geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: GLaDOS on Fri, 20 July 2012, 05:03:33

Title: AT102W pad printed ink removal?
Post by: GLaDOS on Fri, 20 July 2012, 05:03:33

Hello
I have just bought a black AT102W and compared to my yellow one which was laser etched this one is pad-printed (the E is starting to go and most of  the other lettering is yellow). What's the best way to completely remove all ink from these keys just leaving a black surface?

Thanks

Title: Re: AT102W pad printed ink removal?
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 20 July 2012, 09:14:03

You could probably polish it down with sandpaper without too much trouble. I have read that you can get fine sandpaper to make it more smooth, then up to rough for a couple of passes to put the texture back on.

Title: Re: AT102W pad printed ink removal?
Post by: GLaDOS on Fri, 20 July 2012, 15:39:26

I tried with some 600-grit and ended up scratching some of the paint off the key without even making a dint on the ink.. :| I must be doing something wrong.
Thanks for the tip though.

(http://i.imgur.com/3yhuW.jpg)

Title: Re: AT102W pad printed ink removal?
Post by: GLaDOS on Fri, 20 July 2012, 16:16:50

Well, in the mean time I put made a "gaming version" by taking the esc, direction and WASD keycaps from the being and putting them on the black.

Title: Re: AT102W pad printed ink removal?
Post by: pyro on Sun, 22 July 2012, 08:55:42

I've done this once. If you don't have a sandblaster it's not worth the effort. You'll need rough sandpaper to get the labels off, fine sandpaper to make it smooth and steel wool for polish. Then you end up with keys which look like they've been in heavy use since 1999, so you'd need a sandblaster to get that fine grain on the key surface, at which point you could just as well have used a sandblaster from the start.

I hear rip/ster has one, maybe if you send him a picture of yourself with a keyboard on your head, he'll do it for you.

Title: Re: AT102W pad printed ink removal?
Post by: GLaDOS on Sun, 22 July 2012, 11:41:14

Quote from: pyro on Sun, 22 July 2012, 08:55:42

I've done this once. If you don't have a sandblaster it's not worth the effort. You'll need rough sandpaper to get the labels off, fine sandpaper to make it smooth and steel wool for polish. Then you end up with keys which look like they've been in heavy use since 1999, so you'd need a sandblaster to get that fine grain on the key surface, at which point you could just as well have used a sandblaster from the start.

I hear rip/ster has one, maybe if you send him a picture of yourself with a keyboard on your head, he'll do it for you.

Thanks, I think that's more effort than it's worth though!