$33 + shipping vintage plate + PCB with MX clone switch

[Rayndalf]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402353833995

Haven't seen switches like this before. They probably suck but they'd be interesting to try for the price (my guess is that they're mediocre linears but you just need some Razor stems to make the next meme switch).

[Maledicted]

That poor keyboard. What did it do to deserve to be ripped apart so savagely? Those switch legs look pretty gnarly.

Interesting though, as always.

[Rayndalf]

Judging by the rust and bits of case still bolted to the plate it spent some quality time in a trash pile at a computer recycling center. Most sellers still assume people want clean complete boards and don't want to waste time tearing stuff down.

[Maledicted]

Judging by the rust and bits of case still bolted to the plate it spent some quality time in a trash pile at a computer recycling center. Most sellers still assume people want clean complete boards and don't want to waste time tearing stuff down.

I have boards with plates with more rust than that that I just use as-is, partly out of laziness. I have had others I have removed all of the rust from and touched up with some Rust-Oleum too. I didn't notice the bits of case. I figured this was probably somebody that just wanted those nice thick caps and to dump the rest off on some chump. What happens to all manner of perfectly good electronics in recycling facilities is enough to give one nightmares. The HTPC in my bedroom I picked up for $25 out of a scrap pile at one of those places, before they managed to gut everything and toss it all into a gaylord ... to rip off capacitors, cut traces, destroy heatsinks, etc.

[Rayndalf]

Judging by the rust and bits of case still bolted to the plate it spent some quality time in a trash pile at a computer recycling center. Most sellers still assume people want clean complete boards and don't want to waste time tearing stuff down.

I have boards with plates with more rust than that that I just use as-is, partly out of laziness. I have had others I have removed all of the rust from and touched up with some Rust-Oleum too. I didn't notice the bits of case. I figured this was probably somebody that just wanted those nice thick caps and to dump the rest off on some chump. What happens to all manner of perfectly good electronics in recycling facilities is enough to give one nightmares. The HTPC in my bedroom I picked up for $25 out of a scrap pile at one of those places, before they managed to gut everything and toss it all into a gaylord ... to rip off capacitors, cut traces, destroy heatsinks, etc.

I wish I knew of a nearby recycling facility, it's crazy to see boards listed on ebay (by recycling companies) for so much (think $200 for a Kaypro foam and foil sold in individual pieces). I have to imagine they scrap anything they can't significant money for, even when it's value in scrap would be basically nothing. I want decent boards to be <$50 again.

[pixelpusher]

I was able to visit a few recylcing centers.  The largest one was a few years back in Memphis, TN.  They had thousands of keyboards.  I went through them for about 2 hours.   There wasn't a single mechanical keyboard there.  I think the key is to find someone who specializes in office liquidation.  It would have to be an old company, but it would be a huge score to find a store room of old mechanical keyboards.