TAM: What type of keystroke mechanism?

[gocarlo]

Hi there. I just acquired a Twentieth Anniversary Mac. Previous owner says the N key is non-functional, so I'm planning to pop the key off and see what I can do to fix it. After a lot of searching, I can't find existing info on what type of mechanism is used under the keys on the TAM keyboard.

Has anyone ever disassembled a TAM keyboard? Hoping to figure out what type of mechanism is under the keys so I don't break anything when disassembling.

Oh, and if you've ever run into a non-functioning key on a TAM keyboard (or similar), please let me know if you have any tips/leads on how best to fix.

Thank you for any guidance you can offer...

 

[unity]

From what I found, these keyboard are the same:

PowerBook 190

PowerBook 5300

PowerBook 3400

PowerBook G3 (original)

If yo can locate one of those for parts, I would go that route. I bet any one of those can be picked up cheap on eBay.

 

[Byrd]

I'm fairly sure the TAM uses a variant of the Powerbook 3400 keyboard (which is on par with it using a 3400 LCD display); I'd clean the contacts with electronic solvent cleaner first and "exercise" it to see if it comes to life.

 

[gocarlo]

Thank you both, that's great to hear. Can that type of key be popped off relatively easily with a pry tool, or is their a scissor mechanism under there like on many of the later g-series PowerBooks?

 

[Byrd]

I'll check, but pretty sure it does't use a scissor mechanism - keys are popped off. Needless to say, be careful prying it up at an angle so the key mechanism itself doesn't snap off.