Post by: Raenbo on Mon, 18 July 2016, 03:29:41
______________________________________________________________________
Original Post:
Original Post:
Hello! Over this summer break, my cousin and I decided to try out crafting our own keys. He wanted to make Topre blanks, and I was interested in making artisans. But before we fully commit to the project, we had to have some ideas. So I started sculpting...
Just the ideas I threw out to see if I could actually make a good design.
[attach=1]
The third and fourth sculpts were what we figured we wanted to make caps of. The MechaShark and the Rose. Once we decided we were ready, we had to gather supplies and materials for resin casting and mold making. It wasn't cheap, but we got some Oomoo 30 for the silicone mold and Alumilte Water Clear for the resin. Also a paint tank that we converted into a pressure pot. Thankfully my dad already had an air compressor in the garage. I think our total cost came to about $300 for everything, including tools and colorants.
[attach=2]
So, we made our molds of the caps following many guides and how-to videos. We wanted to do this right, and minimize wasting materials.
[attach=3]
I swear we took more pictures... We wanted to document our trials but I think we got too excited during the process and forgot to take lots of pics.
Anyways, our molds came out pretty good. Once we tested the molds, we decided to dive right in to coloring the resin and curing it under pressure. Our first cast went a little like this...
[attach=4][attach=5]
I'd like to consider them a success. They can use some work, as the stem is loose for the rose, and sometimes the Topre cap gets stuck to the keyboard. We definitely need to refine our methods and make better molds. But so far, everything is going great with our caps. In the meantime, we are experimenting with a variety of colorants. Waiting is the hardest part, as it takes hours for the Alumilite to fully cure.
Eventually, we'd like to release our caps into the wild world. We came up with calling ourselves "Aero Key." Just a play on words, and our logo is gonna look something like this wing
[attach=6]
Also sorry if the format of this post is weird. First time making a topic here. Hello everyone!
Post by: Marshal on Tue, 19 July 2016, 02:04:55
Edit: Have to apologize about all the photos on this page and for the awfully dusty laptop that I took the photos on.
[attach=1] [attach=2]
[attach=3] [attach=4]
[attach=5] [attach=6] [attach=7]
[attach=8]
Post by: romevi on Tue, 19 July 2016, 12:43:28
I really like the rose and shark ones, but I'm not a fan of the super translucent materials in the finished caps. Makes them harder to see the details.
Would really like to see some opaque versions. :thumb:
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 19 July 2016, 13:47:03
And here I post!
I really like the rose and shark ones, but I'm not a fan of the super translucent materials in the finished caps. Makes them harder to see the details.
Would really like to see some opaque versions. :thumb:
Yeah we're working on getting more variations of color. Right now, our dyes only come out translucent. We're looking into getting white pigment to make opaque colors. Thanks for your feedback :)
Post by: dannrawr on Tue, 19 July 2016, 14:45:33
And here I post!yeah cant see details on them mechashark
I really like the rose and shark ones, but I'm not a fan of the super translucent materials in the finished caps. Makes them harder to see the details.
Would really like to see some opaque versions. :thumb:
Post by: Raenbo on Wed, 20 July 2016, 13:37:25
Post by: romevi on Wed, 20 July 2016, 14:59:53
Welp, that just happened. :'(
He didn't want to let go.
Post by: Raenbo on Wed, 20 July 2016, 19:09:21
Post by: romevi on Wed, 20 July 2016, 20:38:43
Some progress we made today! Gonna take a little break cuz I'm headed to SD Comic Con
Marvelous!
How do they feel when you press them? I notice there's no flat surface. Do you bop the nose?
Post by: Raenbo on Wed, 20 July 2016, 20:59:58
Some progress we made today! Gonna take a little break cuz I'm headed to SD Comic Con
Marvelous!
How do they feel when you press them? I notice there's no flat surface. Do you bop the nose?
They press down just like any key! I usually just hit the shark on the lower jaw, but bopping the nose works too :) He might look menacing, but he won't take a bite out of you, maybe just a nibble heh.
Post by: SBJ on Thu, 21 July 2016, 03:41:22
Hello all, here for an update on our progress with cap making! Currently our artisans are only MX and our Blanks are only Topre but we're working towards having both available. Here is what we have so far and we'd like as much feedback as possible, hoping to get some support from others. Thanks a lot :DThat looks really great! Some of those blanks are fantastic.
Edit: Have to apologize about all the photos on this page and for the awfully dusty laptop that I took the photos on.
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
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Post by: kenmai9 on Thu, 21 July 2016, 17:38:01
also thank you for starcluster blanks, i'm going to post them when i receive them! <3
Post by: Kenda on Fri, 22 July 2016, 02:55:14
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: juahenza on Fri, 22 July 2016, 03:37:08
Post by: GreyAmbience on Fri, 22 July 2016, 04:23:50
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 22 July 2016, 09:23:17
Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Yeah, we decided not to cast the owl and shark for that reason, but they were good for getting the basics of sculpting down.
So the MechaShark and the Rose are our main focus right now, along with the Topre blanks.
If anyone has any suggestions on what I could sculpt, feel free to leave them here :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: dannrawr on Fri, 22 July 2016, 09:45:08
Post by: xtrafrood on Fri, 22 July 2016, 09:51:28
Post by: GreyAmbience on Fri, 22 July 2016, 12:50:56
Thanks for all the kind words! They get me motivated to keep trying and making more caps :)I will post ideas when I get them, you guys are seriously already making HQ caps! <3Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Yeah, we decided not to cast the owl and shark for that reason, but they were good for getting the basics of sculpting down.
So the MechaShark and the Rose are our main focus right now, along with the Topre blanks.
If anyone has any suggestions on what I could sculpt, feel free to leave them here :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: kenmai9 on Fri, 22 July 2016, 13:06:45
Thanks for all the kind words! They get me motivated to keep trying and making more caps :)Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Yeah, we decided not to cast the owl and shark for that reason, but they were good for getting the basics of sculpting down.
So the MechaShark and the Rose are our main focus right now, along with the Topre blanks.
If anyone has any suggestions on what I could sculpt, feel free to leave them here :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
i would suggest something low profile to match cherry and topre profiles!
and tbh re: shark, i think you should continue casting it anyways. sharks weren't copyrighted, you can still make it.
yours is different/looks cooler imo anyways. no offense to booper.
like ppl still make skulls/reapers even though they've been done. just my 2 cents.
maybe you can make a sick elephant cap?
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 22 July 2016, 23:07:50
Post by: romevi on Fri, 22 July 2016, 23:12:34
Elephants have always been on my list of ideas, but could never think of a nice way of getting all of its features to fit nicely on a cap.. But life, uh, finds a way.. :cool:
You would have to tuck in the ears and wrap the trunk around.
BlueNalgene made a few, but they were giveaways for his GB.
Post by: Kenda on Fri, 22 July 2016, 23:54:55
Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.My opinion, shark and owl are good to work with as long as their designs are different. Just because someone made something similar before and others can't make it is too extreme
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: Marshal on Sat, 23 July 2016, 00:54:41
Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.My opinion, shark and owl are good to work with as long as their designs are different. Just because someone made something similar before and others can't make it is too extreme
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah that's what I was saying. They're really cool designs and the HWS Owl is insanely hard to find which makes it suck for people who really like owls or the design and won't be able to get their hands on any. The same with the Booper Bruce, it's a struggle for people who don't have good caps to trade to get their hands on such great caps and I think that every Artisan has their own sculpting style. Even with blanks, there aren't many that are identical from different makers and shows how unique each Artisan is.
Post by: GreyAmbience on Sat, 23 July 2016, 02:44:49
Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.My opinion, shark and owl are good to work with as long as their designs are different. Just because someone made something similar before and others can't make it is too extreme
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah that's what I was saying. They're really cool designs and the HWS Owl is insanely hard to find which makes it suck for people who really like owls or the design and won't be able to get their hands on any. The same with the Booper Bruce, it's a struggle for people who don't have good caps to trade to get their hands on such great caps and I think that every Artisan has their own sculpting style. Even with blanks, there aren't many that are identical from different makers and shows how unique each Artisan is.
Disclaimer :)
I hope I don't come off as negative, because that is not my intention at all, I think this is great work and I really hope and encourage you guys to continue what you are doing, it's really great with new artisans and especially people who actually makes something that looks good! Let's just have a nice fun debate here :)
Now, I think you are getting a few points wrong there.
