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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: nubbinator on Sat, 30 March 2013, 19:36:06
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About a month anbd a half ago, I picked up an RK-9000 for cheap in Reddit's /r/hardwareswap since it was having some issues with the Backspace key. Fortunately, I found out that the issues were just a simple problem with the land on the PCB and fixed it with some 26 gauge wire when I resoldered the keyboard back together.
Here's what I did to it:
- Painted the shell and put a couple of coats of clear PlastiDip on it
- Painted the switch plate
- Swapped the switches for MX Clears
- Swapped the springs for 62g and 65g Korean springs
- Stickered the switches
The painting was a pretty easy affair. With the shell I just gave it a rough sand, primed it with Montana Gold Plastic Primer, painted it with Montana Gold, clear coated it with some Rusto, and did a couple of coats of clear Plastidip. I rushed it a little and didn't get it as good as I could have, but it doesn't look bad.
The plate was a PITA to prep. I didn't realize it was powder coated and spent forever sanding it down. I should have just found a solvent that strips it. I then primed it with some self-etching primer, sprayed it with the same Montana Gold, and sealed it with some Rusto. In retrospect, I should have gone to my kind of nearby hacker space and powder coated it instead of painting it, but what's done is done.
The switch work took forever. I bought a bunch of used MX Clears off of Taobao for dirt cheap, tested them all, then got started with the time intensive and finger hurting part. To pop the tops off the switch, I used a binder clip and, when necessary, a flathead screwdriver. I then switched the bottom half of the housing with the Reds that the keyboard had used before so I didn't have to cut 200+ supports and remove 100+ diodes. Following that, I added a sticker to the lower half of the housing. Stickers seem kind of gimmicky to me, but I figured I might as well try them and see if they actually do anything. Then I lubed the base, swapped in the springs, lubed the stem, and closed it up. The longest part of all of this was actually waiting for the springs since it took about three weeks to actually be able to buy something from Sherryton.
Then came the quick and easy part, soldering. In all, the soldering of the board took less than an hour, even with the work around on two lands. I put it all back together, tested it, and found it all to work. In fact, I'm typing this on my new keyboard right now.
So, was it worth it? I'm not sure. The project was a lot of fun to do, even if it did hurt my back, but the switch is still taking some getting used too. I love how the switch is far more tactile than Browns, but at the same time, it's almost too tactile. Part of me wishes that Cherry introduced a switch that was in between a Clear and Brown in tactility and in actuation force. If they ever did that, I'd be all over it in a heartbeat. Considering that I spent a grand total of ~$100 for the keyboard and all the supplies for modding it, I can't complain at all.
Also, in retrospect, I wish that I had done 65g springs on all the switches. 62g is okay, but the 65g switches feel pretty much perfect.
Future plans are to add a blank PBT key set (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.290.ciAppR&id=16319691774). I'm leaning toward blue or red, but the funds just aren't there for it right now.
(http://i.imgur.com/3q1w6LY.jpg)
Here's the RK-9000 as it came to me Reddit's /r/hardwareswap for cheap. Before I bought it, I was informed that the backspace key didn't always register. When I desoldered the switches, I found out why. One of the lands for the switch had broken and separated from the PCB trace and I found another problematic land on the PCB for one of the letters.
Fortunately, it's an easy fix and I just soldered wire between the leg that was supposed to connect to the land and the switch before and after it in the trace. I could have done a "proper" fix with an Exacto knife, but it would have been more work for the same results.
(http://i.imgur.com/KmxD0oD.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Hd2Xu6E.jpg)
The switches and plate before painting and the swap.
(http://i.imgur.com/1kjzVHz.jpg)
Here's the painted plate, painted shell, and new switches.
(http://i.imgur.com/ClMD3kw.jpg)
If you look closely, you can see the stickers that I put in the switches.
(http://i.imgur.com/6dz6wLC.jpg)
Here it is now with the original key caps. Hopefully I'll get some more spending money soon and can swap the key caps out.
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looks awesome!!!!
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That gold color looks amazing, nice work
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looks awesome!!!!
Thanks
That gold color looks amazing, nice work
Thanks. It's Montana Gold Shock White Pure (http://www.artsupplywarehouse.com/prodDetail.php?id=50984).
I forgot how hard it is to paint something white when it's a darker color underneath. Normally Montana Gold has something covered in just a few coats, but it took over half the can to get the shell and the plate white.
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^Good choice going with Montanas
Looks like a stealth RK9000i with upgraded switches. Awsome job
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switch stickers?
I did a quick search and I see people selling and stuff, but now what they do.
Whats the point to them?
Are they making any different on your board?
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^Good choice going with Montanas
Looks like a stealth RK9000i with upgraded switches. Awsome job
I love Montana Gold. I used it to paint my Cooler Master QFR (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40937.msg827642#msg827642). Some of the best spray paint I've ever used. I can see why stencil and graffiti artists like it.
switch stickers?
I did a quick search and I see people selling and stuff, but now what they do.
Whats the point to them?
Are they making any different on your board?
Supposedly they help stabilize the switches and make them less noisy. I've seen all kinds of claims about them, but I doubt the veracity of most of them.
I haven't used them long enough to notice a difference.
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I realize this thread is a few months old but just wanted to say I think this is an awesome makeover and a very good recovery of what could have been a trashed board!!
nubs you have many talents!! :D
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Haha, thanks. I'm more of a dabbler though. I really like to experiment and try new things and learn about them. Usually it means running headlong into it and submersing myself into it. It was rewarding to save what would have likely been a junked board though.
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I just saw this too and I must say that it's really freaking awesome what you did with the Rosewill! I looked for some Montana spray paint in my area but found none and it's too expensive to buy online :( The stuff at Lowes looks like **** too. I wonder if there are graffiti stores in the area I can visit.
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OP are you using MX clears? Some people are claiming that the clear stems are bigger than the rest of the family
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OP are you using MX clears? Some people are claiming that the clear stems are bigger than the rest of the family
Yes, they're Clears. And I haven't noticed anything like that. I actually commented in that thread about it. I took calipers to my Clears, Blacks, Browns, and Reds and discussed the minor differences in stem sizes from an n of 5. I would have done more, but found it was consistent across those 5, so it's doubtful a larger n would have changed much. If the stems do cause issues like some people claim, there's something else at play other than the stem size.
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Hey this looks great man! Makes me wish I got the white :D
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Hey this looks great man! Makes me wish I got the white :D
It didn't start out white, he painted it :P
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Hey this looks great man! Makes me wish I got the white :D
It didn't start out white, he painted it :P
Yeah I saw that :) but I don't want to do that because I could've bought the white ha
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Wow looks awesome
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"I added a sticker to the lower half of the housing. Stickers seem kind of gimmicky to me, but I figured I might as well try them and see if they actually do anything."
So - do they make any difference?
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It looks nice. :) You always do creative things like this.
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"I added a sticker to the lower half of the housing. Stickers seem kind of gimmicky to me, but I figured I might as well try them and see if they actually do anything."
So - do they make any difference?
Not that I can tell.
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This looked fantastic when it was done back in March, and still does!
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Have you modified it since march? New key caps yet? :D
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Have you modified it since march? New key caps yet? :D
Nope, I haven't. I'm hoping to find an affordable double shot cherry beige and cream set and pair it with the EK green GMK mods.
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Nice job. I like the paint. Did you have someone proxy your purchase of the clears on Taobao?