Apple Keyboard II:How can I do retr0bright？

Keyboard_Yokocho · 05 Mar 2018, 05:18

Hey, guys.

The other day, I bought used Apple keyboard Ⅱ.(Photo2)
It was bad condition, so I decided to do retr0bright.

But when I pulled up key caps, I knew springs are fixed to key caps with blue parts.(Photo1)
My question is below.

•If I sink key caps with springs in liduid of retr0bright, are springs going to get rusty?
If I have to take apart, how can I do?

Thank you for seeing this post.
Regards.

andrewjoy · 05 Mar 2018, 11:29

Hmmm never seen that before.

You could use the cream method, with https://www.sallybeauty.com/salonc-care ... lt,pd.html
that way very little will get on the back of the cap.

Keyboard_Yokocho · 05 Mar 2018, 12:14

Thanks for your help.

I didn’ Know the cream method.
I live in Japan, so I can’t buy it, but I will try to find another cleam products that work like this.

By the way, I’m wondering what the name of these switches are too.
If anyone knows what name they are, please reply.

Brett MacK · 05 Mar 2018, 12:56

It looks like SMK spring over membrane, but i'm not 100%

andrewjoy · 05 Mar 2018, 13:03

Just as another tip but i am sure you know

Wrap them in clear food wrap once the cream is on and put in sun.

Also clean the caps before you retrobrite fully clean ( all marks and dirt removed). If you have one put them in an ultrasonic cleaner for 20 mins that should do it. If not use cloths washing powder the type with the biological enzymes in it, its the best one for cleaning the human slime, use warm water not hot water! Let them soak for a while then wash off the soap and dry them.

lucar · 05 Mar 2018, 13:06

I did retrobright Amstrad Acorn PC-1512 keyboard keycaps and chassis by immersion in liquid peroxide.

Amstrad Acorn PC-1512 keycaps have a small center spring similar to yours. The springs will not rust, they will oxidize; a process that will probably led them to rust in the future. I lubricated all the springs afterwards. I really don't know if the springs will survive or not.

You can check the before/after effect of retrobrighting the Acorn keyboard in my video here :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M2nkrsarVk

I did not have consistent results with "creams" so I switched to "full immersion" mode.

Luca

Blaise170 · 05 Mar 2018, 16:07

wiki/Apple_Keyboard_II

Daniel Beardsmore · 05 Mar 2018, 22:44

FWIW, the sliders (blue) and keycaps can be separated.

Keyboard_Yokocho · 06 Mar 2018, 15:09

Thanks for all your help.

I will try to do redrobright.

In the page of Apple Keyboard Ⅱ, this type of switch have not written yet.
I will report how my keyboard will be changed.

Keyboard_Yokocho · 06 Mar 2018, 15:11

In addition, Luca's advice will help me a lot. Thanks.

andrewjoy · 06 Mar 2018, 17:12

lucar wrote: ↑I did retrobright Amstrad Acorn PC-1512 keyboard keycaps and chassis by immersion in liquid peroxide.

Amstrad Acorn PC-1512 keycaps have a small center spring similar to yours. The springs will not rust, they will oxidize; a process that will probably led them to rust in the future. I lubricated all the springs afterwards. I really don't know if the springs will survive or not.

You can check the before/after effect of retrobrighting the Acorn keyboard in my video here :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M2nkrsarVk

I did not have consistent results with "creams" so I switched to "full immersion" mode.

Luca

Nice results , but please please don't try to pry kecaps off from the front like that with a screwdriver ( or anything else). For caps that will come off at the front , use a puller.