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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: kwantz on Tue, 30 August 2011, 17:08:47

Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: kwantz on Tue, 30 August 2011, 17:08:47
What is the best DIY keycap puller with your typical around the house stuff.... and I mean typical besides your damn fingers.....
normal people dont carry around random piece of aluminum or stainless lol so dont go all nuts on me....

But i mean your typical persons house, what can be used.... I wanna fix the damn noisy backspace with some lube.... no not my wifes astroglide, but I was thinking some real deal ****... maybe lube platinum the good kind haha jk....
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: Dox on Tue, 30 August 2011, 17:20:03
I made one from some paperclips laying around.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]25342[/ATTACH]
Surprisingly effective!
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: dux on Tue, 30 August 2011, 17:23:55
Quote from: kwantz;407672
What is the best DIY keycap puller with your typical around the house stuff.... and I mean typical besides your damn fingers.....
normal people dont carry around random piece of aluminum or stainless lol so dont go all nuts on me....

But i mean your typical persons house, what can be used.... I wanna fix the damn noisy backspace with some lube.... no not my wifes astroglide, but I was thinking some real deal ****... maybe lube platinum the good kind haha jk....

Wires from phone cable. thin enough and strong enough.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: Lanx on Tue, 30 August 2011, 17:27:52
butterknife has never failed.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: reaper on Tue, 30 August 2011, 18:18:12
Quote from: kwantz;407672
maybe lube platinum the good kind haha jk....


lol lube platinum. =D

I hear that screwdriver can work wonder sometimes.  Me, I use a $5 keypuller from Leopold/EK.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: kwantz on Tue, 30 August 2011, 18:58:52
i think lube platinum would outlast lithiuem or whatever they advise us to use... man have u ever got your old lady to give u a hand job with Platinum lube, **** never wears off....  actuallly the brand is called WET Platinum...... its  crazy,,, there is no way that the keys would sqweek after that....
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: the gato on Tue, 30 August 2011, 22:45:41
Harvest a couple twist ties from your bread box.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: lucky777 on Tue, 30 August 2011, 23:50:49
I use this thing (sorry about the out of focus picture :P):
(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5229/dscf0089js.jpg)

I originally made it to pull chips off motherboards (bios chips and stuff like that). Works fine for pulling caps off too.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: kwantz on Wed, 31 August 2011, 01:48:11
damn i treid twist ties and it doenst work for a ****
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: hyperq on Wed, 31 August 2011, 08:59:48
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.  Outstanding illustration!

Where is my box of paperclips........
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: Ulysses31 on Wed, 31 August 2011, 09:17:43
Thumb and forefinger.  If you need extra grip a latex glove will do the trick.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: CeeSA on Wed, 31 August 2011, 14:10:14
here is my daily puller.
make fast onehand pulling so easy

kick ass this filco 2 hand puller (my worst buy from Group Buy R3).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25400[/ATTACH]
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: Krumlin on Thu, 01 September 2011, 04:26:44
Here's mine - I took delivery of a Filco Tenkeyless (UK model, MX Browns) on Monday and couldn't wait to pull it apart. My only complaint about the keyboard is that it didn't come with a puller. This took all of 10 minutes to make - which is reflected in its, ahem, refreshingly rustic appearance...

[I'm noobed out of posting links, so you'll have to link-ify this]
imgur.com/xP4aO

Construction details as follows:
Copper wire - you'll find a ready supply of this behind any power outlet in your home. Make friends with your fuse box first. Your mileage (and your risk of a house fire or personal injury) may vary. I accept no responsibility.
The handle is made of Polymorph - low temperature thermoplastic. Before you start complaining, this is an essential geek household item - if you don't have any, head over to ebay and order some right now (it goes by various other names; Hand Moldable Plastic, InstaMorph, ShapeLock, Friendly Plastic, Polycaprolactone etc). Just dunk it in hot water, conform to the desired shape with your bare hands, and allow to cool (about 2 minutes).

I think the copper wire I used is a little stiffer than regular keycap pullers, so it also doubles up as a handy egg whisk. Other (polite) suggestions for alternative uses are welcome...
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: slueth on Thu, 01 September 2011, 07:27:20
wow that polymorph is spiffy
wonder if you can make a keycap with that lol
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: Krumlin on Thu, 01 September 2011, 08:18:29
Interesting idea. It might make an eclectic esc key. One of the problems with it is that it doesn't retain fine detail very well, so even making the 'cross' recess to fit on top of a Cherry might be pushing it. No doubt someone will try it soon and report back...
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: captain on Sun, 04 March 2012, 12:17:57
That's odd.  I was starting to think that I needed to order a Filco key-puller when, on a whim, I pulled out an old Filco box, noticed that the PS/2-USB adapter was missing, so I lifted all the packaging out, and Lo and Behold!  Four keys and a keypuller in a bag!  You'd think they would advertise these things.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: quickcrx702 on Sun, 04 March 2012, 20:26:16
Quote from: Lanx;407686
butterknife has never failed.


+1

I have an actual key cap puller and I still use a butter knife.  My butter knives are super dull Wally Mart ones though, so there is no chance of scratching keys.  I wouldn't use a butter knife with serrated edges.
Title: best key cap puller??? DIY
Post by: clownmasterfunk on Thu, 21 June 2012, 09:19:38
h       yu qrtyuiiiiiiiiuiiiiiu