Ya'know, this beauty? (http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,realforce&pid=rf_se02b0)
I have a Unicomp Customizer (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/customizer.html), and I was wondering if a spray paint of some sort existed that could sorta emulate the look of the Realforce's keys (ie. the key would be very dark, but not quite black, and the labels of the keys would stand out in a noticeably darker black).
Quick question if such a thing could happen...if so, I'd totally do it :nerd:
most people use rit-dye for this kind of thing, and yields excellent resultsAlright, thanks man.
not sure how a dark gray would turn out, but check the mods section out
Are you asking if it is possible to paint the keys of a Unicomp Customizer to replicate the keys of a Topre Realforce (I presume you really meant Topre Realforce, not Filco since the Realforce keyboards are made by Topre)Crap, I meant Topre >.> ...my bad. And I'm talking only about replicating the look, not the feel.
From my perspective, the answer is probably not. The Topre Realforce key caps are use dye sublimation for the labeling and have a very unique texture. I prefer the feel of the Topre keycaps to just about any other key switch. Spray painting or coating the Topre keycaps would change the feel of the keys, and not in a good way.
I know some geekhackers have successfully dyed their Topre keycaps which probabaly had minmal impact on the texturized feel.
Just my two cents. I'm sure there are other opinions out there. By coincidence, I pulled out my Realforce 87U and 23UB keypad to use this evening.
Just in terms of replicating the look of it... sure, you can paint/dye the key cap, but how would you go about coloring the lettering?That what I was wondering...since the labeling on the Customizer is black, I was wondering if I were to dye the key a dark grey, if the black labeling would still stand out.
See the Rit Dye mod. This guy's teal came close to the Topre look. I'd start with a Pearl Gray and see what happens. Dark blue got so dark according to RicerCar he couldn't see the legend.Thanks man :)
Link (http://geekhack.org/showpost.php?p=111455&postcount=302)Show Image(http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz245/iwait4umysweet/VID00011.jpg)
Ya'know, this beauty? (http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,realforce&pid=rf_se02b0)
I have a Unicomp Customizer (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/customizer.html), and I was wondering if a spray paint of some sort existed that could sorta emulate the look of the Realforce's keys (ie. the key would be very dark, but not quite black, and the labels of the keys would stand out in a noticeably darker black).
Quick question if such a thing could happen...if so, I'd totally do it :nerd:
I don't think you can melt a Model M key. Those keyboards are tough as nails.
I've used the Charcoal Grey formula from the RIT Dye color mixing chart (1 part Royal Blue + 1 part Black) found here:
http://www.ritdye.com/Create+Custom+Color.9.lasso (http://www.ritdye.com/Create+Custom+Color.9.lasso)
It looks similar to the black on grey of the Topres to me, however I'm not sure how close it actually is because I've only ever seen the Topres in online photos.
I'll post some pictures tonight.
OK, here's a pic (sorry, my photography skills aren't very good):Hmmm, that looks like pretty much what I want. How difficult was this? And how exactly does this process go? Do you mix the dye, put it in a boiling water, then sink the keys in it for x amount of time? I'm very foreign to this, so a simple explanation or if you could link me to a tutorial of some sorts would be great :)Show Image(http://www.soybomb.com/ratpfink/keyboards/GreyOnBlackKeys.jpg)
This was done using the Unicomp sparkly grey keys, you can still see some of the sparkle. I just did the numpad keys using this color when I was experimenting with RIT dye. You might get better results using beige Model M keys.
Now that I'm looking at it it's actually quite a bit lighter than the Topre keys. You can probably get closer to the Topre look by keeping the keys in the dye mix longer, as the longer you keep the keys in the hot dye, the darker they get. Be careful with the timing, though. If you keep them in too long you probably won't be able to see the lettering at all and you'll end up with blank looking keys.
On a Model M the Rit dye works well for the keys but not the case.
Painting a case with Vinyl Dye Paint (essentially paint with extra acetone to soften the plastic) has been reported to work well for some. Others report that the paint eventually flakes off (iMav didn't like it). I think it's a combination of technique and finding the proper paint. As well as how you treat your keyboard.
hmm well thanks :)
can you find rit dye and vinyl paint in a hardware store?
Hmmm, that looks like pretty much what I want. How difficult was this? And how exactly does this process go? Do you mix the dye, put it in a boiling water, then sink the keys in it for x amount of time? I'm very foreign to this, so a simple explanation or if you could link me to a tutorial of some sorts would be great :)
On a Model M the Rit dye works well for the keys but not the case.
Painting a case with Vinyl Dye Paint (essentially paint with extra acetone to soften the plastic) has been reported to work well for some. Others report that the paint eventually flakes off (iMav didn't like it). I think it's a combination of technique and finding the proper paint. As well as how you treat your keyboard.
I used the powder RIT dye and just followed the directions on the box but used half the amount of water that was called for. I was just experimenting on some spare Model M and Unicomp keys using different colors and times after reading about RIT dyeing keys on here. The only ones I'm actually using on any boards are the batch of red Esc keys I did with RIT Crimson liquid dye.Thanks again, and that brings up a good idea...I should buy some other colors to paint my ESC and WASD keys :P
There's a long thread on RIT dyeing keys here:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:4962&&highlight=rit+dye (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:4962&&highlight=rit+dye)
I apologize for the novella, but having experienced this recently, I thought I could share some of my experience in this area :DI really appreciate it :D
Why couldn't you just stick with beige keys? I don't need any fancy colors for my keyboards.
Well, last year it was $20 for a 104 blank key set. Pretty reasonable compared to the $30 for Filco and the $68 for Topre (only 60 keys).Yeah, that sounds just about right. Now all I need to do is call the guy up :D
Why couldn't you just stick with beige keys? I don't need any fancy colors for my keyboards.
I would use the beige keys over the grey, sparkly ones. You'll probably get a better finish. Oqsy's looks good, but I think the beige ones will turn out a little better. The red keys on pfink's look very well done.Can I buy beige keys from Unicomp? And if not, where can I acquire some?
Unicomp has the beige or blacks.Sweet, thanks.
the melting point is 260°C.Good to know :P
Unicomp [...] are confirmed as PBT by chuck
Hmm, what's "PBT"? Also:Good to know :P
A type of plastic just like PVC or ABS. The different formulations give the plastic different properties. A lot of folks around here like PBT and POM (Delrin) becaulse they are harder and more resillient, thus resist wear and "shiny" keys. The ones we have seen around here, too, are also made a little thicker and heavier which makes the sound lower pitched, in general, and many people find that more pleasant. The thicker, heavier keys also are better quality. This is the complaint on Filco keys. They are thin and made of ABS. Because of this, they go shiny very quickly and they make a higher-pitched sound when typing. If you compare a Filco cap to a Cherry cap the quality differences are apparent.Ah ok, interesting...thanks :)