[IC] Topre Realforce keyboards replacing rusted plate by Stainless steel

[Desprado]

Hello  GeekHack

I am Des , fan of Electrostatic capacity keyboards.   I used Realforce 87u and Leopold 980C very often . But I found the plate under the keycaps is really easy to rust .  it is nasty and bother my mood when typing on it

Now  I got a solution ,and plese see the pictures below .














 
As you can see from the picture I got solution for replace keycaps with MX slide as well.  Please let me know if you like , and tell me what keyboards you are using and rusted ,   and I will offer solution plate for all topre keyboards . 
The prototype is not perfect. but all screws exactly match , only some flaw mark which will easily solved in next producing. and balanced big keys are very nice .

I am Des_KB , welcome to follow .  Regards .

[nanook_the_great]

I have a realforce 87u, and I would be interested in a plate like this.

[nmur]

nice job

my realforce 86U plate was very rusty when i got it, so i sanded it down and painted it over, but this would be a better solution if it fits well

[scriptfans]

Awesome! I have realforce 87u/104u, leopold fc980c, and hhkb!

[LightningXI]

I would be interested in 87u and 86u plates.

[Desprado]

nice job

my realforce 86U plate was very rusty when i got it, so i sanded it down and painted it over, but this would be a better solution if it fits well

nice job

my realforce 86U plate was very rusty when i got it, so i sanded it down and painted it over, but this would be a better solution if it fits well

I want to paint the rusty plate at the first . But replace by brand new copy with better material at last .  it fits perfectly .

[Desprado]

I would be interested in 87u and 86u plates.

Thank you for support . I have 87u ,  same layout with 86u ?

[LightningXI]

I would be interested in 87u and 86u plates.

Thank you for support . I have 87u ,  same layout with 86u ?

No, the 86u has a symmetrical bottom row and 7u spacebar (although it uses the same 6u stabilizers as 87u)

[Desprado]

I would be interested in 87u and 86u plates.

Thank you for support . I have 87u ,  same layout with 86u ?

No, the 86u has a symmetrical bottom row and 7u spacebar (although it uses the same 6u stabilizers as 87u)

Show Image

Understood , thanks.

[GeneriksGiraffe]

I would be totally interested.

[richard912]

Totally interested too

[LightningXI]

Will you do other materials? Aluminum, polycarbonate, brass, other plastics and metals?!

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk

[moitorpsychoo]

Will you do other materials? Aluminum, polycarbonate, brass, other plastics and metals?!

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk

Poly and other plastics are no go, since the plate needs to be bent.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Desprado]

I would be totally interested.

Will  open  GB   shortly .

[Desprado]

Will you do other materials? Aluminum, polycarbonate, brass, other plastics and metals?!

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk

Poly and other plastics are no go, since the plate needs to be bent.

Correct .




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Desprado]

Will you do other materials? Aluminum, polycarbonate, brass, other plastics and metals?!

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk

Will have option for Aluminium and brass  with different surface treatment .

[dallman5]

Will you do other materials? Aluminum, polycarbonate, brass, other plastics and metals?!

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk

Poly and other plastics are no go, since the plate needs to be bent.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’d really like to try out a poly/plastic plate too to see if you could mimic the HHKB feeling, but you’re right the bends make it difficult. However, the bends are only really necessary if you’re using the stock case, so for people using aftermarket cases such as the Norbaforce it might be fun to experiment with these materials.

[dario]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Topre boards infamous for cracking switch housing if you try to remove it from the original plate?

"Cracking" may be wrong term, but they do get somewhat damaged, even if they still work.

[dallman5]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Topre boards infamous for cracking switch housing if you try to remove it from the original plate?

"Cracking" is maybe wrong term, but they do get somewhat damaged, even if they still work.

If you do it the right way you should have no issues. What I found to work for me was pushing from the top of the housing with my thumb and pushing in the tab on the side with a flathead screwdriver (although I’m sure something like a spudger would work better) from a nearly perpendicular angle to the plate, and then repeating for the other side. It doesn’t take too much force to get the housing to release from the plate.

In my experience, it’s how you push that tab that could lead to cracking the housing. One of the first ones I did I cracked because I pushed the screwdriver into the housing too parallel to the plate which if you slip leaves you pushing straight through the wall of the housing. If you push the tab with something at more of a perpendicular angle to the plate though there’s much less risk of this, and I’ve yet to crack a housing with this technique (knock on wood).

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that removing the housings is absolutely doable but you need the right technique to mitigate the risk of breaking them.

[dario]

Alright, I'm glad somebody came up with a proper technique to remove them. If you could record a video doing that it would be great.

Anyway, I'm in for a FC660C brass plate that can be installed into Norbauer's Heavy 6 housing. But only if bass is properly sealed against patina. I don't know what method they use for that, and if anodization is applicable.

[E.E.L. Ambiense]

This is awesome!  So your 980C is now using Costar stabs along with the MX sliders?  Nice!  Depending on price, I'm totally in for a 980C plate.

[dario]

I have been doing a little bit of research trying to find out what would be the perfect finish for a brass plate against corrosion/patina and it seems that PVD coating is universally recommended as the best solution (although in the same time probably the most expensive one). You can't anodize brass, but PVD is better anyway.

[Desprado]

I have been doing a little bit of research trying to find out what would be the perfect finish for a brass plate against corrosion/patina and it seems that PVD coating is universally recommended as the best solution (although in the same time probably the most expensive one). You can't anodize brass, but PVD is better anyway.

Thank you for your information 

[Stresemann]

I would definitely be in for RF87u.

[duck pauper]

I would buy one. I would also buy other materials like brass.

