Today I bring my last project.
As always something cheap for those who haven't the money to enter into a group buy but want a nice keyboard.
I changed the case of my first keyboard, an EEPW84 with stock Gateron browns and steel plate.
I leave a link to the files to the Fusion 360 file and also to the stl files, I'll write notices on some parts for those who want to print / create his own version.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mX9nkzz0NMSJT24znpZKwae8Wjkls4HF/view?usp=sharingI printed everything using standard PLA.
The new case uses an isolated gasket mount system instead of the bottom mounting. First step, saying bye to my noisy plywood case.
I started printing the part that goes between the plate and the pcb. This part exactly adjusts with the outermost plate switch cuts. You can notice that there are cuts for the spacebar stabilizers, these should be bigger as I needed to widen them later using a cutter.
I covered the plate parts. I used standard EVA foam that I glued using superglue that worked really well. I didn't glue both halves.
Now to mount it, that part was a bit tricky, I used a knife to pass the foam under the plate.
With the bottom part printed I tried the fit. It was a success.
As the EVA foam is quite soft, you have better margins to work with, however I found that the plate wasn't completely aligned into the teorical center where it should be. If I were doing this again I would take in consideration the small gap between the left control and the escape keys, as well to try to completely cover the plate parts, including the inside, to do this add 0.5 mm margin to the inside of the parts.
If you are doing this process try to make a wider margin on the case top, like 1mm more, being a total of 4.025 mm between the case and the outer switch cuts instead of the more normal 3.025.
I asked for help to my girlfriend to create the bottom windows using epoxy resin. We used acetate tape to prevent the resin from going outside, be careful with this step as it is possible that some parts don't stick well together.
We used two components, jewelry resin as it is very fluid and worked really well, with very few and small bubbles.
Mix carefuly.
Pour it first on the corners.
That helps to remove the bubbles.
The final result the next day. You can see two imperfections due to bad tape adhesion and also that is is a bit wavy. I didn't minded this as it won't be visible. I love the finish that using the tape creates, as if it were a bit frosted.
Now the last step, to mount the inserts and the legs, I make a little hole on the top case with my iron.
The final result.
I can say that this has been a huge improvement compared to my previous case, now it has 7º tenting and the sound is low and nice compared with before.
I hope you all like this process. If someone wants to replicate it I will be pleased on helping with whatever I can.
P.S: A bit more info:
That's posible the best case that you can create for under 20$. It uses aproximately 300gr of filament.
Inserts:
M3 x 4.6 x 4.0
https://es.aliexpress.com/item/32810852732.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.1ea463c0iUYeoDBolts:
Legs: M3 x 6
Case M3 x 10
https://es.aliexpress.com/item/4000826134336.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.1ea463c0iUYeoD