[ApoloCaps] Taking a stab at artisan keycap making in Japan

[apolotary]

Hi everyone,

Got really interested in artisan keycap making lately, so I figured I should give it a try. In this post I'll try to describe what I've been doing so far and the reasons behind it.


Motivation

I'm a big fan of swirly designs by doomcaps and horror stuff from KWK/KBK, Brocaps, and Suited Up Caps. I was hoping that somebody would try combining both doomcaps colorways and some of the sick designs I've seen from the artisans listed above, but after seeing that doom is on a hiatus, I decided to take matters in my own hands.


Challenges

I live in Japan, which means I don't have access to the materials everybody else is using, so I had to look for substitutes. (Like seriously, they don't sell OOMOO 30 here, wtf?)
The other thing is that I'm living in a small apartment (like pretty much everybody else in here), so I don't have physical space or funds for a pressure pot or a vacuum pump.
There is also humidity which makes bubble-free keycap production almost impossible (especially without the equipment I mentioned).


Design ideas

I feel like I have a taste of an edgy 14yo schoolgirl, so the topics I'm currently trying to explore in my keycaps are:

• Glitch art – exploiting techniques that would lead to production errors (e.g., bubbles, incomplete pours, gaps, etc) for aesthetic purposes
• Outrun +/- Horror – mostly miami-esque colorways (swirly or not), paired with grotesque monsters, occult symbolics, and other creepy stuff

Progress so far

Here's the designs I've done so far:

(only Topre right now, waiting for Synth to start making MX molds)


Glitch Index

Started with an incomplete pour, I really liked the result, so I've been trying to reproduce that ever since

More

Swirly blanks

Topre 1st row

More

Evil Eye

aka I-was-trying-to-make-a-sandwordm-but-got-a-vagina-with-teeth-instead-I-ain't-even-mad

More

Inverted Cross & Pentagram

For when your keyboard is not KVLT enough

More

Future plans, etc

I could really use your comments and suggestions on my keycap design and general interest in such keycaps. Given that there is enough interest, I was hoping to run a small sale of blanks at a super low price to fund more silicon and resin purchases for future keycap designs, and I was wondering what you guys think about that.

[xondat]

This is my favorite. But, as you said, it's too hard to do consistently

Also is "taking a stab" a pun? )

[apolotary]

Show Image

This is my favorite. But, as you said, it's too hard to do consistently :(

Also is "taking a stab" a pun? :))

Haha it sure is, I'm not sure if it's a long-term commitment just yet, it's mostly me trying to prove that making artisans even with limited supply here is possible.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm still trying to reproduce the design, but it's hard. Partially because I can't bake the sculpey (the anime figure face part would melt), so it's a one-time mold at best.

[DALExSNAIL]

If you can make a cyute anime girl head cap that you can make reliably........I'd be in heaven.

Maybe similar to the way Eggface by etf is made. Cap shaped but with an anime girl face?

[apolotary]

If you can make a cyute anime girl head cap that you can make reliably........I'd be in heaven.

Maybe similar to the way Eggface by etf is made. Cap shaped but with an anime girl face?

Yeah that's what I'm trying to do right now, hopefully will get some results soon

[Dongulator]

More Pagan symbols please..Keep up the good work

[apolotary]

More Pagan symbols please..Keep up the good work

Might make a rune series in the future

[romevi]

Your caps are scury.

[apolotary]

Your caps are scury.

1/10 with rice

[Hydra04]

Pentagram and Evil Eye are really nice
However, I'd prefer them in a black+blue/red/purple/mint(!!) colorway rather than in a miami-esque one.

Can't wait to see some of the other occult symbols!

More

[apolotary]

Pentagram and Evil Eye are really nice
However, I'd prefer them in a black+blue/red/purple/mint(!!) colorway rather than in a miami-esque one.

Can't wait to see some of the other occult symbols!

More

Thanks! I was trying to get dark purple and black/bloodred colorway but because the base color of the resin I'm using is white, I got lavender, dark gray and pink. I could have better luck with clear resin, but it's super pricy here, so I might have to do a small sale to fund clear resin casts.

