Stuck keys on a one-piece cap Model M

[piyokos]

i have a lexmark made model m, 52G9700, which has a one-piece keycap design.

the keyboard doesn't look particularity worn, however it is not performing very well. my biggest problem is that a number of keys seem to have a lot of resistance, and a few of them (like maybe 4-5 letters and the spacebar) "stick" when they reach the bottom. for example, the K key, when pressed, stays down for about a second before coming back up, and the R key can sometimes get completely stuck and i have to grab it by the sides and pull it up.

i'm unsure of the keyboards history as i bought it from a surplus store. it smells like it has been cleaned with some sort of chemical but i can't put my finger on what exactly.

i am going to the store tomorrow to pick up a thin 7/32 bolt driver to take it apart, but i'm unsure of how to proceed cleaning it in order to fix this specific issue, unless the problem is a sticky layer of whatever and a good cleaning of the keys and the rest of the keyboard with water and q-tips fixes it.

[trievalot]

where did you get it from and what does it smell like???

I had an M that had a similar issue a while ago.

i used silicone spray (the stuff they use to lubricate tracks from curtains)
i get it from Spotlight here in AU
No smell and works a treat

[piyokos]

where did you get it from and what does it smell like???

I had an M that had a similar issue a while ago.

i used silicone spray (the stuff they use to lubricate tracks from curtains)
i get it from Spotlight here in AU
No smell and works a treat

your average generic online redundancy store, i forgot which. 15 for the keyboard, 10 for shipping. i would rather have had one of the classic ibm made ones with multipart keys but i couldnt beat the price, plus its PS/2 so i dont have to bother with a converter.

to be honest im not sure, it might have been sitting for a while. id like to say it smells like the sanitizer i used to inhale by the gallon working at an ice cream store, but i have not a clue what that was.

thanks for the advice, ill pick up silicone spray tomorrow, what are good places to spray it on the inside? (on the keys, inside the "wells", where should i spray it?)

[trievalot]

i took off all the keys and gave a nice liberal spray......dont get it on the tiles in your house, this stuff is SLIPPERY!!!

replace keys and viola

I only ask re the smell coz ages ago i used shaver lube on one (for my electric razor)
worked but left a hell of a perfume smell!

[piyokos]

so what im understanding, i could spray inside the one-piece keys, but i should not spray any part attached to the keyboard itself (inside the wells, or outside as it may get inside too)

ive cleaned the keyboard top to bottom, did so without removing the 7/32 bolts and just pulled off the keys with a metal bar. the keyboard doesnt look like its been used but there was a bit of grime on the outside of the wells, i cleaned out the entire inside with water and q-tips to avoid getting water inside the wells. it didnt look like it had been used much. doesnt smell like sanitizer anymore. soaked the keys in detergent, brushed them down, washed them all off and soaked in clean water, currently waiting until theyre absolutely dry before using the silicone lube on all of them and putting them back on.

[trievalot]

maybe put all keys face down and spray them?

i only used a little, this stuff is scary slippery

[Oqsy]

I had similar problems with my M when I first got it home, but popping all the key caps, washing them thoroughly, and q-tips to the wells did the trick.  The only key with any hint of stickiness is the right shift, which binds a bit if I hit it off center... I've lost count of the number of times I've reseated it, so that one might get a light touch of silicone if it keeps it up.  

I've considered lubing my ALPS board, but just like the OP, I'm afraid of damaging something in the electronics by getting silicone in the wrong place.  I also don't look forward to reassembling ALPS switches... ew.

[ch_123]

To me this sounds like a dead spring problem. Depending on how many are gone, you could either ask some people around here for spares, or buy a full set from Unicomp for about $25.

[trievalot]

plenty spare springs here.......PM me if you need any

[piyokos]

i waited over 24 hours and the keys looked dry, i did some tests and it seemed like carefully cleaning the outside of the wells with q-tips and water did the trick.

i tested the silicone trick on the spacebar and one key, but instead of spraying directly on the keys, i sprayed a little in a cup and used a q-tip to carefully spread it around the wells. the keys had marginally less resistance, but that actually wasnt preferable behavior as i didn't want my keyboard to have a soft feel.

however upon using it i discovered some of the keys behaved weird (sometimes sending a / before or after pressing some of the letters). i investigated and it looked like some of the keys still had trace amounts of water left and tiny amounts had dripped into the wells. i unplugged it and i'll give it another two days to dry. hoping i didnt permanently damage anything...

otherwise i'll probably go with a unicomp, as it took 2-3 hours for the meticulous q-tip scrubbing (i did it while watching cold case which made the experience painful as well haha), and the wear on the springs is questionable, not to mention its not a true ibm model M due to it being lexmark-made and one piece.