Author Topic: White dye subbed PBT keys from SP (104 leys US ANSI) (Read 15430 times)

laden3 · « **on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:09:32 »

Inspired by http://geekhack.org/showpost.php?p=293384&postcount=17

I sent SP an e-mail.. The price isn't that expensive when it comes down to 25 sets ++.

Why am I posting this? Someone has to post it someday... so, why wait for it... I am a big fan of PBT keycaps and since there are no double shot PBT keycaps available, dye sublimation printing is currently the best alternative.

I don't think that I am qualified for organizing this group buy even if this thread garnered the interest of more than 25 individuals. Basically... waiting for a charismatic person to appear >.<

Why 25? Not 50 or 100? The difference between 25 sets and 50 sets isn't that large (a mere $16.03). If you are interested, be prepared to pay $122.33 for each set...
BUT...the more the merrier... If 50++ individuals are interested, that is great...

Why 104 keys US ANSI layout?!?! It saves time and keep things simple to prevent any unwanted circumstances. If people are interested in the ISO enter, it is recommended that a sub-group buy is made in another thread.

If you are really really really interested, read the sentences wrote in black... if you are not, just ignore it...

WARNING: A group buy might never happen since you are actually paying the price of 1 Filco keyboard and all you get are 104 keycaps...BUT, keep one thing in mind, these are probably one of the best keycaps you can currently obtain.

Quote

Pricing for the keysets is as follows assuming they are DCS style and fit the Cherry MX Switch - Molded in Off-white PBT with black print:

1 set $891.95 / set

5 sets $250.60 / set

10 sets $170.43 / set

25 sets $122.33 / set

50 sets $106.30 / set

75 sets $100.95 / set

100 sets $98.28 / set

Pricing does not include freight. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Melissa Petersen

Signature Plastics LLC

E: mpetersen@solutionsinplastic.com

P: 360.366.5044 ext. 400 | F: 360.366.3848

www.solutionsinplastic.com | www.keycapsdirect.com

- I will be out of the office February 17th - 27th with limited access to email -

From: -removed-
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 12:58 PM
To: mguenser@solutionsinplastic.com
Subject: RE: Signature Plastics Website Request

Would you mind showing us the price for each set ranging from 1-100?
The image looks like this.
http://www.oiepoie.nl/windows/windows-keyboard/keyboard4.png

the material of the keycaps are PBT and the color is white or nearly white.

Thanks.

> From: mguenser@solutionsinplastic.com
> To: -removed-
> Subject: RE: Signature Plastics Website Request
> Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:49:58 -0800
>
> Thank you for contacting Signature Plastics! How many sets of keycaps were
> you looking to purchase? Do you have a layout of what images you would like
> sublimated on the keys?
> Thanks!
>
> Melissa Petersen
> Signature Plastics LLC
>
> E: mpetersen@solutionsinplastic.com
> P: 360.366.5044 ext. 400 | F: 360.366.3848
> www.solutionsinplastic.com | www.keycapsdirect.com
>
> - I will be out of the office February 17th - 27th with limited access to
> email -
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mguenser@solutionsinplastic.com
> [mailto:mguenser@solutionsinplastic.com]
> Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 12:47 PM
> To: mguenser@solutionsinplastic.com
> Subject: Signature Plastics Website Request
>
> Name: -removed-
>
> Email: -removed-
>
> Phone: -removed-
>
> How did you hear about us: Other
>
> Other: geekhack.org
>
> Comment: Price of US ANSI 104 keys PBT keycaps labeled with dye sublimation
> printing.
>
>
>

edit: The only thing I obtained from SP is this e-mail. No pictures. No prototypes. The main purpose of this thread is to show the cost of ordering white dye subbed PBT keys from SP (104 leys US ANSI).

edit 2: Please get a quote from SP if you have something interesting to suggest. It takes only a few minutes and is totally free.
http://www.solutionsinplastic.com/contact.html

RiGS · « **Reply #1 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:19:37 »

Nice job! Are these the same thin keycaps but pbt?

guilleguillaume · « **Reply #2 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:20:14 »

I actually think it's TOO much money for a single set even if we were 100 people.

Anyway any pic from those Keycaps?

sadbox · « **Reply #3 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:21:47 »

If I'm not mistaken it was actually cheaper to get doubleshots.... Any particular reason you'd want dye subs over DS?

RiGS · « **Reply #4 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:24:13 »

SP doesn't make doubleshots in pbt.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #5 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:24:25 »

I'd pay [strike]$100[/strike] $122.33.

