Apple Keyboard M0116 - Complete Teardown Details

[JdM74]

Greetings fellow Mac Tinkerers.

This may or may not be the right place to post this - but since this keyboard will be used with a Compact Mac, it seemed the right place....so here goes...

[/rant starting]
For something that's so explicit, as to search for "Apple Keyboard M0116 key switch removal" or "Apple Keyboard M0116 teardown' and to find absolutely nothing out there in the universe that speaks to that, is astounding. Video after video -- showing me about Alps key switches, how to clean and lube them up, but nothing about how to remove them from the key switch plate. The same goes for separating the PCB from the key switch plate...show me how to remove the keys and how to clean them up. Not at all helpful
[/rant done]

So now I come to the place where I hope to get some helpful information.

I have a few M0116 keyboards that are in need of some love. The first one I opened up must have been stored in an outdoor barn or something, because it had grass shavings and other 'outdoorsy' type nonsense inside....not to mention some rust spots. The keyboard case and keys are in the 'Retrobright Soup' being whitened back up, but the keyboard internals need some love as well. The love that needs to be shown there...clean up the rust, so it doesn't do any more damage and repaint that part...then put it all back together again.

With all this said, does anyone have a detailed document or page which I can be pointed to that shows not only how to remove key switches, but also separate the key switch plate from the PCB?

Any help or assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Jason

 

[davewongillies]

With all this said, does anyone have a detailed document or page which I can be pointed to that shows not only how to remove key switches, but also separate the key switch plate from the PCB?

I don't have a guide nor have to pulled this specific keyboard apart before but I have built and worked on similarly constructed keyboards before. I'd say that firstly the switches will need to be desoldered. Usually either with (in order of preference) a desoldering gun, solder sucker, or solder wick. Then once you've gotten all the switches desoldered you'll be able to remove the switch plate from the PCB.

Having desoldered keyboards before its pretty miserable given how many switch pins you'll be desoldering (two per switch) and then you'll have to solder all the switches back in again.

 

[JdM74]

Hi @davewongillies. Thank you for the information!

Although there may be misery in the desoldering and re-soldering of all the pins, there will be joy in the knowledge that not only is the rust stopped, but in the case of this first keyboard -- no more outdoorsy nonsense will be contained under the key switch plate and things will be as clean as the day that keyboard left the factory.

Guess this might justify buying a desoldering gun, finally.

Very appreciative of the help!