on Sun, 18 January 2015, 02:41:26
I'm sure many of you know this, but perhaps it bears repeating.

Don't let your cables rest on your keyboard when storing. Whether that means wrapping them around the keyboard or velcroing or rubberbanding and letting them rest on the keyboard. Of course if the cable detaches so much the better, or if it has some kind of woven wrap.

I was just looking at some of mine I haven't used in a while and the PVC in the cables reacts with the ABS and can leave melt marks in the keyboard plastic.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: Heliosphere on Sun, 18 January 2015, 02:44:15
Interesting, I never knew about this. Good to know for keyboards with non-removable cables.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: brimborion on Sun, 18 January 2015, 03:19:25
Specifically, this occurred with my Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite KB-9975, and the damage is fairly serious. The keys are fine, but the cable was wrapped around the keyboard and the edges that were in contact with the cable are melted, and there is a PS-2 mini-din shaped impression on the bottom of the keyboard.

I doubt I have any recourse with PFU Systems, but I'll be careful from now on.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: Dgsbllx on Sun, 18 January 2015, 03:23:41
I didn't know this and now I need to go check  :eek:

Thanks for the heads up
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 18 January 2015, 04:15:47
Probably not an issue with braided cables?
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: brimborion on Sun, 18 January 2015, 04:41:59
Probably not.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: Findecanor on Sun, 18 January 2015, 06:56:07
I keep my non-detachable keyboard cables in empty toilet-paper rolls. Very convenient. Got the idea from fohat.digs.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Sun, 18 January 2015, 07:06:19
Strange — I've done this for years without any ill effect, as I imagine have many other people.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: jdcarpe on Sun, 18 January 2015, 08:40:50
I think it may have something to do with the Texas heat, as well.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: brimborion on Sun, 18 January 2015, 11:19:59
Yeah, it's not every keyboard. I looked at my black HHKB2 Lite and it also has the problem, though to a lesser extent, and only on the bottom. It was acquired later and that may be part of it.

The heat could be an issue also, it was in a closet that doesn't always benefit from the air conditioning.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: fohat.digs on Sun, 18 January 2015, 12:48:26
Heat generally accelerates any chemical reaction.

Plasticizers and aging is a wildly variable and unpredictable science.

Usually, softer plastics react and degrade much more than harder ones.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: RoflCopter4 on Sun, 18 January 2015, 15:10:05
Heat generally accelerates any chemical reaction.

Plasticizers and aging is a wildly variable and unpredictable science.

Usually, softer plastics react and degrade much more than harder ones.

Much of the time, rather than accelerating the reaction, heat causes a totally different, much more violent reaction to start.
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: sethk_ on Sun, 18 January 2015, 17:39:51
**** I did this with my HHKB, brb checking for burns
Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: brimborion on Sun, 18 January 2015, 18:02:43
Here's mine. You can see where the cable touched the keyboard it left an impression, especially on the corners it was wrapped around. The PS/2 connector left a print in the lower corner.

[attach=1]


Title: Re: Cable Burn
Post by: sethk_ on Sun, 18 January 2015, 18:05:52

Here's mine. You can see where the cable touched the keyboard it left an impression, especially on the corners it was wrapped around. The PS/2 connector left a print in the lower corner.

(Attachment Link)
Mine wasn't damaged thank god, a moment of silence for our fallen brother :(