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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: erest on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:40:53

Title: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: erest on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:40:53: Hi guys I have been doing some research and I know that there is a gt3 on ebay that I could salvage clears from but its going for 75 bucks plus 15 dollar shipping (ouch) so I was wondering if there are any other iptions out there because I want to replace the browns in my qfr but at the end of the day I would like two functional boards. Any ideas are appreciated!

Thanks,

Erest
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:42:14: Where are you located?

MechanicalKeyboards.com (http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=597) sells clears for ~$0.49 per switch it you buy the 100 or 110 pack. You will probably not find any, any cheaper than that trying to salvage unless you get really lucky.
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:46:19: Quote from: SpAmRaY on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:42:14
Where are you located?

MechanicalKeyboards.com (http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=597) sells clears for ~$0.49 per switch it you buy the 100 or 110 pack. You will probably not find any, any cheaper than that trying to salvage unless you get really lucky.

Those are all PCB-mount Clears, so he would have to cut off all the PCB mount tabs to get them installed into his QFR. But still probably the cheapest option.
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:51:01: Here is another thread you might helpful

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=48738.0 (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=48738.0)

Also I speak from experience I attempted to buy a couple 'cheap' boards to harvest clears and got burnt both times.

But if you just want to keyboards you could get the cherry G80-3000 with clears from Germany, I believe it is referenced in the other thread, then you would have enough clears for your QFR and the cherry would have your browns and still some clears for maybe modifiers and stuff.

Also you can reuse the brown housing from the QFR to keep plate mount and just swap stems and springs, you would have to desolder QFR but not cherry board.
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: erest on Thu, 14 November 2013, 10:06:46: Thank you guys for all the replies! I know I can get the 110 pack for about 50 bucks, but i was just curious if there was a board out there for around the same price! I appreciate it!
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 14 November 2013, 10:31:03: Quote from: erest on Thu, 14 November 2013, 10:06:46
Thank you guys for all the replies! I know I can get the 110 pack for about 50 bucks, but i was just curious if there was a board out there for around the same price! I appreciate it!

salvaging is labor intensive.. unless you have tons of equipment and intend to do a HUGE batch..

Otherwise it's not worth the time/ trouble.. Just pay the .49

(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_113_.gif)
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: Linkbane on Thu, 14 November 2013, 10:54:38: Quote from: erest on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:40:53
Hi guys I have been doing some research and I know that there is a gt3 on ebay that I could salvage clears from but its going for 75 bucks plus 15 dollar shipping (ouch) so I was wondering if there are any other iptions out there because I want to replace the browns in my qfr but at the end of the day I would like two functional boards. Any ideas are appreciated!

Thanks,

Erest

You could salvage it from a Deck keyboard, those must be worthless considering how ugly they are. Oh wait.
(http://erniemiller.org/assets/2012/08/trollface-small.png)
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: Dreamre on Thu, 14 November 2013, 10:58:54: I'd just buy a pack off MK, saves you your time :D.
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: kgrad5 on Thu, 14 November 2013, 11:02:19: gonskeyboardworks seems to be selling switches.

http://www.gonskeyboardworks.com/9-switches
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 14 November 2013, 11:07:25: Quote from: kgrad5 on Thu, 14 November 2013, 11:02:19
gonskeyboardworks seems to be selling switches.

http://www.gonskeyboardworks.com/9-switches

Why would someone want those versus the one's from mechanicalkeyboards.com?
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: Pacifist on Thu, 14 November 2013, 11:11:12: Why would someone pay more?
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: Hellmark on Thu, 14 November 2013, 11:12:11: Yeah, gons are higher, so really don't see much point in going through them
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: kgrad5 on Thu, 14 November 2013, 11:13:26: Maybe he likes GON? I dunno, just providing alternatives. Dont shoot the messenger! :)
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: erest on Thu, 14 November 2013, 12:23:34: Hahaha exactly what I thought :p

Quote from: Linkbane on Thu, 14 November 2013, 10:54:38
Quote from: erest on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:40:53
Hi guys I have been doing some research and I know that there is a gt3 on ebay that I could salvage clears from but its going for 75 bucks plus 15 dollar shipping (ouch) so I was wondering if there are any other iptions out there because I want to replace the browns in my qfr but at the end of the day I would like two functional boards. Any ideas are appreciated!

Thanks,

Erest

You could salvage it from a Deck keyboard, those must be worthless considering how ugly they are. Oh wait.
Show Image
(http://erniemiller.org/assets/2012/08/trollface-small.png)
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: RabRhee on Thu, 14 November 2013, 15:35:17: I think WEY keyboards are always or usually clears, 144 / 168 key versions with some OK keycaps too. Sometimes show up cheap, but sometimes hit the $80+ mark as well. Worth putting an ebay tracker on them in case one shows up cheap on a BiN. Theres a few posts about them.
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Thu, 14 November 2013, 17:54:19: Yes WEY EK2000 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/WEY-Technology-Banking-Double-Shot-Keytop-Mechanical-Switch-Keyboard-EK2000-/181246027900?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item2a331ae87c) would be excellent pick. Get lots of clears AND some of the best type of keycap Cherry doubleshots at once. Great if you need some disassembly/assembly practice with soldering since the keyboards are not useable without the proprietary KVM box.
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: Pacifist on Thu, 14 November 2013, 19:20:40: Quote from: IvanIvanovich on Thu, 14 November 2013, 17:54:19
Yes WEY EK2000 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/WEY-Technology-Banking-Double-Shot-Keytop-Mechanical-Switch-Keyboard-EK2000-/181246027900?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item2a331ae87c) would be excellent pick. Get lots of clears AND some of the best type of keycap Cherry doubleshots at once. Great if you need some disassembly/assembly practice with soldering since the keyboards are not useable without the proprietary KVM box.

Do used switches wear out easier? What if I take the stems out of the housing and into a different board?
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Fri, 15 November 2013, 10:08:52: Well they are obviously going to have more use than new, so to you they will probably fail sooner... but even then unless it has really been beat to all hell probably good for some years still. Generally the first thing to go from wear in MX switch is the contact leaf inside, then tactile points on the stem.
Title: Re: is there a board I could salvage clears from?
Post by: iri on Tue, 19 November 2013, 13:31:38: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:46:19
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Thu, 14 November 2013, 09:42:14
Where are you located?

MechanicalKeyboards.com (http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=597) sells clears for ~$0.49 per switch it you buy the 100 or 110 pack. You will probably not find any, any cheaper than that trying to salvage unless you get really lucky.

Those are all PCB-mount Clears, so he would have to cut off all the PCB mount tabs to get them installed into his QFR.
or just replace the stems.