First off, it is really not cool to make caps that are the same design as some of the OGs has made, and there's no reason to do so. I'm not saying that no one can make a skull cap because Clack did it, but something as unique as a shark or an owl is not okay imho. That owl looks way to much like HWS's Hoot. There are literally millions of things you can sculpt, so why pick something that a veteran has already made, and is a true gem to have in a collection.
That brings me to a second point I think you are getting up side down. The thing about artisans that makes them awesome is the fact that they are hand made, hard to get, collectibles. If you could go down to Wallmart and buy a Hoot keycap it would be worthless in a collectors community. If you start making caps that looks like other peoples designs you are undermining the very thing that the community love about keycaps. Originality and integrity is a key(get it?)stone here.
Look at the discussion that's going on in Binges right now. Someone posted a picture of a fake Keying keycap and Binge found out. It obviously hurt him and people did not like that at all. I've seen comments saying some really nasty stuff and there are a lot of people trying to find out who made it and where it came from.
That being said I absolutely love the work you've done, it looks like top quality and I can not wait to see what else you are going to make. I am really exited to see new people popping up making artisans, I think it's great for the community and I love all artisan makers here.
I was thinking yesterday, what is it that makes Binge, Bros and the like succesful?
I think one factor that drives some collectors are consistency. What I mean is that they have a handful of designs that they make in a variety of colors. That makes it very fun to collect and display. The Brobot V2, Skulthulu, Fugu and many others are a great testement to what people appreciate about it.
So my advice would be to figure out a sculpt that looks good with most other profiles (sa, dsa, gmk, ect) and find a way to make it a double shot/multi colored design. That way you will have endless possibilities of colorways and I think that's what the people want. You can always make new designs of course, and there's also the possibility of making a new design each sale, like KeyKollective has done, but it depends on what your goal of it is I suppose.
Post by: GreyAmbience on Sat, 23 July 2016, 02:58:44
If you are considering an elephant as a model for a cap (which I think is a great idea), maybe you can dram some inspiration from the Indian half God Ganesha
(http://www.terra-et-ars.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ganesha-sg-in-n-600x600.jpg)
There would probably be plenty of models to look at when sculpting and it's already know as RNGanesha (as opposed to RNGesus) during keycap raffles.
I think it's a great idea actually
Post by: Marshal on Sat, 23 July 2016, 03:00:56
Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.My opinion, shark and owl are good to work with as long as their designs are different. Just because someone made something similar before and others can't make it is too extreme
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah that's what I was saying. They're really cool designs and the HWS Owl is insanely hard to find which makes it suck for people who really like owls or the design and won't be able to get their hands on any. The same with the Booper Bruce, it's a struggle for people who don't have good caps to trade to get their hands on such great caps and I think that every Artisan has their own sculpting style. Even with blanks, there aren't many that are identical from different makers and shows how unique each Artisan is.
Disclaimer :)
I hope I don't come off as negative, because that is not my intention at all, I think this is great work and I really hope and encourage you guys to continue what you are doing, it's really great with new artisans and especially people who actually makes something that looks good! Let's just have a nice fun debate here :)
Now, I think you are getting a few points wrong there.
First off, it is really not cool to make caps that are the same design as some of the OGs has made, and there's no reason to do so. I'm not saying that no one can make a skull cap because Clack did it, but something as unique as a shark or an owl is not okay imho. That owl looks way to much like HWS's Hoot. There are literally millions of things you can sculpt, so why pick something that a veteran has already made, and is a true gem to have in a collection.
That brings me to a second point I think you are getting up side down. The thing about artisans that makes them awesome is the fact that they are hand made, hard to get, collectibles. If you could go down to Wallmart and buy a Hoot keycap it would be worthless in a collectors community. If you start making caps that looks like other peoples designs you are undermining the very thing that the community love about keycaps. Originality and integrity is a key(get it?)stone here.
Look at the discussion that's going on in Binges right now. Someone posted a picture of a fake Keying keycap and Binge found out. It obviously hurt him and people did not like that at all. I've seen comments saying some really nasty stuff and there are a lot of people trying to find out who made it and where it came from.
That being said I absolutely love the work you've done, it looks like top quality and I can not wait to see what else you are going to make. I am really exited to see new people popping up making artisans, I think it's great for the community and I love all artisan makers here.
I was thinking yesterday, what is it that makes Binge, Bros and the like succesful?
I think one factor that drives some collectors are consistency. What I mean is that they have a handful of designs that they make in a variety of colors. That makes it very fun to collect and display. The Brobot V2, Skulthulu, Fugu and many others are a great testement to what people appreciate about it.
So my advice would be to figure out a sculpt that looks good with most other profiles (sa, dsa, gmk, ect) and find a way to make it a double shot/multi colored design. That way you will have endless possibilities of colorways and I think that's what the people want. You can always make new designs of course, and there's also the possibility of making a new design each sale, like KeyKollective has done, but it depends on what your goal of it is I suppose.
I didn't realize that Sharks and Owls were extremely unique compared to skulls and the like. However, it is worth mentioning that the sculptor had never seen Booper's Bruce and Binge's Owl beforehand. He's a lot newer to the scene and showed no interest in artisans up until recently. The main reason why we didn't cast the owl and the other shark was because I told him they were way too similar. There was nothing in front of him that he was copying :P
Just wanted to clear that up. The owl was the first thing he sculpted and I immediately showed him the Binge cap and that was long before we had any materials/experience for casting. I agree that it's not okay to copy someone else's work but I mean that wasn't the purpose in the first place AND we never made the cast.
Post by: GreyAmbience on Sat, 23 July 2016, 03:08:18
Thanks for the info mate :) It seems to me that OPs are some really cool guys! I will do anything I can to support your work :)Beautiful work guys. If I should note anything I would maybe say that Booper has already made a shark and HWS has made an owl, so maybe you should come up with your own designs of something else.My opinion, shark and owl are good to work with as long as their designs are different. Just because someone made something similar before and others can't make it is too extreme
But really beautiful sculpting and casting work! Love it :thumb:
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah that's what I was saying. They're really cool designs and the HWS Owl is insanely hard to find which makes it suck for people who really like owls or the design and won't be able to get their hands on any. The same with the Booper Bruce, it's a struggle for people who don't have good caps to trade to get their hands on such great caps and I think that every Artisan has their own sculpting style. Even with blanks, there aren't many that are identical from different makers and shows how unique each Artisan is.
Disclaimer :)
I hope I don't come off as negative, because that is not my intention at all, I think this is great work and I really hope and encourage you guys to continue what you are doing, it's really great with new artisans and especially people who actually makes something that looks good! Let's just have a nice fun debate here :)
Now, I think you are getting a few points wrong there.
First off, it is really not cool to make caps that are the same design as some of the OGs has made, and there's no reason to do so. I'm not saying that no one can make a skull cap because Clack did it, but something as unique as a shark or an owl is not okay imho. That owl looks way to much like HWS's Hoot. There are literally millions of things you can sculpt, so why pick something that a veteran has already made, and is a true gem to have in a collection.
That brings me to a second point I think you are getting up side down. The thing about artisans that makes them awesome is the fact that they are hand made, hard to get, collectibles. If you could go down to Wallmart and buy a Hoot keycap it would be worthless in a collectors community. If you start making caps that looks like other peoples designs you are undermining the very thing that the community love about keycaps. Originality and integrity is a key(get it?)stone here.
Look at the discussion that's going on in Binges right now. Someone posted a picture of a fake Keying keycap and Binge found out. It obviously hurt him and people did not like that at all. I've seen comments saying some really nasty stuff and there are a lot of people trying to find out who made it and where it came from.
That being said I absolutely love the work you've done, it looks like top quality and I can not wait to see what else you are going to make. I am really exited to see new people popping up making artisans, I think it's great for the community and I love all artisan makers here.
I was thinking yesterday, what is it that makes Binge, Bros and the like succesful?
I think one factor that drives some collectors are consistency. What I mean is that they have a handful of designs that they make in a variety of colors. That makes it very fun to collect and display. The Brobot V2, Skulthulu, Fugu and many others are a great testement to what people appreciate about it.
