Repairing a CF-WKB303VM keyboard (black chicklet backlit)?

I have two of these emissive keyboards that have a few keys missing, and it seems it should be possible to repair them carefully the way you can repair SOME standard laptop keyboards.

Anyone have any experience with this, i.e. repairing/ replacing keys on the backlit black chicklet keyboards?

Also I checked and didn't find any single key sellers for this type of keyboard. So if so anyone has this type of keyboard unusable and laying around that keys could be taken from, let me know. The key surfaces can be worn down and not legible if the keys bodies would still work fine to put on the other keyboard. If so just PM a description and possible costs. Thanks in advance.

 

1. What keys do you need?
2. I have several with worn keys.
3. How are you refreshing the key face? I thought of krylon paint ....they have one that bonds with plastic. My latest thought was writing the number letter w/ wax pencil...paint...heat...wipe and bob's your mother's brother.

Mine are all useable....maybe someone else has a broken one.

 

PM sent.

That paint is an excellent idea! Have you every used it on other plastic parts?

 

No...just found the paint mentioned elsewhere. Actually looked it up. Starts with a 3???.

I haven't found time to try it yet. My friend comes up to the ranch next week for his vacation. I was going to put him on the detail.

Anyone else have an idea on masking the numbers?

O.K. my other idea was to use an eraser in a dremel tool along with a ..........ah ha! Get some cheapo stick-on letters...stick 'em on, paint and peel the letters when dry.

Jeff ...wheels are turning...
Krylon Fusion for Plastic® 3 shades of black. Satin would be my first try. #2421

 

I have replaced keys quite a bit, its fairly easy once you doe a few and understand how to remove them, hard to explain without being able to physically show you tho

 

That is good news. I have replaced keys before on a Dell laptop and like you said it can be done just carefully -touch and go. Alright then, so if anyone has just a F5 key or a down arrow key from a broken one of these to sell - PM me please. Thanks.

 

If you get a nice stencil or decal to work, don't forget to spray with clear sealer or brush with fingernail polish to keep character from wearing off.

 

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but. I have a need for the pieces that hold the key to the keyboard. I have the keys. Worst yet, same k-9 accident on two different cf-28's. He types preety good fornot having thumbs but he is odviously hard on the keys.
First: letter "D" on a black emmisive chicklett
Second: #"8" on a plain white chicklett
Any help would be appreciated.
PM me

 

Coach, The CF-28 had a different backlit keyboard than the ones they are talking about unless you have put the newer style on yours. I haven't seen a 28 with the newer keyboard on it yet so I am not sure that it will work.

The two white hinges underneath the key is all your need on the 28 type keyboard unless one of the 4 clips on the key has broken. I have used the white chicklet type to to take the while hinges out so I could fix a emissive keyboard.

To make sure what emissive keyboard you have here is a link to a thread I posted about repairing the newer style boards. If yours doesn't look like that then yours is a older style.

~Toughbook Talk~ Toughbook Discussion • View topic - Emissive Keyboard Key Replacement


Here is a ebay listing for a remote keyboard, but it has the older CF-28 style keyboard.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/cf-VKBL01-VKBL01M-KEYBOARD-PDRC-toughbook-chicago-cf-28-emissive-backlit-/120913280927?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item1c26fe3f9f