Replacement case for a Chicony KB-5181?

[herewegomez]

I picked up a Chicony KB-5181 with Monterrey Blues from ebay. It works fine, and the switches are lovely, really better than I thought they would be. The only problem is the case, its a pile of ****. Really bad build quality, especially considering the time in which it was made. It also has a bit of yellowing. Do you folks know of a case that would fit this board? If not new, maybe some other vintage keyboard I could salvage for the case? If all else fails, I'd be willing to maybe paint the board a new color, if that's something that could be done.



The PCB and switches are fine. They're a little gross, some cat hair and dust is lodged up in there, but nothing I can't easily clean. I've seen much worse



I'd like to get this keyboard rocking with some new looks, because these switches are really nice, just about perfect I'd say.



Thanks for the help!

[Techno Trousers]

What I would do (actually, what I will be doing, but with pine white Alps) is to desolder the switches from the classic board, and put them into a modern chassis like the KBParadise V80 or V60. Then if you want to go even further, there are a few readily available V60/V80-compatible aluminum cases that you could upgrade to.

[Blaise170]

These aren't actually Alps - they are SMK switches with Alps-mount keycaps. If he were going to design a custom board, the only PCB I know of that supports SMK is from LFKeyboards (https://www.lfkeyboards.com/smk-tkl.html).

[herewegomez]

These aren't actually Alps - they are SMK switches with Alps-mount keycaps. If he were going to design a custom board, the only PCB I know of that supports SMK is from LFKeyboards (https://www.lfkeyboards.com/smk-tkl.html).

I'm not really looking to start desoldering and soldering, I'm not a very crafty person. Or at least I don't trust myself not to break something. I was looking to see if there was a case I could drop that board straight into.

[Blaise170]

There aren't any replacement cases that I'm aware of. You might be able to find a Chicony KB-5161 which has a much better case, but then you'll also have an entirely new keyboard. Maybe you could find someone with a 5161 case that they aren't using after desoldering the Alps from it.

[herewegomez]

Right, that's what I figured would be the case. Ah well, thanks for the help anyways!

[Blaise170]

As an alternative, you could always build your own, buy some wood and carve it, have a local shop laser cut you one out of acrylic, etc. Depends on how much you really like it.

[herewegomez]

Hmmm, my dad used to be a carpenter. Maybe I can dragoon him into a project, lol

[varszegimarcell]

Hey

I have the same problem with this keyboard, (mine has Alps SKCM White) and I will repaint the case. Just make sure to use the proper paint, which will be OK on ABS, check it out especially if you will use spray paint. Clean the case as much as you can before painting.

Another option is retrobrighting the case. You need a big container, where the case fits, you need 3% Hydrogen-peroxide solution, and plastic wrap, sunlight. Put the case in the container, sink it in the Hydrogen-peroxide, and cover the container with the transparent plastic wrap. (To ampify greenhouse effect in the container.) Leave it alone in the direct sunlight for at least 4-6 hours. It helps, if your solution is warm (30-40°C) and the container is transparent too. The case will be white again, as new.