I almost forgot why I ook (sic) this icture (sic) / myLot

Walnut Creek, California

April 7, 2016 12:04am CST

I uploaded my pictures from the last couple of days and discovered this one. For a few minutes, I couldn't remember why I'd even taken it. Then I remembered: When I type fast (relatively speaking), some characters register and others don't. I often have to go back and edit what I wrote. Periodically, I spray "contact cleaner" onto my keyboard, and things get better for awhile. But it never lasts longer than a few days. I spray at an angle, hoping that it will get beneath the keys and clean things up. I suppose, if I were serious, I'd remove the bottom of my keyboard (looks like it's held together with Phillips screws) and attack from the back. But I guess I'm too lazy. Or too worried that I'd screw up my keyboard somehow. This photo also shows what a top of one of my refinished speakers looks like in the right light. This particular top happens to be from a KLH 17, a speaker from 1970 or so. I'm selling one pair on Craigslist and keeping another pair for myself. The total number of letters I had to re-type in writing this post? About 15 so far. What do you do when your keyboard stops responding to your key strokes? Or does so when it wants to?

17 people like this

18 responses

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Apr 16

Mostly I just swear a lot.

4 people like this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

Yes, I do that quietly to myself. I will not share all of the words I use.

4 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (382147)

• Rockingham, Australia

8 Apr 16

@TheHorse I can swear aloud as Vince is getting deaf - although he does seem to hear swear words. Selective deafness perhaps.

2 people like this

Anna

@LadyDuck (502491)

• Italy

7 Apr 16

Your painted speaker looks beautiful. To clean my keyboard I turn it upside down and I tap on the bottom to let the dust come out. Then I get a soft brush and I brush the keyboard trying to remove all the dirt. I think it works, my keyboard is 6 years old and I have no problems.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (502491)

• Italy

7 Apr 16

@TheHorse Yes, it's the best way to remove everything. It is incredible how much dirt comes out from the keyboard.

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

Ah, thank you! I will try that. It seems like a simple but potentially effective solution.

2 people like this

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Marie

@Tampa_girl7 (54715)

• United States

7 Apr 16

This is off subject, but do you know about reel to reels ?

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Marie

@Tampa_girl7 (54715)

• United States

7 Apr 16

@TheHorse well, I know you work on speakers and I have my dads old reel to reel and hundreds of hours of music. The belt appears to be broke. It plays if you stand there and turn it with your finger

i wonder if it's a simple fix ?

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The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

@Tampa_girl7 Might be that you simply have to replace the belt. Is it easy to access? I'd get the model number and check eBay. It (the whole drive mechanism) might need oiling too.

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The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

I remember them from my childhood days. I know a bit about them. Go on...

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Jekca

@Jessicalynnt (50523)

• Centralia, Missouri

8 Apr 16

lol, the refinished wood is so shiny, making the cabinets behind cry in their less shiny sadness.

2 people like this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

8 Apr 16

It's partly just the lighting. But, yes, I like to send things "home" looking good.

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crazyhorseladycx

@crazyhorseladycx (39503)

• United States

7 Apr 16

it turned out beautiful! not that i'd any doubts, lol. 's fer keyboards, i've not had any troubles with this'un ('xcept those that no longer'f any letters'n 'em) since all the young'uns left home. they were prone to eatin' 'n thus tended to gettin' crumbs'n those teensy spots. when i worked't the hospital, seems they did the same. i got quite adept't takin' those keyboards 'part 'n givin' 'em a thorough cleanin'. i did cringe to see jest how filthy they'd get'n a few days time.

2 people like this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

I'm kind of scared to do it, but I should probably take the back off of this thing and give it a good going over with my generic De-Oxit.

2 people like this

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Scott Ganschow

@teamfreak16 (43602)

• Denver, Colorado

7 Apr 16

Oddly, I used my laptop for seven years, and believe it or not, the keyboard was still going strong. By the way, what kind of booze was in the bottle in the photo? Enquiring minds want to know!

2 people like this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

It's a single malt Scotch from Trader Joe's. Not bad, and only about $20!

