spilled fanta onto filco keyboard

[FinancialWar]

hello guys, it's been a while.

unfortunately I spilled some fanta onto my filco 104, what should I do.

ps. please don't provide me links to another geekhack thread, for some reason I get the "no file input specified" error.

[Lethal Squirrel]

I would desolder all the switches, and take each one apart and clean it. It sounds kinda crappy, and a ton of work, but I think that's all you can really do. :c
I tried putting my Blackwidow in the dishwasher when I spilled rockstar on it, but It made the switches barely clicky.

[IvanIvanovich]

Define 'some' a few drops between a few switches, the entire bottle over the entire board? Sugar waters are the worst to deal with, but if it's a small amount it may not be too bad assuming you did unplug it right away of course.

[Zykos]

I would thoroughly clean it before using it.

[FinancialWar]

what about sink it in distilled water?

[Lethal Squirrel]

It should be okay, But I doubt it will ever feel the same

[FinancialWar]

so basically after one spill, the keyboard is dead weight either way.

[WRXChris]

not necessarily, but as someone else mentioned, sugar water is one of the WORST things that can happen to mechanical devices.  You could try to clean it with water, but if the soda made it into any of the switches the only way to restore them to their original condition would be to desolder, disassemble, thoroughly clean, and resolder any sticky switches. Good luck!

[jellowiggler]

Dishwasher time!

[Djuzuh]

Dishwasher time!

Don't dishwash a mechanical keyboard.

It's not a rubberdome.

[nala]

Just try cleaning it with distilled water and canned air. I have a Filco TKL w/ blues that I spilled vitamin water on and even though I was able to remove almost all the sugar remains from it, it still clicks, but the sound and feel is completely different. If you don't mind about that, then you're good. Just put the keyboard upside down and try to pour distilled water inside the switch and canned air to remove the sugar remains.

Remember to make sure it dries completely before connecting it, so give it 3 or 4 days, just to be completely sure that moist isn't inside.

[whiskerBox]

Seems like every 3 months or so 1 of these spilled threads pops up. Makes me nervous.

[Lethal Squirrel]

I spilled rockstar energy drink on my first mechanical a week after I got it. Didn't care much, it was a blackwidow xD

[thegunner100]

Hmm, where's ripster's info when we need it...?

[FinancialWar]

I have dismantled the keyboard up to this point, I don't know how to take the keys from the backboard, what should I do from here?



20120804_212416 by 日本光学, on Flickr

[Djuzuh]

you need to desolder them if you want to go any further

[Christown]

Looks very dirty and sticky, not a pretty sight.

You'll have to desolder each switch from the back of the pcb, clean them and then resolder them back on.

[cactux]

0) Disconnect the keyboard
1) Remove all the keycaps using a keycap puller
2) Get Isopropyl alcohol and some Q-tips, cotton balls
3) Look for all the sticky spots and clean with the Qtip+ Isopropyl alcohol
4) Try to remove all the sugar  from the surface, switches and from the pcb.
5) Try to find out if  the soda did not go inside the switches (sticky spots)
   a) If the soda went inside the  switch, you may have to open an clean the switch.

The sad story
=========

Fanta lovers
========
http://www.overclock.net/t/1257257/spilled-coke-into-my-mechanical-keyboard#post_17299358

Interesting Approach
==============
http://www.overclock.net/t/1257257/spilled-coke-into-my-mechanical-keyboard#post_17299358


Remove Keycaps
===========
 

Open Filco
=======
 

Open Switches
==========

Order some stuff on line
================
http://www.jaycar.com.au/

a) Isopropyl Alcohol 99.8%
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=NA1066
b) Isopropyl Alcohol Cleaning Pads
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=NA1060&CATID=75&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=961#1
c) keycap puller
  http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/info/KE-FKP01/1948/

[FinancialWar]

is desolder and resolder a complicated process?

[longweight]

is desolder and resolder a complicated process?

No but it will take ages!

[nala]

is desolder and resolder a complicated process?

If you got skills to desolder and resolder and do it clean, then go for it. You got nothing to lose, your keyboard is kinda ****ed up (in case some keys are really sticky) so just take the risk and hope for the best.

[FinancialWar]

I decided not to desolder and resolder because

1. Don't have the knowledge or skilled to do it properly.
2. Don't have the time.
3. Too much risk of wrecking the keyboard physically.

So I bought one liter bottle of distilled water, waited until noon time when the sunlight is the strongest, pour the distilled water over the sticky switches and pressed the button repeated, I proceeded to empty the whole bottle over the board and the back. The board was soaked in water inside out, then I shake the water out and left it in the sun for rest of the afternoon. reconnected the cable, test it and it worked like new, the sticky keys are back to normal responsiveness, no damaged to electronic components.

The only thing is that I have now void the warranty by take the keyboard apart. 

[Neo.X]

I decided not to desolder and resolder because

1. Don't have the knowledge or skilled to do it properly.
2. Don't have the time.
3. Too much risk of wrecking the keyboard physically.

So I bought one liter bottle of distilled water, waited until noon time when the sunlight is the strongest, pour the distilled water over the sticky switches and pressed the button repeated, I proceeded to empty the whole bottle over the board and the back. The board was soaked in water inside out, then I shake the water out and left it in the sun for rest of the afternoon. reconnected the cable, test it and it worked like new, the sticky keys are back to normal responsiveness, no damaged to electronic components.

The only thing is that I have now void the warranty by take the keyboard apart.

WOW, it's amzing, I don't know you can fix the keyboard like this. Thanks for sharing

[Djuzuh]

I decided not to desolder and resolder because

1. Don't have the knowledge or skilled to do it properly.
2. Don't have the time.
3. Too much risk of wrecking the keyboard physically.

So I bought one liter bottle of distilled water, waited until noon time when the sunlight is the strongest, pour the distilled water over the sticky switches and pressed the button repeated, I proceeded to empty the whole bottle over the board and the back. The board was soaked in water inside out, then I shake the water out and left it in the sun for rest of the afternoon. reconnected the cable, test it and it worked like new, the sticky keys are back to normal responsiveness, no damaged to electronic components.

The only thing is that I have now void the warranty by take the keyboard apart.

WOW, it's amzing, I don't know you can fix the keyboard like this. Thanks for sharing

Only as extreme solution. Mech keyboards don't like water.

[nala]

I'm glad that worked. You had nothing to lose so yeah, it was either desolder and solder or 'soak' it in distilled water. It would've been ideal if you only did it on the affected keys, but at least it worked. You might want to try putting some lubricant back in the switches and the stabilizers as probably most of it wore off with the Fanta and the distilled water. PFTE dry lube works amazing on Cherry MX switches, and for the stabilizers you can get the grease that EKB sells that works really good too: http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,misc&pid=mechlube

[Gerk]

The only thing is that I have now void the warranty by take the keyboard apart. 

I think you voided the warranty right about the time the fanta hit the PCB personally 

Glad it worked out for you though, you got lucky.