Cleaning an LK201 Keyboard

[Tony Duell]

> 
> I just cleaned an LK201 keyboard.  It was actually quite clean with only a

How far did you dsmantle it? The casing comes off quite easily (1/4" 
hex-head screws under the plastic feet, then slide the keyboard itself 
out of the lower part). Yo can separate the encoder PCB from the keyboard 
itself, but for cleaning I don't think it's worth doing (it is for 
faultfinding/reapir).

Yo can remove the keycaps (see below), but don't try to take the keyboard 
assembly apart. It's heat-staked, and I've never managed to get one to go 
back togeterh and stat together!


> few stains and a bit of dust.  I used a baby wipe since it seemed to be the
> most useful in terms of being able to eliminate the dust as well as the very
> minor stains.
> 
> Has anyone any other method or suggestions?

Deleds on what you want to clean. If you remove the casing and keycaps, 
you can clean them with foam cleaner, or propan-2-ol, or...

> 
> One problem is that there is one sticky key - PF4 in this case.  It is not a
> problem if I use a quick sharp hit of 4 to 5 times the normal force.  When
> just a gentle to firm force is used, it often sticks and sometimes even goes
> into multiple repeats.  Hitting it firmly again frees up the key and it 
> releases.
> The problem might have been caused during the cleaning if some of the
> baby wipe is stuck within the key release mechanism - I tend to remember
> that the PF4 key was not sticking when I tested it before cleaning.
> 
> Any suggestions?

Remove the keycap. To do this, remove the top part of the casing (see 
above), then you can see how the keycaps are fastened by moulded plastic 
hooks (2 per key) that clip into the while plastic housings. Normally you 
can slightly twist a keycap in the appropriate direction to free the 
hooks and it'll come off.

At thls point you can clean the cross-sahped plunger on the keycap and 
the hole it fits into on the housing. 

Sometimes you need to _carefully_ bend up the spring leaf under the key, 
inside the housing. You have to use stiff wire 'tools' through the holes 
in the key hosuing to do this.

-tony