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Atari 600XL, lifted keyboard ribbon trace

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ncherry

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2018
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112
Location
Monroe Twp, NJ
I'm working on getting my Atari 800xl & 600xl fixed up for the VCF East Atari classes. 3 of my 4 have weird issues but I'll start with the keyboard on the 600XL. I just noticed that one of the traces seems to come off the plastic ribbon. I've see someone use a drop of crazy glue to put it back on the plastic. Is this a good idea?
 
I mean yea it could glue it down, but there's some things to keep in mind, going out and grabbing a hardware/discount/whatever store 4 pack of super glue for a buck or two ...
  • A drop is going to be enormous amount, might wanna take a square of tinfoil or something to make a little boat to put the drop in and apply it with a pick (even if its a toothpick)
  • All CA glue dries into a form of plastic, so if it gets on the contact side of things you may have to go back and remove it
  • Almost all CA glue formulations like to fume as it dries so even if you get it perfect, it still may insulate surrounding contacts
  • All CA based glue will market itself as instant bonding, its only instant bonding when you screw up, the thing you are trying to glue to the other thing will take forever to grab, meanwhile you will weld your fingers together and the item in question to your work surface in about 9 nanoseconds
now I have personally done this before on my 65XE, using super glue I bought at dollar tree, and its gone though a few insert / remove cycles just fine, but I took a drop on a bit of sticker paper backing, applied the faintest amount with a toothpick on the back of the trace and kind of brushed it down with my thumb until it laid flat, and the next day gave it the faintest wipe down in 1 direction a couple times with a 3M Schoch Bright polishing pad
 
I'm currently holding off on this. Seems the trace is now curved and tool the plastic with it. So nothing to glue to (rats). I'll reevaluate later but before VCF East.

Thanks
 
I do not have an XL, just an XE, if one has the time and the skill, one could make a reproduction out of paper thin FR4 or maybe even Kapton flex circuit, its been several years since I opened my 65XE

the old school way would be to find a flat flex cable or have one made on Kapton tape and back it up with a bit of plastic .... but that's involving designing something and having it made
 
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