[vcf-midatlantic] Girl Scout cookies... vintage computer related!

[Bob Applegate]

Anyone who has repaired the old capacitance keyboards (Franklin, Kaypro, etc) know that one of the parts needed is some mylar to use as a slightly conductive surface.  I’ve tried various types of mylar was varying degrees of success but they weren’t always reliable.

One night while eating some Girl Scout cookies, I noticed the mylar-like material they came packed in (maybe it is mylar; I’m a software engineer).  It was worth a try, so I washed one of the bags and used it for making about 10 new key assemblies and they all worked perfectly.

So when you see the local Girl Scouts selling cookies, ask which ones come in the bags that are idea for repairing old computer keyboards.  Better still, ask which ones come in the shiny wrappers.

My daughter just read this email over my shoulder and said she knows these are in the type of wrapper I’m talking about: Caramel Delights, Thin Mints, and Peanut Butter Patties.  Maybe others.

Bob