Can I fix my keyboard?

[Creamu]

Hello,

one of the two legs to elevate the keyboard has broken off. Is there a way to fix this?

 

[FAST6191]

Depends upon the setup and manner of break.

Buy a broken version of the keyboard (or similar compatible line) and rob that of the thing remains an option. I don't tend to see such things on ebay as PC keyboards are largely considered disposable (I actually say that when people are replacing their laptop keyboard after the ?th spilled drink and it costing them a lot vs just telling them to take one off the pile).

We are living in future now where it is not a $10000 investment in injection moulding or similar milling machine to carve it from a block of plastic. 3d printers (granted I am not sure how much I trust filament/fdm printers for this) which you can rent by the hour then being an easy option, and most stands I have ever seen being fairly basic items when all is said and done*.
That said if you wanted to make one out of metal that could usually be done with minimal tooling if you wanted and it is a basic folding thing rather than multi leg compound thing.

*the nubs that hold it in, maybe a gap along the middle** to make it a compliant device (that is to say it flexes rather than breaks) and a reinforcing rib around the outside to make it slightly stiffer. Make it bigger than you need vertically by a few mm and you can file it down (or not). If you know what you are doing than 5 minutes to model it in CAD, if not then maybe an hour as you have a spectacular learning project.
**sometimes this is done to reduce plastic usage if it does not compromise mechanical properties.

Repair could be an option. Two main approaches, maybe three depending upon the makeup of it.
1) Superglue and baking soda. Makes a more than passable material for repairs of plastic and something like epoxy is not going to do.
2) Soldering iron and wire. If it is still vaguely attached or attachable at least cosmetically then heating it up with a soldering iron and forcing in a bit of steel wire and having it melt around tends to impart some of the qualities of steel. I prefer this for larger items but the average stub on a keyboard stand might be hard.
3) Drill it out and replace the stub with a piece of metal. Hard to drill that accurately and if there is not much meat in the thing you are drilling (quite possible for most modern keyboards -- nice old mechanical ones are a different matter).

 

[AncientBoi]

Break the other leg to even it out.

Problem solved.

YaY, another 7 points for me.

 

[Creamu]

Thank you for this awesome post! You often take great care when crafting your posts. Even though some of them overwhelm me by their sheer scale, I appreachiate them all very much.

Depends upon the setup and manner of break.

One of the two clip ins broke of.

Buy a broken version of the keyboard (or similar compatible line) and rob that of the thing remains an option. I don't tend to see such things on ebay as PC keyboards are largely considered disposable (I actually say that when people are replacing their laptop keyboard after the ?th spilled drink and it costing them a lot vs just telling them to take one off the pile).

Unfortunatly in that case I might as well by a new one.

We are living in future now where it is not a $10000 investment in injection moulding or similar milling machine to carve it from a block of plastic. 3d printers (granted I am not sure how much I trust filament/fdm printers for this) which you can rent by the hour then being an easy option, and most stands I have ever seen being fairly basic items when all is said and done*.
That said if you wanted to make one out of metal that could usually be done with minimal tooling if you wanted and it is a basic folding thing rather than multi leg compound thing.

Unfortunatly I think I am not that smart.

*the nubs that hold it in, maybe a gap along the middle** to make it a compliant device (that is to say it flexes rather than breaks) and a reinforcing rib around the outside to make it slightly stiffer. Make it bigger than you need vertically by a few mm and you can file it down (or not). If you know what you are doing than 5 minutes to model it in CAD, if not then maybe an hour as you have a spectacular learning project.
**sometimes this is done to reduce plastic usage if it does not compromise mechanical properties.

I will think about it.

Repair could be an option. Two main approaches, maybe three depending upon the makeup of it.
1) Superglue and baking soda. Makes a more than passable material for repairs of plastic and something like epoxy is not going to do.

This sounds like a good option for me.

2) Soldering iron and wire. If it is still vaguely attached or attachable at least cosmetically then heating it up with a soldering iron and forcing in a bit of steel wire and having it melt around tends to impart some of the qualities of steel. I prefer this for larger items but the average stub on a keyboard stand might be hard.

This I could try as well, but the glue option seems more save.

3) Drill it out and replace the stub with a piece of metal. Hard to drill that accurately and if there is not much meat in the thing you are drilling (quite possible for most modern keyboards -- nice old mechanical ones are a different matter).

I have a cheap modern one.

Break the other leg to even it out.

Problem solved.

Yes, that does work to an extend but it is a bit awkward for me to type with the keyboard unelevated. If I can't fix it, I won't be able to post here in future I am afraid.

YaY, another 7 points for me.

