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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: spacefromearth on Thu, 12 February 2015, 22:04:51
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Hello,
I hope this question is okay here! I am not talented like the members here, and my knowledge of fixing/modifying keyboards is non-existant. But I thought someone here might be able to help answer my question.
I bought a Matias Mini Quiet Pro many months ago and recently the mini USB port broke off and got lost inside the keyboard. I was sent a new keyboard to replace it but since I am sensitive to smells, I have to run the new keyboard for a few months in another room to get rid of the "brand new" smell - it gives me headaches.
So.
I would like to try to save my original keyboard until I can use the other one. Can anyone recommend me a glue I can use (if that is appropriate for fixing this) that does not STINK. It has to be zero or low-VOC, and dries odorless. I am sensitive to solvents.
Any tips for the best way to fix this as well would be appreciated!
Thank you! :)
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Glue to fix the USB port? Surely you need to solder it back together?
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yeah it sounds like you would need to resolder the port for it to work again
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Hide glue... ;)
But seriously, you're going to have to solder it / get someone you know to solder it back in place and hope it's not too damaged (the pads could have been pulled off the board) to do that.
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I have to run the new keyboard for a few months in another room
The smell will dissipate much faster if you put it outside on breezy days.
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gorilla glue's alrite..
epoxy's not so bad..
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I have to run the new keyboard for a few months in another room
The smell will dissipate much faster if you put it outside on breezy days.
Yeah, this too. Ventilation. Maybe light a candle in there, idk. But just leaving it to kinda fester isn't going to speed up the process.
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Yeah, this too. Ventilation.
Off-gassing is continuing, but in a closed environment there is a "little cloud" around the keyboard that is saturated with the plasticizers. In insulation terms, it is called an "air film" and it acts as an insulator.
Outdoors, with moving air, the air film is constantly stripped away and the odors are able to relieve themselves immediately.
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Yeah, this too. Ventilation.
Off-gassing is continuing, but in a closed environment there is a "little cloud" around the keyboard that is saturated with the plasticizers. In insulation terms, it is called an "air film" and it acts as an insulator.
Outdoors, with moving air, the air film is constantly stripped away and the odors are able to relieve themselves immediately.
ooooOOOOOOOooooo. Fancy smell science. I like it :)
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Yeah, this too. Ventilation.
Off-gassing is continuing, but in a closed environment there is a "little cloud" around the keyboard that is saturated with the plasticizers. In insulation terms, it is called an "air film" and it acts as an insulator.
Outdoors, with moving air, the air film is constantly stripped away and the odors are able to relieve themselves immediately.
Very interesting - thanks for teaching me something today! I knew heat was helpful but I didn't know that air circulation was the key! I off-gassed the broken keyboard outside last summer for about a week (avoiding direct sunlight) and it seemed to do the trick. But since it's winter right now I don't have that option for my replacement. Thanks to your tip I won't waste my time running it in another room.
katushkin & supersoul - The customer rep told me that the reason why the mini USB connector broke is because "they used a cheaper glue." Was that her way of explaining the problem in simple terms when she actually meant solder?
Do you guys know if solder smells once it has cured/dried? Will it start to off-gas if the keyboard heats up? I'll have to get someone else to solder it for me.
Thanks for your input everyone!
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sugru!!!
http://sugru.com/ (http://sugru.com/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugru (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugru)
pd: it's more of a putty, but it will work for your repair.
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sugru!!!
http://sugru.com/ (http://sugru.com/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugru (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugru)
pd: it's more of a putty, but it will work for your repair.
Woah, that's pretty cool! Thanks for the suggestion!
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sugru!!!
http://sugru.com/ (http://sugru.com/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugru (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugru)
pd: it's more of a putty, but it will work for your repair.
I would second this. I've been using it for years and notice very little if any smell compared to glue. It's also much easier to use than glue, it's like working with playdoh that sets in a a couple of hours to a fairly rigid silicone.