Here is my second Northgate Omnikey 101 with SKCM white Alps. This one I painted black and -- for now at least -- I have kept the stock doubleshot keycaps. Thanks again to XMIT and Fohat for detailed assistance on painting technique and product recommendations!
This keyboard was extremely dirty when I received it from eBay, but it cleaned up quite well with no apparent yellowing of the keycaps. Perhaps the dirt acted as a UV shield!
Unfortunately, some dirt may have found its way into the switches, and/or they may be somewhat worn, as they do not feel as light and smooth as those on my first Omnikey 101 (the one that I painted burgundy red). Even so, the switches are good enough that I do not think I will try opening and cleaning them.
Although it is a treat typing on good Alps switches, I still prefer smaller boards in TKL or 60% format. Unfortunately, most genuine Alps boards were made in full-size format, although there were some in intermediate formats, such as XT or 75%. It is possible to get compact Matias-switch keyboards from Matias or KBP, but whereas I like Matias switches, I prefer various flavors of genuine Alps, such as SKCM white, or even better, SKCM blue.
Now that I have addressed -- if not entirely conquered -- my painting anxiety, one of my next goals is to learn desoldering technique as well as refresh and refine my soldering skills. This is mainly to get ready for harvesting blue Alps switches and doing a custom 60% build. I already have the PCB, plate, stabilizers, and keycaps. All that remains is finding a suitable donor board and desoldering the switches. This of course poses a dilemma -- is it better to use an intact blue Alps board or to use it as a donor? Others will have different opinions, but for me, the answer lies in weighing the usability of the potential donor against that of a custom build.
Another solution to my dilemma is to find a source of loose SKCM blue Alps switches in excellent condition. If anyone here is willing to sell at least 60 of these for a reasonable price, please send me a PM!