Best Material for Replacing Keyboard ‘Feet’

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

I have an original AEK on which a couple of the ‘feet’ have come off entirely.  The two that are left are in a bad way. As such, it has a tendency move around slightly when typing.

Any recommendations on what I should use to replace the feet?  Blu-Tack would work, but seems less than ideal.

Edit: I just realised I butterfingered this into the “Mice and Other Input Devices” subforum. That’s what I get for trying to do this on my phone. Sorry. Could the mods please move it?

[damorgue]

I get small hemispheres in a very soft type of rubber, but those only work for cases which are flat underneath.
I made a temporary solution (that became permanent because I am lazy) which was rubber bands on feet that you can flip in or out, but those are harder to fix.

[Maarten]

I always steal those 10mm half hemispherical rubber feet that come under various appliances (keyboards, modems, routers, audio equipment) whenever i see those kind of thing being discarded. You could probably buy those new somewhere, they are awesome!

Also, you can check IKEA... over here they have self-service shelves with spare parts where you can also find these kind of things for freeee (they use em as drawer stopper in some models)

edit; My favorites looks like this only half as small and sometimes also come in clear rubber;
http://www.westfloridacomponents.com/HW ... 9.6mm.html

[yakill]

Sugru might be worth a look.
http://sugru.com/

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

Thanks for the replies. I think that Sugru might actually be perfect, and I’d also have enough left over to fix my broken iMate and a couple of USB cables that are coming apart. I hadn’t heard of it before, but it looks great.

[Findecanor]

Furniture feet should be available in every hardware store, but not every store has feet that are made of rubber and they may be too thick for a keyboard.

[fossala]

If you're in the uk, you can get some good ones from maplins.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/stick-on-feet-1840

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

If you're in the uk, you can get some good ones from maplins.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/stick-on-feet-1840

Those square stick-on feet look ideal, even though they’re not the same shape as the ones being replaced. That said, I think I’ll give Sugru a go and see how it works out — I’m pretty intrigued by it.

[ripster]

I'm using it for my Pure miniUSB hack.

Also Egrips is great. I'll post details you know where when I get a chance.

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

Where’s “You Know Where”?

[fossala]

I presume reddit. I looked into getting some for my HHKB, they are very expensive to import to the UK.

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

I looked into getting some for my HHKB, they are very expensive to import to the UK.

F— me. Shipping for one small pack of eGrips was $37(!). I’ll email them later on and see if they can do it more reasonably. It shouldn’t cost more than $5 to post it to the UK.

[Findecanor]

If you're in the uk, you can get some good ones from maplins.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/stick-on-feet-1840

Unfortunately, they ship only to UK and Ireland.

There are lots and lots of sellers on eBay that sell rubber feet intended for various laptops, furniture etc. and which ship abroad.

[itlnstln]

Shelf liner. Always shelf liner. Cheap and works great. You can get a roll for about $1 USD.

[Limmy]

Be careful when you use shelf liners. HHKB's case is painted plastic and shelf liners shouldn't be used on painted surface.

Here is what happened to my HHKB. It was in an air conditioned office all the time.

http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/3590725

DSC_2207.jpg (71.51 KiB) Viewed 23443 times

http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/3590725

DSC_2213.jpg (87.34 KiB) Viewed 23443 times

[002]

Are you sure it's painted?
That effect looks more like some sort of oily residue has come off the shelf liner...

[Limmy]

Yes. I am sure. I rubbed the the outer casing with isopropyl and black paint came off.

Edit: I rubbed on the surface where the liner wasn't touched.

More pics here:
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/3590725

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

The AEK(I) in question isn’t painted, so it shouldn’t have a problem with paint being removed by the shelf-liner, but I’d be a bit concerned about whatever it is that caused the paint loss attacking the desk itself. I hadn’t realised that the HHKB was painted either, so that’s something new I learned.

[itlnstln]

I've had that happen using shelf liner. It's the bottom of the 'board; I don't care. If you're using isopropyl on ABS, it isn't paint you see, it's plastic.

