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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Sick Robotron on Fri, 18 May 2018, 20:54:20

Title: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: Sick Robotron on Fri, 18 May 2018, 20:54:20: https://imgur.com/gallery/YtgYnez

Hey guys -I recently picked up this keyboard on eBay. When it arrived, the switches were so full of grime and dust that it was practically unusable (it almost felt as if the sliders were coated in sandpaper!!) I commenced with the requisite soaking of the keycaps in warm soapy water for a few hours while I opened up each switch to remove whatever was causing them to feel like absolute ****. An entire can of air and ~40 cutips later, and now the keyboard feels and sounds fantastic.

There is one thing that has left me perplexed however...

I have heard only that this keyboard uses thin, dye-sublimated, ABS keycaps, yet, somehow these keycaps have no yellowing (nor any ABS style shine) on them at all while the case has ...not terrible, but considerable yellowing. Is there any way to know for sure if they are PBT or ABS?
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: fohat.digs on Sat, 19 May 2018, 08:24:20: ABS can't be dye-subbed as I understand it.

If you have acetone, dab a tiny drop of it on the underside of a cap. It will melt ABS and create a little streak or dimple, PBT is impervious to acetone.
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: p_blaze on Sat, 19 May 2018, 12:27:43: If I remember correctly, that is the oldest at101 model and should definitely be dye-subbed caps
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: davkol on Sat, 19 May 2018, 12:57:23: Quote from: Sick Robotron
Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?

Quote from: p_blaze on Sat, 19 May 2018, 12:27:43
If I remember correctly, that is the oldest at101 model

It's the oldest model made by _Silitek_, but before that there were Alps-made models. This one already has SKCM Black switches. Not sure, if it has PBT caps, it could be printed (silkscreen?) ABS.
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: Sick Robotron on Sun, 20 May 2018, 13:04:15: Yes but this board has SKCM Black Pine switches which feel far superior to the black bamboo switches found in all new logo Dell AT101s.
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: Sick Robotron on Sun, 20 May 2018, 13:08:33: Quote from: fohat.digs on Sat, 19 May 2018, 08:24:20
ABS can't be dye-subbed as I understand it.

If you have acetone, dab a tiny drop of it on the underside of a cap. It will melt ABS and create a little streak or dimple, PBT is impervious to acetone.

I will give that a try. Thanks!!
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: davkol on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:11:32: Quote from: Sick Robotron on Sun, 20 May 2018, 13:04:15
Yes but this board has SKCM Black Pine switches which feel far superior to the black bamboo switches found in all new logo Dell AT101s.

FYI some new-logo AT101s still have SKCM Salmon and some AT101Ws are rubber domes.

Regardless, your keyboard was made during the transition period, i.e., the keycaps can go either way.
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: fohat.digs on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:19:39: Quote from: davkol on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:11:32

FYI some new-logo AT101s still have SKCM Salmon and some AT101Ws are rubber domes.

I'm pretty sure that the rubber dome version is 101R/102R.
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: Sick Robotron on Sun, 20 May 2018, 16:34:40: Quote from: fohat.digs on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:19:39
Quote from: davkol on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:11:32

FYI some new-logo AT101s still have SKCM Salmon and some AT101Ws are rubber domes.

I'm pretty sure that the rubber dome version is 101R/102R.

Didn't realize any new logos had salmons.

Also - is it accurate that black pines were used only in the BUll 1971 and AT101 (as cited on deskauthority -- actually desk authority doesn't even say that AT101s have pines)?
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: chyros on Sun, 20 May 2018, 17:06:06: Quote from: davkol on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:11:32
Quote from: Sick Robotron on Sun, 20 May 2018, 13:04:15
Yes but this board has SKCM Black Pine switches which feel far superior to the black bamboo switches found in all new logo Dell AT101s.

FYI some new-logo AT101s still have SKCM Salmon
Really? I've never seen that before. Do you have an example of this?
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: davkol on Mon, 21 May 2018, 02:45:15: Quote from: chyros on Sun, 20 May 2018, 17:06:06
Quote from: davkol on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:11:32
Quote from: Sick Robotron on Sun, 20 May 2018, 13:04:15
Yes but this board has SKCM Black Pine switches which feel far superior to the black bamboo switches found in all new logo Dell AT101s.

FYI some new-logo AT101s still have SKCM Salmon
Really? I've never seen that before. Do you have an example of this?

AT102

(https://i.imgur.com/29Zp07i.jpg)
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: Sick Robotron on Mon, 21 May 2018, 08:23:40: Too cool!! Thanks for sharing :)
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: chyros on Mon, 21 May 2018, 10:40:54: Quote from: davkol on Mon, 21 May 2018, 02:45:15
Quote from: chyros on Sun, 20 May 2018, 17:06:06
Quote from: davkol on Sun, 20 May 2018, 14:11:32
Quote from: Sick Robotron on Sun, 20 May 2018, 13:04:15
Yes but this board has SKCM Black Pine switches which feel far superior to the black bamboo switches found in all new logo Dell AT101s.

FYI some new-logo AT101s still have SKCM Salmon
Really? I've never seen that before. Do you have an example of this?

AT102

Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/29Zp07i.jpg)

Pretty cool! Was it made by Alps or Silitek?
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: davkol on Mon, 21 May 2018, 12:26:19: It's still GYIAT101-102, made in Ireland.
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: chyros on Mon, 21 May 2018, 17:04:39: Quote from: davkol on Mon, 21 May 2018, 12:26:19
It's still GYIAT101-102, made in Ireland.
Ah, so still an Alps board, just with a new logo. Interesting, I had never seen that before. Do you own that board? Maybe it's a shell refurb, or a Silitek-delivered one. AT101s usually came with time wheels, so if that's the case the shell would have a mismatching date with the other components in the keyboard.
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: davkol on Tue, 22 May 2018, 13:28:48: The chassis is from spring '94: top part February, bottom part April. PCB from May '93 (made in Korea).
edit: typo
Title: Re: Dell AT101 GYUM97SK Keycaps ABS or PBT?
Post by: chyros on Wed, 23 May 2018, 00:56:53: Quote from: davkol on Tue, 22 May 2018, 13:28:48
The chassis is from spring '94: top part February, bottom part April. PCB from May '93 (made in Korea).
edit: typo
Seems original then. Noice, quite a find!