« previous next »
Pages:  [1]     Go Down

Author Topic: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways  (Read 3049 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline mindoculus

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 60
  • Location: New York City
3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« on: Thu, 13 March 2014, 21:57:26 »
Hey there:

I thought you might like to see a few 3D keycaps I recently received from Shapeways.

All the keys were made in polished plastic (type unknown). They have the feel of fine
paper and are rather light. With two of them, you can still see the whorls. The polish
needs to improve but overall I'm thrilled to have them and look forward to ordering
more.

First four are by Ravenzcroft; last one by Tasker.

The fit for this first key has unfortunately deteriorated. The material around the stem
has chipped. I might be able to get a fit using some scotch tape but it appears that it
will continue to crack. Sad because its my favorite.









Tasker's:



« Last Edit: Thu, 13 March 2014, 22:01:42 by mindoculus »
Logged

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 13 March 2014, 22:21:02 »
They look pretty good.

Any pictures of the underneath of the keycaps?
Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline RESPRiT

  • Posts: 414
  • Location: Seattle
  • HHKB = ❤
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 13 March 2014, 23:40:14 »
Thoughts on the quality? I've never thought 3D caps were worth it, but I'm interested in what you think.
Logged
;)

Offline mindoculus

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 60
  • Location: New York City
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 14 March 2014, 09:17:08 »
Quote from: rowdy on Thu, 13 March 2014, 22:21:02
They look pretty good.

Any pictures of the underneath of the keycaps?



Sorry it couldn't be clearer. I'll try for a better potato shot later.
Logged

Offline mindoculus

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 60
  • Location: New York City
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 14 March 2014, 09:34:40 »
Quote from: RESPRiT on Thu, 13 March 2014, 23:40:14
Thoughts on the quality? I've never thought 3D caps were worth it, but I'm interested in what you think.

The keys are thin and light-weight – yes, ABS thin and light-weight, which I think is the type of plastic filament they used. They could have benefitted from a deeper rendering because it doesn’t take much pressure to flex their sides. With that said, I am not planning to stand on them so they should be fine. I love the textures. They’re finely coarse but worlds different than the flocked keycaps sold by TechKeys. You can see the whorls from the printing process on two of them. Of the seven keys I received, only one has trouble with fitment, and I don’t think it can be repaired.
Logged

Offline nereme

  • Posts: 98
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 14 March 2014, 13:05:25 »
So they seem like if they were hit hard or summit they would break?

what do you think would improve the caps if you were to do them 'properly'

are the astetic issues with them just some after manufacturing tlc e.g sanding or something like that?
Logged

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 14 March 2014, 23:40:29 »
Quote from: mindoculus on Fri, 14 March 2014, 09:17:08
Quote from: rowdy on Thu, 13 March 2014, 22:21:02
They look pretty good.

Any pictures of the underneath of the keycaps?

Show Image


Sorry it couldn't be clearer. I'll try for a better potato shot later.

Looks as good underneath as it is on top.  Strengthning bars, well-formed stem - nice :)
Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline epzy

  • HHKB Fiend
  • Posts: 2061
  • Location: Norway
  • ded
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 14 March 2014, 23:42:41 »
That 3d GH key looks neat!!
Logged
FaceW ~ Duck Viper ~ Kishsaver ~ HHKB Pro 2 ~  Cherry G81-3000SAU ~ Filco Majestouch 2 ~ GON NS NerD 60 HHKB ~ 360 Corsa (jk skam) ~ KMAC Happy (jk skam) ~ JD40 (jk skam)

Offline do_Og@n

  • * Maker
  • Posts: 988
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 15 March 2014, 00:22:17 »
Those look surprisingly better than I though they would.

Well done! I'm eager to see your progress on this.
Logged

Offline RaVNzCRoFT

  • * Commercial Vendor
  • Posts: 56
  • Location: Raleigh, NC
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 15 March 2014, 14:45:27 »
If I may do a bit of self-promotion, most of these keycaps were designed by me and purchased through my keycap shop, K3YD.  I take requests for free.  If you click the link in my signature, you can go to the thread where you can see more information and make requests.
« Last Edit: Sat, 15 March 2014, 14:47:07 by RaVNzCRoFT »
Logged
<<< Click to view

Offline HipsterPunks

  • Gangmember
  • * Maker
  • Posts: 804
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 15 March 2014, 15:01:19 »
im confused? is geekhack trademarked? or can anybody make a geekhack key?
Logged
sell out and eat ass

Offline fatchoi

  • Posts: 218
  • Location: Hong Kong
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 16 March 2014, 00:37:30 »
Looks good. I'm thinking to learn 3D modeling to make my own key caps. (e.g. my initials, birth year, etc.)
Possible to share some 3D models?
Logged

Offline meiosis

  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Posts: 1281
  • Location: 408
  • Time
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 16 March 2014, 01:25:33 »
Quote from: HipsterPunks on Sat, 15 March 2014, 15:01:19
im confused? is geekhack trademarked? or can anybody make a geekhack key?

you can't trademark "gh" maybe GEEK HACK though but even then the copyright laws/money needed is not worth it.
Logged
Keyboards:
Filco Majestouch 2 - Sakura Edition [MX Blue]
Filco Majestouch 2 - Lotus Edition [MX Brown]
Realforce 23ub - Modded with 55g Domes.
Aripeko TKL

Offline simon_C

  • Posts: 163
  • Location: Bay Area California
Re: 3D Print Caps - Shapeways
« Reply #13 on: Sun, 16 March 2014, 20:39:18 »
Those look like the standstone material. Have you tried any of the high resolution plastics available yet?
Logged
Pages:  [1]     Go Up
« previous next »