Micro Innovations KB-7001 / KB-40E (Unikey KB-7001)

[nac5605]

Found this on EBay a few days ago, so I picked it up. It has SKCM Whites if I'm not mistaken (might be simplified whites, but I was too excited to use the board to check).







Its pretty badly yellowed, and the pcb and case had some sort of drink (probably coffee) spilled on them, likely decades ago. Took forever to get off, and even still the case and pcb are stained in places. I hope to get a retrobright done once my uv lights come in. Does anyone have any ideas for the stains besides just bleaching the case?

[nac5605]

Sound test for anyone curious: https://youtu.be/cF4sS0QQWJA?si=Ne3REK2hTdqwcYUC

[TNT]

Nice find!

I never had any issues with bleaching unevenly yellowed cases. I think you could try peroxide salon creme and apply it partially, wherever necessary

[nac5605]

Nice find!

I never had any issues with bleaching unevenly yellowed cases. I think you could try peroxide salon creme and apply it partially, wherever necessary

Thanks!

I plan on doing the hydrogen peroxide UV method, I just need to get some gallons of the stuff.

The switches also bind a fair bit, this isn't normal for alps is it? Could it be the because of the unknown beverage spillage or just heavy use?

[TNT]

To be honest, could be both. Might be worth checking out whether or not you can wax-boil the switches (depends on the type and generation of ALPS you have in your board). This method is known to restore the keyfeel almost perfectly and is very simple.

[AndyJ]

Interesting layout. Just a standard keyboard with the alpha block split and re-clocked. Most manufacturers seem to go for weirdball styling or oddball key placements as well as the ergo split.

[nac5605]

Interesting layout. Just a standard keyboard with the alpha block split and re-clocked. Most manufacturers seem to go for weirdball styling or oddball key placements as well as the ergo split.

There is the slight oddity of a 2u escape key at the top left

[nac5605]

To be honest, could be both. Might be worth checking out whether or not you can wax-boil the switches (depends on the type and generation of ALPS you have in your board). This method is known to restore the keyfeel almost perfectly and is very simple.

I would just take them out and clean them, but I've never soldered (or de-soldered) switches in my life, so I don't have a soldering iron or sucker on hand. I've just gotten a keyboard in that I'm thinking of converting that will require soldering though, so I'm probably going to end up getting the whole setup soon.

[AndyJ]

There is the slight oddity of a 2u escape key at the top left

Hardly odd, since the 1u escape key on a standard IBM 84-key AT keyboard is on the right, in the cursor block.