fixing desktop keyboard after drink spill

unwashed potato! · 3 Oct 2009 at 00:37

i spilt my soda on my keyboard the other day and at first it was ok, but then when i got back from work the space key/b/v/alt gr don't work. I have taken it apart and seen that these keys are all going down one line, and i can see discolouration to the lines just after the left arrow key so assume this is where it is broken. now i'm probably not going to be able to fix this but i'm hoping i can save myself £30 and i can get something that will be "painted" back on to connect the lines and get it working again.

what i mean by discolouration is that the lines are all silver, but this bit is now brown.

as i say i don't expect to be able to fix this, but just hoping that i can get something to give it a go

iNPUt · 3 Oct 2009 at 00:45

Sometimes they just fix themselves, let it dry out see what happens, had it happen before when i split some beer on it, just left it upsidedown for a while and it worked.

People put keyboards through the showers and dishwashers, I wouldnt be keen to do that on a usb one.

But this seems a little worse, you sure the discolouration isnt the soda?

Sorry for not being much use.

unwashed potato! · 3 Oct 2009 at 00:56

yeah definitly isn't the drink as i have tried washing it off.

this photo shows better what has happened

if you at the bottom to the left of the arrow key you can see it has lost the silver part, all keys that are connected to that line no longer work. if there is a way i can put whatever is used back i'm sure it'll be fixed.

JonJ678 · 3 Oct 2009 at 05:04

You can get a conductive pen which people use to bsel mod processors occasionally, or I think a liquid you paint on which is conductive when dry. You'll need a steady hand and probably to lightly sand off the epoxy covering the tracks.

Not useful, but you should have immediately disconnected and washed under the tap, then with deionised if you're in a hard water area. Then left it to dry somewhere warm like an airing cupboard for a week or so. After which it would probably be fine, the problem was leaving the corrosive drink residue on it for any length of time.

Have fun fixing it

didgemaster · 3 Oct 2009 at 11:04

Put it in the dishwasher - google it

unwashed potato! · 3 Oct 2009 at 11:14

JonJ678 said:
You can get a conductive pen which people use to bsel mod processors occasionally, or I think a liquid you paint on which is conductive when dry. You'll need a steady hand and probably to lightly sand off the epoxy covering the tracks.

Not useful, but you should have immediately disconnected and washed under the tap, then with deionised if you're in a hard water area. Then left it to dry somewhere warm like an airing cupboard for a week or so. After which it would probably be fine, the problem was leaving the corrosive drink residue on it for any length of time.

Have fun fixing it

ok will google and see what i can get.