geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: synerr on Sun, 24 November 2013, 13:07:50
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Has anyone seen, considered or just entertained the idea of a tritium illuminated key cap?
Given tiny tritium vial make it into watch arms I am sure that it is engineeringly feasible although likely not to come cheap.
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Unless you like rad exposure it sounds like a bad idea. I know those old radium divers watches killed most of the artists that made them, primarily due to them licking their brushes to keep the tips fine.
I know these are really low levels in a single cap. But I would expect the person making them to potentially be exposed to higher levels.
I'd prefer a safer glow in the dark material.
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lol health risks... Oh no not exceptionally low doses of radiation! I might die when I get old! :rolleyes:
But realistically, I dont see the point. between leds and fibre optics, I think the whole keyboard illumination game is pretty well nailed down.
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To be clear I'm not concerned for the buyers, only for those making them.
I think there are several safer alternatives that will accomplish the same thing.
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This story reminds me of the Radioactive Boy Scout (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn) ...
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lol health risks... Oh no not exceptionally low doses of radiation! I might die when I get old! :rolleyes:
But realistically, I dont see the point. between leds and fibre optics, I think the whole keyboard illumination game is pretty well nailed down.
Well, they will be luminous when all power is off, even in the case of an emp wiping out all electrics.
Radiation wise ... this is not radium. Tritium vials come prefabricated so it's a matter of inserting them and securing them. Some vials are meant for use in watch hands and gun sights. So they're expected to take some punishment. There doesn't however seem to be a lot of general availability:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?304479-Tritium
Meh ... better cook some dinner ...
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lol health risks... Oh no not exceptionally low doses of radiation! I might die when I get old! :rolleyes:
But realistically, I dont see the point. between leds and fibre optics, I think the whole keyboard illumination game is pretty well nailed down.
Well, they will be luminous when all power is off, even in the case of an emp wiping out all electrics.
Radiation wise ... this is not radium. Tritium vials come prefabricated so it's a matter of inserting them and securing them. Some vials are meant for use in watch hands and gun sights. So they're expected to take some punishment. There doesn't however seem to be a lot of general availability:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?304479-Tritium
Meh ... better cook some dinner ...
Talking about radioactive materials, and then immediately saying "better cook dinner" might give some people the wrong impression.
Bon appetite!
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(http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b534/terran5994/152_zps05b3e7e8.jpg)
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Tritium night sights on firearms have been used for a long time also, but I have not heard any deaths from the tritium.
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Tritium night sights on firearms have been used for a long time also, but I have not heard any deaths from the tritium.
For some reason the people who die from tritium don't seem to complain much.
All joking aside, if you keep them in those small vials I guess you could be safe. Just don't make your key caps too appetizing. And if you put them in a key cap with a radiation symbol you could skip the added warning label.
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The toxic keyset comes to mind... If I remember correctly the problem was with watch faces painted with tritium paint. Rado and some other brands have used tritium vials in their watches for a long time. The vials are safe to use, however the level of illumination would mean they should be integrated in such a way that the vial is either on the surface or very close to it, or the keycap material is very clear.
Something that comes to mind is the use of rice grains in chinese pottery. Maybe a doubleshot molding technique with the vial held in place during the first cast could work.
On the other hand, there are already glow-in-the dark caps available:
http://www.pimpmykeyboard.com/marketplace.php#
http://techkeys.us/collections/keys
http://www.keypop.net/product/gid-glow-in-the-dark-gamer-keyset
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Tritium glow only lasts about 5 to 10 years but does not need to be exposed to light to glow, but I don't think its practical for keycap applications.