How key caps are made?

[Cafiend]

I do apologize if there is a thread for this. But I am really curious on how these caps are made. I hear plastics,and molds and all that stuff and it just has my mind going bonkers.

Are there any videos or pics of key caps being made? And this is totally not to criticize but to get a feel for the process.

[noisyturtle]

Gnomes

[Michael]

[Cafiend]

Jesus christ..  3 months to do all of that? lol.

[SpAmRaY]

3 months to do all of that? lol.

To do that thousands of times lol.

And most production is like 6 weeks or so.

[rowdy]

LOL you can't really see what happens.  Put some plastic bits on the little studs, then a big yellow thing comes up, then keycaps!

I reckon the yellow box is full of gnomes!

[Cafiend]

Gnomes and solanoids!

[Cafiend]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

[gnubag]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

they use ABS and PBT which is used for pretty much everything solid plasticy you see around you. (next for PE, PVC, and PS)

[SpAmRaY]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

[rowdy]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

Not as much these days, not since we found out about GMK (and BSP).

[SpAmRaY]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

Not as much these days, not since we found out about GMK (and BSP).

Oh I much prefer GMK.

But SP offers a huge variety between profiles, colors, etc and seem to be great to work with.

[bueller]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

Not as much these days, not since we found out about GMK (and BSP).

Oh I much prefer GMK.

But SP offers a huge variety between profiles, colors, etc and seem to be great to work with.

Me too, at the end of the day we're very lucky to have SP around. Vast majority of sets would probably never hit the GMK MOQ so I'm glad we have the choice

[rowdy]

Not disputing that at all!

SP is great for smaller orders and have put up with a lot of that from GH over the years.  And choice of colour too.  And maybe Cherry legends soon as well!

Most of the novelty keycaps I have are from SP - no complaints at all.

[Thimplum]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

It's too bad that they cost roughly $∞ unless you buy a zillion of them...

[SpAmRaY]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

It's too bad that they cost roughly $∞ unless you buy a zillion of them...

lol whut?

[Thimplum]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

It's too bad that they cost roughly $∞ unless you buy a zillion of them...

lol whut?

That was a lemniscate, not two zeros.

[SpAmRaY]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

It's too bad that they cost roughly $∞ unless you buy a zillion of them...

lol whut?

That was a lemniscate, not two zeros.

I just didn't know what you were talking about....

[Thimplum]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

It's too bad that they cost roughly $∞ unless you buy a zillion of them...

lol whut?

That was a lemniscate, not two zeros.

I just didn't know what you were talking about....

OH! The caps, not the company! I'd imagine that SP would cost quite a lot to buy.

[SpAmRaY]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

It's too bad that they cost roughly $∞ unless you buy a zillion of them...

lol whut?

That was a lemniscate, not two zeros.

I just didn't know what you were talking about....

OH! The caps, not the company! I'd imagine that SP would cost quite a lot to buy.

You never know what mkawa might try to do hahaha

[Thimplum]

I figure that we have enough knowledge and maybe funds to make a Geekhack plant. Most of us will work for key caps

But seriously doing that a thousand times has to be crazy and dealing with 100 different vendors and orders. The plastic that they use has me curious too. Is is used for anything else?



I was watching Fringe season 5 and for some reason I thought about this...maybe because I saw the lazer they were using.

I think we can consider SP to be the geekhack plant haha

It's too bad that they cost roughly $∞ unless you buy a zillion of them...

lol whut?

That was a lemniscate, not two zeros.

I just didn't know what you were talking about....

OH! The caps, not the company! I'd imagine that SP would cost quite a lot to buy.

You never know what mkawa might try to do hahaha

I wonder if bunny would buy them then give it away...