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Removing/replacing Apple ][e keyboard keys

3

33black

Experienced Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
207
Location
Los Angeles, California, United States
Got a few Apple ][es now. The first one I got was in great condition, had the black keys on the keyboard. I bought one from a guy with a color monitor, duo drives and a bunch of other stuff recently. It was an earlier model with the white letter keys and the big white apples on the apple keys. A few of the keys were missing on the keyboard, and the "Apple" badge was missing and replaced with a rainbow sticker. I just got another one of the same machine with the white keys, and the case is in good shape and it was only missing the + key.

I'm going to take the + key from the one machine that's in worse shape, and put it on the one I just got since that is the only key missing on that machine.

Question is, how do I remove the key and get it on the new machine correctly? I don't want to damage anything. Looking at the keyswitch where the key used to be, the little plastic that's in the shape of a plus under the key that I guess would hold the key, looks like it may be cracked. I'm not sure how then I would replace the entire keyswitch.

Anyone dont this before and have a youtube tutorial, pictures, anything?

Thanks
 
The keytops just pull straight up off their switches. Use something plastic (like the little "clip" a BIC pen cap) to lever underneath while supporting it from the back with your finger so it doesn't pry sideways and break the switch. If you have one of those "chip puller" things, they're great for removing keytops (even if they are horrible for chips!). It's also really easy to grab and pull the keytops if you already have one out, since you can get all the way down with your finger. Or, if you remove the keyboard, you can pull the ones on the edge off with your fingers easy.

The switch on the other keyboard is most likely broken off when the keytop was. Replacing the keyswitches is very, very easy. The switches are clipped into the metal frame of the keyboard, and the two pins are soldered to the board. Just take the keyboard out, desolder the switch, and pop the clips out of the frame to remove it. Replace it with one scavenged from the other keyboard.

-Ian
 
Hi
That is cool. It is something that a person with a little
piano wire from the hobby shop should be able to hack
together.
Dwight
 
Pulled the machines apart and pulled out the keyboards. The two boards are slightly different. The one that has more keys missing is an Apple branded board, you can see on the bottom, the other is not. Does anyone know why that is? Is one older than the other? According to the back of the machines, the non-apple branded board is in the machine with a lower serial number.

Any other thoughts, or just using different board suppliers? You'd think they would make sure it had apple branding on it.
 
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