geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Moralless on Wed, 05 November 2014, 07:14:40
Title: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
Post by: Moralless on Wed, 05 November 2014, 07:14:40
Hello, I'm interested in wrapping the plate and bottom of my custom keyboard as I have created a few scratches which I'd like to hide and also think it would contrast well with its white acrylic body. Just wondering if anyone has ever attempted on wrapping their keyboard plate in vinyl as I'm lost on how to go about this. Currently I'm thinking of doing it by removing all the keys then pre-depressing the switches with some tape and then place the vinyl sheet over everything and press the vinyl down in between the switches and then cutting the vinyl to let the switches go through. With this method I'm afraid of forming air bubbles and making the whole thing look 'amateurish'. I also have access to my brother's heat gun so instead of pressing the vinyl in between the switches I could just heat the vinyl up and let it form over the switches and just cut it out from there. I'm not really too sure about the feasibility of this method as I have no idea on the properties of carbon fiber vinyl, but I am confident that the switches itself could tolerate the heat.
I don't have any vinyl on hand with me yet but I do plan to test these two methods and was wondering what you guys think about the practicality of these two methods or maybe you can share some other methods on how I could wrap my keyboard plate in vinyl.
Title: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
Post by: heedpantsnow on Wed, 05 November 2014, 07:59:29
I'd take out all the switches of course. If you don't want to do that then at least take off the tops of the switches so you can get the vinyl as close to the plate as possible. If you can't do that (maybe you don't want to or your plate doesn't allow that) then I wouldn't do it. Trying to lay it down between the switches and cutting it out will end in a ton of air bubbles, probably some wrinkles, and most definitely a lot of jagged edge around the switches.
I'm trying to be less of a perfectionist these days but in this case I would say "do it right or don't do it at all."
Title: Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 05 November 2014, 13:16:27
In years past there were some great threads on this, but they probably got destroyed during R00tw0rm
Title: Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
Post by: tjcaustin on Wed, 05 November 2014, 13:19:11
That sounds way more involving and less guaranteed of success than just disassembling the board completely and wrapping the plate separately.
Title: Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
Post by: BlueNalgene on Wed, 05 November 2014, 13:30:43
I did something similar recently (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=63924.0)
You might find it useful. The heat gun is definitely an option for some things, but perhaps not going over switches. The heat will cause the nearby areas of the vinyl to deform and this will give you wavy lines in the 'fibers' and look kinda silly.
What does your plate look like, or rather, what model of keyboard are you thinking of modifying?
Title: Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
Post by: Lu_e on Wed, 05 November 2014, 19:15:20
Taking it apart and hydrographic would be sweet
Title: Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
Post by: RickyJ on Fri, 07 November 2014, 02:29:47
I did this with my Poker when I got it a couple years ago.