C64 keyboard clean / repair

hello all,

My C64 has a damaged CBM key , so i have acquired another but it doesn't work very at all. Some keys work and some dont, also its pretty filthy..

So time to strip the C64 , clean the keyboard and swap the keyboards over so my C64 keyboard has all the keys.

So i stripped my c64, dismantled the keyboard - you have to unsolder the shift lock key to remove the base of the keyboard.

On inspection most of the contacts are dull and dirty , so they are gentle cleaned with a sponge polishing block then wiped over with cleaner.

Each pad on the keys was cleaned with cleaner as well.

Okay all good..so a quick rebuild and solder the key lock back on and pop a few screws in to test!

yay ...success , all the keys work. So now i cleaned the keys in soapy water and blew dry with an air compressor.

Refit all the tiny screws i left out and refit in the C64 top cover.

Finally refit the cover and test..

All good - a fully working C64 again. :-)

All very easy but worth while i think .

And another piece of history back from the dead!!!

great stuff!!!

She looks awesome, well done fixing the keys :thumbsup:

awww thanks guys :-)

its nice to do a repair that works lol

Nice work! :thumbsup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mjnurney

its nice to do a repair that works lol

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:D I know the feeling :D

nice job mate

Thanks guys, it looks a bit better in the pics than in real life but it's pretty good for a 1983 machine.

Some bright spark had super glued the commodore on!

But it doesn't matter now with the new keyboard on :-)

I just wonder in 20/30 years time if any xbox 360's/ps3's will still be alive let alone need a button fixing.

I am going to buy a spare xbox 360, wrap it up safe and it will be the only living one in 30 years. It will be worth a mint, priceless.

I had a few C64 keyboards where cleaning didnt help, the pads were just worn out.
I managed to get my hands on a conducting black liquid used on contacts by the electric company (cant remember its name, its been 14 years...).
I used it on all keyboards, after it dried up they worked like new :)

A few years later strange things started to happen with these machines, I discovered to my horror that the black paint has started to break into little conducting pieces which started moving freely around... scary stuff :blink:

Anyway, I'm quite sure there's a similar product that doesnt suffer from this problem, I just havent been able to find it yet!

nice job there

reminds me I must put jiffy dos in my c64 and 1541-II