Keyboard #1

While prying out the space key the switch's "head" broke.
Most of the pads are in good shape but a few were already glued back together.
Probably there is a way to replace them, I'd guess any kitchen sponge?

The keyboard has a metal back plate, making it not so light.
https://deskauthority.saberkeebs.com/wiki.the … _53_series.html

Part2

Part3

Keyboard #2

This one is a heavy model, and big too.

Key switches are soldered to the PCB, making it difficult taking it apart.

I have 2 options:

1. wash it with soap, rince and dry
2. clean it with general purpose towels

Switches are "Alps", easy to take out.

Looks like a IBM 6150 knockoff.
https://wiki.themk.org/index.php/Category:NTC_keyboards

Part2 K#2

If you do not want to make your own, texelec.com sells new foam backed keyboard contacts.

akimmet wrote on 2026-03-27, 21:01:

If you do not want to make your own, texelec.com sells new foam backed keyboard contacts.

Watched both 8bit guy and Adrian Black 😀
I'll end up repairing them by myself, I can always buy new one once customs and shipping go back to normal.
---

Keyboard #2 update:

2 keys broke in sockets while removing, probably already damaged (I tell quietly to myself 🤣)

Keyboard #4

Model: BITS6001
Rubber over membrane, no spring.

After cleaning lost a lot of keys, probably needs membranes to be cleaned + connector contacts worked (some corrosion maybe?)

I thought I took pictures in the works but it was another keyboard.

Not really interesting or of value, keys have cheap rubber domes.

Keyboard #5

Chicony 5162
https://wiki.themk.org/index.php/Chicony_KB-5161

The foot was inside the case, I have to rebuild the two lateral holders (can't remember the name).
At least the keys came off pretty easily compared to Keyboard #1.

The case is cracked and broken in some spots, will need to repair that as well.

If anyone knows what material is this leave a comment.

Keyboard #6

Same as #1

Removing keys was a bit of a chore again.

Dirty + some corroded spots.
Switches are without spring, rubber instead.

Most keyboards... and beige PC plastics in general... are made of ABS plastic (or ABS + PS and possibly HB for flamability-compliance.)
So in regards to that (or more specifically keyboard #5) any PVC or ABS plastics glue should work fine to glue the broken parts.
I usually use PVC pipe glue because I always have some and it always works great. Just put it on both broken pieces, wait for the plastic to soften up a little from the glue, and then put the parts together. Leave to dry for minimum of 24 hours without disturbance and 1 week for full strength.

In regards to the rubber dome keyboard (#4?): did you wash it without removing the plastic trace sheets? These usually don't deal well with moisture or water, so I never wash these. If very dirty, I might wipe them with 90% IPA, but that's it. Now, if this keyboard uses a design where the rubber domes also integrate the carbon contacts, you'll probably want to wash these too with water+dish soap (do NOT use any other aggressive cleaning agents.)
I know it's just a rubber dome keyboard, but honestly I prefer those over the other "mechanicals", especially any modern stuff (which I call "fake mechanicals" for reasons I'd rather not rant about here.)

As for keyboard #1: I imagine the broken keys can be glued back with some hot glue. Same for keyboard #2... unless those keycap parts happen to be made from ABS or PS plastic as well - in which case, use PVC glue as mentioned above. (Note: if unsure about a plastic type, you can use PVC glue to tell. Apply a small drop onto an inconspicuous area and see if the plastics becomes "melty" or "goo-ey" when scratched with a small screwdriver after a minute of the glue sitting on it. If yes, it's probably ABS, PS, or other similar plastic that reacts to solvent glues. If not, then solvent-based glues won't work very well with it.)

momaka wrote on 2026-04-01, 22:15:

Most keyboards... and beige PC plastics in general... are made of ABS plastic (or ABS + PS and possibly HB for flamability-compl […]
Show full quote

Most keyboards... and beige PC plastics in general... are made of ABS plastic (or ABS + PS and possibly HB for flamability-compliance.)
So in regards to that (or more specifically keyboard #5) any PVC or ABS plastics glue should work fine to glue the broken parts.
I usually use PVC pipe glue because I always have some and it always works great. Just put it on both broken pieces, wait for the plastic to soften up a little from the glue, and then put the parts together. Leave to dry for minimum of 24 hours without disturbance and 1 week for full strength.

In regards to the rubber dome keyboard (#4?): did you wash it without removing the plastic trace sheets? These usually don't deal well with moisture or water, so I never wash these. If very dirty, I might wipe them with 90% IPA, but that's it. Now, if this keyboard uses a design where the rubber domes also integrate the carbon contacts, you'll probably want to wash these too with water+dish soap (do NOT use any other aggressive cleaning agents.)
I know it's just a rubber dome keyboard, but honestly I prefer those over the other "mechanicals", especially any modern stuff (which I call "fake mechanicals" for reasons I'd rather not rant about here.)

