That $15 keycap puller from Amazon wrecked my vintage IBM board

Picked up a cheap wire keycap puller for $15 thinking it'd be fine for my Model M, but the wires bent on the second row and scratched up a keycap bad. Now I'm stuck using a dental floss trick to remove caps without damaging the dying stems. Anyone know a reliable puller under $30 that won't chew up old buckling spring caps?

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gibson.oliver2mo ago

Man, I feel for you. That "wires bent on the second row" line hit home because I did the same thing with a cheap puller a few years back and it gouged a couple of my Model M caps pretty bad. It's maddening because those old boards are getting harder to find in good shape, and one slip with a bad tool can ruin a weekend. I've been using a simple plastic ring style puller I got for around 20 bucks that hasn't scratched anything yet, though it's a little slower than the wire kind. The dental floss trick is smart in a pinch, but it's not something you want to do on every key. Hope you find something that works without any more damage.

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johnh822mo ago

Good point on the plastic ring puller, @gibson.oliver, I switched to one after ruining a keycap and it's been smooth sailing.

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