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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Jackomel on Tue, 25 December 2012, 18:17:04

Title: Chicony KB-5161, how do I remove the key caps?
Post by: Jackomel on Tue, 25 December 2012, 18:17:04

Hello, I found this keyboard in a closet, it's mechanical and it says "chicony kb-5161" on the back and in the inside plastic

I'm trying to clean it up and removing the keys but for some reason they won't come off, it feels like I'd be pulling the whole thing off which I don't think is supposed to happen.

I googled around and even searched around the forum but didn't find much information about this particular keyboard, all the info I can find is about the successive models.

What are these caps and how do I remove them without tearing the whole thing off?

Title: Re: Chicony KB-5161, how do I remove the key caps?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Tue, 25 December 2012, 19:31:04

Get a keycap puller, like one of these:

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21Dy-h6FFJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/Generic-KEYCAP-PULLER/dp/B0036UQSJ8)

(Click the pic and it brings you to Amazon, where you can buy one for around $10)

Title: Re: Chicony KB-5161, how do I remove the key caps?
Post by: SmallFry on Tue, 25 December 2012, 19:33:19

You can also buy them from Filco, WASD, Leopold, Cherry, or you can make one. Thing is, just don't break them. :D

Title: Re: Chicony KB-5161, how do I remove the key caps?
Post by: hashbaz on Tue, 25 December 2012, 23:25:11

In a pinch you can also bend a pair of paperclips into hooks.

Title: Re: Chicony KB-5161, how do I remove the key caps?
Post by: dorkvader on Wed, 26 December 2012, 18:13:35

I didn't get a good enough look, but if it's ALPS, you may have some issue removing some of the keycaps. Try to be careful, as you can remove the entire keyswitch by mistake. What I do, is try to hold the keyswitch as best I can, and rock the keycap back and forth, off of it. THis is much more easy with a keypuller than with (say) a few table knives or something.

Title: Re: Chicony KB-5161, how do I remove the key caps?
Post by: precarious on Wed, 26 December 2012, 21:35:55

if that's the same chicony board with mx-style stems i owned once upon a time, those things are a super tight fit, so you may just have to pull 'n' wiggle

Title: Re: Chicony KB-5161, how do I remove the key caps?
Post by: Jackomel on Thu, 27 December 2012, 05:32:39

Quote from: dorkvader on Wed, 26 December 2012, 18:13:35

I didn't get a good enough look, but if it's ALPS, you may have some issue removing some of the keycaps. Try to be careful, as you can remove the entire keyswitch by mistake. What I do, is try to hold the keyswitch as best I can, and rock the keycap back and forth, off of it. THis is much more easy with a keypuller than with (say) a few table knives or something.

This is why I was concerned, the keyswitch seems like soldered directly to the main board and it goes through a hole, here's a picture from the side