Author Topic: MYOC - Make your own caps! (Read 229349 times)

braaaiiins · « **Reply #250 on:** Fri, 02 December 2011, 16:02:24 »

Thanks!! I hate using IE. Too bad this also disables the advanced reply features. This will do for now until I have to post pictures again. Much appreciated.

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #251 on:** Fri, 02 December 2011, 16:53:37 »

IE blows, at least it does for me. I use Safari and Firefox. Never tried Chrome (yet).

You are having too much fun with those caps... lol! The cow ones could be sold in one of those funky-lady-shops that sell geese/cow knick-knacks. Or on Etsy.

Any other thoughts on how the keys themselves are as far as the finished product (hardness, fit, control over end product)?

braaaiiins · « **Reply #252 on:** Fri, 02 December 2011, 18:09:57 »

Well if you look closely near the bottom of my caps you can see its not quite smooth or uniform. That's because of the mold itself. If you were extra careful you could do a better job than me, but really I think that it is almost inevitable to get tiny errors like that when making a soft mold. I hope to rectify this issue with some aluminum molds that I should have done sometime this year... hopefully. Other than some minor aesthetic issues that are evident in the pictures, the fit is perfect as far as I can tell. They behave just like regular caps.

Hardness... not as hard as abs plastic. If I dig my fingernail into it, it will make a lasting mark. I have noticed that they harden significantly over a week. This is all with polyester resin.

Control over end product... well I find this resin that I'm working with to be really consistent. All of my caps come out virtually identical in shape. But that's also thanks to the silicone mold as well. My mold will last a long time I think. I do believe you can get a nearly flawless mold made with silicone. I'm just not that experienced in making them - silicone mold material is expensive!

ishtob · « **Reply #253 on:** Fri, 02 December 2011, 22:43:04 »

i've noticed that the transparent resin is alot softer, the opaque white ones I have hardened completely

ishtob · « **Reply #254 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 17:08:43 »

New MYOC done:
found Gunmetal metallic powder and also aluminum powder by them,
this cap is a bit heaver and alot more rigid than the rest (prob thanks to the aluminum powder) and looks metalic

and this is how it looks next to the the old dolch caps:

whiskerBox · « **Reply #255 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 17:22:28 »

Wow thats impressive, It looks like the aluminum on MacBook Pros

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #256 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 17:30:21 »

It seems to allow a more highly detailed picture to be taken. Looks sharp! And the key cap wall thicknessssss......

Spharx · « **Reply #257 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 17:43:37 »

Yes ! Thats how my caps should be

now only the lettering is missing.

Btw.
Did you cover only the mold with the powder or do you mixed it with the resin ?
could you try polishing them a little bit and post a pic ?

bloodygood · « **Reply #258 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 17:45:01 »

Also look at how smooth the bottom of the keycap is compared to previous clear ones that were rough on the bottom. That looks professionally made, just needs a little bit of trimming of the "overhang"

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #259 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 17:51:20 »

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This guy took a Kinesis Advantage Pro which is a silver case and black keys. He painted the black keys silver to match the case.Your example allows for matching silver keys, no legends, thicker keycaps. Seems to be a nicer option.Can you give a weight for those keycaps? And the 'recipe' for the mixture?

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ishtob · « **Reply #260 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 18:04:11 »

im using the white resin with 2 drops of black dye with a coat of gun metal on the mold. I also mix in about 1:2 ration of aluminum powder:resin immediately after mixing part A and B. mix rigorously to get a consistent mixture.

note that only the surface is metallic, the uncoated side looks more gray/black with specs of silver

ishtob · « **Reply #261 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 18:11:12 »

a little bit darker than the macbooks

ishtob · « **Reply #262 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 19:14:11 »

i dont own a scale.. but i can say its heavier than its vintage counter part, but lighter than the korean aluminum caps (I have both). I'd say it s about in between those 2... i'll see if i can find a scale somewhere cheap

braaaiiins · « **Reply #263 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 20:34:58 »

That gunmetal looks so sweet. I was wondering about those metal powders offered on alumilites site. Sounds like aluminum really does enhance the cure quality.