[Igthorn]

Plastics/rubbers can interact when in contact. I have a spare rubberdome keyboard incase of emergencies that has the cable wrapped around the keyboard. The cable has melted groves into keyboard and some of the keys. The keyboard has basically just sat for a few years with no movement.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/c ... m03909.htm

[quake4mhger]

Sugru might be worth a look.
http://sugru.com/

Anyone try to put sugru on keycap, to have more grip? Thank you for the link

[Limmy]

I've had that happen using shelf liner. It's the bottom of the 'board; I don't care. If you're using isopropyl on ABS, it isn't paint you see, it's plastic.

You may not care about the damages on the bottom, but haven't you considered that others might care? It is a damage that cannot be repaired, and I but most would like to avoid it if possible.

If you have seen the photo in the link in my previous post you would have seen that I tried the rubbing on the inside too. No black marks like the one I got from rubbing the outer side. Unfinished ABS plastic is pretty resistant to Isopropyl while some paint aren't. ( http://www.geotechenv.com/Reference_Pag ... _table.pdf )

If you want to correct someone, please get the facts straight. I still think HHKB is painted on the outside because of the isopropyl rub test.

[itlnstln]

I've had that happen using shelf liner. It's the bottom of the 'board; I don't care. If you're using isopropyl on ABS, it isn't paint you see, it's plastic.

You may not care about the damages on the bottom, but haven't you considered that others might care? It is a damage that cannot be repaired, and I but most would like to avoid it if possible.

If you have seen the photo in the link in my previous post you would have seen that I tried the rubbing on the inside too. No black marks like the one I got from rubbing the outer side. Unfinished ABS plastic is pretty resistant to Isopropyl while some paint aren't. ( http://www.geotechenv.com/Reference_Pag ... _table.pdf )

If you want to correct someone, please get the facts straight. I still think HHKB is painted on the outside because of the isopropyl rub test.

If it wasn't then plastic itself then was residue from the liner or some other dirt. The case isn't painted otherwise you would have had reisdue when you rubbed the inside. THAT should be obvious.

[Input Nirvana]

On ebay for the last 2 years there have been a ton of IBM KPD8923 black keyboards that have the marks on the case from the cable being wrapped around it and 'melting' into the case.

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

Anyone try to put sugru on keycap, to have more grip?

I can’t see any reason why that wouldn't work, but you’d end up with a rubbery-feeling keycap unless you put on a *very* thin layer.

An experiment — and accompanying write-up with photos — is called for.

On ebay for the last 2 years there have been a ton of IBM KPD8923 black keyboards that have the marks on the case from the cable being wrapped around it and 'melting' into the case.

I’ve seen that too, though it wasn’t on IBM keyboards. I can’t remember the particular brand, but the keyboards were at a place I used to work and had been sitting in a dry storage cupboard for a couple of years, and all had a ‘groove’ where the cable had been wrapped around. It’s surely the result of some kind of chemical interaction, since I’m pretty certain that it couldn’t have been due solely to compressive force applied by the cable.

[002]

On ebay for the last 2 years there have been a ton of IBM KPD8923 black keyboards that have the marks on the case from the cable being wrapped around it and 'melting' into the case.

Yep I noticed the same effect on my Chicony 5181 from 5k177.

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

Photos like that make me glad my keyboards have detachable cables.

[Limmy]

If it wasn't then plastic itself then was residue from the liner or some other dirt. The case isn't painted otherwise you would have had reisdue when you rubbed the inside. THAT should be obvious.

Obviously you don't read. Please read a couple of posts in between if you want to discuss, that is least one can do before joining discussion.

The possibility of that black stuff was residue of the liner has been ruled out in the initial experiment and I even mentioned it a couple of posts ago. And of course it is totally possible that it is painted outside of the casing not inside.

Here is TLDL version:
I rubbed it where the liner has not been touched and still black/grey stuff came out. Now let me know what is obvious, please.

[002]

Limmy you need to chill out man. You're wound up tighter than an eight day clock.

[002]

Oh and for the record, I have it on good authority that some Topre cases *are* painted.
This is to hide weld marks apparently, but I'm sure that overall aesthetics also play a part.