Twitchy · « **Reply #6 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:25:14 »

For one thing, if you want PBT caps you can't have doubleshots (Not from SP anyway).

laden3 · « **Reply #7 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:25:41 »

Quote from: RiGS;295033

Are these the same thin keycaps but pbt?

No idea... It is just a quote from SP. In the KBC forum........ we were told that..... it is easier to dye thicker keycaps than thinner ones. SP might have some sophisticate machine... Judging from the reply in the e-mail,

Quote

Pricing for the keysets is as follows assuming they are DCS style and fit the Cherry MX Switch - Molded in Off-white PBT with black print:

they are probably the thin ones T_T

laden3 · « **Reply #8 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:29:36 »

Quote from: ripster;295032

$20/25 for Unicomps. $100 for Signature DyeSubs in volume.

Something is wrong with this picture.

Don't laugh... I actually called Unicomp and asked whether they can make dye subbed keys if we provide them with some keycaps. Jim said no...

RiGS · « **Reply #9 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:37:21 »

If they were thicker and spherical then they would worth the price.

cgoldberg · « **Reply #10 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:45:28 »

Quote from: RiGS;295049

If they were thicker and spherical then they would worth the price.

I'm looking for thick sphericals also. know any boards to pull them off?

RiGS · « **Reply #11 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:49:19 »

Just pm sixty if you have deep pockets.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #12 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:51:50 »

@laden, you beat me to it. I was going to do the exact same thing today, until sixty told me how expensive SP's dyesub sets are. Actually though, considering what you get it doesn't seem that bad. I'm in. I'd be willing to organize too but only if it's one layout/color scheme and no individualized choices. Do you have to sort them all when you get them?

We should have a poll to gauge interest.

laden3 · « **Reply #13 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:52:10 »

Quote from: RiGS;295049

If they were thicker and spherical then they would worth the price.

Get a quote from SP. :tongue:
http://www.solutionsinplastic.com/contact.html

laden3 · « **Reply #14 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 17:59:47 »

Quote from: keyboardlover;295063

@laden, you beat me to it. I was going to do the exact same thing today, until sixty told me how expensive SP's dyesub sets are. Actually though, considering what you get it doesn't seem that bad. I'm in. I'd be willing to organize too but only if it's one layout/color scheme and no individualized choices. Do you have to sort them all when you get them?

We should have a poll to gauge interest.

A public poll might work, with people specifying that they are willing to pay $XXX amount for the keycaps. I hate the idea that someone just vote "yes" for fun without showing any actual interest.

Based on previous experiences, SP can collate the keycaps at a given amount of money or you can try WhiteRice's style and collate them yourself. We did WhiteRice's style and IIRC, no missing keys or mistakes.

Pylon · « **Reply #15 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:09:44 »

My guess on why it costs so much / why Unicomp can't do it, judging by this.

Dye sub involves pressing a dye sheet against the caps at high heat. In order to apply pressure, you need a press or some sort of tooling that fits the keycaps snugly.
That piece of tooling is why dye sub costs so much/Unicomp can't do it. Presumably, SP needs to tool the press in order to do dye sub, which jacks up prices, and Unicomp's tooling is specific to the shape of their keycaps, which is why they can't do Cherry caps.

Also, if this ever goes through, do multi colored caps! Take advantage of that, or else there isn't too much of a point over double shot.

guilleguillaume · « **Reply #16 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:20:44 »

Quote from: RiGS;295049

If they were thicker and spherical then they would worth the price.

Quote from: cgoldberg;295058

I'm looking for thick sphericals also. know any boards to pull them off?

You mean something like this if I'm not wrong:

There was a Thread where somebody asked where to buy and Ripster and Sixty told us that SP made them.

Found it: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=14025

Quote from: RiGS;295060

Just pm sixty if you have deep pockets.

mmm Sixty maybe can get those Keycaps for us if we ask since he got some replicas from another forum. Don't actually know, just thinking but last days saw him talking about that in the Classifieds section: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=15085

I really think that a Noppo Choc mini with a full set of Sphericals keycaps will be awesome.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #17 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:25:10 »

Dye sublimation seems to be tattooing for keyboard caps. Pretty hardcore.

laden3 · « **Reply #18 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:25:46 »

Quote from: Pylon;295079

My guess on why it costs so much / why Unicomp can't do it, judging by this.

Dye sub involves pressing a dye sheet against the caps at high heat. In order to apply pressure, you need a press or some sort of tooling that fits the keycaps snugly.
That piece of tooling is why dye sub costs so much/Unicomp can't do it. Presumably, SP needs to tool the press in order to do dye sub, which jacks up prices, and Unicomp's tooling is specific to the shape of their keycaps, which is why they can't do Cherry caps.

