deskthority

Is there a guide on how to disassemble and/or lubricate SMK Monterey Blues switches? The switch under the "Z" key on my Monterey K110/SIIG Minitouch doesn't always register my keystrokes, especially off-center presses.

I have tried searching, maybe I'm not doing it right...

You need to desolder the switch and pull it out of the keyboard. Then you just push out on the plastic tabs on the bottom (e.g. with a small flathead screwdriver), and slide the two parts of the housing apart. Putting them back together can be a bit tricky the first couple times, but once you understand how the contacts fit into the housing it’s not too bad.

What to do to fix a broken switch depends on the source of the problem. If it’s just corroded/dirty contacts, then you could probably clean them with some isopropyl alcohol or something. If the problem is that the metal bits are bent out of shape, fixing it might get much trickier.

Lubricating the switch shouldn’t make any difference to the electrical contact, but if there was dirt/dust inside the switch that scratched up the slider and housing where the two rub against each other, lube might help make the key feel smoother. I haven’t personally tried lubing any SMK switches, as the ones I have are already pretty smooth. As with lubing any switch, just look inside for places where parts are sliding against each-other, and add a tiny bit of lube to those points.

Thanks for the advice. There is a Z in my name so I'd like to have that switch working properly again! Of course I could also swap that switch for the blank mystery key in the upper right corner. Some of other switches also feel slightly stiffer or "snappier" during the initial press. It looks like something was spilled on the keyboard, so maybe there is some residue left over in some of the switches.