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From: mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Cleaning failing keyboard (classic mac)
Message-ID: <32099@cup.portal.com>
Date: 26 Jul 90 06:52:49 GMT
References: <1990Jul18.192345.28703@d.cs.okstate.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 40

Funny you should mention this.  I have two classic Mac keyboards, both
with failing keys.  The situation finally became intolerable and I fixed
one today.

First, remove the five screws holding the case together.  Then, remove the
solder from the failing key.  This is done by heating the solder joints for
the key, then while the solder is still molten slamming the keyboard 
against a wooden table (or similar surface).  I did it at least twice for
each solder joint.  If you don't like the idea of being so rough with your
keyboard, the same effect can be achieved with a product called
Solder-Wick.

After the solder is removed, the remaining solder is broken by pushing
the switch terminal with a probe.  I used a small-diameter screwdriver.
This releases the switch from its mechanical connection with the circuit
board.

Then, you remove the switch by pushing on the wings which hold it in the
metal frontispiece.  Again, I used a screwdriver to push on the wings,
first one side, then the other.  I was fortunate this was the backspace
key, which is easily accessible from the side of the keyboard.  You
are fortunate in that your problem is with a shift key.

After popping out the switch, take it apart.  Again, the switch has wings
which hold the top plastic part to the bottom part.  I used my fingernails
to separate the two.  Inside, I found a small dustball, which I blew out.
Then I reassembled the switch, put it back in the hole, and resoldered it.

I'm frankly disappointed that Apple would choose such crummy Alps switches
for their keyboard.  They're almost guaranteed to fail if placed in
a dusty environment, such as my house.  2 keyboards out of 2, in my case.

What's the matter with you shitheads at Apple, don't you use your own
stuff?  Aren't you aware how quickly it fails?  Or is that how you want it
to be?  I should mention that I found a rather surprising amount of
rust on the metal frontispiece.  There were actually flakes of rust 
sitting in the bottom of the plastic housing.  They looked like termite
droppings.  I suppose you guys saved at least $0.01 on not giving the
metal part a proper coating.  Just goes to show what happens when a 
product is designed by accountants not engineers.