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geekhack Community => New Members => Topic started by: Mouse on Sun, 26 July 2015, 17:33:53

Title: What's cooking?
Post by: Mouse on Sun, 26 July 2015, 17:33:53
Hey there geekhack, I'm Mouse.

A friend of mine is a lurker here, and he's been ranting at me about keycaps for years. Specifically, that I should make them. I spent five years as a dental laboratory technician, and it seems that a lot of the skills I used there are going to be pretty applicable to printing money making keycaps. The materials are different, but similar enough that I think I should do okay. I've been reading threads on here for a little while, and I finally created an account. At some point I might try selling these, but I have pretty viciously high standards for my work, and I'm going to have to meet those standards before I start selling stuff.

As for my own mechanical keyboard... fetish... it's pretty mild. I have a couple Steelseries 6Gv2's, both the black switches and the red switches, currently using the red. I like making stuff, because, it's fun I guess? Anyway, I bought some materials yesterday and have started playing with them to get a feel for them, and I'm pretty pleased with the accuracy of the reproduction I'm getting.

(http://i.imgur.com/UtcCnK2.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/f12kyfE.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/tcou8Qg.jpg)

I'm going to be playing with casting, and that's probably going to take some time. Most of my experience is with high-temp metal casting, and this is very different.

Just thought I'd stop in and say hello!
Title: Re: What's cooking?
Post by: jerue on Sun, 26 July 2015, 18:29:19
Keycaps are cooking! Welcome to Geekhack  :)

Hope to see you around in our making stuff together! (https://geekhack.org/index.php?board=117.0) subforum.

You could definitely make keycaps with metal casting, though seeing as resin casting is new to you this will be nice to watch. Very neat idea with that cap you've made!
Title: Re: What's cooking?
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 27 July 2015, 06:12:33
Welcome to Geekhack!

Did you make that black keycap?  Or just used it to form your molds?  Because if you did make it, it looks fantastic!

Sounds like you might be on to something anyway - I suspect a lot of people will be asking you for hints and tips on making stuff, so be prepared for the questions :)
Title: Re: What's cooking?
Post by: Mouse on Mon, 27 July 2015, 06:29:46
No, the black keycap is the one I used for my molds. I wish I was that sharp! I'm a bit rusty.
Title: Re: What's cooking?
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 28 July 2015, 05:15:03
Quote from: Mouse on Mon, 27 July 2015, 06:29:46
No, the black keycap is the one I used for my molds. I wish I was that sharp! I'm a bit rusty.

Ah, ok.

Still, the molds look nice and clean :)
Title: Re: What's cooking?
Post by: demik on Tue, 28 July 2015, 21:10:55
good looking
Title: Re: What's cooking?
Post by: rowdy on Wed, 29 July 2015, 05:32:23
Quote from: demik on Tue, 28 July 2015, 21:10:55
good looking

Poetry, sir?