As for keyboard #1: I imagine the broken keys can be glued back with some hot glue. Same for keyboard #2... unless those keycap parts happen to be made from ABS or PS plastic as well - in which case, use PVC glue as mentioned above. (Note: if unsure about a plastic type, you can use PVC glue to tell. Apply a small drop onto an inconspicuous area and see if the plastics becomes "melty" or "goo-ey" when scratched with a small screwdriver after a minute of the glue sitting on it. If yes, it's probably ABS, PS, or other similar plastic that reacts to solvent glues. If not, then solvent-based glues won't work very well with it.)

Nope, I didn't wash the traces sheets. I'll use IPA and see. I'm not too bummed if anything happens, but the Windows 95 logo is cute.

I'll try what you suggest to glue parts back. I'll add something in the part inside to give it some structure, like a patch.

I'll report back when done. Cleaning keyboards is boring as frack, I decided not to retrobrite. I'm not that good at it and I want this project done asap.

Thanks for your answer!

Keyboard #7

This one has foam+foil pads with a metal clip on a side that makes a "clicking sound" when the key is pressed down.
🤣

I'll make a video and post it because it is funny. Why do that?
Anyone knows the name of this kind of foam & foil?
Imagine removing all foams and all clips and put them back together after washing everything. 🤣 🤣

Word Perfect ready 😉

After cleaning all these keyboards I can only add this:

1. buy the key removing tool, for 2€/$ it is worth it + never rush it, be gentle and go light on those old key mechanisms
2. check what's your model and see what's under it, some keys have mechanisms that can break like it happened to me
3. space and other big keys have metal brackets to keep them in place, sometimes they require a sequence to put them back easily (easy to figure out)
4. it's boring and time consuming - it's a real chore

I didn't retrobrite any of them as it already took a lot of time.
If you do one keyboard at a time it can take up to a couple of days if adding retrobriting.

I lost a spring and can't find it, still one keyboard in the to-finish bucket.

-- The end --

Nexxen wrote on 2026-04-02, 16:32:

Cleaning keyboards is boring as frack,

Absolutely agree!
... yet, I still put myself through this process / pain once in a while - not with very old keyboards like this, however. Reading through your thread and the various (terrible for servicing) keyboard mechanisms you've ran into makes me not want to either. Then again, some of the newer "gaming" keyboards can also be really annoying - a billion screws of different sizes, plastic clips that were made to make the assembly easy, but disassembly a nightmare, and my last favorite: the actual "mechanical" switches.

All in all, I think keyboards are akin to cars in some ways from a service stand point: neither the ones that are too old or too new are great for servicing. The best / easiest ones are from the era "in the middle" - i.e. the early through late 2000's rubber dome keyboards. I have washed many many of these, and they are super easy in most cases - just remove a few screws, and you have a top assembly (with keys), a bottom pieces, and a rubber dome sheet all ready to wash in a few simple steps. The trace sheets are the only stuff I don't wash, since they tend to degrade or get completely destroyed from the moisture.

Nexxen wrote on 2026-04-02, 23:20:

Keyboard #7 […]
Show full quote

Keyboard #7

This one has foam+foil pads with a metal clip on a side that makes a "clicking sound" when the key is pressed down.
🤣

I'll make a video and post it because it is funny. Why do that?
Anyone knows the name of this kind of foam & foil?
Imagine removing all foams and all clips and put them back together after washing everything. 🤣 🤣

Funny? 🤣
Sounds painful / nightmare to service, honestly.

The only retro keyboard I tried to clean was a Silicon Graphics granite keyboard. It didn't want to seem to take apart easily, so I just washed between the key caps as best as I could with some wipes, paper towels, and rags, then called it "good enough". It wasn't overly dirty to begin with, luckily. Anyways, after using it for a bit for some gaming, I decided it definitely wasn't going to be a keeper - it only had a 2-key rollover on most keys, making it terrible for any games where you sometimes need to press more than 2 keys at once or in very quick succession. So I put it on Ebay for a low starting bid with the option of Buy It Now at something like $70. It sold within 30 minutes of me posting it with the BIN option. 🤣 Whoever got it... hope they are happy with it. It's a decent keyboard for typing ("word perfect ready" as you said 😀 ), but certainly not for gaming. I might do the same with my IBM Model M eventually (when I get to it.) People seem to love these old mechanical keyboards for whatever reason. I mean, at least the model M uses nice mechanical switches with buckle springs... unlike modern "mechanical" replicas, which are pretty terrible, IMO. So with that said, I'll be sticking with my rubber dome ones that no one else seems to care for. 😁

Nexxen wrote on 2026-05-10, 13:56:

I didn't retrobrite any of them as it already took a lot of time.

