keyboard space bar sticking despite efforts to stop it

Not really a circuit board, but still an electronic item of trouble. My wireless keyboard space bar seems to want to stick, not completely but sometimes it just doesn't want to release. I have blown out the area all around the space bar with compressed air followed by 91% iso cleaning around it with cotton swabs, getting as deep as possible by thinning the swabs. Still wants to stick. Any other suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

Reply to
James Reaper
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half a drop of mineral oil

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Any hints as to the maker of the keyboard and model number? If unavailable, a description of the type of keyboard, or a photo of something similar as found on Google image search.

My random guess(tm) is that it's an older Dell keyboard, such as one of these: The SK-8135 happens to be my favorite keyboard. I'm therefore familiar with its benefits and its bad habits. A sticky space bar is one of them. The usual problem is one end of the stiff balance wire, that goes the length of the space bar, which allows the use of a single well for the key switch, has come loose at one end, causing the space bar to slide un-evenly into the square well with the switch at the bottom. This creates roughness and burrs around the square key well. It's difficult to see the burrs, but you can feel them with a finger or view them with a decent illuminated magnifier.

You'll need to remove the space bar in order to clean and deburr the plastic well. Remove the two Alt keys on either side of the space bar. Use the proper keycap removal tool, or you'll break something: Then, remove the space bar by pulling up evenly on both ends. Take a photo of how the stiff wire thing is mounted or you may have problems putting it back together.

My fix is to run a pocket knife over the mating surfaces and across the edges of the plastic box to remove any gouges and burrs. It doesn't take much of a burr to cause problems. Do NOT use a razor, sharp knife, Xacto knife, or anything sharp enough to add additional gouges in the plastic. Plastic razor scrapers also will work:

Please do NOT lubricate the plastic square well area with anything. All that does is attract dirt and dust, which will eventually turn to tar. Alcohol cleaning (70% or 91%) is fine as it removes any gunk and leaves no residue.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

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