Cleaning an Apple Wireless Keyboard A1016

Question

Today I picked up an Apple Wireless Keyboard model A1016 at a church  rummage sale for $2. Despite having horribly corroded batteries in it,  after cleaning the corrosion, it works just fine. However, it is filthy.  I can see dirt and grim in the clear sides. How do I take apart this  keyboard to clean it?

Answer 1

You can and can't, learned from my recent problem.  The letter-keys "a" and "z" on my A1016 wouldn't type. I keep a clean keyboard, occasionally brush all keys horizontally and vertically with a (new, never used but for this purpose) paintbrush.  Then use the brush attachment on the vacuum to suck out what it can.  Sometimes use the vacuum in exhaust to blow warm air into board.  Did this. Didn't help.   Then read about popping off the keys, a & z, and was rather surprised to see, yes, dirt and a few hairs.  Swabbed the area with Q-tips, got all clean.  This is what you can do, pop keys (keep a board handy or keyboard screen capture to know where to put keys back on), just pry off with a flat blade, clean to your heart's content, replace keys.  This I did.  Still no a & z.  After saying **** several times, I set keyboard outside in strong sun.  I thought maybe something would expand in heat. (No way could there be moisture inside, I am too neat, but what the ****, it was worth a shot.)  After a few hours I got a & z back.  Overnight, had some trouble the next morning, set board in sun, typed on it in a better position and all was, has been, well.  After "cleaning' my board, in strong sun I noticed a bit of dust in the clear sides and bottom.  Well, this will be easy, I'll just undo the three tiny screws holding the lucite caseing.  I've every screwdriver imaginable, but not this tiny one! None of mine will fit.  Am working on this, for the A1016 is something built, put together, has screws for a reason, so there must be a way to get the board out of the lucite housing.  Just undo a few simple screws, clean the caseing.  I'm working on getting the proper driver.  When fussing I've no a & z to friends it was suggested I get one of those Radio Shack cans of compressed air, use the long red thin tube and blast away.  That might "clean" the bottom of your unit a bit.  As well, something I am going to do when the chance comes up, at your local Mac store (if you've one), ask them how they take a keyboard apart.  I think they've a special screwdriver. Anything built can be taken apart.  If you can get the lucite away from the board, that housing can be cleaned.