geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: alne on Thu, 17 December 2009, 08:36:33

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: alne on Thu, 17 December 2009, 08:36:33

hey guys,

recently i took my keyboard with me in my luggage and apparently TSA took it out to examine it and put it back in my bag. but they didn't do such a good job of repacking it as a few keys came off and are lost.

i was wondering if I could use these keys:

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,keycaps&pid=fkb10487#

to replace them? I figured since they are both the brown mx cherry switches would these keys fit properly just like the original steelseries 7g keys would?

if not could you guys offer any suggestions? i don't want to spend another $100 on a new steelseries 7g.

thanks in advance

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: keyb_gr on Thu, 17 December 2009, 08:42:55

Regular letter keys should be quite unproblematic to replace, others can be more tricky. You can also look for used Cherry G81 POS boards to harvest keycaps from... these are regularly available with two-shot labeling as well (very nice keycaps in general).

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: alne on Thu, 17 December 2009, 12:35:23

well actually i was thinking of getting the blank keycaps and replacing the keys that I use for gaming with them ( W A S D ) etc.. right now i'm only missing 4 keys from the numpad ( numlock , / , 3 , 4)

i'm going to shoot steelseries an email as well.. but do you guys think that the http://elitekeyboards.com/products.p...&pid=fkb10487# should work? i've tried googling for images of the keycaps to compare how they look from the backside and it seems that it should fit into the same grooves as my steelseries keyboard. as long as they are the cherry mx switches the filco keycaps should work right?

thanks again

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: mmgoose on Thu, 17 December 2009, 23:33:45

should be alright for the most part depending on the type of 7g (L enter key version) and there MIGHT be a 7g that has the euro 6g layout out there.

problem keys:
euro: enter, left shift, left ctrl, left windows, left alt, spacebar. and a missing key (blank set's only 104) plus stabilizers on the bigger keys.

L enter type: just the backspace and enter. but there also might be the problem of different stabilizers on the 7g's spacebar, shift keys, some numpad keys.

color is a bit off too, filco blanks are darker.

although i'm reasonably sure that the key row profiles are similar to the filcos, i can't guarantee it.

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: alne on Fri, 18 December 2009, 00:27:40

thanks, i think i'll go ahead and order them and try it out..

for the most part at least i think i should be able to black out all my numpad keys , and also i googled keycap stabalizer for cherry mx switch but no results any suggestions?

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: mmgoose on Fri, 18 December 2009, 00:43:24

Quote from: alne;143407

thanks, i think i'll go ahead and order them and try it out..

for the most part at least i think i should be able to black out all my numpad keys , and also i googled keycap stabalizer for cherry mx switch but no results any suggestions?

if the stabilizers on the 7g is anything like the ones on a cherry keyboard then it should be fine. you can just pull the ones on the blanks and replace it with the 7g's.

here, this might help clear up some things:

http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6924 (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6924)

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: Arc'xer on Fri, 18 December 2009, 00:56:08

Uses, cherry corp.....

(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad24/KAI_BRUNNENG/Steelseries7G_3.jpg)

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 18 December 2009, 08:26:46

The Cherry Corp. ones are the suck.  They make it hard to pull the keys off, and you better not hope you pull the stabilizer out of the PCB.  That really sucks.  I like the Filco method much better.

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: keyb_gr on Fri, 18 December 2009, 09:08:26

I've taken keys off on several G80s and never had any significant problems with the stabilizers. You have to wiggle the keycap a bit and pull straight up, then it comes off without a fight. There was one board where the space bar stabilizing wire liked to come unclipped at one side during disassembly but that's pretty easy to put back together (always assuming the top case is off but that's a good idea anyway). Putting the keycaps back on is a snap. G81 stabilizers are noticeably fussier in that regard, as the wire has to slide in at the right spot.

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: timw4mail on Fri, 18 December 2009, 09:18:09

Quote from: ripster;143448

And I was going to post I like the Cherry Corp ones better.  Less finicky to pull off keys.

I knew you were a Filco Fanboy.

I think the Cherry method is a lot easier to put keys back on, you don't have to fuss with those stupid little things on the bottom of the key. You just push the key back on. But that's just me.

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 18 December 2009, 09:20:00

EDIT: Apologies, pictures didn't load up.

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: timw4mail on Fri, 18 December 2009, 09:21:27

Quote from: ch_123;143450

What things at the bottom of the keys?

The stabilizer pins.

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 18 December 2009, 09:23:37

Oops, my internet screwed up. I see them now.

Title: replacement keys for steelseries 7g
Post by: alne on Tue, 22 December 2009, 07:01:57

omg the bold keys look so sexy, i was thinking of getting a bold key set and replacing the keys i use for gaming (W A S D etc) with bolded ones so they stand out :D

haven't gotten a reply yet from steelseries though...