cheers ben,
as said to david i got to elaborate all this stuff and
i'm not that good at rework, just a better novice;
you said:
"I was forced to bend the leads of the switches and remove the IC
sockets from the PCBs under switches that I wanted to replace."

hu, that sounds a bit difficult to me, i think you mean
the left or right control panel where this happens?
hm if you drill holes, do you drill them in the membrane..?
but thanks anyway
harald

--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "bkuris" <Bkuris@...> wrote:
>
> To elaborate, having replacd many polaris switches:
> If you do find it is a problem with the actual membrane switch you
> can replace with a small pushbutton switch.
>
> I have successfully used panel mount switches (very cheap, $1 each
> from www.allelectronics.com). You will find that there is very
> little clearance behind the switches as a result I was forced to bend
> the of the switches and remove the IC sockets from the PCBs
> under switches that I wanted to replace.
>
> Before you attempt this repair, review the service manual and look at
> the switch matrix wiring chart.
>
> I'm very good at rework, it took me about 1hr to drill holes and bend
> switch leads and 3hrs to solder the 150 or so wires to replace all of
> the switches in one of my chroma polaris keyboards.
>
> If you just want to to replace one button and locate it where there
> are no clearance issues, it should be a simple fix for you or a local
> technician.
>
> Good luck,
> Ben