HINTS-29 CLEANING THE Z88 KEYBOARD 1.Turn over the machine. On the lower half of the back you have a)one screw near the centre - remove it b) three screws on the left - remove the bottom two and slacken the top one c) remove the two screws on the right. The very bottom screws are under "feet" so these will have to be pulled off 2.On the right-hand side, under the leg is another screw - slacken this one. 3.Turn over again. Ease up the front of the keyboard and draw it forward until you can get your fingers on the two connecting strips on the right-hand side, from the keyboard to the "innards". 4.Pull these two strips forward, out of their connecting boxes. 5.Remove the keyboard. Turn it over and push out, carefully, the three rubber protrusions which hold the three elements of the keyboard together. You now have the three parts - rubber, membrane and backing. 6.The only "repair" you can carry out is to clean the top surface of the membrane, but this usually is enough. Do this CAREFULLY with a clean lint-free cloth and a little solvent - surgical spirit, isopropyl alchohol, vodka, or whatever you would use to clean your HiFi tape heads. Let this dry naturally. Brush the underside of the rubber keyboard, carefully. 7.Now you have the only difficult part - getting the three rubber bungs back into place - and this YOU MUST DO. Put the membrane to the rubber first, the correct way around of course - you'll see which way is right quite easily. 8.Now put the backing plate up against the membrane, making sure that the slight cutaway on this plate is where the two strips come out from the keyboard. Get the three rubber bungs back through the backing plate, one at a time. Push like hell with the thumb of one hand while you pick away with your longest fingernail of the other hand until it pops through - not as difficult as some say - just be determined that you will get them through, and you will succeed. 9.Now to put it all back. Hold the keyboard in the left hand and with your right, put the right-hand strip flat on to the components in front of its connecting box, Moisten your middle finger very slightly, place it on the strip and push. Just remember that the bottom of the hole is not flush with the board on which the box sits; its a little over 1 mm up. 10.Not disturbing that one ( easily done ! ) do the same with the left strip and then replace the keyboard, sliding it gently under the screen surround. 11.Before securing the keyboard again just give it a small test to ensure that all is well. Before finally tightening all of the screws just ensure that the rubber surround of the keyboard is tidy - no bulges anywhere ! Jack Lawrie, 15 Sycamore Grove, Southam, Leamington Spa. CV33 0EY Back to HINTS-INDEX