So my advice would be to figure out a sculpt that looks good with most other profiles (sa, dsa, gmk, ect) and find a way to make it a double shot/multi colored design. That way you will have endless possibilities of colorways and I think that's what the people want. You can always make new designs of course, and there's also the possibility of making a new design each sale, like KeyKollective has done, but it depends on what your goal of it is I suppose.
I didn't realize that Sharks and Owls were extremely unique compared to skulls and the like. However, it is worth mentioning that the sculptor had never seen Booper's Bruce and Binge's Owl beforehand. He's a lot newer to the scene and showed no interest in artisans up until recently. The main reason why we didn't cast the owl and the other shark was because I told him they were way too similar. There was nothing in front of him that he was copying
Just wanted to clear that up. The owl was the first thing he sculpted and I immediately showed him the Binge cap and that was long before we had any materials/experience for casting. I agree that it's not okay to copy someone else's work but I mean that wasn't the purpose in the first place AND we never made the cast.
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sat, 23 July 2016, 03:49:23
Post by: Marshal on Sat, 23 July 2016, 03:56:56
Post by: juahenza on Sat, 23 July 2016, 07:10:06
Post by: Raenbo on Sun, 24 July 2016, 19:10:43
Just a quick side not also;
If you are considering an elephant as a model for a cap (which I think is a great idea), maybe you can dram some inspiration from the Indian half God GaneshaShow Image(http://www.terra-et-ars.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ganesha-sg-in-n-600x600.jpg)
There would probably be plenty of models to look at when sculpting and it's already know as RNGanesha (as opposed to RNGesus) during keycap raffles.
I think it's a great idea actually
Thanks for that picture! It gives me a good base/ inspiration for making a sculpt of an elephant. It's definitely on my list of future projects.
Anyways, I'm back from San Diego, and I'm excited to get back to work. Right now, I want to focus on making more molds for the Mecha Shark, and re-creating the Rose in a better size and shape. Hopefully, I will have some cool stuff to show you guys by the end of this week :)
Post by: Marshal on Sun, 24 July 2016, 19:29:59
[attach=1]
Post by: KlarKuo on Mon, 25 July 2016, 15:56:32
Post by: Raenbo on Mon, 25 July 2016, 16:10:44
Got mine over the weekend. They look pretty sweet, definitely interested for the future
Which cap did you get? Are you satisfied with how it fits on your keyboard?
Post by: romevi on Mon, 25 July 2016, 16:15:09
Post by: KlarKuo on Tue, 26 July 2016, 19:12:37
I didn't realize that Sharks and Owls were extremely unique compared to skulls and the like. However, it is worth mentioning that the sculptor had never seen Booper's Bruce and Binge's Owl beforehand. He's a lot newer to the scene and showed no interest in artisans up until recently. The main reason why we didn't cast the owl and the other shark was because I told him they were way too similar. There was nothing in front of him that he was copying :P
Just wanted to clear that up. The owl was the first thing he sculpted and I immediately showed him the Binge cap and that was long before we had any materials/experience for casting. I agree that it's not okay to copy someone else's work but I mean that wasn't the purpose in the first place AND we never made the cast.
I'm glad to hear that was the case, it was something I had noticed when I first saw the progress pictures
Which cap did you get? Are you satisfied with how it fits on your keyboard?
Got the blue and black sharks. They both fit pretty well on my keyboards - no real problem with the stem or anything. Love how they look as well. Blue one is at work so I can't take pictures
(http://i.imgur.com/YUMRivM.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/fbP2EHA.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gacKZVe.jpg)
Post by: Marshal on Tue, 26 July 2016, 19:52:28
[attachimg=1]
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 29 July 2016, 21:03:59
I didn't realize that Sharks and Owls were extremely unique compared to skulls and the like. However, it is worth mentioning that the sculptor had never seen Booper's Bruce and Binge's Owl beforehand. He's a lot newer to the scene and showed no interest in artisans up until recently. The main reason why we didn't cast the owl and the other shark was because I told him they were way too similar. There was nothing in front of him that he was copying :P
Just wanted to clear that up. The owl was the first thing he sculpted and I immediately showed him the Binge cap and that was long before we had any materials/experience for casting. I agree that it's not okay to copy someone else's work but I mean that wasn't the purpose in the first place AND we never made the cast.
I'm glad to hear that was the case, it was something I had noticed when I first saw the progress picturesWhich cap did you get? Are you satisfied with how it fits on your keyboard?
Got the blue and black sharks. They both fit pretty well on my keyboards - no real problem with the stem or anything. Love how they look as well. Blue one is at work so I can't take picturesShow Image(http://i.imgur.com/YUMRivM.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/fbP2EHA.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/gacKZVe.jpg)
That dark grey Shark looks great with your keyset! And I'm really glad you like it.
Gonna have more colors posted soon! And just about ready to get into production mode for the next sale :thumb:
Post by: Raenbo on Sat, 30 July 2016, 16:07:54
http://imgur.com/a/jgzCG
[attach=2]
https://imgur.com/a/IasO8
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sun, 31 July 2016, 04:29:14
(Attachment Link)
http://imgur.com/a/jgzCG
(Attachment Link)
https://imgur.com/a/IasO8
Looking good, but please don't say the orange one is Topre :-X
Post by: KlarKuo on Sun, 31 July 2016, 13:01:31
(Attachment Link)
http://imgur.com/a/jgzCG
(Attachment Link)
https://imgur.com/a/IasO8
New colors are sick. Hope they'll be available in MX
Post by: Raenbo on Sun, 31 July 2016, 14:28:04
Post by: muon on Sun, 31 July 2016, 15:21:39
Seeing big improvements over time
Post by: rm-rf on Sun, 31 July 2016, 15:37:15
keep up the good work!
Post by: GreyAmbience on Sun, 31 July 2016, 15:39:19
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Post by: KlarKuo on Sun, 31 July 2016, 16:03:48
All the sharks are MX! Kind of misleading since Marshal has a Novatouch stem on his HHKB.
Yesssss
Post by: GreyAmbience on Mon, 01 August 2016, 15:51:17
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Post by: Marshal on Tue, 02 August 2016, 01:14:45
[attach=1] [attach=2] [attach=3]
Post by: mrlooolz on Tue, 02 August 2016, 01:29:50
Pretty big update with the HHKB Mod Sets, any feedback is greatly appreciated!My feedback is after those pics i am going on now to buy a black hhkb 2:) cause i got to have 2 of these sets. Dibs on teal :D
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
Post by: rm-rf on Tue, 02 August 2016, 01:59:29
Pretty big update with the HHKB Mod Sets, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
pretty damn nice!
are there going to be more color ways in the future?
Post by: romevi on Tue, 02 August 2016, 07:53:25
Pretty big update with the HHKB Mod Sets, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
pretty damn nice!
are there going to be more color ways in the future?
Maybe a light blue?
Post by: KlarKuo on Tue, 02 August 2016, 08:18:39
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 02 August 2016, 13:19:57
We also prefer to have opaque sets over the translucent ones, but sometimes our colorant mix ratio doesn't go as planned... We hope there's someone out there that likes translucent mods, or else we'd be using up a lot of material for nothing! :confused:
Anyways, Marshal and I want to have a raffle-style sale soon, within the coming weeks. We'll make a post in the Artisan Services section when we're ready :)
Post by: kenmai9 on Tue, 02 August 2016, 13:34:43
Pretty big update with the HHKB Mod Sets, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
sweet!
any chance for realforce mods? :D
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 02 August 2016, 14:05:04
Pretty big update with the HHKB Mod Sets, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
sweet!
any chance for realforce mods? :D
We'd need a blank PBT Realforce mods so we could make molds of them :( Ideally, after our first sale, we could afford to buy PBT mod sets of other boards so that we can branch from HHKB mods. No promises though, it's just an idea...
Post by: kenmai9 on Tue, 02 August 2016, 14:06:54
Pretty big update with the HHKB Mod Sets, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
sweet!
any chance for realforce mods? :D
We'd need a blank PBT Realforce mods so we could make molds of them :( Ideally, after our first sale, we could afford to buy PBT mod sets of other boards so that we can branch from HHKB mods. No promises though, it's just an idea...
all good! glws/production :)
Post by: Raenbo on Wed, 03 August 2016, 18:48:48
http://imgur.com/a/POhI8
And here's the full albums of mods and MechaSharks:
http://imgur.com/a/RtrrP
http://imgur.com/a/JYWLW
We're going to be having our sale on August 12 and it's going to be raffle-style. More details will be coming soon and posted here.
