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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: tanvir175 on Mon, 26 March 2018, 13:55:06

Title: Modding SKCC/Pingmaster Keycaps to fit MX Switches?
Post by: tanvir175 on Mon, 26 March 2018, 13:55:06
I bought one of those NIB IBM 6112884 Japanese Pingmasters from Mendelsons on eBay because it looked really cool and was at a pretty fair price ($45).

I just received it today and, upon closer inspection, the keycap stems look very similar to MX style. I already tried and it doesn't fit an MX switch. Has anyone ever tried to mod these to fit an mx switch and/or is it possible at all?

It would be super cool to use these keycaps on an MX board, although I'm also okay with finding/learning to design a plate for SKCC switches for a handwire project, in the future.

Side note: It was kind of difficult to hear the ping of the "pingmaster" on Chyros's video but now that I have it in hand, holy mother of ping.
Title: Re: Modding SKCC/Pingmaster Keycaps to fit MX Switches?
Post by: Blaise170 on Mon, 26 March 2018, 13:57:33
The "Pingmaster" isn't even the pingiest board I've ever used. The Sharp X68K boards I have ping just as bad if not worse than the IBM board.
Title: Re: Modding SKCC/Pingmaster Keycaps to fit MX Switches?
Post by: tanvir175 on Mon, 26 March 2018, 14:09:53
Quote from: Blaise170 on Mon, 26 March 2018, 13:57:33
The "Pingmaster" isn't even the pingiest board I've ever used. The Sharp X68K boards I have ping just as bad if not worse than the IBM board.

Imagining more ping than this board is not something I wish to do lol.
Title: Re: Modding SKCC/Pingmaster Keycaps to fit MX Switches?
Post by: ScottPaladin on Mon, 26 March 2018, 14:58:35
Quote from: tanvir175 on Mon, 26 March 2018, 14:09:53
Imagining more ping than this board is not something I wish to do lol.

NEC APC-H41x boards I've got are all more pingy too. Although that's from the plate rather than the switches.

I've got one of the chinese models of that board and I really loathe those relegendable keycaps, so if you find a solution I'd love to know. Currently I'm thinking I'll have to source from vintage caps (TRS-80s have some nice ones) or do something drastic with a dremel to some SA profile MX caps.
Title: Re: Modding SKCC/Pingmaster Keycaps to fit MX Switches?
Post by: chyros on Mon, 26 March 2018, 15:42:20
This is virtually impossible unless you more or less completely reshape the stem.
Title: Re: Modding SKCC/Pingmaster Keycaps to fit MX Switches?
Post by: tanvir175 on Mon, 26 March 2018, 15:56:05
Quote from: chyros on Mon, 26 March 2018, 15:42:20
This is virtually impossible unless you more or less completely reshape the stem.

That's a bummer. Ah well, I didn't expect this to be possible but it would have been so cool to use these keycaps on mx stem switches. I guess I'll just have to learn to design a plate for SKCC switches or find someone who has already done so and make a build using the SKCC Greens.

Thanks!