Graphite membrane trace fix

[FletchINKy]

Hello All,

I couldn't search up anyone finding this weird fix method I just pulled off, so I figured I'd share it.

I had an engineering 87-key keyboard with a damaged trace near the TRIO-MATE connector. The membrane traces near the connectors are covered with a greenish mask of some kind, so I carefully scraped off the mask until I got the white silver-solder (I think) membrane traces exposed on both sides of the cut.

I tried copper tape, but couldn't get it to work. I figured the adhesive was getting in the way. so I put on my thinking cap and figured that graphite was probably a good enough conductor to work. So I sticky-noted off the areas around the trace, and scraped a small pile of graphite into another sticky note with my pocket knife, then very VERY carefully jostled a line of graphite from one trace to the other, and scotch taped it down.

Worked like a charm. Sometimes you just need a particulate conductor.

Hope this helps someone,
Troy Fletcher

[XMIT]

Graphite works okay. I’ve had better luck using silver conductive paste to do membrane repair. It comes in a tiny syringe but it’s not terribly expensive. For membrane substrate repair e.g. torn membrane, archival quality packing tape does a pretty good job. Glad you got it fixed!