Post by: ntw on Wed, 03 August 2016, 21:49:23
they look really solid though. :thumb:
Post by: switchnollie on Wed, 03 August 2016, 22:08:11
are those HHKB mods in Topre? I'm confused as you mentioned earlier the HHKB has Novatouch-stem
they look really solid though. :thumb:
They should be, looks like Topre profile in the pics.
I think that's just the shark that was Nova.
Post by: Raenbo on Wed, 03 August 2016, 23:31:23
are those HHKB mods in Topre? I'm confused as you mentioned earlier the HHKB has Novatouch-stem
they look really solid though. :thumb:
They should be, looks like Topre profile in the pics.
I think that's just the shark that was Nova.
Correct and thank you!
The mod sets are Topre, the artisan caps are MX! I'll be working on also making Topre artisans in the future.
Post by: GiveCandyy on Thu, 04 August 2016, 07:07:08
Post by: ReverbSlush on Thu, 04 August 2016, 07:33:18
Post by: Mr Mulch on Thu, 04 August 2016, 08:04:29
Post by: GreyAmbience on Thu, 04 August 2016, 08:26:43
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Post by: romevi on Thu, 04 August 2016, 09:19:55
Post by: RobotMalcolmX on Thu, 04 August 2016, 09:26:38
Post by: mikequity on Thu, 04 August 2016, 10:35:52
Post by: Gatix on Thu, 04 August 2016, 10:51:04
Post by: tinymakesthings on Thu, 04 August 2016, 12:01:03
Do you guys have an instagram? If not, you guys should consider getting one :)
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 04 August 2016, 13:55:51
I'm digging the color choices! Any information as to what time the sale will open on the 12th?
I have to discuss with Marshal, but our sale should be open from Friday to the end of Saturday. Might be going for a 36-hour or a 48-hour entry time.
Do you have mockups on how this would look like on a black HHKB? I'm interested with Umbra
We don't have a black HHKB to take photos on, unfortunately. I do want to get one in the future though...
Loving the beautiful colors (and names!). Cyan + Umbra are my favorite. Looking forward to that sale!
Do you guys have an instagram? If not, you guys should consider getting one :)
Thanks mate, and I will be creating an Instagram to show case upcoming projects :)
Post by: xninetynine on Thu, 04 August 2016, 16:45:58
Post by: romevi on Thu, 04 August 2016, 18:02:13
Omg. I need to get in on this. Is it FCFS or raffle style for these on August 12?
So far as I'm aware it's rcfs.
Post by: audax989 on Thu, 04 August 2016, 19:23:52
Post by: Marshal on Thu, 04 August 2016, 22:25:23
any idea on how much the mods are going to cost? will they support f660c layouts as well?
It's really tough to price the mods because there are 13 keys in our mod sets and we want to charge the smallest amount possible for each key but when taking into consideration the amount of materials it takes and the amount of time it takes to cast>check for flaws>recast flawed keys>sand in bulk it's hard to really find a good price right in the middle. The entire set will most likely cost $80 plus shipping depending on where you are located in the world.
We decided not to charge a set price for shipping because we want to include everyone in the world who wants them and I feel that everyone should have a chance at them. The price may seem steep but I like to believe that ~$6 a blank is worth it. I want HHKB/Topre users to have more options available to them because when I first got mine I had realized their was few options to make it personal. The more colors we make and the more options we have will help that and may even convert some MX users ;)
I appreciate the question and will be more than happy to answer any others you have to help clear anything up before we release our full description of the sale. Also your questions are helping us decide on specific details like "First come first serve vs. Raffle" and "Pricing".
As for the 660 compatibility, unfortunately we aren't doing it this sale. Neither I nor Raenbo own one and I was unlucky in trying to find someone to sell me their set. I would love to be able to make them for our next sale and I'm currently looking for someone to sell theirs. My vision for the next sale is to have 660 and Realforce compatibility.
Post by: xninetynine on Thu, 04 August 2016, 23:04:53
any idea on how much the mods are going to cost? will they support f660c layouts as well?
It's really tough to price the mods because there are 13 keys in our mod sets and we want to charge the smallest amount possible for each key but when taking into consideration the amount of materials it takes and the amount of time it takes to cast>check for flaws>recast flawed keys>sand in bulk it's hard to really find a good price right in the middle. The entire set will most likely cost $80 plus shipping depending on where you are located in the world.
We decided not to charge a set price for shipping because we want to include everyone in the world who wants them and I feel that everyone should have a chance at them. The price may seem steep but I like to believe that ~$6 a blank is worth it. I want HHKB/Topre users to have more options available to them because when I first got mine I had realized their was few options to make it personal. The more colors we make and the more options we have will help that and may even convert some MX users ;)
I appreciate the question and will be more than happy to answer any others you have to help clear anything up before we release our full description of the sale. Also your questions are helping us decide on specific details like "First come first serve vs. Raffle" and "Pricing".
As for the 660 compatibility, unfortunately we aren't doing it this sale. Neither I nor Raenbo own one and I was unlucky in trying to find someone to sell me their set. I would love to be able to make them for our next sale and I'm currently looking for someone to sell theirs. My vision for the next sale is to have 660 and Realforce compatibility.
Honestly $80 for a full mod set is not a bad price point imo. Finding topre mods are hard to find already and it's such a niche product that I feel like the price + premium is well worth it. Especially with the craft you guys have and color ways. I hope to get in this first round. Really want some mods for the HHKBT I'm gonna pick up. Not sure if it was clarified but is this gonna be a raffle style or first come first serve?
Post by: Marshal on Thu, 04 August 2016, 23:08:54
any idea on how much the mods are going to cost? will they support f660c layouts as well?
It's really tough to price the mods because there are 13 keys in our mod sets and we want to charge the smallest amount possible for each key but when taking into consideration the amount of materials it takes and the amount of time it takes to cast>check for flaws>recast flawed keys>sand in bulk it's hard to really find a good price right in the middle. The entire set will most likely cost $80 plus shipping depending on where you are located in the world.
We decided not to charge a set price for shipping because we want to include everyone in the world who wants them and I feel that everyone should have a chance at them. The price may seem steep but I like to believe that ~$6 a blank is worth it. I want HHKB/Topre users to have more options available to them because when I first got mine I had realized their was few options to make it personal. The more colors we make and the more options we have will help that and may even convert some MX users ;)
I appreciate the question and will be more than happy to answer any others you have to help clear anything up before we release our full description of the sale. Also your questions are helping us decide on specific details like "First come first serve vs. Raffle" and "Pricing".
As for the 660 compatibility, unfortunately we aren't doing it this sale. Neither I nor Raenbo own one and I was unlucky in trying to find someone to sell me their set. I would love to be able to make them for our next sale and I'm currently looking for someone to sell theirs. My vision for the next sale is to have 660 and Realforce compatibility.
Honestly $80 for a full mod set is not a bad price point imo. Finding topre mods are hard to find already and it's such a niche product that I feel like the price + premium is well worth it. Especially with the craft you guys have and color ways. I hope to get in this first round. Really want some mods for the HHKBT I'm gonna pick up. Not sure if it was clarified but is this gonna be a raffle style or first come first serve?
Definitely raffle style. Also, we are considering doing made-to-order sets like KeyKollectiv did in their sale. Making a bunch of all colors doesn't seem like a good idea and if there are people who don't mind waiting a bit, we can make the color they joined the raffle for or they can pass on the privilege to someone else.
Post by: rm-rf on Thu, 04 August 2016, 23:51:05
i also like how some of them are slightly transparent, gives it a nice look!
Post by: henz on Fri, 05 August 2016, 02:44:40
these mods definitely look fantastic!
i also like how some of them are slightly transparent, gives it a nice look!
dis, will def sign up for this.
