Kurplop: What media do you like to use to get the matte finish on the aluminum? I can't wait to see how things turn out.
The short answer is "I don't know".
I bought a used sandblasting cabinet a couple years ago complete with media. It produced a great finish on the AlumaPlop but the performance was miserable. I had a portable unit (also bought used) that I tried when I was blasting the thumb cluster plates and that thing really put out the product. In fact, it made me realize why you asked about dust control. The result was possibly a bit too rough but I'll have to wait till anodizing and dyeing to know for sure. Again, the media came with the tool. I just bought some 70 grit aluminum oxide to experiment with. It might be too rough but we'll see. I am also considering ground glass 80/40 if the alox doesn't work. I've been warned to avoid anything that could get stuck in the aluminum and react during the anodizing phase. I'll keep you posted.
Kurplop is an artisan whose results on a standard mill won't be replicable without a ton of practice, wasted material, and expensive tooling.
I'd just like to echo this. He's enormously humble about what he's doing, but it's, quite frankly, frickin' astounding. I've not seen *anyone* else get results like that from a hand cranked mill.
You guys are making me blush but I'm truly appreciative of your comments given both of your talents and knowledge. Truth is, I got the project this far because of a lot of practice, wasted material and expensive tooling. Oh yeah, patience too.
Teflon strips would be my approach, too, but that depends how you'd be going about doing it. Knowing you it would be 4 individually machined strips per key in custom cut slots, amirite?
You gotitpal.
TEFLON STRIP INSERT.pdf (9.7 kB - downloaded 142 times.)
I guess loose tolerances are relative - you may not be in the 20 micron accuracy range offered by a relatively cheap CNC but half a mm is pretty damn small in the real world and you're well below that!
Even if I were to buy a CNC I'd still need something to finish the pieces made else they'd be covered in semi-random swirls, right?
You got me looking up metric to inch conversion ratios for that one. Forgive me for being from the US, one of the 3 countries still recalcitrantly clutching on to inches.
My mill has a DRO on the X and Y axis which has an acuity of 20/100,000th of an inch which, if my conversion is correct, is roughly 4 times more accurate than 20 microns. When I'm doing critical cuts I try to hold it to that but sometimes just the process of locking down the table will want to move it. Many times it just isn't that critical. Having the spindle 90º to the table is often the culprit for mis-cuts, especially with larger bits. Another thing I found out is just how important having the work firmly clamped to the table is. My mill has some sloppiness in the cranks, called backlash, but the DRO overcomes most of the measuring issues without a lot of skill.
I think the hardest thing which only came with practice for me is which way to turn the cranks. No big deal if you're starting a cut on an outer edge but another matter if you're in the corner of a pocket. Now it's almost second nature but earlier on I made more than a few bad cuts that way.
The fun part is the process of problem solving. It often involves which step to do next that will still leave a reference point or clamping point to work from next. If you like that you will find as much satisfaction in the doing as in the finished product.
No matter which way you go, CNC or manual, don't fool yourself; things always cost more than you estimate. Bits break, ruined material, that other tool you need to complete the operation, the list goes on. I was fortunate in having a lifetime of cabinetmaking and related tools plus the space to house them before my introduction to keyboards. Even with that, I've probably spent 7–8,000 dollars on, mostly used, tools specifically bought for this hobby. I've never been attracted to tool sharing co-ops but it may be a good direction to go for someone who want to get their hands on experience without breaking the bank.
The swirl problem can be just about eliminated with careful set up and slow feed rate. A little hand sanding or sandblasting will remove a quite a bit of that. I sometimes leave more knowing I have the tools to further refine the finish.
One thing I really like about many GHers is their love for learning and trying something today which was unimaginable to them yesterday.
Given the springs compression resistance 45+grams, I don't think weight is the problem.
It wasn't weight WRT spring compression I was worried about, more about inertia of moving the extra mass about making it hard on the hands. Sounds like you're in the ballpark, though, "time will tell".
Wouldn't a heavier cap make it easier on the hands as gravity will help?
We talked about this briefly earlier in the thread. I agree that the extra mass will slow the responsiveness of the switches, therefore lighter is better. I don't think that a gram or two will be that noticable however. I'm more concerned about the thumb caps which, I'm guessing, are closer to 9 grams and are a bit slow; but that's for another discussion.
I'm going to miss you guys when this project is finished. It reminds me of a time about 20 years ago when I was stuck under a house for a few hours, the only connection with the outside world was a voice coming through a vent hole as I lay there in the darkness. Thanks for your help and support.