AlphaSmart 3000 mechanical keyboard mod

11/1/2021
Like the ‘take a picture every day‘ project, this is not an especially original undertaking. Entirely based by this.
My goal is to put one together that’s sick as hell and also cheap.
Early estimate of costs:
AlphaSmart 3000 → $35.80
PCB → $33.64
2 x Cherry stabilizers → optional?
1 x 1-position SPST DIP switch
1 x 16-contact flat flex cable
1 x 10-contact flat flex cable
1 x 16-pin FFC connector
1x 10-pin FFC connector → → → $17.78 (2 of each)
Keycaps → ~$50
Switches → $33.76
Total: $170.98

11/2/2021
AlphaSmart 3000 from eBay → $38.98

11/21/2021
PCB from JLCPCB → $24.27
cables/connectors from Mouser Electronics → $21.26
switches from NovelKeys → $33.76
keycaps from Amazon → $34.83
→ overall actual cost: $153.10

12/7/2021
Soldering wire → $9.30
More keycaps → $20.89
Cherry Blue switches because I screwed up → 50.21
→ new total: $233.5

12/17/2021
Mouser components → $14.93
→ new total: $248.43

1/13/2022
Mouse components (again) → $11.97
JLCPCB (again) → $25.27
→ new total: $285.67

2/07/2022
COMPLETE
Pros: Keyboard works, mostly. Feels good to type on the keys.
Learned how to solder, learned about different key switches

Cons: Way over budget almost exclusively because board did not work properly.
The best board I had out of 10 from JLCPCB still was mediocre (T and V keys are always capitalized, “File 7” button doesn’t work, shift keys don’t work)
Their company was cheap but had terrible customer service. I had an argument with one of their reps because to me, if I solder the pieces in the same way for each board and the boards don’t work in different ways, then it’s most likely a problem with the manufacturing of it. The rep disagreed and demanded I send “proof” without ever clarifying what exactly proof meant and I lacked the knowledge to figure it out despite asking him to explain multiple times. Frustrating enough that I had many anti-Sino thoughts during the process re: Chinese businesses, Chinese people, Chinese schooling.
Regardless, no refund and I was stuck re-buying multiple components again because of it.

Overall:
Would recommend project
Would not recommend getting board from JLCPCB, poor customer service