I've an old Dell SK-8125 keyboard that's deveoping stiction in some of the keys.
Does anybody have experience trying to service such a keyboard and what might be done to restore uniform feel among the keys? As somebody who learned to type on manual typewriters and really, really liked the old IBM keyboards I'm kinda partial to this particular keyboard and am willing to try working on it if there's any hope of improvement.
I have taken other keyboards apart before, without preparation, and it didn't go well. Thus my search for guidance 8-)
Thanks for reading,
bob prohaska
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J
Jeff Liebermann
Yes, me.
Same here. I'm addicted to mechanical keyboards and have difficulty dealing with low profile and ultra-thin keyboards. What's happening is you have debris between the black plastic square "post" under the keycap, and the black plastic frame. I have various tools and tricks that will allow me to remove dust balls and such from under the keycaps, without removing the keycaps. Compressed air works for stuff under the keycaps, but doesn't anything for the added friction that accompanies some sticky crud on the square "post", which requires a total teardown.
Before proceeding, take a digital photo of the keyboard layout so you can put the keys back in their proper locations.
You might need to buy or build a keycap removal tool:
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if you want to try cleaning under the keycaps. I use an "L" shaped paper clip to grab dust balls under the key caps. I remove the corner keycaps and push the dust balls in the general direction of the keycaps I removed. Tweezers to help grab the dust balls. Compressed air (from a real air compressor, not a can of compressed air) also works. However, none of this will do much if you have sticky crud along the square "post" under the keycap.
There are videos on YouTube on Dell keyboard cleaning. Unfortunately, I couldn't find one specific to the SK-8125. Incidentally, my favorite keyboard is the Dell SK-8135. I have about 10 of these. I kill approximately one keyboard every year.
I selected some instructions and videos for cleaning Dell keyboards that are similar to your SK-8125.
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More:
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- Don't scrub the keycaps with a stiff brush, which tends to scrape off the white silk-screened letters from the keycaps.
- Use mild dish soap (Dawn Ultra blue) for grease removal.
- Do not reassemble the keyboard until everything is dry.
- Do not dry the keyboard parts with a hot air gun or oven.
- Do something to prevent dropping and losing screws.
I've found that much of the dust in my keyboard comes from the ceiling when the keyboard is NOT in use. I ran an experiment for about 20 days. When not in use, I only covered HALF the my keyboard. Near the end of the test, the covered half was fairly clean, while the un-covered half showed considerable dust under a magnifying glass.
If all else fails, buy a used SK-8135 on eBay:
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$15 to $25.
Good luck.
J
Jeff Liebermann
I forgot to mention that the SK-8135 keyboard has a problem. The volume control knob is not very well secured on its shaft and will tend to fall off. Finding an exact replacement knob is difficult. Finding a know that fits is easy enough, but the one's I could find are aesthetically disgusting.
I recently advised a customer to print a 3D copy. Of course, he printed exactly one, leaving me without a knob.
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Note that the above design is a loose fit on the shaft. Loose is better than too tight. Problem should be solvable with an aluminum foil shim, scotch tape, or tacky glue.
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