g4 ibook - 'return' key replacement.

salotron · 09-05-2004, 08:23 PM

hello all.

last night i managed to pop the 'return' key off my keyboard (don't ask), and i can't get it back on properly. nothing's broken or snapped and i've got all the parts, but i can't figure out how to place it back on.

i've got the actual key bit with 'return' written on it, (keycap?), a wide u-shaped piece of metal and 2 white plastic things (scissors?).

I saw this:
http://webobjects.uwaterloo.ca/mac24...ir.html#keycap
but If there's anything out there with photos of the steps? or specific advice as far as the return key?

any help is greatly appreciated. thanks.

DeltaMac · 09-05-2004, 08:50 PM

These are tricky to snap back into place. I pop keys back onto iBooks or powerbooks quite a lot, and some are easy, others are like a weird, tiny puzzle.
You want to see how that scissors snaps into the bottom of the keycap, and how the scissors fits into the keyboard. The return key has that extra metal spring. My best hint for you: compare an existing key by gently popping off the Shift key cap, as it's much the same assembly. Pull up (gently) on the top/back edge of the key, the front will snap loose, go slow. You can then pull the key cap open, and take a look at how it all goes together. Watch where the metal 'U' is connected, and check how the scissors are attached. The main clue is the scissors are positioned into place first on the key 'bed', the 'U' also is there, then the key cap should simply snap in, by pressing gently until it 'feels' into place. You should be able to just push the Shift key cap back down, and it should snap back into place. All you're doing here is comparing two keys that should be assembled in the same way.

09-05-2004, 08:23 PM	#1
salotron Prospect Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1	g4 ibook - 'return' key replacement. hello all. last night i managed to pop the 'return' key off my keyboard (don't ask), and i can't get it back on properly. nothing's broken or snapped and i've got all the parts, but i can't figure out how to place it back on. i've got the actual key bit with 'return' written on it, (keycap?), a wide u-shaped piece of metal and 2 white plastic things (scissors?). I saw this: http://webobjects.uwaterloo.ca/mac24...ir.html#keycap but If there's anything out there with photos of the steps? or specific advice as far as the return key? any help is greatly appreciated. thanks. Last edited by salotron; 09-05-2004 at 08:26 PM.

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09-05-2004, 08:50 PM	#2
DeltaMac Hall of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 4,971	These are tricky to snap back into place. I pop keys back onto iBooks or powerbooks quite a lot, and some are easy, others are like a weird, tiny puzzle. You want to see how that scissors snaps into the bottom of the keycap, and how the scissors fits into the keyboard. The return key has that extra metal spring. My best hint for you: compare an existing key by gently popping off the Shift key cap, as it's much the same assembly. Pull up (gently) on the top/back edge of the key, the front will snap loose, go slow. You can then pull the key cap open, and take a look at how it all goes together. Watch where the metal 'U' is connected, and check how the scissors are attached. The main clue is the scissors are positioned into place first on the key 'bed', the 'U' also is there, then the key cap should simply snap in, by pressing gently until it 'feels' into place. You should be able to just push the Shift key cap back down, and it should snap back into place. All you're doing here is comparing two keys that should be assembled in the same way.