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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: nmur on Sat, 30 June 2018, 05:25:22

Title: Realforce 86U fix + restoration
Post by: nmur on Sat, 30 June 2018, 05:25:22
With a couple of aluminium Realforce housing options coming this year, I decided to hunt for a 86U to get that sweet WKL action.

I watched yahoo jp for a while and managed to win an 86U at a pretty good price, but when it arrived, I think I realised why...

Nasty grime and **** everywhere
(https://s22.postimg.cc/vc3d5l3ox/IMG_20180508_164819.jpg)
(https://s22.postimg.cc/ebkgwwydd/IMG_20180508_164832.jpg)
(https://s22.postimg.cc/wr4xubk7l/IMG_20180508_165515.jpg)

Significant rust on the plate as well
(https://s22.postimg.cc/78clhcio1/IMG_20180512_202814.jpg)
(https://s22.postimg.cc/mv3uu66kh/IMG_20180512_202822.jpg)

And on top of that, Backspace, F12, and a few other keys were not registering, even after reseating the domes.
(https://s22.postimg.cc/men8lj5n1/test.png)

Inspecting the PCB showed that there was some corrosion and white gunk present, possible from a spill from the previous owner
(https://s22.postimg.cc/yvpavbtj5/DSC05579.jpg)

After cleaning it up with some isopropyl alcohol, two pads were shown to be completely corroded away
(https://s22.postimg.cc/wr4xuc7cx/DSC05583c.jpg)

To get the through-hole pads and traces to connect to each other, I scraped away a small amount of the traces in either direction, and threading a small wire through to solder and complete the connection (thanks to everythat helped me in this thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=95766))
(https://s22.postimg.cc/qq78x6kpt/DSC05597.jpg)

I was somewhat successful, but I still ended up having to jump one trace, as I found it too difficult to repair the missing pad
(https://s22.postimg.cc/olmvw6be9/DSC05605c.jpg)

Next was the rusted plate.
(https://s22.postimg.cc/tkaeaqpht/IMG_20180513_013951.jpg)

Sanding all the rust off was fairly time consuming because of how deep some of the rust pitting was in some spots
(https://s22.postimg.cc/z9qmuhqcx/IMG_20180519_142003.jpg)

With the rust gone, I could give the plate a few coats of a silver that I hoped matched the original colour as close as possible
(https://s22.postimg.cc/yk7ui4i3l/IMG_20180520_194509.jpg)

Looks more like a typical aluminium plate now, but still much much better
(https://s22.postimg.cc/7mdxgeklt/IMG_20180520_194537.jpg)

The caps were cleaned, but then put away in favour of a JIS set and purple sliders (photo from donor board)
(https://s22.postimg.cc/vjvlfkgtd/IMG_20180513_033238.jpg)
(https://s22.postimg.cc/dh2iobxtd/IMG_20180508_171739.jpg)

All put back together
(https://s22.postimg.cc/kqjht3kdd/DSC05612e.jpg)

And now because I only recently was able to get a blue topre stepped caps and brobot set, I switched over to a blank bubblegum pastel theme  :-*
(https://s22.postimg.cc/l3avz9029/DSC05775e.jpg)

Thanks for reading!

Next step is just simply waiting for my WKL norbaforce to grace me with its arrival  :thumb:

Title: Re: Realforce 86U fix + restoration
Post by: Lansky on Sat, 30 June 2018, 05:35:02
Great job, my dude!

That's a dope board you got yourself now.
Title: Re: Realforce 86U fix + restoration
Post by: hayt on Sat, 30 June 2018, 07:30:44
Awesome renovation man!

Can’t wait to see this in action w those sweet norbaforce cases soon tm
Title: Re: Realforce 86U fix + restoration
Post by: nmur on Sat, 30 June 2018, 11:56:18
thanks boys
Title: Realforce 86U fix + restoration
Post by: atlas3686 on Sun, 01 July 2018, 10:07:28
Nicely done nmur!

And love that stepped control key


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