There is only one consistently safe way to pull Alps tee mount keycaps. You should not attempt anything else, as plastics involved can be quite brittle/old, or in the case of DCS keycaps the mold can sometimes lack supports.

Use a high-quality wire keycap puller only. The weirdly shaped ones that come with some cheaper Chinese keyboards aren’t a good shape for pulling Alps caps. Plastic ring-type pullers should not be used due to likelihood of breaking or scratching keycaps. Get a good grip around the keycap with the wire puller and pull straight up. Do not wiggle, tease, rock side-to-side or impart any lateral movement at all. If the keycap has a death grip, continue pulling straight up and simply apply more force until the keycap releases.

The best way to fix an unhappy contact module will always be replacement with a better one - but there are some easy tricks to try if a switch has recently died or isn't working after a while in storage. As a first port of call, you should try pressing down very hard on the key and wiggling in a north-south direction. If the switch is chattering, do this until the switch is outputting one character on every north wiggle. If it wasn't registering, wiggle until it does.

Waxboil: The Video

Waxboil: The Video 2

This has been tested on Alps SKCM, SKCL, SKCC and SKFL. It really works. Restoration is significant. If the switches are only a bit bad, you will get top tier results. If they're super bad, they will become very usable.

Instructions

• Boil top housings and stems, any amount of time over a minute is fine. Stir occasionally.
• Scoop some wax out of a tealight (less is more, there is no specific amount required) or put Sasol 5203 pellets into a container, put sliders in, pour boiling water over, stir occasionally
• Alternatively, you can do the waxboil step in a pan full of boiling water (stove off) and use a strainer to dip the switches into the waxy water
• Dry everything and put switches back together. (Do not rinse after waxing!)

For further information, check out the Waxboil FAQ.