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geekhack Community => geekhack Media => Topic started by: dustinhxc on Thu, 07 August 2014, 15:21:41
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Ever since I joined here I hoped to one day find an original uniform 45g HHKB Professional 1. I didn't think Id find one from the first year, 2003. Also first Rev, A0.
What can I say, I got lucky. I was able to get a model PD-KB300NL (White with White Blank Keyset). For more information on models: http://deskthority.net/wiki/HHKB_Professional (http://deskthority.net/wiki/HHKB_Professional)
These were made 2003 - 2005 and do not have the bulky USB ports. Also the MiniUSB port is on the right side instead of the middle which I prefer.
Rev A0 has the Green Mold Topre Proprietary Sensor Chip. Pretty cool for a Topre collector.
I wasn't originally going to do a full write up but I figured the least I could do was snap iPhone photos throughout the process and mark notes on here. Sorry I didn't snap every step but you can refer to my older HHKB Pro2 Dental Band post for all steps at removing the case. http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51403.msg1131516#msg1131516 (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51403.msg1131516#msg1131516)
So here is my write up of my restore with mostly iPhone photos. I used my Nikon for 1 shot of the Proprietary Sensor Chip and multiple of the finished board.
I was lucky enough to get this board from jalaj. Thanks again buddy! :thumb:
Still has original box. Looks very similiar to the HHKB Pro 2 box. Awesome.
(http://i60.tinypic.com/2h30ftf.jpg)
Unboxing... Looks awesome! It has yellowed quite a bit and is very dirty though.. (It is 11 years old ya know... ;) )
(http://i60.tinypic.com/14x2o3k.jpg)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/24mg8lj.jpg)
Time to remove those white blanks (which have all held up great colorwise except for the spacebar!)
Wow.. It is SO dusty and dirty underneath..
(http://i60.tinypic.com/k1ymac.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/5dkk10.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/2j0fkee.jpg)
I used some compressed air on the case for now.
Flip the board over, 3 screws to remove. Open up (dont snap off the clips, PS wow all 3 of these clips are still intact awesome.)
Unclip the PCB plug in cable. (I use a small iPhone tool to just press each end out)
Now time to remove the screws from the PCB.
(http://i60.tinypic.com/1zlxg74.jpg)
Now remove the screw from the MiniUSB PCB.
(http://i58.tinypic.com/5nrokj.jpg)
Popped off all of the rubber cups (domes) and springs.
(http://i57.tinypic.com/r06qvl.jpg)
Removed all plastic sliders, stab sliders, and stab wires. (Used the plastic back end of my small iPhone screwdriver to pop them out)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/3481qtf.jpg)
Time for some cleaning! Denture Tabs! :P
I put each different part in a water bottle with warm water and 2 tabs each. Shake for 2 minutes, rinse off, shake dry, dry in sun.
Keycaps, Sliders, Domes, I did the case in the sink.
(http://i60.tinypic.com/259elb9.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/ezrk2g.jpg)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/24q055w.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/ab2z3c.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/24llvk9.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/jzvayv.jpg)
Awww yes, everything is so clean! No more dust..
(http://i60.tinypic.com/nejfvm.jpg)
At a later date when everything was nice and dry.. Time to Retr0brite the case! Get rid of that Dark Yellow color. :D
Alright so I would like to thank all of those who recommended Retr0brite to me and talked to me about their methods and experience. I have seen it in the past but never read up into it too much.
I would like to personally thank Nubs for his method. This is the one I used and it worked PERFECT for me! :thumb:
I went to Sallys and got some Peroxide 40 Volume Clear Liquid. I got two 32 oz bottles. I wish I got 3 of them, though 2 did work for me. 3 just would have been a touch better for covering the case.
REMEMBER: It is said that using Peroxide will weaken the plastic. Mine feels fine, though this has been said in the past.
Lower volume = more time in the sun. Higher volume = less time in the sun.
