To avoid shipping/tariffs to the USA, I am considering how to remove a magnet counterpart from a module I don’t use (e.g. the trackpoint) and then attach it to the thumb key module.
Maybe just heat the underside with a hair dryer? I don’t want to damage the internals of the module if I ever decide to use it again.
Or maybe someone can suggest a part I could buy in the US? I looked for 10x4x2 magnet counterparts but Amazon and hobby sites seem to focus on just the magnet. I also just want to get it right.
I’m not sure what you want here. The key cluster module has a magnet in it, while the trackpoint has a lump of iron, probably. The two are not interchangeable. If you are missing the part from the thumb key module, that needs to be a magnet. Any strong magnet of the right dimensions should work, although the polarity should be top-to bottom like the ones which came with the keyboard for the best attraction force, not end-to-end.
If the part you are missing is the part across from a magnet, like in the trackpoint, any piece of iron of the right dimensions should do the job. Notice the slight taper at the ends to wedge the piece against being pulled out by the magnet. The original ones seem to be plated against corrosion though. I don’t know how to do anything like that at home, or whether it’s necessary.