Several of 1000 Uses for Old Bicycle Tubes

Step 2 Laptop key

Yes, a lap top key. About a year ago, the /? key went AWOL on my laptop. I took a small rectangle of bike inner tube, and wedged one end under the .> key and the other under the shift key. This keeps the all-important little rubber thingy in place. (Without the little rubber thingy, you're hooped...unless theres a 'little rubber thingy' Instructable out there.) A small piece of white surgical tape can then be stuck to the rubber key, and the / and ? can be drawn on. Beware, this is temporary, and may require adjustment from time to time.

Comments

[surfreak]

LAME! I had a nice comment typed out and hit cancel. I'll paraphrase and get back to you: "Little rubber thingy fix" Attach a small piece of metal (copper foil tape would work nicely) to the underside of the tubing. Most simple buttons work by means of a small conductive piece completing the circuit (when depressed, it makes contact. "little rubber thingy" is just there to push back up, allowing you to depress the button again. The springiness of the bike tube should do this for you (assuming the ends are solid under the other two keys). I'll get back to you if I test it on a keyboard (I've done it with video game controllers, but never pried open a keyboard for kicks- it's on the To Do List).

[sniffydogs]

Good ideas! I have also used them for tire liners. Great for ends of clotheslines. I looped them on my chainlink fence and the dogs like to rub on them. They also make great welcome mats.

[ninjaimasta]

how the hell do you turn an innertube into a welcome mat? last time i checked innertubes dont open out to a large enough size for that? lol

[sniffydogs]

Oh, you need a lot more than one. You can 'hook them like a rug on chicken wire or weave them back and forth and put wire through the middle to stabilize. I guess I'll have to do an instructable. LOL

[qpmarl]

for the laptop key, I'd take a more rarely used key, like the second windows key (which I almost never use) and switch it with the broken key. It also depends on how the key is broken. You may only have to switch the little scissoring plastic pieces and use the original key top.