[GLLUG] Coffee and Electronics

[Nathan Hartley]

Michael Rudas>  Bend square hooks near the center of each one
> so that it resembles a "U" with a square bottom about 1/2 inch
> wide and very long tines. This is your new keycap removal tool! 

I know what you are shooting for here, as I actually own an official key cap
remover. I found with my Dell Latitude that I would have made an aweful mess
had I used this puller. 

At least with this keyboard, rather than the key cap sitting on a post,
there are two tiny hinged plastic legs that function much like the legs of a
folding chair that keep the key paralel above it's microswitch. Using a dead
keyboard, I found the safest way to remove these keys was to carefully pry
the top edge up. The tiny plastic pins that slide in the grooves along the
underside of the key where very fragile.

I've learned the hard way that even a day later, condensation from the spill
or cleaning process can still be a problem.

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Rudas [mailto:audiotech50 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 12:29 AM
To: Dan Ryan
Cc: linux-user at egr.msu.edu
Subject: Re: [GLLUG] Coffee and Electronics

On 5/2/07, Dan Ryan wrote:

> Take a bit of isopropyl alcohol (not rubbing alcohol; it contains carnuba
> wax and that will leave a residue.)

WRONG!  Rubbing alcohol is just water and 50 to 70% alcohol, no wax...
 Alcohol is a poor solvent for sugar, anyway.

Speaking as a 50-year-veteran electronic repairman/technician, a much
better solution is distilled water with some ammonia in it (a few
drops per ounce is enough)-- a good surfactant that leaves no residue.

The bigger problem is removing the keycap, something that an
inexperienced person is gonna have a lot of trouble doing-- unless you
know the trick (a picture would sure help here):

1.  Take two standard paper clips and bend them straight.

2.  Bend square hooks near the center of each one so that it resembles
a "U" with a square bottom about 1/2 inch wide and very long tines.
This is your new keycap removal tool!

3.  Grasping one clip in each hand, slip the square bottom/center part
of each under diagonal corners of the keycap until the tines touch the
edges of the key.

4.  Pull straight up, gently (a very slight rocking motion may help),
with even tension on each clip, until the cap pops off.  "Gentle" is
the word here-- you don't want the cap flying off to $DIETY knows
where...

5.  Use the ammonia+water solution on a slightly-moistened cotton swab
to clean as much of the coffee off as possible, but not moist enough
to flood the keyboard internals, if possible.

6.  Mop up with a dry swab.

7.  Repeat steps 5 & 6 a couple of times, at least, with clean swabs.

The keycap should snap right back on when you are done, and things
should be OK-- most modern keyboards are at least semi-shielded
against spills.

-- Mikey
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