(http://i58.tinypic.com/hwjy21.jpg)
If you are going to have to touch the liquid use gloves! Think smart. ;)
The inside of my case and bottom were still white/light grey, so I placed the case together since only the outside needed De-Yellowing.
Placed it inside a plastic bin big enough to hold liquid around it. Poured both bottles on it.
I placed 3 rocks on the middle so the case did not float above the liquid. If you need to De-Yellow the middle area you could use a glass sheet or something clear and heavy enough.
My middle slider area was still white/light grey so I did not have to worry about that.
(http://i61.tinypic.com/2lavwi9.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/15e8vo2.jpg)
I left it outside in the direct Sunlight for 5 hours. Also I placed the original spacebar in there for about 4 hours which worked great for it.
I was not aiming for stock lightgrey/white color. I was aiming for a Creamy Bone vintage yet custom yet clean shade. It reached that shade perfect.
So then I brought it inside to the Laundry Room sink, rinsed out everything. Rinsed off the Case. Denture Tabbed it one more time just to make sure it was squeaky clean and not Peroxide covered one bit.
Set it outside to dry for a while in the sunlight. Looks awesome! :D
(http://i58.tinypic.com/nv45si.jpg)
On to the Krytox Lube from Mkawa (Techkeys was the distributor) also Dental Bands from an eBay seller.
(http://i59.tinypic.com/vf8ajp.jpg)
I lubed the slider housings, 2 corner slots of each housing. (Bro Caps posted a photo of where to lube in my other thread, link at top of this page for reference)
Make sure to not let any drip on PCB after putting together, if it does just wipe it off. Otherwise that key will not compute.
Picked out all of the Purple and Orange bands! (Bandz a make her dance, aw yeah..)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/9scu1k.jpg)
The StabZ!
(http://i57.tinypic.com/25piw5s.jpg)
Stabilizers back in, mmm thats NICE. (MN NICE, lol inside midwest joke)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/23vkvgk.jpg)
Stabs all back in! I dont think it matters the direction, I looked at my stock sliders in other boards, Realforce, HHKB Pro 2, etc. All are different directions.
I shouldve put them all the same so you could see all the bands! awe well! Shucks.. :p
(http://i59.tinypic.com/erdd87.jpg)
Put the MiniUSB PCB back in!
(http://i58.tinypic.com/nl5pcp.jpg)
Placed all springs back on the PCB. After wiping the PCB and Springs off a tad bit.
(http://i61.tinypic.com/a4lu69.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/2ajb7km.jpg)
cue for Nikon photo... hue hue.
Notice the Sensor Chip has the Green Mold, awe yes dats niiiice... ^-^
(http://i58.tinypic.com/b8a2qe.jpg)
Put all domes back on, they all FEEL great still after 11 years. But some are a tad loud actually. I may get a Realforce donor and swap them some day.
(http://i59.tinypic.com/11c8lxu.jpg)
Ok so now I place the Slider housing case on top of the PCB w domes and springs in place. Do it CAREFULLY so no springs move 1 bit or those keys will not function.
Then while pressing it together very firm, I flip it over and with one hand screw all screws back into the PCB! Woo!
(http://i58.tinypic.com/2hr0ao7.jpg)
Plug the wiring back in, carefully!!! Now careful not to break the 3 TABS while snapping the case back together... Perfect!
Screw the 3 screws back in.. Ok good job.. Looks great with the black sliders on cream bone white case!!
(http://i58.tinypic.com/5nvzhh.jpg)
Also for good measure, I snapped an iPhone photo of the Back!
(http://i59.tinypic.com/33elhc1.jpg)
Whats this.. A brand new set of Black Blanks, I think Ill give these a go yes?! ^-^
(http://i62.tinypic.com/34xjl01.jpg)
Shes all done mate, on to the goodies!
(http://i58.tinypic.com/uvxc2.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/5est1g.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/2cys6yx.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/51dimo.jpg)
I say we add my favorite little Nocturnal Creatures on here..
