Chayton Ritter

Hello there! My name is Chayton Ritter and I was a Junior Technical Writer at iFixit from June 2022 to June 2023. What does that mean you might ask? Along with the wonderful technical writing team, I created repair guides for the electronic gizmos and gadgets we use daily.

I’m a graduate electrical engineering student at Cal Poly SLO (Go Mustangs!) and am concentrating in the power electronics field. I'm currently doing my master's thesis on pulse power for metal forming. It's basically using big magnets to machine metal. Throughout my time there I’ve worked with big capacitors, high voltage transformers, and built induction heaters, coilguns, and high-power eBikes.

I’ve been taking things apart and building contraptions for a long time. My parents told me I had learned how to use a screwdriver before I could write my own name. Ever since then I’ve been tinkering, fixing, and experimenting with things ranging from lawnmowers to computers.

About a year ago I rescued a used and abused 1989 vintage Model M keyboard from my local recycling center. After taking it apart and cleaning every component I decided to perform a bolt mod as the original plastic rivets were breaking off. This involves drilling out all 87 plastic rivets and replacing them with bolts. This was probably the most satisfying repair I’ve done as I get to enjoy using it every day.

I try to visit my local recycling center every weekend in search of interesting electronics to take home and tinker with. Recycling centers and scrap yards are some of my favorite places because they provide endless entertainment to a tinkerer or DIY’er.

Another reason for my weekend recycling center trips is for my eBay business. I refurbish and sell computers, laptops, and parts as a side hustle. The recycling center supplies an endless amount of stuff to resell.

My daily driver keyboard is an IBM Model M but I also have an entire collection of other vintage keyboards. I particularly like vintage keyboards because of their wide range of strange and unique switch designs. What I’ve learned so far is that there’s an infinite number of ways to make a character show up on a computer screen.