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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: TotalChaos on Mon, 17 December 2012, 21:34:08

Title: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Mon, 17 December 2012, 21:34:08: I will be gluing soft rubber and any other soft squishy or cushy substances that I can come up with onto my keycaps to see how it affects typing.

I assume that it makes no difference whether I glue things onto ABS, PBT or POM?

But I figure it is prudent to ask first since someone out there might know some topsecret ancient Gluemajix :)

I will be using 12mm profile. Preferably all same row. Preferably front-printed, but whatever.

Since I will basically be destroying the keycaps, if anyone knows the dead cheapest way to buy 12mm keycaps I would like to know. Thanx! :)
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: esoomenona on Mon, 17 December 2012, 21:43:24: Probably find someone selling a set or post a WTB for a set of QFR caps. I think a lot of people are picking these up and replacing the caps.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Mon, 17 December 2012, 22:01:57: Ppl don't like QFR keycaps? Why not?
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: esoomenona on Mon, 17 December 2012, 22:07:34: Various reasons: branding, font, height, color, etc. There is nothing that everyone likes, so it is inevitable that someone somewhere doesn't like these caps. The reason I bring them up in particular is that they are going for fairly cheap these days and have good enough recommendations that people are buying them as their first board (or even additional boards; I have two now) and end up replacing the caps with the many options that are floating around that are generally considered more desirable.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: jeroplane on Mon, 17 December 2012, 22:58:02: Yep, stock caps from various boards might be your best bet. A lot of people have stock Filco caps lying around too, but those seem to be sold for a little more simply because they're Filco. The CM font is ugly as hell, so that's probably why they're so cheap.

Otherwise, your other option is to find people with spares from SP grab/crap bags.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: BlindRAGE606 on Tue, 18 December 2012, 00:39:33: Definitely explore and experiment with different mats before committing to an expensive purchase.... find the dirt cheapest OEM caps.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: quake4mhg on Tue, 18 December 2012, 01:09:02: You wanna do something like this?
http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/grippy-keycap-with-sugru-t3686.html?hilit=sugru
Sugru actually won't damage keycaps.

Picture below shows I use rubber stickers too
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j283/digitalillustration/grippy-keycap-01.jpg)

Why you wanna glue stuff? Looking for grippy keycaps like me? :)
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: Chau on Tue, 18 December 2012, 02:05:04: Hi quake, what r those blue wasd keys, nice.
Title: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: quake4mhg on Tue, 18 December 2012, 15:02:21: They're KBC blank pbt, with rubber feet sticker on top, scratch on letter in the front, double o-ring inside, totally modded :)
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Tue, 18 December 2012, 19:27:47: Quote from: quake4mhg on Tue, 18 December 2012, 01:09:02
You wanna do something like this?
http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/grippy-keycap-with-sugru-t3686.html?hilit=sugru
Sugru actually won't damage keycaps.

Picture below shows I use rubber stickers too
Show Image
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j283/digitalillustration/grippy-keycap-01.jpg)

Why you wanna glue stuff? Looking for grippy keycaps like me? :)

Dewd u r way kewl!

I am not looking for grippiness. I am looking for shock absorbtion.

Like u know those shoe insoles they sell everywhere? You put them in your shoes. They are made of soft gel substance. They make love to your feet while u walk. :) That is what I want on top of my keys.

The pain of typing is literally killing me. I am actually way past my expiration date.

Did any of things u glued on make your keys soft and luvable?
And if so, how much $$ and where u got them?
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Tue, 18 December 2012, 19:52:42: Quote from: quake4mhg on Tue, 18 December 2012, 15:02:21
They're KBC blank pbt, with rubber feet sticker on top, scratch on letter in the front, totally modded :)
I wish I knew how soft these rubber feet stickers were and where u got them?
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: quake4mhg on Tue, 18 December 2012, 23:26:51: I brought it from an Oriental $2 dollar store. It moves from time to time, leaving residue. I have to use super glue. I guess it isn't soft & thick enough for you.
(you can see the thickness at the leftmost blue keycap with an A)
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j283/digitalillustration/Non-Slip-Pad_zpsddc8e16d.jpg)
I guess you're looking for something like OXO kitchen ware rubber material? Is it too hard? And yes, shoe sole pad is very soft, or Sugru?
Sugru is harder than OXO, it sticks on keycap like permanently, unless I use a scraper like tool to remove it.
But don't try to make big rough texture like the red keycap below, it hurts my finger tips :p
So you can imagine how's it harder than OXO. Too hard for you, right?
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j283/digitalillustration/grippy-keycap-02_zpsac42b83d.jpg)
I'm looking for soft AND grip. If too soft my keypress would delay a nano second.
Let's continue our creativity ;D
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: 1391401 on Wed, 19 December 2012, 20:55:06: Probably unrelated but someone here made a thread about mounting leather on top of their keycaps cause they liked the feeling, I think it might got nuked when r-worm happened though
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Thu, 20 December 2012, 16:53:18: @1391401

