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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: nowsharing on Mon, 08 March 2010, 20:34:02

Title: M acting quirky after cleaning
Post by: nowsharing on Mon, 08 March 2010, 20:34:02

I cleaned a Space Saving Model M last month and plugged it back in a few days ago to discover that it has began to fire off keys randomly. The pause key comes on and off on its own, and page down and home randomly will also result in the end key being pressed (perhaps this is being caused by the pause key screwing up the matrix?)

I didn't do any heavy duty cleaning; I just took it apart and cleaned it out warm water & bleach, using cue tips. Re-seating the key caps hasn't worked.

Any ideas about what could be causing this behavior?

Edit: I also noticed in Aquatest that the end is acting even if I just barely brush the end key. Re-seating it didn't fix the problem.

Title: M acting quirky after cleaning
Post by: nowsharing on Mon, 08 March 2010, 22:22:52

I can't remember how many exactly there were, but I remember at least one or two. I'm almost certain that I didn't get water in the key well, but anything is possible.

Title: M acting quirky after cleaning
Post by: nowsharing on Tue, 09 March 2010, 10:44:54

Thanks Ripster, I'll look into this and report back.

Title: M acting quirky after cleaning
Post by: nowsharing on Tue, 09 March 2010, 11:43:46

I think that both of my problems are now fixed.

I gently pressed down on the plastic paddle (using a cue-tip) below the spring under the end key, and it now reacts normally. It seems like it was stuck up just a little to high, which caused it to register a stroke anytime the key was even slightly pressed.

The pause key problem has gone away after pressing it about a hundred times repeatedly, until no strangeness is reported in Aquatest. My fingers are crossed on that one.

Title: M acting quirky after cleaning
Post by: microsoft windows on Tue, 09 March 2010, 17:42:28

It takes a lot of busted rivets to affect the functionality of a key. In my IBM, I had to break about 4 rivets to get the spring to the Alt key out of the assembly by prying apart the key wells and the steel plate and membrane (Yes, it slipped  between the membrane and key-wells so be careful!). The key sounds a little funny, but works perfectly fine.

Title: M acting quirky after cleaning
Post by: EverythingIBM on Tue, 09 March 2010, 22:15:02

Quote from: microsoft windows;162828

It takes a lot of busted rivets to affect the functionality of a key. In my IBM, I had to break about 4 rivets to get the spring to the Alt key out of the assembly by prying apart the key wells and the steel plate and membrane (Yes, it slipped  between the membrane and key-wells so be careful!). The key sounds a little funny, but works perfectly fine.

Mine only has one broket rivet after being crushed under a huge microwave and slammed around. Not bad!
Although, I find the idea of melted rivets strange, there's a thing called "screws".