Key Cap Removal

[Peter_Peril]

My T30 keyboard has been a real pain to use over the last few weeks. It started with the 0210 Stuck Key error I began receiving and had progressed to the intermittent operation of the touchpad.

The 0210 Error can occur on three out of four boots, including warm boots. The error message indicates key 79 --but I can't identify that key with PC Doctor's interactive testing. I pulled the keyboard out and examined the ribbon cable which appears in good condition. There are no loose board components that I can see.

As for the keyboard itself the left arrow and the #8 keys are the only ones that exihibit any semblance of "stickiness." Can anyone suggests a method for removing the key cap and what to use to lubricate the mechanism...is it even feasible to attempt?

[sjthinkpader]

Each key is made of a membrane switch, rubber plunger in the middle, a plastic pantograph assembly around the plunger, then a key cap clipped on the top part of the pantograph.

If the pantograph has the scissoring mechanism on the side, the key cap comes of the front edge. If the scissoring is front and back, then the key cap comes off the side.

The larger keys have a torsion bar added to keep them leveland may have more than one pantograph underneath.

They switches are not repairable but the pantograph may be sticky and cause the keys to be stuck on.

[Peter_Peril]

Each key is made of a membrane switch, rubber plunger in the middle, a plastic pantograph assembly around the plunger, then a key cap clipped on the top part of the pantograph.

If the pantograph has the scissoring mechanism on the side, the key cap comes of the front edge. If the scissoring is front and back, then the key cap comes off the side.

Ahhhh So! My key caps scissor front to back. On the rear half of this plastic mechanism there are two prongs which clip into a metal assembly surrounding the base of the pantograph. In my case one of the plastic prongs has worn off --this probably allows the key to twist and wedge ever so slightly underneath an adjacent key. Talk about unservicable; I would be willing to pay good money to learn how they assembled this thing With that in mind... Jamiphar if you're scanning this expect a PM about that spare keyboard of yours.

I'm going to reinstall the keyboard on the laptop to test my assumption.

[sjthinkpader]

There are rows and rows of teenage girls putting these things together, great eyes and great dexterity in their hands.

While I was contemplating machinery to put down the then new QFP (quad-flat-pack) IC packages with 1mm lead pitch 25 years ago, I went to a factory in Taiwan and they had young girls soldering these things manually. The KBs today are assembled in Thailand and China much the same way.

[Peter_Peril]

There are rows and rows of teenage girls putting these things together, great eyes and great dexterity in their hands.

Well there's no "happy ending" to my tale of woe. After reinstalling the keyboard (sans the suspect key cap) my T30 still has the stuck key error. Effectively proving my assumption wrong.

Never the less thanks for the detail on the key caps; especially the assembly.

Apologies to anyone who took offense to the pun in this post. To anyone else looking for more detail on removing and /or replacing a key cap I offer this:
http://rashbre2.blogspot.com/2007/11/re ... g-key.html