Risk breaking keyboard if desolder?

[Jixr]

So here is the deal, I have 2 pokerX's, and awhile back I put plates on both of them.

I'm thinking about taking one of them, and desoldering it so I can remove the plate, and pretty much turn it back to stock, so that way I can hot swap the stems.

Here is the problem, the board is absolutely trashed, the PO destroyed it, and I think about 10 of the switches had to be wired up pretty like a teensy matrix controlled keyboard. Tons of lifted and burnt out traces, and it took me forever to figure out how to get it working right.

I would say if I took it apart, there is a pretty good chance I couldn't get it working right again.

Trying to think if I should risk it, or just hold on to it as is, or see if I can trade/sell it and keep an eye out for a stock pokerX ( which are getting hard to find )
But really would like a board that I can play with changing stems/springs out on since I have 3 60%'ers with blacks

all the red wires had to be jummped, and there are a few others in there too.

[SpAmRaY]

What plate does it have?

I thought most of the aftermarket plates for pokers allowed switch top removal.

[dorkvader]

What plate does it have?

I thought most of the aftermarket plates for pokers allowed switch top removal.

the original poker (poker X, what they have) is a PCB-mounted keyboard. There were some GBs for plates just to have a plate on it for people who like the feeling of plate mounted stuff. Some were even before the advent of switch removable plates pioneered by LZ and the Phantom.

@OP: It's up to you. You risk breaking it every time you solder or desolder it. I don't think desoldering it will damage it any more than it already is, but it's up to you if you want to try. Another option is to send it to someone and pay them to do it.

[frosty]

Damn, that's a lot of wires. I guess if it was up to me, I would leave this board as is. At least it's working...

[Oobly]

You say you have 2 of them? Remove the plate from the other one then and keep this one as is, would be my recommendation.

[Jixr]

yeah, But my other one has a really cool painted plate, and the switches in it are nicer. ( the poker above has red stabs with 80g springs, which are a little bit heavier than stock blacks, and for a work keyboard, its a little too heavy for my taste )

But yeah, I guess that would be the smartest thing to do.

And they both have regular poker 2 plates

[margo baggins]

Take a picture of all your jump wires and dive right in

I would. Never seen a board with so many jumps!