(http://i61.tinypic.com/4rvklt.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/54du85.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/6tnsjt.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/302pds2.jpg)
One Bonus shot of my newly aquired OJ V2! Love it.. :D
(http://i58.tinypic.com/jg1p94.jpg)
Hope you all enjoyed. This board turned out amazing! It feels and looks awesome! :cool:
;)
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Very detailed and great written up as always Dustin! I never thought of using Denture tab for case as well.
Oh and lovely photos!
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Looks great! Good work!
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Honestly I only read a few bits, mainly interested in the gorgeous photos but totally awesome man. Thanks for sharing!!
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Pretty sure I see a couple pubes in once of those pics... (j/k) Nice write-up & gratz, d00d!
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Awesome work Dustin--very cool how you were able to successfully remove the yellowing. Hope you hold on to this one! :thumb:
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Looks great! Good work!
Coming from a man who has a TON OF HHKBs! I appreciate that a lot. :thumb:
Very detailed and great written up as always Dustin! I never thought of using Denture tab for case as well.
Oh and lovely photos!
Hey thank you very much! I'm not the best writer but I tried to tell my steps in the process. Hope others enjoy it. ;)
Honestly I only read a few bits, mainly interested in the gorgeous photos but totally awesome man. Thanks for sharing!!
No problem man, I'm glad you enjoy my photographs. Thank You! :cool:
Awesome work Dustin--very cool how you were able to successfully remove the yellowing. Hope you hold on to this one! :thumb:
Thank You buddy! Yeah I was scared of the decal going away which I didnt want to happen. The Professional OG logo! I wont be letting this one go ever with all of the work I put into it.
Pretty sure I see a couple pubes in once of those pics... (j/k) Nice write-up & gratz, d00d!
Hahaha I know right... :P Thanks dude!
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**** yeah, dustin. Simply **** YEAH. Great work man! She is BEAUTIFUL!
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**** yeah, dustin. Simply **** YEAH. Great work man! She is BEAUTIFUL!
Hahahaha best response EVER! **** Yeah dude.. Thanks man, she sure is! I wish you guys could see how beautiful the creamy bone white is in person, WOW! :)
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Wow. Excellent revival Dustin. The final outcome looks simply STUNNING! :thumb:
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Great job on the detailed photo journal.
Comparatively, my pictures suck.
Next time, to assemble the keyboard both easier and quicker, flip the top case so the underneath side is facing up.
Then insert the domes and springs into the switch housing.
After all the domes and springs in place, just align the PCB on top and screw it back on.
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Mmmm...so jelly. Need some peanut butter stat!
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:thumb: Great job, my man. :)
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Apart from the USB hub on the Professional 2, are there any actually significant differences in feel or finish to be noted?
Good work, by the way. Saw your teaser elsewhere and was eager to see the rest.
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Wow. Excellent revival Dustin. The final outcome looks simply STUNNING! :thumb:
Thank You buddy, I thought of leaving it dark yellow at first and then decided NAHHH! He He Im glad I went for it, I was scared but it turned out amazing! :thumb:
Great job on the detailed photo journal.
Comparatively, my pictures suck.
Next time, to assemble the keyboard both easier and quicker, flip the top case so the underneath side is facing up.
Then insert the domes and springs into the switch housing.
After all the domes and springs in place, just align the PCB on top and screw it back on.
Hey Jalaj! Thank You yet again, I appreciate it buddy.
I appreciate the tip as well, I will try that next time!
:thumb:
Mmmm...so jelly. Need some peanut butter stat!
Peanut Butter & Jelly TIME, awe yeah.. :p
:thumb: Great job, my man. :)
Awe yeah buddy, back in on that HHKB! :p Thanks dude!
Apart from the USB hub on the Professional 2, are there any actually significant differences in feel or finish to be noted?
