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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: never4getthis on Fri, 24 August 2012, 03:49:49

Title: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: never4getthis on Fri, 24 August 2012, 03:49:49

Hey everyone! I'm new here and I this is my first point. Recently I purchased my second mechanical keyboard, a Noppoo Choc Mini (Cherry MX Blue). As awesome as it looks stock, I want to customize it by having some custom Key Caps. I don't want to buy keycaps becuase it is a huge hassle getting them to Europe. So I was thinking of making them as it would also be a fun project.

I have painted keycaps with Vinyl Dyes but I have never done 3D custom keycaps, something like what ClickClack does with the skulls. I already have an idea of how to approach this but I just wanted to hear from any of you in case you have any suggestions.

P.S. I have POM keycaps (if that is any help)

Thanks!

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: damorgue on Fri, 24 August 2012, 03:53:24

Your options are to:

Take a stock cap and modify it with clay, pain, melt carve etc.

Make a mold and cast your own caps, see thread below:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=23722.0

Design it in CAD software and get it printed by a number of firms that offer such services.

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: never4getthis on Fri, 24 August 2012, 03:58:36

Thanks! Damn that was a fast reply! Switching over from DeskThority to Geekhack  :)

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: damorgue on Fri, 24 August 2012, 04:10:05

You will get answers fast there too, a lot of us frequent both.

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: Icarium on Fri, 24 August 2012, 04:24:53

Hey, if you have already painted some caps make sure to post the results. There's always people wanting to try it looking for information. :)

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: never4getthis on Fri, 24 August 2012, 04:28:25

Will do but not in this section, this is 3D custom keycaps

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: damorgue on Fri, 24 August 2012, 04:30:07

CC makes skull caps and some multi-coloured stuff
Boost makes some superhero/villain caps

I forgot who, but someone made a 3D transformers cap and someone else painted caps in tiger stripes, zebra stripes etc. Someone will chime in on who they where.

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: Paranoid on Fri, 24 August 2012, 06:39:55

It's chwang that makes the tiger, zebra etc stripes
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=19574.msg629313#msg629313

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: Sifo on Fri, 24 August 2012, 10:41:14

Quote from: damorgue on Fri, 24 August 2012, 04:30:07

CC makes skull caps and some multi-coloured stuff
Boost makes some superhero/villain caps

I forgot who, but someone made a 3D transformers cap and someone else painted caps in tiger stripes, zebra stripes etc. Someone will chime in on who they where.

MagicMeatball made the transformer cap you can find it in his subforum

(http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q603/magicmeatballs/4b4d789a.jpg)

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: mkawa on Fri, 24 August 2012, 10:54:45

you can buy and paint, model and print, sculpt and cast. this is what's so cool about caps. they're small, so they're not that hard to manufacture using any method you can think of, but you can fit a ton of creativity in each tiny cap.

what do you want to make?
how do you want to make it?
GEEKHACK IT UP SIR

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: never4getthis on Sat, 25 August 2012, 15:39:33

what do you want to make?

I'm gonna make the ESC key with 3d grenade  :eek:

Title: Re: How to make 3D Custom Key Caps
Post by: girldc on Sat, 25 August 2012, 21:36:38

I wonder
paint Kind
paint name
how to Use

I`m still keycaps make.
http://ckcf.tistory.com/19 (http://ckcf.tistory.com/19)