I've an old Dell SK-8125 keyboard that's deveoping stiction
in some of the keys.
Does anybody have experience trying to service such a keyboard
and what might be done to restore uniform feel among the keys?
As somebody who learned to type on manual typewriters and really,
really liked the old IBM keyboards I'm kinda partial to this particular >keyboard and am willing to try working on it if there's any hope
of improvement.
I have taken other keyboards apart before, without preparation,
and it didn't go well. Thus my search for guidance 8-)
Incidentally, my
favorite keyboard is the Dell SK-8135. I have about 10 of these. I
kill approximately one keyboard every year.
On Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:35:36 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
I've an old Dell SK-8125 keyboard that's deveoping stiction
in some of the keys.
Does anybody have experience trying to service such a keyboard
and what might be done to restore uniform feel among the keys?
Yes, me.
As somebody who learned to type on manual typewriters and really,
really liked the old IBM keyboards I'm kinda partial to this particular >>keyboard and am willing to try working on it if there's any hope
of improvement.
Same here. I'm addicted to mechanical keyboards and have difficulty
dealing with low profile and ultra-thin keyboards. What's happening
is you have debris between the black plastic square "post" under the
keycap, and the black plastic frame. I have various tools and tricks
that will allow me to remove dust balls and such from under the
keycaps, without removing the keycaps. Compressed air works for stuff
under the keycaps, but doesn't anything for the added friction that accompanies some sticky crud on the square "post", which requires a
total teardown.
Before proceeding, take a digital photo of the keyboard layout so you
can put the keys back in their proper locations.
You might need to buy or build a keycap removal tool: <https://www.google.com/search?q=keycap%20removal%20tool&udm=2>
if you want to try cleaning under the keycaps. I use an "L" shaped
paper clip to grab dust balls under the key caps. I remove the corner keycaps and push the dust balls in the general direction of the
keycaps I removed. Tweezers to help grab the dust balls. Compressed
air (from a real air compressor, not a can of compressed air) also
works. However, none of this will do much if you have sticky crud
along the square "post" under the keycap.
I have taken other keyboards apart before, without preparation,
and it didn't go well. Thus my search for guidance 8-)
There are videos on YouTube on Dell keyboard cleaning. Unfortunately,
I couldn't find one specific to the SK-8125. Incidentally, my
favorite keyboard is the Dell SK-8135. I have about 10 of these. I
kill approximately one keyboard every year.
I selected some instructions and videos for cleaning Dell keyboards
that are similar to your SK-8125. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB4KJECkAdM> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcqdL_G0KuA> <https://steemit.com/diy/@ammonite/fixing-a-dell-sk-8135-keyboard>
More: <https://www.google.com/search?q=dell%20sk-8125%20disassembly%20repair&udm=2> <https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dell%20sk-8125>
- Don't scrub the keycaps with a stiff brush, which tends to scrape
off the white silk-screened letters from the keycaps.
- Use mild dish soap (Dawn Ultra blue) for grease removal.
- Do not reassemble the keyboard until everything is dry.
- Do not dry the keyboard parts with a hot air gun or oven.
- Do something to prevent dropping and losing screws.
I've found that much of the dust in my keyboard comes from the ceiling
when the keyboard is NOT in use. I ran an experiment for about 20
days. When not in use, I only covered HALF the my keyboard. Near the
end of the test, the covered half was fairly clean, while the
un-covered half showed considerable dust under a magnifying glass.
If all else fails, buy a used SK-8135 on eBay: <https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=dell%20sk-8135%20keyboard>
$15 to $25.
Good luck.
Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:(chomp)
That was truly informative.
If the sk-8125 has captive keys as shown in the
video the job doesn't look too bad.
I take it the contacts are some kind of
conductive pads in the dimple mat?
As a matter curiosity, have you ever run across a keyboard with a left-handed >pointing device built in?
Being unable to do otherwise, I like to use a pointing
device with my left hand so the right is free to take notes or something. I found
a combo keyboard/trackpad sold by CanaKit on Amazon which is decent, but has the
trackpad on the right. It's a nice keyboard, but the trackpad is in the wrong place.
