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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => DIY Discussions ARCHIVE => Topic started by: kohan69 on Sat, 27 February 2010, 22:41:24

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: kohan69 on Sat, 27 February 2010, 22:41:24

Hello, I'd like to remove the key letterings (pad printing) on my keyboard,
I am familiar with Rye Die, but that works only on the plastic, afaik. Spray painting the top is  a non permanent solution. Sanding or Sand blasting destroy the texture of the keys, and is very time consuming.

What other methods are there? Are there any chemicals that'll remove the lettering but keep the key plastic safe?

edit: Does Rye Die only paint he plastic or the paint on the keys as well?

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: kishy on Sun, 28 February 2010, 12:32:45

I dunno, I scrubbed one of my M13 keys with dish soap quite vigorously and nothing came off or turned even a bit fainter...

No denying it's a weaker printing method than used by other manufacturers, but it's not as weak as it looks.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: NOMiS on Sun, 28 February 2010, 15:36:03

Dish soap, really? Try oven cleaner or something.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: kishy on Sun, 28 February 2010, 15:38:10

LOL the goal for me isn't to strip the letters off, I was removing cranberry juice!

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: nanu on Sun, 28 February 2010, 18:28:32

Unfortunately the best way is replacing keycaps entirely.

Those of us with protruding fingernails merely use a keyboard over the course of years, to erode keycaps (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?p=111828#post111828):
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8144&stc=1&d=1267402425)

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: kohan69 on Mon, 01 March 2010, 00:12:22

thanks for the reply

would rye dye dye the lettering as well, or only the plastic of the key?

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: fastbuck on Mon, 01 March 2010, 09:19:29

How about good quality paint job?

The guys I've seen painting keyboard that ended up with peeling and cracking were all using $itty rattle can sprays paints.

I bet  - a good epoxy primer and 2-part ISO base/clear will stand up to anything. Just take you keyboard to an autobody shop or get a real spray gun.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 01 March 2010, 11:41:03

I like the purple arrow keys on that HHKB in the first pic.  I might do that if the cap angles are right.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 01 March 2010, 13:09:04

Actually, on the HHKB, the arrow layout makes more sense when you combine it with the page nav functions.  The Fn, Rt. Shift, End and Down Arrow keys are all on the same row making selection and page nav very easy.  Besides that, the IBM Terminal 'boards had diamond-configured arrow keys, too, before the inverted-T, IIRC.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: TexasFlood on Mon, 01 March 2010, 13:12:18

Quote from: ripster;161363

The down arrow will be off.  Anyway, WASD rules, the HHKB2 arrow layout sucks.  Wasn't the inverted T invented yet when Stallman wrote emacs?

I think EMACs dates back to the mid 70s.  I don't recall seeing any widespread inverted T arrow keys before DEC in the early 80s.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 01 March 2010, 13:44:37

That's like saying the 4-cylinder engine in a Subaru WRX STi is underpowered, because your 4-cylinder '86 Ford Escort couldn't make it up a hill.
 
The trolling force is strong in this one.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: TexasFlood on Mon, 01 March 2010, 14:02:35

Quote from: ripster;161371

That's nice.  Isn't it 2010?

Is it? Damn time flies, whether your having fun or not, :smile:  I was never persoally a big emacs user myself but did support some real zealots, on mostly SGI granite keyboards, and of course the key bindings were configurable.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: Half-Saint on Thu, 04 March 2010, 09:21:29

Amstrad CPC-464 had some crazy keyboard coloring :)

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Tue, 09 March 2010, 20:41:15

Quote from: ripster;161246

Unless you have a IBM M13 with the older technology of not coating the pad printing.   Another refutation of the saying, "Back in the Day everything was better).  This stuff looks like it'll fall off if you look at it wrong.

Show Image

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=7416&stc=1&d=1263860397)

Actually, Maxiswitch created the M13s FOR IBM; that's why I'd never own one, nor want one (durastic decrease on quality). I don't understand why people go crazy for them "just because they're black," so what!
I kind of fancy beige and grey. The later M13s were made by unicomp (but in beige I believe).

Beige is better than black, because it's easier to see. And you know when you have to clean all of that pizza grease off, or, the dust from your basement. Either way.

EDIT: I think an XT keyboard owns an M13 any day. Older IBM-MADE things are usually better.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: kohan69 on Thu, 11 March 2010, 02:03:14

aren't you a little IBM-centric
*looks at username*
Oh...

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: Oqsy on Thu, 11 March 2010, 20:08:04

Yes, and such a bloody revolution it was.  I can understand why Britain fought so hard to keep Canada...  You can tell a lot about the value of something by how hard someone will fight to keep it.  :D

(dear Canada, I kid.  I actually love Canada and would love to live in Ontario or B.C. one day if it weren't for all your pesky socialism.  One day you guys will be the crazy right wingers compared to Americans if things keep going the way they are now.  Perhaps I'll see you all soon.  I'll be the guy in the Michael J. Fox BTTF T-Shirt, blue jeans, and sleeveless puffy vest.  Oh wait, that might make me harder to pick out in a crowd, huh?  :P )

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 12 March 2010, 16:54:31

Any self-respecting Canadian would head for Europe and never look back if we lost our "pesky socialism", as you call it.

So maybe we won't see you, because we'll be long gone. Our ways of doing things aren't the best, but they're far more functional than some others that exist on the same continent.

(I assumed "I kid" referred to everything before the statement of "I kid" itself...)

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: Oqsy on Fri, 12 March 2010, 19:08:33

kishy, just to be clear, I don't have any problems with Canada or Canadians.  I meant it lightheartedly and in good fun.  Canada did have quite the awesome Olypmic games as ripster has pointed out.  Most fun I've had watching the Winter Olympics in quite a long time.  

Back OT, I would love to see a set of double shot blacks with white lettering.  Mmmm black keys with Rit-Ryed (sic) neon green letters and green leds.  Fun.

Title: How to remove the letterings from a keyboard?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 13 March 2010, 00:15:38

Quote from: Oqsy;163542

kishy, just to be clear, I don't have any problems with Canada or Canadians.  I meant it lightheartedly and in good fun.  Canada did have quite the awesome Olypmic games as ripster has pointed out.  Most fun I've had watching the Winter Olympics in quite a long time.  

Back OT, I would love to see a set of double shot blacks with white lettering.  Mmmm black keys with Rit-Ryed (sic) neon green letters and green leds.  Fun.

They brought the torch around in our area, I was too busy typing on my Model M in the basement to notice though, haha.