How did you apply the gunmetal powder to the mold? It looks like you got a really nice even coating. I hope to try this soon!

edit: Also, what do you suggest is the best way to get rid of that over hang. Do you think your white resins are capable of being sanded or are they too soft like the clear ones? How about sanding with the aluminum added?

ishtob · « **Reply #264 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 20:36:17 »

You brush it on then tap the excess off, the silicone will hold on to a thin layer which will be incorporated onto the surface of the key

Oqsy · « **Reply #265 on:** Mon, 05 December 2011, 23:03:27 »

That is such an awesome key cap. Great work! dat thickness, dat weight, dat gunmetal...

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #266 on:** Tue, 06 December 2011, 00:57:18 »

Dats right!

My own version of Ripsters Geek Girl....

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MY GIRL APPROVED!!!!

whiskerBox · « **Reply #267 on:** Fri, 09 December 2011, 22:15:47 »

Well I finally started my project, for the filco clear case. Right off the bat it is being a mother****er. I was having trouble making the mold due to the curve of case, but then I got sitted nicely in some clay and I was ready to pour the silicone for the first half and then all the dried clay on my hand fell in all the little cracks of the underside of the top case ****!! So I am about to go get at it again wish me luck.

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #268 on:** Fri, 09 December 2011, 22:44:15 »

picspicspicspicspics

whiskerBox · « **Reply #269 on:** Fri, 09 December 2011, 22:53:55 »

Pics would just add insult to injury at this point.

I have figured out very quickly that using clay at all in this process is a bad idea. I tried to replicate what I saw in this Video, but that was a big mistake. The clay just ended up making a huge mess. Maybe I got the wrong kind idk.

I am kind of at a loss now and not quite sure on how to proceed. At first I thought that the top would be flat enough to where I could just pour the silicone over it and make a one piece mold on a very flat surface but there is a slight curve in the top so I don't if that is feasible although I might still try it.

Feel free to give suggestions... I am giving up for tonight !

ishtob · « **Reply #270 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 00:09:41 »

good luck! shoot me a PM or post here if you need some help

braaaiiins · « **Reply #271 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 00:11:48 »

Man that sucks. I had similar concerns with doing a spacebar silicone mold. You could try something like this. Since you can't lay the top of the case flat in the mold container you could try placing a thin roll of clay between the case and mold. So basically you're sealing the gap between the top of the case and the bottom of the mold container. Push down firmly to squeeze out excess clay and cut away the extra that oozes out. Then you can pour your silicone in to make the first part of your mold.

braaaiiins · « **Reply #272 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 00:16:52 »

ishtob, have you tried using your aluminum powder with your clear resin? I'm interested in seeing how that would turn out.

ishtob · « **Reply #273 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 08:46:09 »

I damaged my mold (accidentally poured 2 part B's... ate away the silicon), new one is still drying, I'll post picks when I do try that

ishtob · « **Reply #274 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 08:48:34 »

Quote from: whiskerBox;467559

Pics would just add insult to injury at this point.

I have figured out very quickly that using clay at all in this process is a bad idea. I tried to replicate what I saw in this Video, but that was a big mistake. The clay just ended up making a huge mess. Maybe I got the wrong kind idk.

I am kind of at a loss now and not quite sure on how to proceed. At first I thought that the top would be flat enough to where I could just pour the silicone over it and make a one piece mold on a very flat surface but there is a slight curve in the top so I don't if that is feasible although I might still try it.

Feel free to give suggestions... I am giving up for tonight !

what kind of clay are you using? that might make a difference

whiskerBox · « **Reply #275 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 12:50:02 »

Quote from: ishtob;467687

what kind of clay are you using? that might make a difference

Just regular grey clay I think that the green stuff would have worked better.

I have a new idea that I am going to try today! I am about to go find a nice container that I can make the mold in. Also I am going to do a one piece mold I think. I will be able to cut the excess flash and polish the case after it is casted so we will see how it turns out. I will post pics of my success or failure lol.

whiskerBox · « **Reply #276 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 13:48:56 »

Ok so Plan B is underway. I went to walmart and got some more supplies. I found this drawer organizer which is the perfect size (6" W x 2" H x 15" D) container to make the mold in. I also got some mix and measure cups and latex gloves. will post more pics soon of upcoming failure.

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whiskerBox · « **Reply #277 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 14:29:51 »

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So i ****ed that up. I definitly should have had at least two of the 1lb kits if not three.

So can I just add another one on top or is this just wasted and I need to start over?

ishtob · « **Reply #278 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 14:39:40 »

silicon will stick to itself... but you might end up with a thin line where the 2 silicone meet... can probably sand it down... but its up to you.

I would personally start over cuz im a perfectionist

tsangan · « **Reply #279 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 15:08:30 »

Ouch that sucks whiskers ;<

Start over if its not too expensive, it would bug me knowing there's a fine line that I cannot see ;<

braaaiiins · « **Reply #280 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 15:10:38 »

OH! Slipped my mind that you were working with a filco tenkeyless. For some reason I thought you were working with a KBC poker case. My previous advice is irrelevant it seems. That looks tough o_o. Ishtob is right, the silicone will bind to itself. For the price of that silicone I think you're better off buying more and finishing what you have. The result could be near perfect and would still serve well as a practice mold. To minimize the amount of lines that may show up, I would just take care to run something like the tip of a paperclip or cotton swab along the edges after you've poured in the rest of that silicone.

Ishtob, i had no idea the separate parts of the resin could destroy the silicone. Thanks for the heads up!

ishtob · « **Reply #281 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 15:18:23 »

well part two especially, its corrosive before the reaction..

litster · « **Reply #282 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 15:19:24 »

I hope your plan will work, that would be another way to get cases for the Phantom.

ishtob · « **Reply #283 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 15:22:51 »

one more thing whisker, u need at least 1/2 in of silicone on all sides to have a stable mold... ur pick look like you're cutting it real close... should doublecheck that thickness

braaaiiins · « **Reply #284 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 15:26:57 »

Quote from: ishtob;467890

one more thing whisker, u need at least 1/2 in of silicone on all sides to have a stable mold... ur pick look like you're cutting it real close... should doublecheck that thickness

Ouch... yea I just noticed that too. The wall thickness looks really thin for how long the part is. You're definitely going to have some flex in those walls and that's going to make casting considerably harder.

whiskerBox · « **Reply #285 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 16:20:18 »

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Well I ran down the road to the next hobby lobby but all they had was 1 more 1lb kit so I bought it and added. Unfortunately each 1lb kit is $30, but I had a coupon so I got it for $20 but still thats alot. Next time I think that I am going to just order it online because I need like 4lbs worth of the **** to make a really good mold.

whiskerBox · « **Reply #286 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 16:23:27 »

Quote from: litster;467888

I hope your plan will work, that would be another way to get cases for the Phantom.

I think that the way you are doing it is probably going to look a lot better, It is my dream to to have a clear keyboard case so I will make this happen one way or another.

braaaiiins · « **Reply #287 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 16:42:04 »

Dude, $20 sounds like a great deal for a single 1lb kit. Alumilite's 10 lb HS2 kit is $16.50 per lb at $165. If you can source something cheaper, that would be sweeeeet.

whiskerBox · « **Reply #288 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 16:51:48 »

http://munrocrafts.com/ there is that place and I was told by a family member that if you spend over $200 they cut the price in half. This place is also in Michigan too, but I might go have my mom check out the price and pick some up before she comes down for Christmas.

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So if I decide to become serious about this I will get a couple gallons of the casting craft Mold mix

tsangan · « **Reply #289 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 16:56:20 »

Quote from: whiskerBox;467920

I think that the way you are doing it is probably going to look a lot better, It is my dream to to have a clear keyboard case so I will make this happen one way or another.

Make it happen I want one too!

I'll commission you for it

whiskerBox · « **Reply #290 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 17:14:28 »

Quote from: tsangan;467934

Make it happen I want one too!

I'll commission you for it

I am debating if this is even worth continuing with now With the amount of mold mix needed to make a mold for the top and bottom part of the case. Not to mention the amount of acrylic to cast the case. I think that Listers case is going to be much better and have a higher success rate then casting cases.

If only I had a laser! hmmm ....

whiskerBox · « **Reply #291 on:** Sat, 10 December 2011, 22:04:12 »

Update: I have already learned many things
1. you need at least 4lbs of the mold mix and 5lbs would probably be better.
2. A two piece mold would yield much better results
3. I should have had a little bigger of a container so that I could have had 1" margins all the way around
4. the 16oz clear acrylic kit would be more than enough to do the top part of the case, but 32oz would be necessary to do the top and bottom
5. the acrylic mix should not touch bare skin lol it is worse then super glue
6. this will end up being expensive and time consuming

With all this being said I decided to continue on knowing that this was going to be a failure anyways. I figured that I was going to have to make a new mold regardless and the clear acrylic is cheap so I figured I would try it so that I would be better prepared next time nd know what to do.

