a few noobish questions regarding keycaps and such

[woonasty]

Hey guys,

I apologize ahead of time but I couldn't find anything via searching or sensei google.


I'm currently expecting my first filco brown tenkeyless in the mail so I've been looking for keycaps.

I'm in the group buy sub-forum and looking through various threads that have not yet ended; but there are some things I still do not understand.

1.) What does round 2, round 4, etc mean?

2.) Could someone please clear up what a double shot is? I read the wiki but I am still a bit confused.

3.) In some of the original/first posts of group buy threads, they dictate/mention double shot or the color(brown,blue,black,clear,etc) but is there some term I am missing that
would let me know if it works for Cherry MX keyboards like filco, leopold, ducky, etc? Some of the posts mention which boards they will work for, however some of them do not at all, and so I end up being hesitant to buy,
and end up posting a reply asking directly. I figure that this is a pretty important tidbit of information so maybe I was missing out on some terminology/slang.

Sorry again for this being noobish


Thanks in advance!

WN

[RiGS]

1.) round 4 means it is the forth round, thus there were 3 similar group buys previously in the past
2.) double shot means the keycap is molded from 2 different pieces(colors) resulting a keycap with a nice contrast
3.) these colors indicate the cherry mx switch type, all of them are compatible with keyboards featuring cherry switches and keycaps unless specified otherwise
The height profile of the keycaps varies based on the manufacturer, read the all about keys wiki for more information

[woonasty]

Thank you very much for the reply!

Although; on the 3rd point, I meant that sometimes they don't put any of the color info(and such) at all, in that case, how would one know if the keycap would fit the board?

[woonasty]

Thanks ripster, I mean; I kind of understood it, I guess I'm just a little retarded and needed someone to clarify/validate my assumptions.

[dorkvader]

Np.

If you ever figure out Group Key Buy Four let me know.

I figured it out: It was pretty easy.

[hashbaz]

Good job DorkVader!  Everybody PM DorkVader with questions!

BTW Rigs Group Buy Two never happened.

PandaR got hit by a Chinese fuel truck crossing the road.

Reading through that thread was sad and hilarious.

[Autolyze]

Although; on the 3rd point, I meant that sometimes they don't put any of the color info(and such) at all, in that case, how would one know if the keycap would fit the board?

The different Cherry MX switches all work with the same keycaps. The only differences between the switches are their springs and the bottom part of their stems. Of course, there are some switches that share the same stem (black and red) or the same spring (red, blue, and brown). The Cherry Corporation Switch Wiki has a bit of info on them, but you generally shouldn't need to worry about it. Cherry MX switches are the most popular type of switch around here and Filcos are (probably) the most popular brand, so it should be pretty easy to find keys for your new board.

I believe all of the keys in Round 4 are for Cherry MX switches and most of them should fit on your Filco. If you're interested in something in particular but are unsure about it, you can just ask about it in the Round 4 thread. The Signature Plastics keycaps that are getting ordered in that group buy will be slightly shorter than the stock Filco keycaps though. You probably don't want to mix and match them for the letter keys, but if you're replacing all of your keycaps (or just a couple out of the way ones) you should be fine.

[dorkvader]

The different Cherry MX switches all work with the same keycaps. The only differences between the switches are their springs and the bottom part of their stems. Of course, there are some switches that share the same stem (black and red) or the same spring (red, blue, and brown). The Cherry Corporation Switch Wiki has a bit of info on them, but you generally shouldn't need to worry about it. Cherry MX switches are the most popular type of switch around here and Filcos are (probably) the most popular brand, so it should be pretty easy to find keys for your new board.

I believe all of the keys in Round 4 are for Cherry MX switches and most of them should fit on your Filco. If you're interested in something in particular but are unsure about it, you can just ask about it in the Round 4 thread. The Signature Plastics keycaps that are getting ordered in that group buy will be slightly shorter than the stock Filco keycaps though. You probably don't want to mix and match them for the letter keys, but if you're replacing all of your keycaps (or just a couple out of the way ones) you should be fine.

This person knows eir stuff. Although strictly speaking there is a difference between PCB mount switches (more stabilisers) and plate mount ones, the stems& springs should all be pretty well swappable.

One thing to note about the round4: The keys are "cherry profile" if I recall correctly. This means that your Filco has slightly taller keycaps, so if you want to mix and match, you might end up with slight differences. I noticed this first hand when I put my shamrock on my keyboard above the arrow keys: You could slightly tell the difference in height.

But any cherry key cap should fit on it, although like I said, sometimes the profile could be off.
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@ripster: If you have any questions, you COULD just email 7bit, as that's apparently the R4 for dummies method. Seriously, though. It wasn't hard, and once I got in a sample order, I got the hang of it, and was easily able to modify it.