Also, the gestures (tap, drag and so on) can become confusing. A ball might be better.
Many thanks for writing!
bob prohaska--
On Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:03:31 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:Just that the keyboard upper and lower halves can be separated with
Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:(chomp)
That was truly informative.
Thanks. I got carried away a little. I'll try not to do it again.
If the sk-8125 has captive keys as shown in the
video the job doesn't look too bad.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "captive keys". This
partly shows how it fits together: <https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-a1x7hg2jgk/images/stencil/960w/products/8616/265233/Dell-USB-Keyboard-SK-8125-06W610_42376__02693.1707324698.jpg>
The "bar" across the key cap pushes down on the white silicone dome.
As I vaguely recall, there's a conductive graphite attached to the
silicone dome, which makes the electrical connection when pressed
against serpentine PCB (printed circuit board) traces.
I take it the contacts are some kind of
conductive pads in the dimple mat?
Yes. That's how it works. I would disassemble one of my keyboards
and take photos, but I'm kinda busy today.
As a matter curiosity, have you ever run across a keyboard with a left-handed
pointing device built in?
Why would I want to "run across a keyboard"? Running across a
keyboard would likely destroy it.
Being unable to do otherwise, I like to use a pointing
device with my left hand so the right is free to take notes or something. I found
a combo keyboard/trackpad sold by CanaKit on Amazon which is decent, but has the
trackpad on the right. It's a nice keyboard, but the trackpad is in the wrong place.
Also, the gestures (tap, drag and so on) can become confusing. A ball might be better.
I can't conjure a reason to have the trackball attached to the
keyboard. Just buy an separate trackball: <https://www.kensington.com/c/products/electronic-control-solutions/trackball-products/?srt=relevance>
and park it somewhere to the left of the keyboard. If you must have
it attached to the keyboard, a sheet of stiff paper or plastic under
both the trackball and keyboard, will probably suffice.
I've used a trackball in the past. I didn't like the typical small
diameter trackball. I tried one that used a billiard 57mm (2.25")
diameter billiard ball. I wanted something I could rest my hand on
top. So, I destroyed the base, replaced the ball with a 4 in (102mm)
lawn bowling ball, and replaced the base with a base made from scrap
lumber. It worked, but wasn't quite large enough. I searched for a
4.75" dia duck-pin bowling ball: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckpin_bowling>
but couldn't find one. It seems that these are popular on the US east
coast and in Canada. Nobody on the US left coast had even heard of
duck-pin bowling.
Then, I discovered computer games, where the trackball didn't work
because I could not respond fast enough. Fighting inertia (from the
weight of the ball) was very tiring. So, I bought a flight joystick
and a game pad.
Many thanks for writing!
I've given up writing. Nobody can read my handwriting. Instead, I
prefer to type.
Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:
On Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:03:31 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:(chomp)
That was truly informative.
Thanks. I got carried away a little. I'll try not to do it again.
If the sk-8125 has captive keys as shown in the
video the job doesn't look too bad.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "captive keys". This
Just that the keyboard upper and lower halves can be separated with
the keys seemingly "captive" in the upper half. The last keyboard
opened by me simply dumped the keys out loose.
partly shows how it fits together:
<https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-a1x7hg2jgk/images/stencil/960w/products/8616/265233/Dell-USB-Keyboard-SK-8125-06W610_42376__02693.1707324698.jpg>
Yes. That's how it works. I would disassemble one of my keyboards
and take photos, but I'm kinda busy today.
Thank you, I understand well enough now!
I can't conjure a reason to have the trackball attached to thePortability, mostly. In the manner of a laptop, but not using a laptop computer.
keyboard. Just buy an separate trackball:
<https://www.kensington.com/c/products/electronic-control-solutions/trackball-products/?srt=relevance>
and park it somewhere to the left of the keyboard. If you must have
it attached to the keyboard, a sheet of stiff paper or plastic under
both the trackball and keyboard, will probably suffice.
Would a removable touchpad on the left work for you? An easier way
would be a leg strap mounted smart phone used as a touchpad. <https://www.google.com/search?q=kneeboard+for+pilots&udm=2>
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