Post by: Fire Brand on Fri, 05 August 2016, 05:54:13
(http://nerdapproved.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/fishbones-replica-3.jpg)
Fishbones is that you O:
Hope I get my self some high explosive shark goodness this coming sale
Post by: xondat on Fri, 05 August 2016, 06:24:40
Post by: ntw on Fri, 05 August 2016, 06:30:24
I'll just into a set of in following shades of blue such as Azure, Baby Blue, Royal Blue, Cerulean. ref https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Shades_of_blue
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 05 August 2016, 13:11:50
Those sharks look really neato, they remind me of something thoughShow Image(http://nerdapproved.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/fishbones-replica-3.jpg)
Fishbones is that you O:
Hope I get my self some high explosive shark goodness this coming sale
Haha, you caught me! Fishbones is indeed the inspiration for the sculpt. My goal was to make it a multi-shot artisan, with different colors for different components of the shark-rocket-launcher. I'm still practicing with multi-shotting, and I'm no where near where I want to be. That's why I only have single-shots for this first sale. But I plan to do multi-shots for the next sale!
Here's some of my practice double-shots.
(http://i.imgur.com/4hGRGBL.jpg?2) (http://imgur.com/4hGRGBL)
Post by: KlarKuo on Fri, 05 August 2016, 14:07:35
Loving both of those color combos.Those sharks look really neato, they remind me of something thoughShow Image(http://nerdapproved.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/fishbones-replica-3.jpg)
Fishbones is that you O:
Hope I get my self some high explosive shark goodness this coming sale
Haha, you caught me! Fishbones is indeed the inspiration for the sculpt. My goal was to make it a multi-shot artisan, with different colors for different components of the shark-rocket-launcher. I'm still practicing with multi-shotting, and I'm no where near where I want to be. That's why I only have single-shots for this first sale. But I plan to do multi-shots for the next sale!
Here's some of my practice double-shots.
(http://i.imgur.com/4hGRGBL.jpg?2) (http://imgur.com/4hGRGBL)
Post by: romevi on Fri, 05 August 2016, 14:20:59
Those sharks look really neato, they remind me of something thoughShow Image(http://nerdapproved.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/fishbones-replica-3.jpg)
Fishbones is that you O:
Hope I get my self some high explosive shark goodness this coming sale
Haha, you caught me! Fishbones is indeed the inspiration for the sculpt. My goal was to make it a multi-shot artisan, with different colors for different components of the shark-rocket-launcher. I'm still practicing with multi-shotting, and I'm no where near where I want to be. That's why I only have single-shots for this first sale. But I plan to do multi-shots for the next sale!
Here's some of my practice double-shots.
(http://i.imgur.com/4hGRGBL.jpg?2) (http://imgur.com/4hGRGBL)
Those are great! The one on the left more so. ;D
Post by: Fire Brand on Sat, 06 August 2016, 09:29:32
Aha I thought so I hope you do one in the fishbones colours (Purple and steel) as that would be pretty neatoThose sharks look really neato, they remind me of something thoughShow Image(http://nerdapproved.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/fishbones-replica-3.jpg)
Fishbones is that you O:
Hope I get my self some high explosive shark goodness this coming sale
Haha, you caught me! Fishbones is indeed the inspiration for the sculpt. My goal was to make it a multi-shot artisan, with different colors for different components of the shark-rocket-launcher. I'm still practicing with multi-shotting, and I'm no where near where I want to be. That's why I only have single-shots for this first sale. But I plan to do multi-shots for the next sale!
Here's some of my practice double-shots.
(http://i.imgur.com/4hGRGBL.jpg?2) (http://imgur.com/4hGRGBL)
Post by: Raenbo on Mon, 08 August 2016, 04:19:16
Post by: el-Chapino-del-Pepino on Mon, 08 August 2016, 20:51:49
Post by: xninetynine on Mon, 08 August 2016, 21:04:09
Due to unfortunate circumstance, we have to postpone the sale/ raffle to August 17!
Hope everything is okay! A week isn't too bad and am looking forward to the sale. Cheers guys!
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 09 August 2016, 01:01:05
I would give my left kidney for one of those double shot with Miami colors.
That's one of my planned colorways :cool:
Due to unfortunate circumstance, we have to postpone the sale/ raffle to August 17!
Hope everything is okay! A week isn't too bad and am looking forward to the sale. Cheers guys!
Nothing too serious, but life gets in the way sometimes heh :-X. Reading a comment like this definitely helps keep the spirits up! Thank you and I can't wait to get our keys on keyboards :)
Anyways, our pressure pot spent the day making molds, so in the downtime I started a new sculpt! WIP
(http://i.imgur.com/b7B0k9L.jpg?1)
Post by: xninetynine on Tue, 09 August 2016, 11:55:58
I would give my left kidney for one of those double shot with Miami colors.
That's one of my planned colorways :cool:Due to unfortunate circumstance, we have to postpone the sale/ raffle to August 17!
Hope everything is okay! A week isn't too bad and am looking forward to the sale. Cheers guys!
Nothing too serious, but life gets in the way sometimes heh :-X. Reading a comment like this definitely helps keep the spirits up! Thank you and I can't wait to get our keys on keyboards :)
Anyways, our pressure pot spent the day making molds, so in the downtime I started a new sculpt! WIPShow Image(http://i.imgur.com/b7B0k9L.jpg?1)
I'm glad to hear it's nothing too serious! That Elephant base sculpt is gorgeous inb4 everyone else so I can win a free one ;D. Just kidding, hahaha. Keep up the good work and see you on the 17th!
Post by: romevi on Tue, 09 August 2016, 12:02:17
I would give my left kidney for one of those double shot with Miami colors.
That's one of my planned colorways :cool:Due to unfortunate circumstance, we have to postpone the sale/ raffle to August 17!
Hope everything is okay! A week isn't too bad and am looking forward to the sale. Cheers guys!
Nothing too serious, but life gets in the way sometimes heh :-X. Reading a comment like this definitely helps keep the spirits up! Thank you and I can't wait to get our keys on keyboards :)
Anyways, our pressure pot spent the day making molds, so in the downtime I started a new sculpt! WIPShow Image(http://i.imgur.com/b7B0k9L.jpg?1)
That's great! I know the elephant idea was tossed around before, but I don't think anyone actually tackled it. Great sculpt!
I know BlueNalgene had some to give away for his GB, but I haven't seen anyone post pics of them. :rolleyes:
Post by: misconceit on Thu, 11 August 2016, 06:35:56
Post by: funderburker on Thu, 11 August 2016, 06:56:53
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 11 August 2016, 11:33:36
I see some people prefer clay and some people prefer wax when making prototype artisan, what is the biggest difference?
I've never sculpted with wax before, but from what I've seen, wax is harder than clay at room temperature. You need heat to get the wax to move, whereas clay (such as Super Sculpey which I use) can be sculpted and molded by hand. I'd say clay is easier to work with for beginners, but wax can definitely give you cleaner sculpts if you have enough experience. Clay moves around a lot, so it can get frustrating when working on little details.
A tip I have for clay is to work on it section by section, or piece by piece. Baking your sculpt when you are satisfied with a section so that it hardens, and then you can work on the next part without worrying about the previous one getting messed up.
(http://i.imgur.com/b7B0k9L.jpg?1)(http://i.imgur.com/T5DtMgR.jpg?1)
On this elephant, I am only working on the eyes right now, and the rest of it has been hardened from baking. I can mess around as much as I want with the eyes without messing up things like the trunk, forehead, tusks, and ears.
Also, if anyone has any feedback on the eyes, I'd appreciate it! I've been experimenting with different styles for the eyes, but I can't figure out how to make it look good. Eyes are hard.
Post by: nocturalowl on Thu, 11 August 2016, 14:40:53
Do you plan to add a crown on it?
Post by: romevi on Thu, 11 August 2016, 14:42:20
Post by: GreyAmbience on Thu, 11 August 2016, 14:58:27
I love the eyes you made. I think the end of the trunck is a bit cartoonish but the rest is fantastic.
Like the others said maybe a crown to give it some Indian flavor would be cool. Or some Buddhists symbols.
Great work man. Can not wait to see this!
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Post by: nocturalowl on Thu, 11 August 2016, 15:03:16
Or maybe even a design of a crown on its forehead.A crown will definitely look nice. Giving it an oriental touch :D
Post by: KlarKuo on Thu, 11 August 2016, 16:25:43
Post by: romevi on Thu, 11 August 2016, 16:47:01
I wasn't sold on the elephant from the first picture, but the second picture after the eyes and everything is amazing
Agreed. The eyes adds personality. Wonder what else is in store!
