Author Topic: Any way to quickly soften PBT keycap edges?  (Read 1980 times)

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Offline ibmkeyboardsrule

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Any way to quickly soften PBT keycap edges?
« on: Thu, 19 November 2020, 23:49:02 »
Other than typing on a board with PBT keycaps for years to perhaps only slightly soften its sharp edges (I have a new Varmilo VA108M), is there a known, inexpensive
way to hasten that process? Understood that PBT is like a hard plastic, and so more difficult to alter than ABS (including more resistant to heat).

But is there something like (don't laugh) soaking the PBT's in hot water and trying to somehow buffer the edges a bit while hot? That several have reported that Varmilo VA108M PBT's are sharper-edged than Leopold FC900R kecaps, yet my Leopold's (after years of use) are actually softer-edged than those of said Varmilo fresh out of the box, I'm curious whether there's any time-saving technique to accomplish such to an existing set (rather than buying another and gambling).

Thanks for any ideas and earlier responses to a partially related past thread.


Offline yui

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Re: Any way to quickly soften PBT keycap edges?
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 20 November 2020, 00:30:49 »
Other than typing on a board with PBT keycaps for years to perhaps only slightly soften its sharp edges (I have a new Varmilo VA108M), is there a known, inexpensive
way to hasten that process? Understood that PBT is like a hard plastic, and so more difficult to alter than ABS (including more resistant to heat).

But is there something like (don't laugh) soaking the PBT's in hot water and trying to somehow buffer the edges a bit while hot? That several have reported that Varmilo VA108M PBT's are sharper-edged than Leopold FC900R kecaps, yet my Leopold's (after years of use) are actually softer-edged than those of said Varmilo fresh out of the box, I'm curious whether there's any time-saving technique to accomplish such to an existing set (rather than buying another and gambling).

Thanks for any ideas and earlier responses to a partially related past thread.
for pbt you would need very hot water(pretty far above boiling point), as i see it you could use some fine abrasive to accelerate the abrasive effects your fingers would have on the keys. i do not think it would take a lot of sanding
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