Definitely hoping to have more TRVE and KVLT stuff on the way really glad to see that there is some interest in that after all

[apolotary]

Tried doing doubleshots today. I messed up A/B proportions for resin though, so I'm planning to invest into proper digital scales before I waste more materials.

[suicidal_orange]

Tried doing doubleshots today. I messed up A/B proportions for resin though, so I'm planning to invest into proper digital scales before I waste more materials.

Show Image

Looks like they survived, if not participated in, a massacre - had you been making cute caps that would have been a disaster but with these it kinda works.  Shame about the pink base though... Better luck next time!

[apolotary]

Tried doing doubleshots today. I messed up A/B proportions for resin though, so I'm planning to invest into proper digital scales before I waste more materials.

Show Image

Looks like they survived, if not participated in, a massacre - had you been making cute caps that would have been a disaster but with these it kinda works.  Shame about the pink base though... Better luck next time!

Lol yeah that's what I hate about the resin I use. If you do it right, the curing time is super short, like I had it turn from liquid into stone-hard plastic right before my eyes. No high-viscosity goo stage, just instant reaction. That's why I have to pour it somewhat quickly into molds, so by the time you realize that it's wrong, the whole batch is already ruined.

On the other hand, half-cured resin has some really interesting color properties 🤔

[SBJ]

Man, you've got some sick designs and color combinations going.
I truly admire what you've done here considering the means at your disposal.
Fantastic work, truly!

[nocturalowl]

Nice work, I dig your design and colorway. What kind of material you using? If i'm not mistaken Japan have great material that almost double the price of smooth-on product. I'm using it in the past but the price make me change to other product 

[apolotary]

Man, you've got some sick designs and color combinations going.
I truly admire what you've done here considering the means at your disposal.
Fantastic work, truly!

Thanks for the kind words! I'll do my best to keep up with the good work

Nice work, I dig your design and colorway. What kind of material you using? If i'm not mistaken Japan have great material that almost double the price of smooth-on product. I'm using it in the past but the price make me change to other product 

Thanks! I'm ordering most of my stuff from Japanese amazon, maybe there are better places, but I haven't found them yet. Sadly they got a limited selection of resin over there, I'm currently using this one. The clear resin is super expensive, so I want to get my production process right before investing into it.

[nocturalowl]

You can try search in gunpla and figurine Model shop. Mrhobby silicone is really good but expensive. For the resin try searching hei-cast product they got amazing clear resin 
 I still got the can if you want to see what is it like.

[apolotary]

You can try search in gunpla and figurine Model shop. Mrhobby silicone is really good but expensive. For the resin try searching hei-cast product they got amazing clear resin 
 I still got the can if you want to see what is it like.

Yes, please post some pics I'll be in Tokyo next month so hopefully I could grab a can of that in Tokyo Hands

[apolotary]

You can try search in gunpla and figurine Model shop. Mrhobby silicone is really good but expensive. For the resin try searching hei-cast product they got amazing clear resin 
 I still got the can if you want to see what is it like.

Ha no way, their clear resin is actually cheaper than the one I use: https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%B9%B3%E6%B3%89%E6%B4%8B%E8%A1%8C-4573442220047-%E3%83%8F%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88-%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2-1Kg%E3%82%BB%E3%83%83%E3%83%88/dp/B01A6T1YOA/ref=sr_1_2?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1473589251&sr=1-2

Brb, buying a can of that

edit: ah no, I was wrong, it's still expensive. The resin I bought was about $30 per 2kg, this one is $30 per 1kg

[nocturalowl]

You can try search in gunpla and figurine Model shop. Mrhobby silicone is really good but expensive. For the resin try searching hei-cast product they got amazing clear resin 
 I still got the can if you want to see what is it like.

Ha no way, their clear resin is actually cheaper than the one I use: https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%B9%B3%E6%B3%89%E6%B4%8B%E8%A1%8C-4573442220047-%E3%83%8F%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88-%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2-1Kg%E3%82%BB%E3%83%83%E3%83%88/dp/B01A6T1YOA/ref=sr_1_2?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1473589251&sr=1-2

Brb, buying a can of that

Shoot, you got it super cheap 
Try that one, it got about 8 minutes pot life. Hope it can solve your problem of super fast curing in other resin.