Interesting! I can't actually remember what leather feels like... but it has to be softer more comfy than hard plastic.

Leather is that stuff that cows and horses wear, right? They seem to like it so it must be good. :p
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Sat, 22 December 2012, 01:22:23: Quote from: esoomenona on Mon, 17 December 2012, 22:07:34
Various reasons: branding, font,
Ahhh yes I forgot about that ikky font. But recent photos I saw, it seemed like the font had been changed a bit to be less annoying.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: gbohn on Sat, 22 December 2012, 17:53:35: > I assume that it makes no difference whether I glue things onto ABS, PBT or POM?

At least from the perspective of how well the glue will bond to the plastic, I think that's incorrect. As I discovered recently, some types of plastic (like POM / Acetal / Delrin) are harder to glue and paint than others.

I think ABS is relatively easy. As I understand it, different types of glue work better or worse on different types of plastics.

Fortunately you probably only need a relatively minimal bond strength for your application (as opposed to gluing your hard-hat to an iron iron girder like in the super-glue commercials :) ).

After a lot of searching, I discovered that Acetal (POM) can be painted/glued better if it was pre-treated. One treatment I found that worked (so far at least) was quickly per-treating it with a (> 1000 Degree F) hot-air blast from a paint stripper.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: precarious on Sat, 22 December 2012, 18:45:51: perhaps you've already got this covered, but if you're looking for shock absorption and using MX switches, rubber o-rings will probably pad things out a bit. pcb vs. plate mount also a possibility.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Sat, 22 December 2012, 18:53:35: Quote from: precarious on Sat, 22 December 2012, 18:45:51
perhaps you've already got this covered, but if you're looking for shock absorption and using MX switches, rubber o-rings will probably pad things out a bit.
My rubber padding is installed and its 10x better this way!

But my nerves are completely wrecked and I need more softness in order to bang out code all day every day.

Quote
pcb vs. plate mount also a possibility.
I currently gave up on finding a PCB mounted cherry switch keyboard that would work for me. Supposedly some new PCB mounted keyboards will come out next year and I can hopefully get one of those.
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: TotalChaos on Sat, 22 December 2012, 18:56:32: Quote from: gbohn on Sat, 22 December 2012, 17:53:35
> I assume that it makes no difference whether I glue things onto ABS, PBT or POM?

At least from the perspective of how well the glue will bond to the plastic, I think that's incorrect. As I discovered recently, some types of plastic (like POM / Acetal / Delrin) are harder to glue and paint than others.

I think ABS is relatively easy. As I understand it, different types of glue work better or worse on different types of plastics.

Fortunately you probably only need a relatively minimal bond strength for your application (as opposed to gluing your hard-hat to an iron iron girder like in the super-glue commercials :) ).

After a lot of searching, I discovered that Acetal (POM) can be painted/glued better if it was pre-treated. One treatment I found that worked (so far at least) was quickly per-treating it with a (> 1000 Degree F) hot-air blast from a paint stripper.

Wow! Thanx for the infos! I love the feel of POM plastic but I will stay away from it for the purposes of gluing or painting. ABS and PBT FTW! ;D
Title: Re: Best Keycap for Gluing Stuff on top?
Post by: gbohn on Sat, 22 December 2012, 19:15:34: In case you're interested, I found a "plastic gluing guide" from Loctite at http://www.henkelna.com/us/content_data/237471_LT2197_Plastic_Guide_v6_LR7911911.pdf that I've found helpful.

Granted it's meant as a guide to their products but should be generally helpful as well.