Post by: Sneaky Potato on Thu, 11 August 2016, 16:50:03
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 11 August 2016, 16:57:17
Very impressive. I loved your documentation process in the beginning, and your molds look very clean for just starting. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much. It was actually your thread where I learned a lot of the process from. You and other artisans that document your work, showing every step and mistake- it really helps beginners!
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 11 August 2016, 17:01:54
Wow that looks amazing Reanbo!
I love the eyes you made. I think the end of the trunck is a bit cartoonish but the rest is fantastic.
Like the others said maybe a crown to give it some Indian flavor would be cool. Or some Buddhists symbols.
Great work man. Can not wait to see this!
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
I wasn't sold on the elephant from the first picture, but the second picture after the eyes and everything is amazing
Agreed. The eyes adds personality. Wonder what else is in store!
Glad you all like it. Still working on it, don't know when I'll be able to start casting it though. So they won't be available for this first sale, but I'll definitely try to make it for the next one!
Post by: Raenbo on Sun, 14 August 2016, 20:19:01
They just want to be loved.
Post by: KlarKuo on Sun, 14 August 2016, 20:51:10
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/2JLalo5.jpg)
They just want to be loved.
I will love them
Post by: romevi on Sun, 14 August 2016, 23:48:32
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/2JLalo5.jpg)
They just want to be loved.
I will love them
Same.
Post by: Fire Brand on Mon, 15 August 2016, 05:09:17
I will love them, we'll get a house and settle down, JK we gonna blow stuff upShow Image(http://i.imgur.com/2JLalo5.jpg)
They just want to be loved.
Also that purple Fishbones to the far right, that ones mine nobody touch that one, and the black sparkly one hidden in the pile to the far left, that too is mine.
Post by: Raenbo on Mon, 15 August 2016, 16:49:40
Also we have a thread in the Artisan Services section of the Marketplace, so you can stay updated with sales information there ;)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: tinymakesthings on Mon, 15 August 2016, 17:35:00
These look so delicious!Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/2JLalo5.jpg)
They just want to be loved.
Post by: el-Chapino-del-Pepino on Tue, 16 August 2016, 10:25:52
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 16 August 2016, 12:21:07
Some back-end shots were requested in the Marketplace thread, sharing them here too!
Post by: romevi on Tue, 16 August 2016, 12:38:21
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/g5zlPbz.jpg)
Some back-end shots were requested in the Marketplace thread, sharing them here too!
Whoa, dude. NSFW! Too moist!
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 16 August 2016, 18:02:02
Post by: kenmai9 on Tue, 16 August 2016, 18:08:08
Post by: romevi on Tue, 16 August 2016, 22:01:30
Post by: Raenbo on Wed, 17 August 2016, 13:43:46
Raffle form is live in ~20 minutes. Link is in the first post and in the Marketplace! :thumb:
(http://i.imgur.com/hwna1pW.jpg)
Including these as a "random" option in the raffle!
Post by: KlarKuo on Wed, 17 August 2016, 13:57:57
Thanks guys :)
Raffle form is live in ~20 minutes. Link is in the first post and in the Marketplace! :thumb:Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/hwna1pW.jpg)
Including these as a "random" option in the raffle!
Yessssss
Post by: ReverbSlush on Wed, 17 August 2016, 14:02:19
Post by: xninetynine on Wed, 17 August 2016, 15:06:41
Post by: xtrafrood on Thu, 18 August 2016, 11:30:41
Post by: KlarKuo on Thu, 18 August 2016, 12:26:46
Post by: tripandfall426 on Fri, 19 August 2016, 22:28:11
Hello all, here for an update on our progress with cap making! Currently our artisans are only MX and our Blanks are only Topre but we're working towards having both available. Here is what we have so far and we'd like as much feedback as possible, hoping to get some support from others. Thanks a lot :DI really hope you guys sell the rose caps soon, I love them. Can't wait to receive my sharks from the first sale ;D
Edit: Have to apologize about all the photos on this page and for the awfully dusty laptop that I took the photos on.
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 19 August 2016, 22:37:11
I really hope you guys sell the rose caps soon, I love them. Can't wait to receive my sharks from the first sale ;D
Yeah, me too! One of my favorite sculpts, but the original wasn't quite right and the mold for it broke. Ever since then, I've been trying to re-create it but I've been having a lot of difficulties. I sculpted the base/ pedestal myself without a keycap-base or Synth, and I just can't seem to get it right again.
Good news though, Marshal snagged me a Synth from the most recent sale! So I'm confident that we can get more roses out there soon. Really excited, I have a lot of planned colorways for the rose!
Post by: tripandfall426 on Fri, 19 August 2016, 22:56:17
I wanna pick up a synth and start making caps myself specifically multi colored GID blanks but the price is quite a lot although still affordable. I just don't have enough experience making them to feel confident to jump right in. I feel in the long wrong it would be worth it but I think I'm more focused on building my B.mini first before getting into making caps plus I love rocking other peoples art on my boards and supporting themI really hope you guys sell the rose caps soon, I love them. Can't wait to receive my sharks from the first sale ;D
Yeah, me too! One of my favorite sculpts, but the original wasn't quite right and the mold for it broke. Ever since then, I've been trying to re-create it but I've been having a lot of difficulties. I sculpted the base/ pedestal myself without a keycap-base or Synth, and I just can't seem to get it right again.
Good news though, Marshal snagged me a Synth from the most recent sale! So I'm confident that we can get more roses out there soon. Really excited, I have a lot of planned colorways for the rose!
Post by: KlarKuo on Mon, 22 August 2016, 23:14:06
(http://i.imgur.com/xMUATBC.jpg)
Post by: Moistgun on Mon, 22 August 2016, 23:47:49
They came in!Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/xMUATBC.jpg)
Nice that you got matching ones.
Any other yellow artisans?
Post by: el-Chapino-del-Pepino on Tue, 23 August 2016, 11:19:28
Good god. You've done a fantastic job. They look great, feel great, the colors are deep and vivid, they're clean and angular. If I had only one point of criticism it would be that the stems feel a little tight. This is better than them being too loose, but I have the feeling I'm going to have to be a little careful when I pull them off so as not to snap the stem.
Do you know if there's a buying/trading thread for them going? I would love to get my hands on honeydew.
In the very first image you posted with the 4 different prototype sculpts you said you'd only be making MechaShark and the rose. Any possibility we'll see the adorable little snub-nose shark? It reminds me a little bit of Bruce, but tbh I think it looks a lot better.
But again. These are fantastic. Stellar job.
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 23 August 2016, 12:19:30
Hey man, I just wanted to pipe up and say I got my caps. I got blossom and the white one with red sparkles (is there a name for that one)?
Good god. You've done a fantastic job. They look great, feel great, the colors are deep and vivid, they're clean and angular. If I had only one point of criticism it would be that the stems feel a little tight. This is better than them being too loose, but I have the feeling I'm going to have to be a little careful when I pull them off so as not to snap the stem.
Do you know if there's a buying/trading thread for them going? I would love to get my hands on honeydew.
In the very first image you posted with the 4 different prototype sculpts you said you'd only be making MechaShark and the rose. Any possibility we'll see the adorable little snub-nose shark? It reminds me a little bit of Bruce, but tbh I think it looks a lot better.
But again. These are fantastic. Stellar job.
Hey, thanks for this! Waking up to nice comments is always nice.
The white with red sparkles was sort of me trying to get a pepperminty color, but during curing all of the glitter sank down towards the front of the cap instead of being uniform throughout... So I ended up not making more until I could figure out how to illustrate my vision better. No name for it, call it whatever you'd like!
Some of the caps are pretty tight. When I first started casting artisans, all of the stems seemed really loose. I tried to remedy the problem, but the stems started coming out really tight. It may have been due to a change in the resin we used. I'll definitely be working on better fitting in the future, but for now I preferred having a tight stem as before, the keys would come off of the switch from the upstroke.
Not sure if I'd ever make the cartoony shark since it looks like Bruce, and I am already making a shark-style artisan. Maybe I'd do a limited run, but maybe not. The next keys I have planned are the Rose and the elephant.
Thanks again. All feedback is welcome and appreciated. I want to be a better keycap maker, and the only way to do so is to learn from my mistakes and to continuously improve the quality.
