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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: wellington1869 on Fri, 12 June 2009, 01:33:18

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 12 June 2009, 01:33:18

is there one?  Whats the best way to remove just the key covers quickly and not the whole key? Is there an off the shelf tool? Or should I just bend a paperclip? (wont it scratch the key when it (invariably) slips as I pull?). Etc. Thanks for any ideas :)

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 12 June 2009, 01:38:53

Quote from: ripster;95646

Hooleon. (http://hooleon.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=KBH&Product_Code=AC-312-0002)

Much faster than the wire version.

omg, thanks man. I love seeing dedicated tools (ie, dedicated to a single task :)  Perfect. oh wait a minute tho - this is for the whole key or the keytop (ie, removable key cover on the keys)?

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 12 June 2009, 01:44:36

interesting, hoolean has two items it calls "key top pullers" and one item (the classic wire one) which it calls "key puller". Clearly there's a diference - but then when you read the description of each, they each say they're for pulling 'keys'.  But what I want is a 'key top' puller, not a key puller.  SO what to do? Can anyone verify that the non-wire pullers here are key TOP pullers and not KEY pullers?

http://hooleon.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=KT-P

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 12 June 2009, 01:48:03

excellent. thanks bro. :)

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 12 June 2009, 01:50:49

holy crap, they want $8 for shipping!!!

Ok, does anyone have an extra one they want to sell me? I'll pay you retail so long as you put it into a regular 40 cent envelope!!!  (Retail + 50 cents i'll give!)


[update: *sigh*, bit the bullet and bought it :) ]

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: wellington1869 on Thu, 18 June 2009, 17:32:04

Quote from: ripster;95646

Hooleon. (http://hooleon.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=KBH&Product_Code=AC-312-0002)

Much faster than the wire version.  ONLY for pulling the key caps off of two piecers.

Show Image

(http://hooleon.com/miva/graphics/00000001/281-312-0002-large.jpg)

btw, this baby was/is perfect. I'm a keycap pulling machine.

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: wheel83 on Thu, 18 June 2009, 17:57:09

my fingers are strong enough to pull of most of the caps. i think its from the buckling springs lol

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: greynolds on Fri, 19 June 2009, 16:10:47

Quote from: ripster;95650

Don't get the red one - garbage.  Use the wire one for pulling entire keys.  The white one for keytops only.

Wave them at strange people in the NYC subway to clear a path.

I was given a couple of pullers that look just like the red one recently when I sent my Zenith keyboards off for repairs.  For the Alps keycaps, that style of puller seems to work really well.

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 19 June 2009, 16:13:25

I had a hard time getting Alps keys off the red one.  The wire is far superior.  Alps keys tend to fit very tightly, the red puller kept slipping off.  I haven't had a problem with the red puller on Cherrys or Buckling Springs, but the wire one is a much better design.

Title: model M key cover removal tool?
Post by: lowpoly on Fri, 19 June 2009, 16:23:53

Original Alps keycap puller:

(http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3347/alpskeycappuller.jpg)

The green thingy is a keycap inserter. I think.