Why 7?

 

[Creamu]

Okay, I asked a crafty friend, and he agreed that epoxy is a good idea (although he was sceptical if anything could be done. As soon as I get the material I will do it and let it dry extra long. I will report on the results.

 

[FAST6191]

I consulted my pile of keyboards. Some of the nice old ps/2 ones (I mostly have those and whatever OEM ones people chuck out with the machine when they are done with it) have multi component things (got to have that 5-6 levels via two stands that nest inside each other all 1mm away from each other in the extreme it seems) with serious compliant structures but most modern ones amount to "get side profile, extrude, add nubs if they were not already part of it (another circle on the face you just extruded)". If you wanted to match the originals you might have to remove some things but if you are 3d printing or milling something from a block of plastic with CNC then no great issue (not to mention it will likely be stronger and if you want the thing to stand up anyway...) as the main reason for not being solid blocks is to both fold a bit easier and when you are making 100000 of the things then that adds up to a reasonable amount of plastic and additional cooling time.

Edit. On epoxy. It is wonderful stuff (have half a dozen tubs of it in all different flavours around at any given point in the last 20 years) but for things as small as some of the sheared nubs in keyboards I have my doubts. Might be worth setting up a larger blob and filing that back down (see needle files) to fit rather than trying to get a cross section only just usefully measured in mm2 to stick back together.

 

[Creamu]

I consulted my pile of keyboards. Some of the nice old ps/2 ones

Those were the days.

(I mostly have those and whatever OEM ones people chuck out with the machine when they are done with it) have multi component things (got to have that 5-6 levels via two stands that nest inside each other all 1mm away from each other in the extreme it seems) with serious compliant structures but most modern ones amount to "get side profile, extrude, add nubs if they were not already part of it (another circle on the face you just extruded)". If you wanted to match the originals you might have to remove some things but if you are 3d printing or milling something from a block of plastic with CNC then no great issue (not to mention it will likely be stronger and if you want the thing to stand up anyway...) as the main reason for not being solid blocks is to both fold a bit easier and when you are making 100000 of the things then that adds up to a reasonable amount of plastic and additional cooling time.

I can see you are a very crafty person.

Mine have these types:

 

[FAST6191]

That is one of those 5 minutes on a CAD program jobs. Would probably leave the slots out of a 3d printed model and instead cut them in with a hacksaw (they are there to give the nub sections a bit of flex to get it fitted in the keyboard without the back panel being all crazy complicated). Might also just print square blobs/oversized blobs and take them to size with needle files if needed.
Only question I would have is the in back of the middle "tang" for want of a better term appears to have a little hook on it which I don't know if it is some kind of positive lock/restraint on rolling back. Though even those most of the time are a convenience so when you slide the keyboard forwards it does not to back to restrained, and solved by a bit of blue tack if you did not want it to do that.

Also seeing that line down the middle of the thing... I can see why it broke now as I imagine it was not that well welded together (though easier/cheaper to make).

 

[Creamu]

That is one of those 5 minutes on a CAD program jobs. Would probably leave the slots out of a 3d printed model and instead cut them in with a hacksaw (they are there to give the nub sections a bit of flex to get it fitted in the keyboard without the back panel being all crazy complicated). Might also just print square blobs/oversized blobs and take them to size with needle files if needed.
Only question I would have is the in back of the middle "tang" for want of a better term appears to have a little hook on it which I don't know if it is some kind of positive lock/restraint on rolling back. Though even those most of the time are a convenience so when you slide the keyboard forwards it does not to back to restrained, and solved by a bit of blue tack if you did not want it to do that.

Also seeing that line down the middle of the thing... I can see why it broke now as I imagine it was not that well welded together (though easier/cheaper to make).

For someone as skilled as you, this might be a simple obsticale. For me this is wizardry.

You are always very generous with you help. I hope nice people like you will stay around.

 

[FAST6191]

It really is basic CAD




Take a photo above the item (better if you have a ruler in shot to take measurements from but if you want to use callipers or something then knock yourself out), trace around it and extrude it. As mentioned above the nubs are going to be a circle (or square if you are filing it to size) on the same sketch, just extruded the other way.

 

[Creamu]

It really is basic CAD

Wow that's like three dimensional paint.

If it is as easy as it looks I might be able to pull it off.

Take a photo above the item (better if you have a ruler in shot to take measurements from but if you want to use callipers or something then knock yourself out), trace around it and extrude it. As mentioned above the nubs are going to be a circle (or square if you are filing it to size) on the same sketch, just extruded the other way.

Okay.

I will try the epoxy route first. If that doesn't work, I will give this a shot.