2 people like this

hereandthere

@hereandthere (45628)

• Philippines

7 Apr 16

i don't drink but was curious about it too

1 person likes this

Scott Ganschow

@teamfreak16 (43602)

• Denver, Colorado

7 Apr 16

@TheHorse - Nice!

1 person likes this

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rebel_woman06

@SIMPLYD (90717)

• Philippines

8 Apr 16

I am not a techie person , so i will bring it to the office to have it checked and remedied by our IT group.

1 person likes this

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rebel_woman06

@SIMPLYD (90717)

• Philippines

11 Apr 16

@TheHorse I would always have my open laptop's keyboard tapped while its facing the table . That way , anything in between those keyboards gets thrown down .

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

11 Apr 16

@SIMPLYD Elaborate! I'm a bit confused. I just turned mine upside down and tapped some more dust particles out of it.

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

10 Apr 16

I was surprised by how much dust was inside my keyboard. Its not "cured. But it's better.

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@DaddyEvil (174504)

• United States

9 Apr 16

Uhm... I have to ask, pony, what are you doing around your keyboard that could possibly cause your keys to stick like that? (Remember, please, this site is rated PG-13!) I am typing this on my NetBook. It is over 8 years old and I have never had any of the keys stick. (Granted, I only type 50 words per minute, so maybe you type so much faster than I do that you "skip" keys on occasion?) I do spray air through and under my keys about once a week to clear my keys of foreign matter. (I tend to shed a lot of hair into my keyboard. It doesn't make my keys stick, but seeing strands of hair between my keys bugs me until I clean it all out.)

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

9 Apr 16

Maybe smoking and typing after playing guitar. My place is dusty too because of all the speaker restoration. I vacuum a lot, but I rarely vacuum my keyboard.

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James Higgins

@JamesHxstatic (29410)

• Eugene, Oregon

7 Apr 16

That sounds like something that I could use on my keyboard too.

1 person likes this

S George

@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

7 Apr 16

I have not faced such problem. I normally keeps aware for dust free keyboard.

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

How do you keep dust out of your house?

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

8 Apr 16

@shshiju "your" house. Was a typo.

S George

@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

8 Apr 16

@TheHorse hour house? what is it?

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Morley Hunt

@Morleyhunt (21741)

• Canada

7 Apr 16

That happens to me. I just go back a fix it, when I spot it.

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

10 Apr 16

What's your method?

1 person likes this

Morley Hunt

@Morleyhunt (21741)

• Canada

10 Apr 16

@TheHorse I'm using an iPad. Sometimes I'll use a stylus. That seems to be more accurate for me.

Reine25

@Lucky15 (37391)

• Philippines

7 Apr 16

I just did some flipping andbtapping with the office keyboard yeaterday...to clean

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

10 Apr 16

Did stuff come drifting down, like snow?

1 person likes this

Reine25

@Lucky15 (37391)

• Philippines

10 Apr 16

@TheHorse haha. A lot

Rebecca Huston

@Telynor (1763)

• United States

8 Apr 16

Usually I just reboot my machine. If that doesn't work, I yell for J to come and look at it.

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

10 Apr 16

I do that sometimes (reboot) when everything is slow. But not for letters not registering.

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Dx.Tr

@Dextoi (1845)

• Philippines

7 Apr 16

Some of the keys on my laptop are not working so I bought a USB keyboard... I haven't tried cleaning them though as I think laptops are fragile stuff..

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The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

Is the USB keyboard working well?

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Dx.Tr

@Dextoi (1845)

• Philippines

7 Apr 16

@TheHorse Yes... It really does. Sometimes I use it for games and get so much abuse. And I don't have to worry if it trips, I could buy another one for just about a couple of dollars... :)

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44941)

• Preston, England

7 Apr 16

that hasn't happened to me so far mercifully

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

I think @LadyDuck's idea may be helping. I did it this morning before heading off to work.

1 person likes this

hereandthere

@hereandthere (45628)

• Philippines

7 Apr 16

sorry, i don't know why that happens or how to fix it. how does the contact cleaner work for keyboards? if you soaked it upside down in soapy water, would it help?

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Apr 16

Egads, I really don't know.

1 person likes this

Marie

@Tampa_girl7 (54715)

• United States

7 Apr 16

I mostly use my iPad and the keys don't stick.