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Author Topic: Why there are so few topre keycaps?  (Read 9484 times)

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Offline rowdy

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #50 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:20:40 »
Quote from: thestage on Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:11:27
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 17:15:47
MX stems are round with a "+" in the middle.

Can you drill out the "+" to make it "O", then cut a notch in the top and bottom to turn it into Topre compatible?

I would imagine a makeshift staff like that wouldn't fit very well.

I have a box full of Crap Bag keycaps - this might make an amusing project for the long weekend.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

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Offline Lu_e

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #51 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:28:33 »
I feel like MX stems aren't a big enough diameter
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #52 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:53:20 »
Quote from: Lu_e on Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:28:33
I feel like MX stems aren't a big enough diameter

I had a few caps with an MX-like stem, but somewhat wider.  Still with the "+" in the middle.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline exitfire401

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #53 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:56:40 »
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 17:15:47
MX stems are round with a "+" in the middle.

Can you drill out the "+" to make it "O", then cut a notch in the top and bottom to turn it into Topre compatible?

You probably could, but it wouldn't be stable enough to support constant typing.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #54 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 19:03:48 »
Quote from: exitfire401 on Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:56:40
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 17:15:47
MX stems are round with a "+" in the middle.

Can you drill out the "+" to make it "O", then cut a notch in the top and bottom to turn it into Topre compatible?

You probably could, but it wouldn't be stable enough to support constant typing.

Just making me more curious now :p
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline Puddsy

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #55 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 19:08:44 »
Quote from: exitfire401 on Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:56:40
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 17:15:47
MX stems are round with a "+" in the middle.

Can you drill out the "+" to make it "O", then cut a notch in the top and bottom to turn it into Topre compatible?

You probably could, but it wouldn't be stable enough to support constant typing.

doesn't work at all, actually

the stem on MX caps is too small
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #56 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 20:22:11 »
Quote from: TacticalStache on Wed, 23 April 2014, 19:08:44
Quote from: exitfire401 on Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:56:40
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 17:15:47
MX stems are round with a "+" in the middle.

Can you drill out the "+" to make it "O", then cut a notch in the top and bottom to turn it into Topre compatible?

You probably could, but it wouldn't be stable enough to support constant typing.

doesn't work at all, actually

the stem on MX caps is too small

You lot are a bunch of wet blankets :))
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline beartung

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #57 on: Wed, 23 April 2014, 21:18:12 »
Quote from: exitfire401 on Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:56:40
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 17:15:47
MX stems are round with a "+" in the middle.

Can you drill out the "+" to make it "O", then cut a notch in the top and bottom to turn it into Topre compatible?

You probably could, but it wouldn't be stable enough to support constant typing.

Only I can tell there are many fans of hhkb in China. ：）
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Offline iLLucionist

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #58 on: Thu, 24 April 2014, 15:17:09 »
Why actually DID Topre stop making keycaps?
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Offline atlas3686

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #59 on: Fri, 25 April 2014, 01:49:45 »
Quote from: iLLucionist on Thu, 24 April 2014, 15:17:09
Why actually DID Topre stop making keycaps?

I don't think anyone knows for sure.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #60 on: Fri, 25 April 2014, 02:00:32 »
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 20:22:11
Quote from: TacticalStache on Wed, 23 April 2014, 19:08:44
Quote from: exitfire401 on Wed, 23 April 2014, 18:56:40
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 23 April 2014, 17:15:47
MX stems are round with a "+" in the middle.

Can you drill out the "+" to make it "O", then cut a notch in the top and bottom to turn it into Topre compatible?

You probably could, but it wouldn't be stable enough to support constant typing.

doesn't work at all, actually

the stem on MX caps is too small

You lot are a bunch of wet blankets :))

So I went ahead and tried anyway.

The MX stem is about the same width as the Topre stem.

The hole in the middle of the Topre stem is about 5/32" (or that is the drill bit that most tightly fitted).

I drilled out the middle of a couple of MX keycaps from a Crap Bag - no big deal.

The problem was carving the slot in the upper and lower "edges" of the stem.  On Topre this is narrower at the end of the stem and widens as you go up towards the typing surface of the keycap.  Careful inspection of the Topre slider reveals a triangular bit that presumably the stem clips over to hold the keycaps on.

I carved a slot and the keycap went on, but wouldn't stay on.

I tried to carve it wider at the top of the keycap and narrower at the bottom, but that was kinda awkward.

One attempt sort of clipped on at the bottom of the keycap, but not the top.

The other one sort of went on and stayed on, but was really loose.

Also the MX stems are not as long as the Topre stems.  The Topre ones extend out past the bottom of the skirt.

So I guess with a bit of care, some more time, and some proper tools, it would be possible.  More or less.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline thestage

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Re: Why there are so few topre keycaps?
« Reply #61 on: Fri, 25 April 2014, 16:45:16 »
Quote from: iLLucionist on Thu, 24 April 2014, 15:17:09
Why actually DID Topre stop making keycaps?

the cynic in me says topre wants people to shell out for new boards when they want new caps

but then again, they don't produce boards with any caps besides white/biege and black, so who knows.
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