Good Parts Boards?

[SamirD]

Where do you guys find good deals on 'parts only' boards?  Besides ebay. 

It would be nice to have a good source as I'm probably going to need some parts to get all my Ms to 100%.  Thank you in advance.

[CPTBadAss]

e-waste recyclers and thrift stores.

[absyrd]

Thrift stores aren't usually worth the gas and time.

Making a deal with a local e-cycler is. Many will just put aside tons of boards in a box in a corner for you. You can politely ask them to not cut the cables, but they generally want to process them.

[inanis]

I tried to find some good parts-only or refurb boards from my local e-waste recyler. I went in there and the guy was like, "Oh, we throw that stuff away. They are worth a lot in scrap metal." I was horrified. I told him to please call me if he ever got stuff in, but I know he won't. I don't think he took me very seriously, even though I said I would be happy to pay him for the boards.

I check thrift stores when I have a chance, but I have never found anything even almost worth picking up. I'm hoping that if I keep trying I'll have some success there. Once I found a board full of white ALPS clones. So far that has been my best find. I kept the switches but haven't yet done anything with them.

[SamirD]

There's some recyclers in HSV and some thrift stores in MKE, so I guess that would be my only two options.

Bummer.   It would be nice if one of the IBM refurbers had a 'parts only' section for just parts, but I guess parts must be in high demand too.

[CPTBadAss]

Unicomp sells IBM parts

[fohat.digs]

I agree that you will be very lucky to find anything decent in a thrift store. 5 years ago, maybe. 15 years ago, definitely.

If by "parts" you mean anything but key caps, terminal boards usually sell much cheaper, but usually lack exactly the keys that you are probably looking for.

As for cases, mats, springs, barrel plates, etc, a single carcass will yield lots of parts for cheaper than ordering from Unicomp.

[SamirD]

Unicomp sells IBM parts

Thank you for the reminder.  Somehow that slipped my mind! 

As for cases, mats, springs, barrel plates, etc, a single carcass will yield lots of parts for cheaper than ordering from Unicomp.

So this is what I'm talking about.  I actually am looking at one of the Ms I have that wasn't 100% when I bought it many years ago for 50 cents and the parts it needs. 

It's missing a few keycaps, but also somehow the plastic 'barrel' that the key goes into on f5, is cracked and the cracked piece broke off and is no where to be found.  (But I have heard some rattling in the case, so I'll need to check there.).  It's parts/fixes like this that are a bit of a challenge without a nice donor board.   And it doesn't seem like donor boards come easy.

It's a nice board too--from 88 with the white label, sdl, and metal stabs on the num pad.

[Snowdog993]

I agree that you will be very lucky to find anything decent in a thrift store. 5 years ago, maybe. 15 years ago, definitely.

If by "parts" you mean anything but key caps, terminal boards usually sell much cheaper, but usually lack exactly the keys that you are probably looking for.

As for cases, mats, springs, barrel plates, etc, a single carcass will yield lots of parts for cheaper than ordering from Unicomp.

Conversely, you could always get an ANSI terminal 102-key, and have a full layout for the keycaps too.  If the keyboard costs less than an entire keyset from Unicomp.   
Especially the 1395162.  (Which is a 101 terminal board...)

[SamirD]

I agree that you will be very lucky to find anything decent in a thrift store. 5 years ago, maybe. 15 years ago, definitely.

If by "parts" you mean anything but key caps, terminal boards usually sell much cheaper, but usually lack exactly the keys that you are probably looking for.

As for cases, mats, springs, barrel plates, etc, a single carcass will yield lots of parts for cheaper than ordering from Unicomp.

Conversely, you could always get an ANSI terminal 102-key, and have a full layout for the keycaps too.  If the keyboard costs less than an entire keyset from Unicomp.   
Especially the 1395162.  (Which is a 101 terminal board...)

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Yes, quite true.  And then if I find a used board that's working, that's a donor too, except that it works so anything I take off that board will need another donor, lol.  I guess this is how we keep buying things!

[jerue]

My thirft store used to be very good. Found a AT101W, my amber Omron board, and a beige Space Invader switch board there. I think they caught on because I havent seen anything good in a while. I would go to my local e-cycler if their hours weren't totally insane. If you know of any thrift chains that do online like Goodwill, once in a while you can get a bargain; there was a SSK that sold for $90 and a full Dolch PAC 62 for $100 or something similar. I missed both