Hi,

One of my little sisters got a nice glob of honey on my prizm's keypad a while back. I washed off most of it with a damp washcloth and cleaned the keys with a cotton swab. Lately, however, the keys near where the honey was have gotten sticky again.

I used a damp cotton swab to wash them off again but I was wondering if there is a better way to clean it, since they seem to get sticky again pretty fast.

Thanks. Smile
The most thorough thing to do would be to take the calculator apart, remove the mainboard and take out the gray pliable membrane underneath the keyboard. You can wash that with soap and water, wait for it to thoroughly dry, and then put everything back together.
OK, I am a little timid about taking it apart. Is there anything I should know before i attempt it?
flyingfisch wrote:
OK, I am a little timid about taking it apart. Is there anything I should know before i attempt it?
Nothing past the usual precautions about avoiding touching chips (especially the Flash chip) if you can, making sure not to lose any screws, and not to force anything.
Have you taken it apart before? Also, how would I avoid touching chips? Where rubber gloves?
flyingfisch wrote:
Have you taken it apart before? Also, how would I avoid touching chips? Where rubber gloves?
No, just handle the board by the edges when possible, and/or ground yourself before you start. You should not use rubber gloves, as they promote static electricity. Yes, I have taken it apart before.
How do i ground myself?

EDIT:

also, how is the screen connected? should i be especially careful about anything there?
It's connected via a ribbon cable, and the mainboard itself is actually two pieces connected by another ribbon cable. I'd say the overarching lesson is just to work slowly and carefully.
OK, so then I am going to take the back off right now and I'll post if I have any issues. Smile
OK, so i fixed it. here's how:


DISASSEMBLY:
1.) Take the back cover off. All the screws are the same so don't worry.

2.) There are 2 screws connecting the boards to the front, as seen in photo below. Take them out and put them somewhere else (not with the regular screws).


CLEANING:
3.) Turn the calc over and hold it by the edges. Now take a damp cotton swab and gently press down on each key until the key is below the front cover. Wipe around the inside of the hole. Now let the key raise back up and wipe the sides of the key. Do this with the rest of the keys.

REASSEMBLY:
4.) Put the 2 screws on the back into the boards.

5.) Put the back cover back on. hook it over the USB port and 3-pin port, and then guide the battery springs into their slots.

6.) Put all the screws back in.

Done Smile
Nice guide! I'll have to include that in our FAQ section of calculator disassembly tips once it's up and running. I hope that does the trick for your sticky key problem.
  
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