Post by: KlarKuo on Tue, 23 August 2016, 13:31:37
They came in!Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/xMUATBC.jpg)
Nice that you got matching ones.
Any other yellow artisans?
Nah, closest thing is off-white/beige
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 25 August 2016, 16:00:55
(http://i.imgur.com/vANnqDk.jpg)
Post by: KlarKuo on Fri, 26 August 2016, 21:43:06
Thanks to our sale, we were able to get this big ol' thing of resin :thumb:Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/vANnqDk.jpg)
I'm already ready for the next sale
Post by: Raenbo on Sat, 27 August 2016, 15:53:22
First time using the $ynth. Testing it out on the Rose. Wasn't really trying for any specific red, just wanted to do a test to see if I can make good caps to use as masters for more molds :p
Just gotta wait 4 hours now...
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 01 September 2016, 20:12:08
Some test casts. I want to make some adjustments still, and then make a production mold once I'm satisfied with the models :)
edit- some tramp stamps?
(http://i.imgur.com/9GS8juK.jpg)
Post by: romevi on Thu, 01 September 2016, 20:30:50
Post by: KlarKuo on Thu, 01 September 2016, 20:33:09
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/xxUJLUY.jpg)
Some test casts. I want to make some adjustments still, and then make a production mold once I'm satisfied with the models :)
edit- some tramp stamps?Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/9GS8juK.jpg)
Alright, I'm gonna need one of those two-shot elephants
Post by: Raenbo on Sat, 03 September 2016, 01:32:38
If you haven't yet, follow us on Instagram! @aero_keys :p
Post by: romevi on Sat, 03 September 2016, 07:49:33
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/HD9L3Ql.jpg)
If you haven't yet, follow us on Instagram! @aero_keys
That one on far right is totes cool!
Post by: henz on Sat, 03 September 2016, 12:30:00
These are amazing, thanks for doing this
Post by: Raenbo on Sat, 03 September 2016, 13:21:29
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/HXtJrgc.jpg)
These are amazing, thanks for doing this
Glad you like them :) The dark blue came out really nice weeeeee
Post by: DALExSNAIL on Sun, 04 September 2016, 10:09:59
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/HD9L3Ql.jpg)
If you haven't yet, follow us on Instagram! @aero_keys :p
I'll take the pink one plz
Post by: MediocreBadGuy23 on Thu, 08 September 2016, 23:07:54
Post by: Raenbo on Sun, 11 September 2016, 11:49:52
Colors!
Post by: romevi on Sun, 11 September 2016, 12:49:25
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/o8NWSWW.jpg)
Colors!
Bueno.
Post by: DALExSNAIL on Sun, 11 September 2016, 13:48:21
Post by: Raenbo on Sun, 11 September 2016, 14:02:09
If I beg you will you make a white elephant with pink tusks and eyes?
I've had the color combo in mind :) No need to beg :p
Post by: nesalot on Tue, 13 September 2016, 09:16:36
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/o8NWSWW.jpg)
Colors!
Hey Raenbo, These are incredable!! If you don't mind sharing, how are you making the two tone so clean like that? I have always been curious how everyone is doing it. Do you just very carefully pour color into just the tusk and eye part of the mold and let that color dry and then pour a different color in for elephant and same for the rose? Or is there a different process I am unaware of? I'm just curious how people are getting such clean multi shot pieces like that and it seems no color bleed onto the other parts? Thanks in advance!
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 13 September 2016, 15:15:38
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/o8NWSWW.jpg)
Colors!
Hey Raenbo, These are incredable!! If you don't mind sharing, how are you making the two tone so clean like that? I have always been curious how everyone is doing it. Do you just very carefully pour color into just the tusk and eye part of the mold and let that color dry and then pour a different color in for elephant and same for the rose? Or is there a different process I am unaware of? I'm just curious how people are getting such clean multi shot pieces like that and it seems no color bleed onto the other parts? Thanks in advance!
Hello :)
For double-shotting, I learned from Zorb's guide! https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=82174.0
I use a toothpick to carefully drop resin into the cavities of the mold where the teeth and eyes are. It's a very small amount, so I have to be precise when doing so. The viscosity of the resin keeps it from moving all over the place, and I let those drops of resin cure for a bit. Then I add the rest of the resin in another color for the full body of the cap. Letting the first shot of resin cure prevents the bleeding and blending into other colors.
For the rose, I just pour the resin to fill the flower. Let that cure, then put more resin in for the base. I actually sculpted both the Rose and the Elephant with double-shotting in mind, so that there would be cavities for the first shot.
It definitely takes some practice, but you get the hang of it the more you do it. You learn how much resin you need through trial and error. I'll try to take some picture next time I do the multi-shots :)
Post by: nesalot on Tue, 13 September 2016, 16:45:07
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/o8NWSWW.jpg)
Colors!
Hey Raenbo, These are incredable!! If you don't mind sharing, how are you making the two tone so clean like that? I have always been curious how everyone is doing it. Do you just very carefully pour color into just the tusk and eye part of the mold and let that color dry and then pour a different color in for elephant and same for the rose? Or is there a different process I am unaware of? I'm just curious how people are getting such clean multi shot pieces like that and it seems no color bleed onto the other parts? Thanks in advance!
Hello :)
For double-shotting, I learned from Zorb's guide! https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=82174.0
I use a toothpick to carefully drop resin into the cavities of the mold where the teeth and eyes are. It's a very small amount, so I have to be precise when doing so. The viscosity of the resin keeps it from moving all over the place, and I let those drops of resin cure for a bit. Then I add the rest of the resin in another color for the full body of the cap. Letting the first shot of resin cure prevents the bleeding and blending into other colors.
For the rose, I just pour the resin to fill the flower. Let that cure, then put more resin in for the base. I actually sculpted both the Rose and the Elephant with double-shotting in mind, so that there would be cavities for the first shot.
It definitely takes some practice, but you get the hang of it the more you do it. You learn how much resin you need through trial and error. I'll try to take some picture next time I do the multi-shots :)
What a great explanation and thank you so so much for going into such detail. That explains everything perfectly and I finally get it. Will def be using that tech finally.
Can't wait for the sale to start, these looks amazing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 13 September 2016, 21:56:41
What a great explanation and thank you so so much for going into such detail. That explains everything perfectly and I finally get it. Will def be using that tech finally.
Can't wait for the sale to start, these looks amazing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Here' a pic for example. Kind of hard to see, since I used white-pigmented resin... But as you can see, I just carefully drop resin into the eyes and tusks, and pour resin into the flower portion of the Rose. I let these cure under pressure, since the roses have some mass to them. I think I could let the elephant's eyes and tusks cure without pressure, but I just throw them into the pot with the roses. They don't really have to fully cure, but just enough so that they aren't fluid anymore. Then I add the second color.
(http://i.imgur.com/1PhaX8f.jpg)
Post by: Drippy on Wed, 21 September 2016, 19:53:23
Post by: ScottieLK on Thu, 22 September 2016, 14:23:43
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 22 September 2016, 14:29:10
These look incredible! Are you planning on doing another run in the near-ish future?
Yeah, I do want to have a sale, but I've been busy at Uni lately, so I haven't had the time to work on the keys. Ideally, I was going to have a sale during the first week of October, but I think I have to push it back. Need to find the time to sit and work on the keycaps.
I feel I haven't updated you guys enough lately, so sorry! So, my plan currently is to have a sale for the roses and elephants before October ends :) I'll be posting a picture this weekend of the colors I have planned so far.
Also, I'm torn between calling the elephant "Aerophant" or "PacKeyderm" :p
Post by: azath92 on Thu, 22 September 2016, 15:55:59
Post by: Raenbo on Thu, 22 September 2016, 21:00:11
Just chiming in to say that your thread has finally inspired me to join up to geekhack. I just had to tell you myself that I am so excited for the elephant caps! My vote would be for Aerophant, although PacKeyderm is an excellent pun, I think it is more recognizable.
Aw thanks :) Welcome to Geekhack! Your excitement makes me more excited to release them. I really want to make sure that each one is of high quality, both in its functionality as a key and in its aesthetics.
I might just go with a voting system for its name. Both names have supporters already haha.
Also, here's one on my board I'm currently using! It matches the blank caps really well..