[MajorKoos]

I would buy one. I would also buy other materials like brass.

Brass...

[Hawkfriend]

Definitely in

[chakku]

Definitely interested in jumping on this for an 87U

[tanvir175]

Interested for 86u. Here are pictures for mine: https://imgur.com/a/ihyrRqI

Would also possibly be interested in one for FC660C and would love different options for plates (alu, poly)

[Gobluebro]

Interested. Does this add anything to typing sounds?

[dario]

Is this thing still on?

If it is, I hope you'll make a brass plate for Realforce R2 too. It's the new kid on the block.

[Desprado]

Sure it is on ,    I will open GB shortly . 

[Desprado]

Interested. Does this add anything to typing sounds?

Nope , just same with original .  may reduce the sound if use some soft material

[Wetherbee]

I would like 86U plate option.

[dario]

Sure it is on ,    I will open GB shortly .

You know what, lately I've been trying to build high-quality ALPS board, and soon enough I realized the market for ALPS is so scarce that it doesn't even have any kind of policarbonate, brass or stainless steel options when it comes to plates.

The only thing that was available for a short period of time is an aluminium plate for ALPS over zfrontier, but it isn't available anymore.

So it occured to me to find the factory and do it myself.
I'm thinking about making a plate for TEX aluminium TKL keyboard that seems to be the most popular choice for ALPS keyboards nowdays.

Since you trying to make basically the same thing as I do, maybe we should form some kind of partnership. You find the factory where it can be done, and I'll start an IC to see if there is enough interest for something like this, and if there is I'll make all CAD drawings needed.

The end result would be lower prices from the factory both for you and me (I guess), since we're making higher demand in total.

[phearboner]

In for an 87u and 86u version, let me know when / if the group buy starts

[djaeyun]

Definitely in for my 87U! Great idea.

[Dead Encryption]

I would totally be in for this, but I would like to see if I could get one with standard 7u stabilizer cutouts for my 86u RealForce. I PMed as well, hope to hear from you soon.

[mkarlsson]

Sure it is on ,    I will open GB shortly .

You know what, lately I've been trying to build high-quality ALPS board, and soon enough I realized the market for ALPS is so scarce that it doesn't even have any kind of policarbonate, brass or stainless steel options when it comes to plates.

The only thing that was available for a short period of time is an aluminium plate for ALPS over zfrontier, but it isn't available anymore.

So it occured to me to find the factory and do it myself.
I'm thinking about making a plate for TEX aluminium TKL keyboard that seems to be the most popular choice for ALPS keyboards nowdays.

Since you trying to make basically the same thing as I do, maybe we should form some kind of partnership. You find the factory where it can be done, and I'll start an IC to see if there is enough interest for something like this, and if there is I'll make all CAD drawings needed.

The end result would be lower prices from the factory both for you and me (I guess), since we're making higher demand in total.

Maybe the LFKeyboards pcb and plate for Alps can help you, I believe they are Filco/Phantom compatible so it should work with TEX cases, have a look here if interested:

https://www.lfkeyboards.com/plates-cases.html

[dario]

Maybe the LFKeyboards pcb and plate for Alps can help you, I believe they are Filco/Phantom compatible so it should work with TEX cases, have a look here if interested:

https://www.lfkeyboards.com/plates-cases.html

Yes, they are compatible with TEX cases, but all of LFKeyboards PCBs are out of stock long time now, same thing with their plates. Besides, what they were selling was 1.5 aluminium plates, I would probably opt for brass or stainless steel with PVD coating. Also, from what I was reading before, ideal thickness for the ALPS plate shoud be about 1.1 mm.

[mkarlsson]

Maybe the LFKeyboards pcb and plate for Alps can help you, I believe they are Filco/Phantom compatible so it should work with TEX cases, have a look here if interested:

https://www.lfkeyboards.com/plates-cases.html

Yes, they are compatible with TEX cases, but all of LFKeyboards PCBs are out of stock long time now, same thing with their plates. Besides, what they were selling was 1.5 aluminium plates, I would probably opt for brass or stainless steel with PVD coating. Also, from what I was reading before, ideal thickness for the ALPS plate shoud be about 1.1 mm.

[gabetjh]

i just purchased the 980C. have been observing alot of rusting issues and would like to buy a replacement plate in case it happens in the future.

so can i verify that the materials available are alum and brass with different surface finishes? the original plate is steel yes?

what is the cutting process used? CNC? i actually do happen to have a CNC machine at my workplace and have aluminium plates too. do you happen to have the autocad file?

[dario]

i just purchased the 980C. have been observing alot of rusting issues and would like to buy a replacement plate in case it happens in the future.

I am currently working on a 980C titanium plate, so I can sell you one of those later on. If you're interested and patient enough.

[Pennywise359]

Is this still happening?

[SK0P1]

Is this still happening?

Same question, hopefully this happens!

[tanvir175]

Is this still happening?

Same question, hopefully this happens!

From what I've heard. No. He's fully focusing on the topre-mx sliders and has abandoned this project, for now. Won't share/sell the plate file either. Shame because I really needed this for my 86u. The plate is rusted all over.

[SK0P1]

Oh, I also need to replace my rusting 86u plate 

[tanvir175]

Oh, I also need to replace my rusting 86u plate 

Yeah, I'm pretty disappointed. Was really looking for to this since an IC was made. If this wasn't such a cock tease, I wouldn't have really cared much.

[phinix]

I wonder if you could also make one with standard bottom row.
I did couple of mods on 87u and 88u to make bottom row standard, as the pcb still registers keys after it. Of course CNCd would be perfect compared to those I made in hand...

[thelaughingman]

don't need standard bottom row plate as 6u spacebar adapter is available now