Good work, by the way. Saw your teaser elsewhere and was eager to see the rest.
Unfortunately I haven't had my HHKB Pro 2 for a good while so I cant remember exactly how it felt. Maybe someone with both boards can chime in?
To my distant memory, the board and keys feel the same. The older domes may be a bit stiffer so maybe 50g or even 55g by now. I could be wrong, it has been a short while since Ive had my 55g HHKB as well. I have also heard that this model work with an iPad? I have yet to try that out. I have heard that this model is a bit heavier too. Id love for any HHKB Pro 1 users to chime in, thanks! :thumb:
Oh cool, thanks man! Glad you saw the teaser pic. :D
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Excellent restoration.
Looks sexy.
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Yeah, I mean, I guess it's cool. Really freaking cool.
Nice job! :thumb:
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Awesome writeup with great shots
Bandz will def make em dance - very nice
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Oh, and one other thing... which dental bands did you order and from where? I have a few (sigh) HHKB Pro 2 that I want to silence. Any pointers that I don't have to go dig for would be great!
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Excellent restoration.
Looks sexy.
Thank You buddy! :thumb: Sexytime.
Yeah, I mean, I guess it's cool. Really freaking cool.
Nice job! :thumb:
Hahaha, nice one man! Thanks buddy! :D
Awesome writeup with great shots
Bandz will def make em dance - very nice
I appreciate that, thanks! Hell Yeah, glad someone got that reference! :p
Oh, and one other thing... which dental bands did you order and from where? I have a few (sigh) HHKB Pro 2 that I want to silence. Any pointers that I don't have to go dig for would be great!
NEON-3-16-MEDIUM-3-5-oz-ORTHODONTIC-ELASTIC-BRACES-DENTAL-RUBBER-BANDS
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130949159695 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/130949159695)
I believe others have tried even thinner ones but this is the size I did in my HHKB Pro 2, Realforces, Leopold FC660C, and now my HHKB Pro.
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Perfect, thanks! I'll be ordering some of those very, very soon.
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Perfect, thanks! I'll be ordering some of those very, very soon.
You're very welcome! :D
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That looks absolutely awesome, great writeup and beautiful pics too! :)
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That looks absolutely awesome, great writeup and beautiful pics too! :)
Thank you very much sir, I appreciate it! :cool:
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Truly impressive work! I had seen a few of your pictures with this board in other threads lately and was hoping we would get to see some restoration photos. This was everything I could have hoped for!
Congrats!
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Great restoration job man! Thanks for posting a write up and photos of the process :thumb:
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Truly impressive work! I had seen a few of your pictures with this board in other threads lately and was hoping we would get to see some restoration photos. This was everything I could have hoped for!
Congrats!
Yeah I've been teasing with posting parts of it here and there.. I'm glad it lived up to your hopes man! :D Thanks!
Great restoration job man! Thanks for posting a write up and photos of the process :thumb:
Thanks dude! You're Welcome! :thumb:
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That really turned out fantastic and it looks like you didn't get any blooming at all on the case. It shows that you put a ton of work and care into the keyboard and making it perfect for you. And I'm glad my small bits of advice were helpful to you.
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That really turned out fantastic and it looks like you didn't get any blooming at all on the case. It shows that you put a ton of work and care into the keyboard and making it perfect for you. And I'm glad my small bits of advice were helpful to you.
Hey buddy! Yeah I am so happy you spoke with me about your methods. I have a strong feeling that Oxy and whatever else people add is a strong factor of Blooming. Mine didnt at all and its because I used straight Peroxide I believe.. But who knows, could just be the cases original paint is different. There could be other factors, but yes this turned out amazing. Thanks again!
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Great work! You just keep making me want to get a HHKB more and more. :))
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That is gorgeous, beautiful pictures.
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Nice Dustin.
Makes me want to get my first Topre, age it for 10 years before use, then restore it.
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Very impressive - and very well done!
