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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: dario on Thu, 16 March 2017, 22:40:49

Title: Coloring topre spacebar using iDye Poly
Post by: dario on Thu, 16 March 2017, 22:40:49

Does anyone have any experience in trying to color topre PBT spacebars?

I know it works pretty well with regular 1U keycaps, but spacebar is a different thing. It's too long and it starts turning into clay even if you heat it up with a hairdryer, let alone boiling hot water.

I mean, it's difficult enough to find a perfectly straight PBT spacebar all by itself, but then trying to play with it at high temperatures seems like a risky business.

It is my experience that even extremely small variations in shape of the spacebar can make a difference between a good thock and irritating rattle.

Has anyone made any experiments?

Moreover, how does dye withstand constant wear?

What about UV resistance?

Title: Re: Coloring topre spacebar using iDye Poly
Post by: Puddsy on Thu, 16 March 2017, 22:43:02

Nubbinator would know

Title: Re: Coloring topre spacebar using iDye Poly
Post by: nubbinator on Thu, 16 March 2017, 23:27:10

Topre spacebar is ABS.  It will melt if you heat it.  You may be able to do iDye Poly that's lukewarm and let it sit for a while, but it's suboptimal.

Title: Re: Coloring topre spacebar using iDye Poly
Post by: dario on Thu, 16 March 2017, 23:34:28

I know what it is, but there are plenty of PBT topre spacebars around on the market. MD1, MD2, cheap ones from China etc.