[apolotary]

You can try search in gunpla and figurine Model shop. Mrhobby silicone is really good but expensive. For the resin try searching hei-cast product they got amazing clear resin 
 I still got the can if you want to see what is it like.

Ha no way, their clear resin is actually cheaper than the one I use: https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%B9%B3%E6%B3%89%E6%B4%8B%E8%A1%8C-4573442220047-%E3%83%8F%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88-%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2-1Kg%E3%82%BB%E3%83%83%E3%83%88/dp/B01A6T1YOA/ref=sr_1_2?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1473589251&sr=1-2

Brb, buying a can of that

Shoot, you got it super cheap 
Try that one, it got about 8 minutes pot life. Hope it can solve your problem of super fast curing in other resin.

Thanks man! Will report back with results soon

[S1llyC0ne]

Great work ! I love the "murder" accidental colors (^o^). I'll follow this thread to check on your progress ;-)

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[apolotary]

Great work ! I love the "murder" accidental colors (^o^). I'll follow this thread to check on your progress ;-)

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

Thanks!

I ordered some clear plastic, so hopefully I'm going to showcase some new caps this weekend

[Moistgun]

Just wanna say that a colorway is the specific colors used.

Doom doesn't privately own the concept of marbling colors. lol.

[apolotary]

Just wanna say that a colorway is the specific colors used.

Doom doesn't privately own the concept of marbling colors. lol.

Thanks, I'm still fuzzy on the whole terminology thing. I realize doom doesn't own the idea, but I've been using his work both as a manual and an inspiration, so I just felt like giving him some credit is the right thing to do.

[apolotary]

Hey everyone, just a small update

First of all, I want to report my results with different components I found on Japanese amazon.

Hi-cast: it's pretty smooth, but since it was a clear-colored resin, I had too many bubbles. Also the smoothness comes with another problem: the keycaps are very soft and malleable even after a day of curing

Wave (web?) resin: my current resin of choice, very fast curing, but mostly bubble free if you mix it in right proportions. Default color I use is white, so when mixing dyes I have to  overdo it a little to get a more saturated color. Otherwise it's too milky. Here's where I bought it

Dyes: I use this liquid resin dye. It's made for clear UV resin, but works here just fine. You have to remember one thing though: if you mix it with the resin mentioned above, you must add more liquid out of can B, otherwise the solution wouldn't be solid

Silicone: Used this silicone so far, it's pretty good in terms of price/quality tbh

Then I also wanted to post some potato progress pics:





Trying to go for HKP-style doubleshots, what do you think?

[apolotary]

Almost ready for my first sale, currently asking around if there's any interest in such caps, etc

Full album

[WolfiO_O]

wow, I cast a spell caps on the last photo, would like them to yourself. I wish you good luck in development!

[apolotary]

wow, I cast a spell caps on the last photo, would like them to yourself. I wish you good luck in development!

Thanks! Hopefully gonna have a sale soon

[pinkizhip]

Hi-cast: it's pretty smooth, but since it was a clear-colored resin, I had too many bubbles. Also the smoothness comes with another problem: the keycaps are very soft and malleable even after a day of curing

I had this same trouble. Clear resin is notoriously harder to work with (which I found out the hard way) I believe it just needs to cure longer in the mold.

Caps are looking great so far  I kinda like the irony of the pastel scary caps.

[alveeno]

I'm liking those bright colors on the caps

[apolotary]

Hi-cast: it's pretty smooth, but since it was a clear-colored resin, I had too many bubbles. Also the smoothness comes with another problem: the keycaps are very soft and malleable even after a day of curing

I had this same trouble. Clear resin is notoriously harder to work with (which I found out the hard way) I believe it just needs to cure longer in the mold.

Caps are looking great so far  I kinda like the irony of the pastel scary caps.

I'm liking those bright colors on the caps

Thanks! More designs coming soon

[ReverbSlush]

love the pink/purple set. also love the horror style at the start of the thread.... pink and pastel colors with cult symbols would be so much fun.

[stoic-lemon]

These are looking great. So glad you have links on where you're buying this stuff from, and your detailed reports on use are really nice too. I'll be watching this closely.