geekhack

geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: Zekromtor on Tue, 10 May 2016, 16:31:26

Title: What keyboard has cream of the crop rubber domes for salvage?
Post by: Zekromtor on Tue, 10 May 2016, 16:31:26

I want to get my hands on some rubber domes that I can make use of in my own devices. The problem I've had so far, chopping up keyboards, is that the new ones seem to use the rubber dome only as a means to press two sheets of plastic together to form the connection. Soldering to those sheets looks like an effort in futility, so I think that perhaps I want the other style rubber dome that has the conductive circle at the bottom that bridges an open circuit when depressed. Anybody know what keyboard I could hack up to find such a thing? I'd prefer one with a small travel, <3mm, but 4mm would work too I guess.

Title: Re: What keyboard has cream of the crop rubber domes for salvage?
Post by: Zekromtor on Wed, 11 May 2016, 21:29:06

It occurred to me that the types of rubber domes I'm talking about don't exist in any keyboards and I just remember them from taking apart calculators or remote controls. Can anyone shine some light on this?

Title: Re: What keyboard has cream of the crop rubber domes for salvage?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Thu, 12 May 2016, 09:00:06

I know what you're talking about, found some in both house phones I disassembled if that helps.  I don't know how to rate them though, and I guess you're looking for lots the same?

Title: Re: What keyboard has cream of the crop rubber domes for salvage?
Post by: Findecanor on Thu, 12 May 2016, 09:47:43

BTC has made keyboards with conductive domes over printed circuit board. The BTC 51X9 series (https://deskthority.net/wiki/BTC_51X9_series) are quite common, plus they also have mostly Cherry MX-compatible keycaps in the same profile as Signature Plastics' DCS.

But are you sure that you wouldn't instead want the feel of a coiled spring in combination with a microswitch?

Title: Re: What keyboard has cream of the crop rubber domes for salvage?
Post by: Zekromtor on Thu, 12 May 2016, 13:27:25

Orange: yeah it'd have to be a lot. Definitely want them from a keyboard if possible.

Quote from: Findecanor on Thu, 12 May 2016, 09:47:43

BTC has made keyboards with conductive domes over printed circuit board. The BTC 51X9 series (https://deskthority.net/wiki/BTC_51X9_series) are quite common, plus they also have mostly Cherry MX-compatible keycaps in the same profile as Signature Plastics' DCS.

But are you sure that you wouldn't instead want the feel of a coiled spring in combination with a microswitch?

Thanks I'll check them out.

And I would be very interested in a coiled spring + microswitch at the very bottom feel! What has such a mechanism?

Title: Re: What keyboard has cream of the crop rubber domes for salvage?
Post by: Zekromtor on Tue, 17 May 2016, 08:29:31

Findecanor, were you merely referencing, in jest, the thread I made ages ago when I mentioned the coiled spring + micro switch at bottom idea, you Swedish trickster?