Experimenting With Weighted Keys?

[PRISONER 24601]

I'm going to assume that many of you have done this before, and I'd like to hear about your experiences. I mentioned in a previous thread that I had attached some 4.5g weights to some cherry brown keys, and the results were, I think, lovely. I really want to try it with an entire keyboard.



Seen above is my initial test (minus one of them falling off... only wanted a temp solution, so I used hot glue). the keys feel great to type on, and they give this sorta "rolling" effect, which is really cool. The reason for this "rolling", I believe, is that they keys have a lot more momentum behind them, and require only a slight tap to activate.

I'd like to get a hundred or so 4.5-5g weights and rig them up like this:



Of course, there are bugs to be worked out. The keystem should be centered right in the middle of the weight, which wouldn't work unless i modified my idea a bit. Another problem involves affixing metal to plastic and making it at least semi-permanent. 2-part epoxy would work, but I want something a bit more impressive.

Any suggestions or comments are appreciated. I'll update this in the morning, as I am very tired and cannot concentrate this late.

Thanks

[ricercar]

Where's my fishing tackle box? I have a ton of lead sinkers ....

There should be a quote somewhere about not wanting a thing until we see a cool picture or diagram. And maybe a long German word meaning the same thing,

Schadenkeylustennow.

[PRISONER 24601]

Where's my fishing tackle box? I have a ton of lead sinkers ....

There should be a quote somewhere about not wanting a thing until we see a cool picture or diagram. And maybe a long German word meaning the same thing,

Schadenkeylustennow.

that was my first reaction too "HAY, LEAD SINKERS"... but they're roundish, and I'd have to melt them down, which I shouldn't be doing in my dining room

I'm hoping that somewhere, somehow, there's a guy on eBay with a big bag of little lead squares. Seems like something a hobbiest might have sitting around.

[PRISONER 24601]

Just how weird do you think the average Geekhacker is?  

Wait, don't answer that.

It's the Asian forums that scare me.
[IG]http://rapunzel.main.jp/col4/coldata/12.jpg[/IMG]

That doesn't scare me. I like the cut of his jib. Just yesterday, I was looking at these flat steel bars at home depot thinking "hmm.. my G80 is a little flexible and light..."

[J888www]

Maybe it would be simpler to use metal key-caps instead of attaching weights.
     Metal Keycaps

[itlnstln]

Looking at that metal keycaps link again...  While we noted that the keycaps on the Cherry 'boards were blank, I think they actually came from Cherry like that (at least the ones on the black Cherry look that way).  The reason I say that is because the F and J keys are scooped like Cherry.  All the aftermarket keycaps I have seen use nubs.  I'm not sure why I brought that up.  Maybe I'm just wishing I could get some blank keys for my G80-3000.

[PRISONER 24601]

Maybe it would be simpler to use metal key-caps instead of attaching weights.
     Metal Keycaps

simple, yes. incredibly awesome, yes.

but what do I look like, some thousanaire?

I've contacted my dad's machine shop, and the boss man might allow for a few special contracts as a favor to an employee's son. They've got those 1+ million dollar CNC machines and all that. It's something that I'd really like to do in the future. My brother is a whiz with CAD, so eventually I'd like to assemble a team of geekhackers (and others) to design and produce some metal keycaps right here in the good ol' USA. By my esimation, we would single-handedly resurrect the US steel industry with a few modest keycaps.

Right now, however, I just want to experiment with cherry blues/browns and some 4+g weights. it's cheap, and the effect would be similar. Plus, to get that "bouncy rolley" effect, I think the center of gravity should be at the top of the cap, right where your finger hits- not distributed evenly. That's just a guess, though.

[leos]

simple, yes. incredibly awesome, yes.

but what do I look like, some thousanaire?

I've contacted my dad's machine shop, and the boss man might allow for a few special contracts as a favor to an employee's son. They've got those 1+ million dollar CNC machines and all that. It's something that I'd really like to do in the future. My brother is a whiz with CAD, so eventually I'd like to assemble a team of geekhackers (and others) to design and produce some metal keycaps right here in the good ol' USA. By my esimation, we would single-handedly resurrect the US steel industry with a few modest keycaps.

Right now, however, I just want to experiment with cherry blues/browns and some 4+g weights. it's cheap, and the effect would be similar. Plus, to get that "bouncy rolley" effect, I think the center of gravity should be at the top of the cap, right where your finger hits- not distributed evenly. That's just a guess, though.

do it your self .....

choose one of then

link1

link2

link 3

link 4

any geekhacker here who has lot time to produce for us metal/other materials keycaps???

[AndrewZorn]

i dont understand the reason for cutting off the skirts
but yeah probably makes browns even LIGHTER

[PRISONER 24601]

i dont understand the reason for cutting off the skirts
but yeah probably makes browns even LIGHTER

Well, I suppose you don't really need to. I just like taking off skirts is all.

[PRISONER 24601]

do it your self .....

choose one of then

link1

link2

link 3

link 4

any geekhacker here who has lot time to produce for us metal/other materials keycaps???

We had 2 CNC mills + a lathe in High School shop. I wish I could just go back there and use them