Don't do this to your XEGS keyboard!

[highendsystems]

My only functional 8-bit is an XEGS. The keys on the

keyboard look like a smokers teeth which haven't

been brushed for years....hehe, yeah you know the

'yellowing' effect I'm talking about.

 

So the other night I had the 'bright' idea of brightening

it up with 70% isopropal alcohol. Suddenly I realize that

I'm actually 'bathing' it in alcohol! Ofcourse after what

I believed to be a reasonable amount of time to dry, I

hooked it back up, and much to my dismay it (keyboard)

didn't respond. So I set it in front of a box fan overnight,

to no avail.... It was is the only keyboard (8-bit 'puter) I

have so I went about the task of disassembling it.

After about 40 tiny screws later I realized the problem --

there was still alcohol between the mylar contacts. No

biggy, so I dried and cleaned the 'membrane'.

 

As I went to mount it I realized the cross-hairs didn't

align into the circles, so I had to actually adjust this

manually. okay done. Having not repaired a keyboard

since the 80's I forgot that I couldn't flip the keyboard

onto the mylar....ooopps, all but one of the rubber

'push-contacts' went flying all over the place including

a few plastic key inserts.

 

Finally after re-assembly it now works great, except for

one thing -- after all that hassell the keys still look

plaque laden. Argggg! Do I need to use bleech?

 

What ever you do, be careful not to saturate your keyboards

unless you are ready to go through what I did....

 

Peace bro's!

[mimo]

My only functional 8-bit is an XEGS. The keys on the

keyboard look like a smokers teeth which haven't

been brushed for years....hehe, yeah you know the

'yellowing' effect I'm talking about.

 

So the other night I had the 'bright' idea of brightening

it up with 70% isopropal alcohol. Suddenly I realize that

I'm actually 'bathing' it in alcohol! Ofcourse after what

I believed to be a reasonable amount of time to dry, I

hooked it back up, and much to my dismay it (keyboard)

didn't respond. So I set it in front of a box fan overnight,

to no avail.... It was is the only keyboard (8-bit 'puter) I

have so I went about the task of disassembling it.

After about 40 tiny screws later I realized the problem --

there was still alcohol between the mylar contacts. No

biggy, so I dried and cleaned the 'membrane'.

 

As I went to mount it I realized the cross-hairs didn't

align into the circles, so I had to actually adjust this

manually. okay done. Having not repaired a keyboard

since the 80's I forgot that I couldn't flip the keyboard

onto the mylar....ooopps, all but one of the rubber

'push-contacts' went flying all over the place including

a few plastic key inserts.

 

Finally after re-assembly it now works great, except for

one thing -- after all that hassell the keys still look

plaque laden. Argggg! Do I need to use bleech?

 

What ever you do, be careful not to saturate your keyboards

unless you are ready to go through what I did....

 

Peace bro's!

Bleach won't work either, the only thing you can do is get a new keyboard!

The yellowing is due to UV light attacking the plastic, it is a non reversible process.

[Retro Rogue]

Instead of going through all that, why not just order a new internal replacement keyboard, sans case?

[urborg]

The only thing you can do with yellowed keybord is ... get used to it

[MEtalGuy66]

You know the keycaps pop off without disassembling the keyboard..

 

Try this.. Pop off one of the keycaps and soak it in a bowl of hydrogen peroxide.. Place the bowl under a UV lamp..

 

This is SUPPOSED to reverse the oxidization process in SOME plastics that makes them yellow with age..

 

If it works, you can do the rest of the keycaps, a few at a time..

[Tickled_Pink]

Try this.. Pop off one of the keycaps and soak it in a bowl of hydrogen peroxide..

But be discreet when buying the stuff.

 

Terror Plot

[mimo]

Or buy a new Keyboard from B + C for $25, or a complete new KB in a case for $30 and never use it in daylight.

[urborg]

... and never use it in daylight.

 

...And protect from heat, because it can also be a reason of yellowing

[mimo]

and any chemicals in the atmosphere because they can act as a catalyst

[Retro Rogue]

Or buy a new Keyboard from B + C for $25, or a complete new KB in a case for $30

 

 

Already directed him to them above.