Excellent documentation (pictures mostly, heh) too.
A connoisseur of keyboards and restoration genius :)
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I love these Extreme keyboard makeover threads!! Very cool!! Board looks MUCH better!!
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Thanks for the super detailed pics and steps you took. I'd say you were very successful in finding and restoring that thing. :thumb:
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That keyboard looks reaaaaally nice.
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Great work dustin! :thumb:
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A lot of multi quotes but Id like to personally thanks everyone who takes the time to view this thread. :) :thumb:
Nice Dustin.
Makes me want to get my first Topre, age it for 10 years before use, then restore it.
hahaha :)) That is hilarious my dude!!! Awesome.. Yes you should! Thanks!
That is gorgeous, beautiful pictures.
Thank you very much! :thumb:
I love these Extreme keyboard makeover threads!! Very cool!! Board looks MUCH better!!
EXTREMEEE!!! Woo! Thanks dude! :D
Thanks for the super detailed pics and steps you took. I'd say you were very successful in finding and restoring that thing. :thumb:
You're very welcome! Yes it worked out wonderful just like in my head planning it out. :thumb:
Very impressive - and very well done!
Excellent documentation (pictures mostly, heh) too.
A connoisseur of keyboards and restoration genius :)
Thanks man! Glad it was impressive to you. :} Connoisseur and genius, thanks buddy!
That keyboard looks reaaaaally nice.
Thank You sir!! :)
Great work dustin! :thumb:
Appreciate it, thanks! :thumb:
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Great pictures as always Dustin and awesome job restoring this beauty! :eek:
Drip lube on the PCB? How much did you use?! I used about half a tube of that stuff for the slider rails and I don't think there was any concern that any would drip out anywhere.
How do you personally find the feel of lubing just the slider rails? Did you not grease the stabs at all? How do they feel like that?
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Great pictures as always Dustin and awesome job restoring this beauty! :eek:
Drip lube on the PCB? How much did you use?! I used about half a tube of that stuff for the slider rails and I don't think there was any concern that any would drip out anywhere.
How do you personally find the feel of lubing just the slider rails? Did you not grease the stabs at all? How do they feel like that?
Thank you very much!! Restore successful!
Yeah I used half a tube as well. Just stating to not let it do that if using the syringe, I used a brush.
I lubed the stabs, never tried grease. They feel great.
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Looks awesome, love the caps!
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Nice restore, have you tried Retrobrite before? Always wondered how the extra legwork of prepping RB is versus a denture tab. That cluster of cicada things give m,e the willies too. /shudder
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Lovely green mold
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Looks awesome, love the caps!
Thanks man!
Nice restore, have you tried Retrobrite before? Always wondered how the extra legwork of prepping RB is versus a denture tab. That cluster of cicada things give m,e the willies too. /shudder
I did retr0brite it! :p I denture tabbed before and after just for extra cleaning. Didn't use oxy in the mix because it causes bloching. Turned out great!
Lovely green mold
Thank you! ;) you're a true topre enthusiast!
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Wow, this really makes me want to get a HHKB. Nice job!
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Wow, this really makes me want to get a HHKB. Nice job!
Thanks buddy! I'm glad I could inspire you to get one. :cool:
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Hey Dustin, Any chance you could re-up your pics and give us an update on how the board is looking now? Thinking of doing my 2013 Type-s which has already yellowed quite badly but have heard it's a reasonably temporary solution. This post is a great resource because I see even the retrobrite website is gone.
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Hey Dustin, Any chance you could re-up your pics and give us an update on how the board is looking now? Thinking of doing my 2013 Type-s which has already yellowed quite badly but have heard it's a reasonably temporary solution. This post is a great resource because I see even the retrobrite website is gone.
If you end up retrobriting, I can recommend checking out "303 Aerospace UV Protectant". You can get it either in spray or wipes. I used it on my 2004 Pro 1 and it still looks great :thumb: