Author Topic: Blast Those Shiny Keys! (Read 3300 times)

o2dazone · « **on:** Mon, 06 July 2009, 19:45:03 »

Needs some of those signature macro shots you do

Good to know that's all it takes to make em blank

rdjack21 · « **Reply #1 on:** Mon, 06 July 2009, 23:32:00 »

Oh man you are getting all the cool tools. I have wanted a sand blaster for a long time. I just may have to head down to Harbour Freight and get me one of those. But I would also have to get a air compressor as well (been wanting one of those as well).

I would think if you wanted a rougher finish you will need to move to a different grit try something in the 180 - 150 range the 220 you are using is pretty fine.

o2dazone · « **Reply #2 on:** Mon, 06 July 2009, 23:38:28 »

Do post results on legended keys. I love how it has sort of a media-blasted matte finish to it. Looks great

lowpoly · « **Reply #3 on:** Tue, 07 July 2009, 03:41:16 »

Good idea. The matte finish really looks nice. I have to do the opposite thing and polish some caps. Somewhen.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #4 on:** Tue, 07 July 2009, 10:14:49 »

Quote from: ripster;101479

Why do a project if you can't buy a new tool for it??

Yeah, Harbor Freight had all kind of rougher stuff. I decided to start light. Get a good face mask and gloves if you don't have them. I don't want anyone hurting themselves, just the keys!

Yes defiantly have to have the safety equipment. I'm kinda of fond of my skin

talis · « **Reply #5 on:** Tue, 07 July 2009, 17:48:20 »

I found one of these in the shop at work today, going to have to give it a shot later this week.

talis · « **Reply #6 on:** Fri, 10 July 2009, 15:44:03 »

Quote from: talis;101635

I found one of these in the shop at work today, going to have to give it a shot later this week.
Show Image

Oh well, gave it a shot. It doesn't seem to be powerful enough to do anything. After emptying a full reservoir onto a key with no notable change.

Have to break out the big guns I guess.

o2dazone · « **Reply #7 on:** Fri, 10 July 2009, 15:47:29 »

Quote from: talis;102019

Have to break out the big guns I guess.

post pics

talis · « **Reply #8 on:** Fri, 10 July 2009, 16:37:47 »

The other one we have around the shop is almost identical to yours ripster (except that you can find yours).

I tired a different compound in the smaller one that seemed to work better. There's no indication of grit on the jar, its just referred to as "air eraser compound", sort of looks like thermite. Even tho it seems finer then the other compound I tried, it leaves the key looking somewhat rougher then I had hoped it would.

(edit) Ah, the other compound is aluminium oxide based, I knew it looked familiar. Now where's that Iron oxide powder....

o2dazone · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 10 July 2009, 16:54:56 »

so you've media blasted the keys then? how did they hold up?

talis · « **Reply #10 on:** Fri, 10 July 2009, 17:15:13 »

Quote from: o2dazone;102025

so you've media blasted the keys then? how did they hold up?

I was working on some keys from a lenovo ultranav keyboard. It took quite a bit of work to get through the printing, even tho it looks like they are just applied with stickers. I was hoping the smaller sandblaster would give better control like that just to help reduce the chance of key damage. It took about 2 min of constant blasting to get through the raised printing, so I think there's little chance of eating through the key using the air eraser tool.

How long did you blast yours for Ripster?

The resulting key looks fairly uneven, tho that's likely caused by the weird profile of the scissor switch key caps. I hit the key with a bit of Novus #3 polishing compound after blasting off the printing (which is currently still slightly visible) and it looks much more consistent across the surface. I don't have my camera here at work today, otherwise I'd post some pictures.

I need to do a bit more experimenting another day, but I haven't completely given up hope for a blank set of keys for my T60 =P.

keyb_gr · « **Reply #11 on:** Tue, 04 August 2009, 16:24:03 »

Quote from: ripster;106273

If anyone has a spare Lasered key I'll test that too - not willing to trash my NIB Dell AT101W quite yet.

