adding brass plate = heavier keyboard

[WhiteFireDragon]

I'm thinking of designing a universal brass plate that will fit most TKL keyboards to add more weight to it. There is a little area below the upper section of the keyboard, between the PCB and case that should be able to hold a thin brass plate. I already have some Filcos and CM quickfire I can measure hole placements. How much are brass plates based on volume/weight?

Anyone else interested in making their keyboards heavier? I have Solidworks for designing the plates.

[The_Beast]

rough weight of a 1/16" TKL sized plate:

Brass: .71 lbs
304 Stainless: .67 lbs
5052 Alum: .22 lbs
Copper: .74 lbs
Pure gold: 2.31 lbs

[alaricljs]

He's talking about a block to put in the bottom of the case, not a replacement switch plate. 

[The_Beast]

He's talking about a block to put in the bottom of the case, not a replacement switch plate. 

gottcha, ma bad

[alaricljs]

Oh yeah.... and this is the brass volumetric weight calc.

[fohat.digs]

Remember good ole' ripster's wiki showing how to melt lead on your backyard grill to make keyboard ballast ingots?

[alaricljs]

Some peeps would just rather stay away from toxic stuff that they don't want to learn how to handle properly.

[WhiteFireDragon]

Oh yeah.... and this is the brass volumetric weight calc.

Yeah I know how to calculate weight and density. I just need to know how much brass cost per unit of volume to know if doing this is feasible cost-wise. Thanks for the link though, won't need to do any manual calculations.

[alaricljs]

Hah, lol... didn't read it that way...   Here you go.  And here, which has been cheaper for me on low volume.

[Sifo]

Just saying I'd be interested in one of these for a Filco :O

[fohat.digs]

Hah, lol... didn't read it that way...   Here you go.  And here, which has been cheaper for me on low volume.

Thanks for showing us where to get brass balls for so cheap. So many people have told me that I needed them.

[alaricljs]

Everyone needs a set of brass balls.

[telepete]

I think this is a pretty good idea. I wouldn't mind some extra weight in my keyboards.

[TheProfosist]

I dont know how well it would fit in a tkl all the room in my plu was taken up by the cable basically but if the cablewouldnt have been there there would have been a ton of room.

[Sifo]

could make a few extra cuts to be open for the cable.

[Input Nirvana]

Remember good ole' ripster's wiki showing how to melt lead on your backyard grill to make keyboard ballast ingots?

Haha 'ARNOLD WOULD NOT BE AMUSED' I guess that's turned out to be a classic.

I've been kicking around the idea of using automotive undercoating on the interior of the Kinesis Advantage case, top and bottom to deaden sound and increase weight. I have not decided what product to use, there are many. Comes as a spray or in a can, and I want the rubbery stuff, I think that will deaden better.

If anyone has used this stuff, please PM me with what your thoughts are.

[TheProfosist]

I have thought about using the rusolium truck bed liner but that would be as close ive gotten to what your looking at.

[Input Nirvana]

I made a list of about a dozen truck bed liners, then realized a better sound deadener would be undercoating (softer, less sound bounce and cheaper). My criteria is to use a one-part, not a 2 part chemical, a brush on, not spray can, hopefully with water clean up, not acetone or xylene, and to have a combination of deadening (easy) and soft surface to not reflect any sound (more difficult). Also, since there are many properties that are not needed (uv resistance, good wear properties, etc) there may be other products that will work as well.


I like the idea of weighting the case uniformly. This idea may work better with a Kinesis than most flat boards.