This is what the mold looked like when I pulled it out.
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Of course this is a perfect example of why you shouldn't make a one piece mold. due to the curve in the top of the case that I was speaking of the mold mix covered the top of the case as well.

So once I took a scalpo to the mold and pulled out the original case I decided to go ahead and pour the acrylic on. Due to many circumstances I was unable to put the outer ring of the case back in, which was a shame because it picked up the filco logo really well. regardless I pushed ahead and poured the clear acrylic and said **** it.
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This has been an expensive learning process, so hopefully you guys will learn from my mistakes. I will update you guys in a couple of days on how this all turns out. If nothing els this will be a good piece to test different polishing techniques on, if I can get it out of the container.

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #292 on:** Sun, 11 December 2011, 00:34:40 »

Quote from: whiskerBox;467920

It is my dream to to have a clear keyboard case so I will make this happen one way or another.

LOVE that commitment! I'm in the process of catching up on the thread, I'm seeing some discouragement, but before I read any further...DON'T STOP SHORT OF YOUR GOAL! It's the mosts important thing. You may need to make changes or re-think it, but don't let go of the dedication! That quality is the ONLY thing that makes the difference.

I'll go ahead and read to see what happened now....

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #293 on:** Sun, 11 December 2011, 00:38:30 »

Ok, I'm up to speed now. You're plugging ahead! YaaaYYYY!!! Marching forward in spite of adversity! You will totally LOVE the case when you are done

I'm glad you're sticking with it.

whiskerBox · « **Reply #294 on:** Sun, 11 December 2011, 17:32:14 »

I thought that It might be good to get to the acrylic while it was still a little soft so that I could alter. well the acrylic was stuck to the box I pour it in doh. A dremel was not working so I used a chisel. The case looks pretty ruff for sure right now but once it hardens more and I take a dremel to it I promise it will still look like ****. Another thing that I am beginning to wonder is if a mold will be able to be used more then once. Not that I was trying to save this mold since it was already jacked, but it was hard not to destroy it while getting the cast out.

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From this I will say that if you had the correct amount of materials that this would definitely be possible to make. Although I don't think that you would be able to reuse the mold due to the large and complex undercuts and latches on the underside of the case. The mold picks up every little detail of the case including the friction strips and latches and Filco logo, so one benefit to making the case this way is that you would not need screws to hold it together.

Anyways this thing is ruff but I am going to continue to mess with it for awhile until I figure out the tricks to working with the stuff.

ishtob · « **Reply #295 on:** Sun, 11 December 2011, 20:18:04 »

doesnt look that bad, a bit of patience and elbow grease that should be fine. Just make sure it is 110% cured before you buff it, or it will turn cloudy looking

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #296 on:** Mon, 12 December 2011, 12:32:18 »

Yea, it doesn't look bad to me, but I don't have the experience to know for sure. It looks like it definitely has potential...

Out of curiosity, is making the top case in 2 pieces (left and right) an option for you? Could that work better somehow? I don't know but thought I'd ask. It sounds like the molding could be easier and possibly save the mold.

whiskerBox · « **Reply #297 on:** Mon, 12 December 2011, 13:10:55 »

Quote from: input nirvana;468953

Out of curiosity, is making the top case in 2 pieces (left and right) an option for you? Could that work better somehow? I don't know but thought I'd ask. It sounds like the molding could be easier and possibly save the mold.

I really think that the answer is definitely a two piece mold for both the top and bottom case. Unfortunately The amount of money to make the mold and cast the case is right on par with listers case and personally I find that design more desirable and much more customizable. Ithink that for my next project I will try to replicate his design.

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #298 on:** Mon, 12 December 2011, 13:15:07 »

Do you think a 2-piece top and 2-piece bottom is better because of the actual sheer length of the case, or because of the particular detail of the case?

whiskerBox · « **Reply #299 on:** Mon, 12 December 2011, 13:23:55 »

Quote from: input nirvana;468980

Do you think a 2-piece top and 2-piece bottom is better because of the actual sheer length of the case, or because of the particular detail of the case?

It is due to the detail of the case, the length of the case isn't really a factor. All of the detail and plastic snaps that hold the case together are what really require the use of a 2 piece mold.

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Author Topic: MYOC - Make your own caps! (Read 229349 times)