Shouldn't be too hard to find lasered keys actually, given that it's not uncommon on more-or-less-white boards. I could send you a few from my parts G81, but sending some stupid keys over the pond, for sandblasting tests nonetheless, nah, not exactly what I call economic.

I just checked, and there seem to be a number of cheap light-colored Cherry G83 boards one could pick up, mostly RS6700s. If you do, please tell us how you dislike the board, possibly even in comparison to the mighty Logitech $9.99 rubber dome.

(I'd think it should be some serious competition down there.)
And who said you couldn't get some two-shot goodness? (I'll gladly supply some cleaning hints if needed - not like there'd be any significant amounts of black magic involved.)

itlnstln · « **Reply #12 on:** Tue, 04 August 2009, 16:29:43 »

I would imagine, in the case of the lasered keycaps, that you could wear away enough by sandblasting to nearly take off the legend. It would depend on how deep the laser burned.

TheSoulhunter · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed, 05 August 2009, 17:17:12 »

Hah... So my idea with the sand-blasting actually worked!?
Good to see! =)

inornate · « **Reply #14 on:** Wed, 05 August 2009, 21:43:50 »

What was your air pressure setting?

I have little compressor for airbrushing but it's maximum pressure was only about 30psi..

typo · « **Reply #15 on:** Mon, 20 December 2010, 10:22:21 »

sorry to bring back an old thread i thought better than starting a new one.

am i the only one that has shiny realforce keys? yeah, i use the heck out of keyboards. they are not as shiny as the filco or das pro though.

the only keys that hardly shined on me were ds ibm's and cherrys. i guess it is a more robust plastic.

i am not willing to try blasting the topre sorry. is there some more gentle way of getting rid of the shine? maybe 2000 grit emry paper or higher? please, i really do not want to wreck it.

thanks

typo · « **Reply #16 on:** Mon, 20 December 2010, 10:46:22 »

i actually just tried but it won't come out. without flash it is just black in here and with flash you see way more shine than there really is due to the reflection.
besides that i never post pictures on the internet even though i thought i'd try to see if i could even get a picture of it. i have more camera than i know how to use because i am a wanna be geek.

seriously though, it is not that much shine. i am pretty anal. i personally feel i wore out ds cherry keys and not one person i know thinks they have even been used! i open the bag and ask are these keys new or heavily used? the answer is always new! i am a fanatic but i think most of us are on this forum because we are.

i am thinking of popping a key on the realforce for a photo but common sense is getting the better of me.

meanwhile, if you could just tell me, my idea is 2000 or higher grit emery cloth. or something else? i do have a compressor and blaster. however my blaster is just a little more powerfull than yours. it would blast it into space lol. i had used it for removing stuco.

clickclack · « **Reply #17 on:** Mon, 20 December 2010, 16:10:29 »

I wouldn't go much higher than 80psi if you can help it, but truthfully just use the regulator and turn the pressure down. Or just turn off the compressor and bleed the tank a bit and use the left over pressure, rinse and repeat. It also helps to use the most coarse mesh you can.

I wouldn't use such fine sandpaper (or at all for that matter) it will most likely only result in you quickly polishing your keys afterwards with use. Especially 2k grit, which is darn near polishing it anyway.

BTW, for all wondering it's not only the material type that defines the wear characteristics of the key, its the type of "texture" on the key. Some patterns and textures wear far more quickly than others.

=)

typo · « **Reply #18 on:** Mon, 20 December 2010, 19:38:26 »

see what i mean? it is too dark to tell if it is shiny. yours looks a little shiny to me but i can't really tell from that photo.

i think i am going to leave well enough alone. it is what it is. rather than wreck a great board. which is usually how things go when i explore uncharted(for me) territory.

i do take it i had the wrong idea about sandpaper grit. i'd want a lower number. not that i have the bawls to do it anyways.

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Author Topic: Blast Those Shiny Keys! (Read 3300 times)