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Offline Talfrey

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« on: Tue, 10 January 2012, 08:23:01 »
http://www.makerbot.com/

So this could be really cool, making your own custom shaped keycaps with a 3D printer.

Thoughts?
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Online SmallFry

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 10 January 2012, 08:33:30 »
The texture will be rougher. I believe they only print in ABS if that makes a difference to you. Also, if you do decide to make them, don't forget to make things roundish. Sharp keys may ruin your day.
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Offline Talfrey

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 10 January 2012, 10:46:49 »
Hmm, I wonder if maybe you could make them and sand them smooth, or rough, as needed?

I certainly don't have the spare income to drop 1k-2k on a whim, but I imagine there's someone out there who might, and considering that we see some crazy prices on custom keycaps (admittedly my opinion), the ability to make your own whole set might be a genuine idea to entertain.
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #3 on: Tue, 10 January 2012, 11:43:21 »
I had a discussion about this in the "Make your own keycap" mod thread.

My uni's robotics soc has a 3D printer, but it's busted and they cbf to fix it. I was going to try and print some keycaps and see what would happen. But yeah, the result will most likely need some processing (sanding etc).

I'd like to own one tho, being a gundam modeller, It'd be nice to just print custom parts for projects.
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Offline Barn

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 10 January 2012, 15:51:52 »
I read somewhere that it wouldn't be accurate enough - not sure if that was fact or opinion though.
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #5 on: Tue, 10 January 2012, 20:28:23 »
Quote from: Barn;487487
I read somewhere that it wouldn't be accurate enough - not sure if that was fact or opinion though.

My worry would be the accuracy for the stem, It might not be perfect, but I believe it can be done (or fixed after it's printed). You can get the plastic out of the nozzle quite thin and the machinery should be quite accurate.
In any case some work needs to be done after printing to make it look right/fit.
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Offline Talfrey

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 13 January 2012, 20:37:35 »
Woah. Are those metal?

We could have Metal keycaps?

Time to go back to college methinks <<
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Offline Talfrey

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 13 January 2012, 22:43:13 »
I'm more excited about the prospect of CUSTOM metal keycaps.

I know metal keycaps exist, but imagine metal keycaps with crazy designs on them?
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Offline dorkvader

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 13 January 2012, 23:21:09 »
Quote from: Talfrey;490054
I'm more excited about the prospect of CUSTOM metal keycaps.

I know metal keycaps exist, but imagine metal keycaps with crazy designs on them?
Shapeways will do it, though it'll be expensive.

imagine a metal vader keycap (OMG!)
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Offline Talfrey

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 14 January 2012, 00:22:08 »
Quote from: dorkvader;490066
Shapeways will do it, though it'll be expensive.

imagine a metal vader keycap (OMG!)

It would figure a fellow named "Dork Vader" would be in love with the idea of a Metal Darth Vader keycap.

Know what would be really cool? Minecraft Keycaps.
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Offline dorkvader

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« Reply #10 on: Sat, 14 January 2012, 01:27:55 »
You'd have to make them stackable.

I'm helping my roommate make circuits in redstone.
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Offline hazeluff

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #11 on: Sat, 14 January 2012, 09:51:34 »
Quote from: Talfrey;490089
It would figure a fellow named "Dork Vader" would be in love with the idea of a Metal Darth Vader keycap.

Know what would be really cool? Minecraft Keycaps.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?25674-Custom-Keycap-Ideas-Thread-all-ideas-welcome&p=490232&viewfull=1#post490232

>.> Just to keep all the keycap ideas out of the wrong thread.
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Offline captain

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #12 on: Wed, 01 February 2012, 15:44:59 »
Ha!  I get frustrated with Round4 BS, so go out on the web looking for this idea... and end up right back here at geekhack.  :-P
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #13 on: Wed, 01 February 2012, 20:32:31 »
Infinite loop!

My Uni's robotic's club seems to have fixed their makerbot. I will be bugging them to let me use it to make a couple keycaps to see what it would be like. = D
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Offline Dox

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 01 February 2012, 20:35:52 »
Quote from: hazeluff;505807
Infinite loop!
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Offline captain

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 03 February 2012, 02:06:05 »
Good one DOX!