(http://i.imgur.com/oMHgFOV.jpg)
Post by: azath92 on Thu, 22 September 2016, 22:48:48
have you put any thought towards how you are going to run the sale?
Post by: romevi on Fri, 23 September 2016, 11:52:48
Post by: xtrafrood on Fri, 23 September 2016, 12:00:42
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 23 September 2016, 15:17:01
looks so cool. Although the 2 colored elephants are very cool, there is something nice and understated about the matte black. earmarking some of my next paycheck for these.
have you put any thought towards how you are going to run the sale?
It will be raffle-style again. I don't have much luck winning raffles myself, but it's the most fair way to distribute the caps to those interested. Especially since demand is often way higher than supply.
Post by: pinkizhip on Tue, 27 September 2016, 13:07:23
looks so cool. Although the 2 colored elephants are very cool, there is something nice and understated about the matte black. earmarking some of my next paycheck for these.
have you put any thought towards how you are going to run the sale?
It will be raffle-style again. I don't have much luck winning raffles myself, but it's the most fair way to distribute the caps to those interested. Especially since demand is often way higher than supply.
When you say "way higher than supply" how much do you mean? I'm still pretty new and have not yet participated in any raffles myself but I wonder what the percent chances of winning a raffle are? I keep hearing how hard it is to win/ start collecting artisans. What have been your experiences with that? Should one just enter as many raffles as possible?
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 27 September 2016, 18:34:16
When you say "way higher than supply" how much do you mean? I'm still pretty new and have not yet participated in any raffles myself but I wonder what the percent chances of winning a raffle are? I keep hearing how hard it is to win/ start collecting artisans. What have been your experiences with that? Should one just enter as many raffles as possible?
It depends on how many caps the artisan makes. Like say, I make a supply of 100 caps but 200 people enter the raffle. Only half of the people will be winning anything. Some people that are drawn may want (and win) multiple caps which would lessen the amount of winners. That depends on the process of the artisan maker though. Everyone has a different way of choosing winners and how much each people get.
For popular makers, there are probably hundreds of entries. I don't know how many caps they make, but not everyone is going to win a cap. I don't win often, heh. You can always try trading in the Classifieds section, or on r/mechmarket.
We do raffle-style so that everyone that enters has an equal chance of winning. Rather than first-come, first-served, where people online at the time have the advantage over other people that are working or live in different time zones.
I would say to enter all the raffles that you are interested in. If you're lucky, you'll get the chance to purchase a few. Of course, the more raffles you enter, the more chances you get. Again, you can try trading or buying from the secondhand market, but prices usually go up from there.
Post by: pinkizhip on Tue, 27 September 2016, 18:54:31
When you say "way higher than supply" how much do you mean? I'm still pretty new and have not yet participated in any raffles myself but I wonder what the percent chances of winning a raffle are? I keep hearing how hard it is to win/ start collecting artisans. What have been your experiences with that? Should one just enter as many raffles as possible?
It depends on how many caps the artisan makes. Like say, I make a supply of 100 caps but 200 people enter the raffle. Only half of the people will be winning anything. Some people that are drawn may want (and win) multiple caps which would lessen the amount of winners. That depends on the process of the artisan maker though. Everyone has a different way of choosing winners and how much each people get.
For popular makers, there are probably hundreds of entries. I don't know how many caps they make, but not everyone is going to win a cap. I don't win often, heh. You can always try trading in the Classifieds section, or on r/mechmarket.
We do raffle-style so that everyone that enters has an equal chance of winning. Rather than first-come, first-served, where people online at the time have the advantage over other people that are working or live in different time zones.
I would say to enter all the raffles that you are interested in. If you're lucky, you'll get the chance to purchase a few. Of course, the more raffles you enter, the more chances you get. Again, you can try trading or buying from the secondhand market, but prices usually go up from there.
Thanks for the insight!
Post by: totallycaked on Wed, 05 October 2016, 00:18:43
Maybe honeydew w/ black eyes and tusks? Regardless, I am so getting in on this raffle when it goes live. Loving the progress fellas, keep up the great work!
Post by: Raenbo on Mon, 10 October 2016, 00:01:04
The album for the colors that will be available will be found there too!
Post by: alveeno on Mon, 10 October 2016, 00:51:30
Post by: Raenbo on Mon, 10 October 2016, 02:37:09
What did you use to fill the underside of the cap to make it thicker? That white stuff? Also, which clay do you use for sculpting?
We use Super Sculpey for sculpting and also for thickening caps. We reinforce the walls with the clay and bake them. The caps have to be PBT so that they don't melt in the oven.
Here's an (blurry) example with a PBT DSA cap.
(http://i.imgur.com/ODx7aw8m.jpg) (http://imgur.com/ODx7aw8)
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 21 October 2016, 01:59:51
If anyone reading hasn't yet, check out our sale! (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=84057.0)
Anyways, after the Aerophant sale, I plan on making Topre artisans. Topre Aerophants and maybe some other cool stuff. I've made some prototypes of Toprephants but they haven't come out quite right yet...
(http://i.imgur.com/XxlCOLt.jpg?1)
Post by: totallycaked on Wed, 26 October 2016, 21:04:08
Oh man I haven't updated this thread in forever...
If anyone reading hasn't yet, check out our sale! (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=84057.0)
Anyways, after the Aerophant sale, I plan on making Topre artisans. Topre Aerophants and maybe some other cool stuff. I've made some prototypes of Toprephants but they haven't come out quite right yet...Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/XxlCOLt.jpg?1)
(http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/5c/5c704e1b0f31115a1284395f98a95067f79dffc0d9cbfc9376fccfebdca123d3.jpg)
I'd love to see some green ones this time around :D
Post by: Raenbo on Sun, 06 November 2016, 23:17:34
Oh man I haven't updated this thread in forever...
If anyone reading hasn't yet, check out our sale! (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=84057.0)
Anyways, after the Aerophant sale, I plan on making Topre artisans. Topre Aerophants and maybe some other cool stuff. I've made some prototypes of Toprephants but they haven't come out quite right yet...Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/XxlCOLt.jpg?1)Show Image(http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/5c/5c704e1b0f31115a1284395f98a95067f79dffc0d9cbfc9376fccfebdca123d3.jpg)
I'd love to see some green ones this time around :D
Planning on it :thumb:
Post by: romevi on Sun, 06 November 2016, 23:33:29
Post by: Raenbo on Mon, 07 November 2016, 01:31:39
I'd love to see Hydro colors this time around. :D
Hmm... Black on blue, or blue on black?
Post by: romevi on Mon, 07 November 2016, 10:04:07
I'd love to see Hydro colors this time around. :D
Hmm... Black on blue, or blue on black?
Black as being the more prominent color.
I think marshal stole one of yours that was pretty close, actually...
Post by: cicada on Tue, 08 November 2016, 12:25:15
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 08 November 2016, 19:12:37
(Attachment Link)
I need this shade of purple in my life so bad. Wish you had included them in the first sale
Raenbo pls, willing to trade nudes to make it happen
Marshal will be selling a similar purple/lavender in his next sale, you can see pics on his post in our Marketplace thread ;D
Post by: lawnzie on Sat, 08 April 2017, 13:10:34
Post by: libertycannon on Sun, 09 April 2017, 20:43:47
Post by: ArchDill on Sun, 09 April 2017, 21:06:17
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 23 June 2023, 18:15:22
Post by: LightningXI on Fri, 23 June 2023, 18:37:06
Kind of thinking about making caps again...
Yo?
That's one long necro bump
Let's go
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 23 June 2023, 19:02:13
Post by: funderburker on Sun, 25 June 2023, 14:21:43
Yeah I ended up going to college and starting a full time job in the past 6 years lol
Congrats! And welcome back! :thumb:
Post by: ReverbSlush on Mon, 26 June 2023, 14:33:57
Post by: Rhienfo on Tue, 27 June 2023, 03:09:44
Post by: dipincoke on Tue, 11 July 2023, 10:13:03
Post by: Raenbo on Tue, 22 August 2023, 09:54:38
[attach=1]
Post by: Rhienfo on Wed, 23 August 2023, 19:16:25
Had a little personal project of making my dog into a cap
(Attachment Link)
That's very cute.
Post by: Raenbo on Fri, 25 August 2023, 19:51:47
[attach=1]
Post by: iwobobul on Tue, 26 September 2023, 14:47:24