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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: JunkFace on Thu, 15 May 2014, 20:16:16

Title: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: JunkFace on Thu, 15 May 2014, 20:16:16

I just bought some keycaps from a user on the classified section of this site which were supposed to be a PBT set of ducky blanks.

The keys I got feel exactly like the ones that came with my QFR and the construction is pretty similar.  The escape key with the ducky logo is clearly a different material and construction than the rest of the keys.

However I'm pretty new to this and maybe for some strange reason ducky makes the escape key completely different than the rest of the keys, I don't know but it seems fishy to me.  Can anyone tell me if I've been had?

Thanks

http://imgur.com/a/T4lif

Title: Re: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: Zeal on Thu, 15 May 2014, 20:29:27

Those blanks are thin pbt. Only the one with the Ducky logo is pad printed ABS. If you're ever unsure of a keycap's material, throw it in a cup of water; if it sinks, it's PBT. If it stays afloat, it's ABS.  :)

Title: Re: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: smknjoe on Thu, 15 May 2014, 20:35:24

Zeal is correct, all of the keycaps in that set are PBT except the one with the logo. I just bought that set from Mechanicalkeyboards.com. The pics you posted are spot on and those caps are legit. If you look under the #5 cap for the numpad set you'll see where it's marked PBT and it's just like all of the rest of the keycaps. Also, I doubt they are just like your QFR caps. They should be slightly rougher in texture.

Here is a close up of them on my WASD v2: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=58139.msg1325512#msg1325512

Title: Re: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: JunkFace on Thu, 15 May 2014, 20:42:45

The escape key really threw me off. 

Thanks for the info!

Title: Re: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: Oobly on Sat, 17 May 2014, 02:55:31

If you want to make sure you can pop a few into a glass of water and see if they sink. If they sink it means they are denser than water, like PBT and POM. If they float, they are less dense than water, like ABS. You'll probably find the Esc floats, while the others all sink. Which means the Esc is ABS, the others are PBT.

Title: Re: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: Findecanor on Sat, 17 May 2014, 15:39:35

Or do the "acetone test": Dip a q-tip in acetone and rub it on the inside of the key skirt. If it smears it is ABS. If the plastic is unaffected it is PBT or POM.

Title: Re: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: fohat.digs on Sat, 17 May 2014, 20:13:17

Quote from: Findecanor on Sat, 17 May 2014, 15:39:35

Or do the "acetone test"

I always use the acetone (aka fingernail polish remover) because I think that ABS will eventually sink, maybe slower and less consistently than PBT.

Title: Re: Hey I bought some PBT keycaps and I don't think they are
Post by: PolaBurrr on Sat, 17 May 2014, 22:41:49

I can assure you I did not scam you  :p Those were the original blank pbt keycaps from ducky. Keycaps with designs usually are just abs, which seems to be the case for the ducky keycap.