Retrobriting is a waste of time anyways - most treated plastics will come back to their yellow state in a short amount of time again. I just accept the yellowness and move on.

Nexxen wrote on 2026-05-10, 13:56:

still one keyboard in the to-finish bucket.

Sounds like my case when I'm dealing with old computer mice: for every few that I do, about half come back with further issues and remain on my "to do" box - mostly buttons that need opening and cleaning the contacts to get them going, but sometimes other issues too.

That said, I'll still take cleaning mice over keyboards any day... unless they are Microsoft -branded mice!

momaka wrote on 2026-05-14, 15:16:

Absolutely agree! ... yet, I still put myself through this process / pain once in a while - not with very old keyboards like thi […]
Show full quote

Nexxen wrote on 2026-04-02, 16:32:

Cleaning keyboards is boring as frack,

Absolutely agree!
... yet, I still put myself through this process / pain once in a while - not with very old keyboards like this, however. Reading through your thread and the various (terrible for servicing) keyboard mechanisms you've ran into makes me not want to either. Then again, some of the newer "gaming" keyboards can also be really annoying - a billion screws of different sizes, plastic clips that were made to make the assembly easy, but disassembly a nightmare, and my last favorite: the actual "mechanical" switches.

All in all, I think keyboards are akin to cars in some ways from a service stand point: neither the ones that are too old or too new are great for servicing. The best / easiest ones are from the era "in the middle" - i.e. the early through late 2000's rubber dome keyboards. I have washed many many of these, and they are super easy in most cases - just remove a few screws, and you have a top assembly (with keys), a bottom pieces, and a rubber dome sheet all ready to wash in a few simple steps. The trace sheets are the only stuff I don't wash, since they tend to degrade or get completely destroyed from the moisture.

Nexxen wrote on 2026-04-02, 23:20:

Keyboard #7 […]
Show full quote

Keyboard #7

This one has foam+foil pads with a metal clip on a side that makes a "clicking sound" when the key is pressed down.
🤣

I'll make a video and post it because it is funny. Why do that?
Anyone knows the name of this kind of foam & foil?
Imagine removing all foams and all clips and put them back together after washing everything. 🤣 🤣

Funny? 🤣
Sounds painful / nightmare to service, honestly.

The only retro keyboard I tried to clean was a Silicon Graphics granite keyboard. It didn't want to seem to take apart easily, so I just washed between the key caps as best as I could with some wipes, paper towels, and rags, then called it "good enough". It wasn't overly dirty to begin with, luckily. Anyways, after using it for a bit for some gaming, I decided it definitely wasn't going to be a keeper - it only had a 2-key rollover on most keys, making it terrible for any games where you sometimes need to press more than 2 keys at once or in very quick succession. So I put it on Ebay for a low starting bid with the option of Buy It Now at something like $70. It sold within 30 minutes of me posting it with the BIN option. 🤣 Whoever got it... hope they are happy with it. It's a decent keyboard for typing ("word perfect ready" as you said 😀 ), but certainly not for gaming. I might do the same with my IBM Model M eventually (when I get to it.) People seem to love these old mechanical keyboards for whatever reason. I mean, at least the model M uses nice mechanical switches with buckle springs... unlike modern "mechanical" replicas, which are pretty terrible, IMO. So with that said, I'll be sticking with my rubber dome ones that no one else seems to care for. 😁

Nexxen wrote on 2026-05-10, 13:56:

I didn't retrobrite any of them as it already took a lot of time.

Retrobriting is a waste of time anyways - most treated plastics will come back to their yellow state in a short amount of time again. I just accept the yellowness and move on.

Nexxen wrote on 2026-05-10, 13:56:

still one keyboard in the to-finish bucket.

Sounds like my case when I'm dealing with old computer mice: for every few that I do, about half come back with further issues and remain on my "to do" box - mostly buttons that need opening and cleaning the contacts to get them going, but sometimes other issues too.

That said, I'll still take cleaning mice over keyboards any day... unless they are Microsoft -branded mice!

It was a nice read 😀 Thanks for your reply.

Yes, mice are way easier.
I don't think I'll ever do all those keyboards in a batch.

I didn't mind the typing rate and how many keys can be pressed at one time. I really didn't think of that.
Playing Mortal Kombat 1 I remember being unable to make my moves if the other player pressed too many keys simultaneously.
I'll probably need to dig that and add it to my notes, for each keyboard.

It had to be done, at least now it's almost over.

Thanks again and see you around!