From click clack's info I get the feeling that he is using a makerbot to make his awesome art keycaps.  Does anyone know?
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Offline Jigo

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 03 February 2012, 02:20:50 »
Makerbot doesn't have the ability to make anything with a clean appearance like an injection molded piece. The printing tip extrudes the molten plastic at a constant rate, so the only real variables are the extruder tip (smaller hole) and the speed at which the printing head moves (stretching the extruded stream very thin). They actually have a page for all the known records for a number of categories regarding makerbot, one of which is the Highest Resolution:  http://wiki.makerbot.com/hall-of-fame-highest-resolution

Just looking at the images there, the results are impressive, but you'd have to really sand it down to make it look like anything else on your board. Even then, they'd look pretty rough and obviously homebrewed. I still would love to get my hands on one of these things tho, haha.
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Offline whiskerBox

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #17 on: Tue, 07 February 2012, 13:08:52 »
This might be a better solution, its kind of like a mini cnc machine

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 39581[/ATTACH]

source
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Offline tsangan

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #18 on: Tue, 07 February 2012, 13:14:36 »
Yeah that mini CNC machine is the way to go for keycaps i think :)
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #19 on: Tue, 07 February 2012, 13:14:57 »
Quote from: whiskerBox;508394
This might be a better solution, its kind of like a mini cnc machine

(Attachment Link) 39581[/ATTACH]

source


Makerbot > that.

You can print larger stuff. = D LARGER. BIGGER.Bigger Implies Better.

They are about the same price too.
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #20 on: Tue, 07 February 2012, 13:16:07 »
Quote from: tsangan;508399
Yeah that mini CNC machine is the way to go for keycaps i think :)

Well personally Id still get the makerbot and put in the time to sand. I just like to have the option of making larger things if I wanted. Also the makerbot is a self replicating machine. You can print the parts to build a makerbot.
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Offline guilleguillaume

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #21 on: Tue, 07 February 2012, 17:02:03 »
Quote from: hazeluff;508402
Well personally Id still get the makerbot and put in the time to sand. I just like to have the option of making larger things if I wanted. Also the makerbot is a self replicating machine. You can print the parts to build a makerbot.

Did you mangage to try the Markerbot in your Uni's robotic's club?

I'm actually interested in that machine if we can make keycaps. Also, Do you know if it have the detail to copy miniatures?
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #22 on: Tue, 07 February 2012, 18:15:46 »
Quote from: guilleguillaume;508599
Did you mangage to try the Markerbot in your Uni's robotic's club?

I'm actually interested in that machine if we can make keycaps. Also, Do you know if it have the detail to copy miniatures?

I need to get round it. I'll try 2morrow since its a half day, so everyone has the afternoon off. The time for the machine tho is scarce from what I hear, since there are people who need it for projects.
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Online Vyr1s

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Makerbot Keycaps?
« Reply #23 on: Fri, 10 February 2012, 12:00:17 »
Which makerbot is it?
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #24 on: Fri, 10 February 2012, 12:00:50 »
Quote from: Vyr1s;511096
Which makerbot is it?

The one I'm talking about in uni is one of the older ones. Without the nice casing.
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #25 on: Sat, 11 February 2012, 08:07:55 »
Quote from: harrison;511458
cupcake?

Woops, Its a RepRap. == I swear they slapped on "Makerbot" on it tho.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/RepRap_'Mendel'.jpg
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Online mkawa

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« Reply #26 on: Sat, 11 February 2012, 09:32:08 »
anyone who lives in seattle, you have access to a makerbot and a laser cutter for 25$ a month. google studentrnd. i live 1/4 time in seattle; if someone can get me a printable file for a cherry keycap i can try this next time i'm there.
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Offline dorkvader

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« Reply #27 on: Sat, 11 February 2012, 10:38:20 »
See, this is why I wish we had a local hackerspace here. I'd sign up for that immediately.
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #28 on: Wed, 15 February 2012, 08:55:23 »
Okok, Robotics society finally fixed the damn RepRap. The president says he's gonna run a crash course on it within a week or two and I'll go to it and then make keycaps! They're using google SketchUp to design.
« Last Edit: Wed, 15 February 2012, 09:01:03 by hazeluff »
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Offline hazeluff

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« Reply #29 on: Wed, 15 February 2012, 15:17:19 »
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 40660[/ATTACH] [ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 40661[/ATTACH] [ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 40662[/ATTACH]

Just a keycap I drew up in SketchUp.
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