Someone modded a microwave with mechanical keyboard switches

[Daniel Sims]

WTF?! What’s the longest you’ve held onto an aging microwave? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a microwave’s buttons were more satisfying to push, but can’t find any that don’t use cheap touch buttons? A Reddit user last week sought out to solve both.

When Redditor gregschlom’s 9-year-old microwave started to have problems with its buttons, he decided to replace them. You can’t just get microwave touchpad buttons off the shelf though, so he went for something better: Kalih box black mechanical keyboard switches.

Gregschlom hardwired the switches to replace the buttons for 30-second cook, one-minute cook, settings, and cancel. When someone shared gregschlom’s photo on Twitter, Kalih even took notice.

What...?? A keyboard switch can be used like this??
Really didn't expect this🤣
And you are really so creative and talented for sure! https://t.co/oSTSfo1u2J

— KAILH (@KailhSwitch) January 9, 2022

Despite how good pressing the switches feels, gregschlom said his wife wants to replace the microwave, which they’ve had to repair four times over the years. Plus, they estimate the switches will start to go bad in a couple years due to grease from the stove directly below.

Manufacturers obviously won’t use expensive mechanical switches on something as incidental as a microwave (mine uses a dial), but this hack still suggests more possible uses for them beyond keyboards. Last September, Kalih helped Stack Overflow make an April Fools gag real by releasing a USB macropad with specially-branded Stack Overflow keys.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/93004-someone-modded-microwave-mechanical-keyboard-switches.html

 

[terzaerian]

Microwaves have almost always had touchpads, unless they had dials. Kind of interesting to think that mechanical switches would be a new direction for them.

 

[TheBigT42]

I bet that solution would rate kinda low on the "wife approval factor"

 

[captaincranky]

Wow, this is big news..! .Although, I think it would have been better titled, "man gives his microwave a coat hanger abortion".

I'm going to run right out to my kitchen and do this to my microwave.

Hmm, on second thought, maybe I'd better wait til after dinner.

 

[captaincranky]

Microwaves have almost always had touchpads, unless they had dials. Kind of interesting to think that mechanical switches would be a new direction for them.

Oh, I don't know.The touch pads help to keep fluids and cockroaches out of the internal woorkins'.

 

[ferrellsl]

Ghetto! But it is sort of cool.

 

[captaincranky]

Ghetto! But it is sort of cool.

Yeah, it reminds me of the old "TV stack". The console broke, so you put a portable on top, and then a smaller portable on top of it when that breaks IIRC however, a three TV stack was about the practical limit.

Instead of going through all that rewiring nonsense, I would have bought a 700 watt microwave, to sit on top of the broken 1000 watter

 

[Faelan]

Whatever works. Next step is to mod it so that he can use it for sending D-mails.

 

[amghwk]

Sometimes I get tired of seeing everything touchscreen or touchpads nowadays. But then, mechanical buttons are also prone to wear and tear in the long run. But mechanical buttons, if used properly without being rough on them, I believe, can minimize the repair, along with good maintenance like regular dusting and/or oiling.

 

[Nobina]

RGB microwaves when?

 

[captaincranky]

Sometimes I get tired of seeing everything touchscreen or touchpads nowadays.

The touchpads on a microwave are there for a specific and very good reason. For ease of cleaning, and to prevent fluid penetration. Mechanical switches would cause all kind of issues, from roach infestations to drowned electronics.

As much as I am loathe to say this, this story is pure bullsh!t, and bullsh!t for novelty's sake.

FWIW, I love mechanical keyboards. I wouldn't touch a membrane keyboard. I love buttons on all remote control devices.

But on a microwave, I wouldn't touch them with your barge pole.

 

[mrSister]

Good old hacking at its best!