Found old Keyboard, can I addapt so I can use it??

[odd13]

Hey All!!
I have a keyboard I found in grandad's garage thats from the 80's and I was wondering if there are some adapters or something for what seems to be a larger Cherry MX style. I have purchased a XD60 and have MX clone switches and as you can see from the picture, the older key is on the right, it has a much larger base and doesn't fit on the MX switches.... I tried to 3d print an extention for the switch but my 3d printer doesn't have the resolution. Is there anything I can do? happy to look at buying different switches... for the next keyboard.

[vim_commando]

Have you tried a few layers of cellophane plastic wrap?

I found because a few layers took up the slack on stems I cut too large. If there is too much of a gap it may not be practical though.


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[odd13]

Trying to think how that will work, see the one on the right is too thick to push onto the MX switch stem... thing and it's because it doesn't fit into the switch itself when pressing down. Where as the one on the left is normal and can be pushed right on.

If I could drill out the switches casing, but that will destroy the switches, so I thought maybe extending the stem.... or if there are switches that will just fit... don't know.

[odd13]

Here is a picture of the original keyboard and it's switches... I know it's bad quality, but someone maybe able to recognize the switches?

[vim_commando]

Trying to think how that will work, see the one on the right is too thick to push onto the MX switch stem... thing and it's because it doesn't fit into the switch itself when pressing down. Where as the one on the left is normal and can be pushed right on.

If I could drill out the switches casing, but that will destroy the switches, so I thought maybe extending the stem.... or if there are switches that will just fit... don't know.

Ah, I see what you're talking about. The stem needs to depress into the switch, and the existing cross members prevent that.  I was thinking just the cross-shaped hole was too large.

Even if you drilled out the keycaps and fit a new stem in, circular stems are very challenging to keep straight from key to key.

I can see an adapter stem in my head, but I wouldn't know a simple way to fabricate it. Using the short stem from my laser cut keycaps might work... if you had an effective way to glue them on; but that just feels inadequate.

How close is the cross cut-out on the old keys to fiting on the Cherry stem?

[odd13]

Yeah that's right!

I will have to check when I get home but this is what I designed and tried to print.... its just 5mm across so need to get done by pro. Maybe mold.

This would mean though that the keys would sit a little higher  but at least I didn't destroy them...

[rm-rf]

think those are some old alps tmount.
if you look closer at them you may see an engraving at the top

[vim_commando]

So this is the best I could do with my laser. Because of the way it cuts, the cross-shaped peg is either a little thicker or a little thinner than the Cherry stem, so I don't know how it would fit the 'socket' of your old keycaps.

You can see in the second picture when pressed the keycap stays above the top of the switch.

[odd13]

BRO! That looks like it would work, did you print them? cut them? or can I buy them somewhere?

[vim_commando]

BRO! That looks like it would work, did you print them? cut them? or can I buy them somewhere?

It is two pieces I cut from 6mm acrylic, with the center post pushed half way through and cemented.

Whether or not it works completely depends on how well the stem fits the bottom of your old Keycaps. A loose fit makes for wobbly Keycaps that sometimes pop off on the upspring (which is why I have to fit test every stem I cut).