Also, if this ever goes through, do multi colored caps! Take advantage of that, or else there isn't too much of a point over double shot.

please get a quote from SP too :tongue: it takes less than a minute.

I am not in charge of an organized group buy. What I did is just give the original idea a little push.

digitalleftovers · « **Reply #19 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:28:48 »

what kind of boards are these?

cgoldberg · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:35:34 »

Quote from: guilleguillaume;295089

You mean something like this if I'm not wrong

yup exactly

RiGS · « **Reply #21 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:51:43 »

Those are thin blank abs spherical keycaps from SP on 356cl. A keyboard custom made by the otd koreans guys.

sixty · « **Reply #22 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 18:54:38 »

Dye-subbed keys are the same thin type as all other SP keys. Nothing to be gained here over double shots, really.

Few months ago kbdholic ordered 10(?) dyesub sets from SP. They are basically entirely identical to their double shot keys:

Pic courtesy of enje.

I also own a single dye-subbed bi-color key from SP:

Very pretty and very very expensive, but in the end just as thin as their double shots.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #23 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 19:02:16 »

Hmm...sixty has a good point. Thin keycaps are thin. Cherry Corp. doubleshots still pwn both SP types.

Ok I'm out. :\

RiGS · « **Reply #24 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 19:03:10 »

sixty: Are those pbt or abs keycaps?

sixty · « **Reply #25 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 19:04:29 »

No idea on the kbdholic set. The Cherry logo key is ABS.

Pylon · « **Reply #26 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 19:08:31 »

How about we all shell out some money for some tooling and make our own keycaps.

sixty · « **Reply #27 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 19:10:07 »

That reminds me when I asked SP to make Topre keycaps. It was only $80,000 for the setup costs. I believe even clickclack's gnomes may be cheaper still.

laden3 · « **Reply #28 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 19:13:42 »

Quote from: sixty;295109

Dye-subbed keys are the same thin type as all other SP keys. Nothing to be gained here over double shots, really.

The point of using the dye sub method is that we can get durable legends on PBT keycaps. It is kinda stupid to think that the Koreans chose ABS over PBT in their custom order... but, just for confirmation, please help us to ask them.

Moogle Stiltzkin · « **Reply #29 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 20:39:42 »

You can see this is why i did not opt for dye subs for patch kit. Too expensive :X

Looks ? Awesome most likely. Economical ?? Nope :x

Anyway good luck with this, would be interesting to see what SP can come up with.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #30 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 20:51:13 »

I'm still not quite sure I understand why you're buying and selling stuff in US ebay auctions through a "friend" in the USA...

nigritude · « **Reply #31 on:** Mon, 14 February 2011, 22:30:37 »

Not to thread jack, but can someone tell me the differences between ABS and PBT?

RiGS · « **Reply #32 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 04:28:41 »

PBT is more durable and more expensive plastic and doesn't yellow or gets shiny.

calavera · « **Reply #33 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 04:49:35 »

Unless they do it in thick PBT like cherry corps this groupbuy is useless. Might as well just settle for their doubleshots which is significantly cheaper.

I'd be interested in a dye subbed standard 104 kit consisting of thick PBT keycaps in white/beige only, no custom anything.

I'm not sure how many would be interested in this forum...may be 5 or 6? But I could test the waters in the Korean forums. For 100~120 USD price getting 20 people should be a breeze. Organizing the payment and shipment however could be an issue.

RiGS · « **Reply #34 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 05:05:50 »

I totally agree, but maybe waiting for those new thicker dye subbed PBT KBC caps is better deal.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #35 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 05:28:36 »

Could be waiting a long time...

RiGS · « **Reply #36 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 05:34:39 »

I'm not dying, so I can wait.

laden3 · « **Reply #37 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 08:20:53 »

Quote from: calavera;295300

Unless they do it in thick PBT like cherry corps this groupbuy is useless. Might as well just settle for their doubleshots which is significantly cheaper.

I'd be interested in a dye subbed standard 104 kit consisting of thick PBT keycaps in white/beige only, no custom anything.

I'm not sure how many would be interested in this forum...may be 5 or 6? But I could test the waters in the Korean forums. For 100~120 USD price getting 20 people should be a breeze. Organizing the payment and shipment however could be an issue.

I don't think that they are thick though... gonna ask SP...

On the other hand, KBC might have thick PBT keycaps at a significant cheaper price. The problem is that we might have to wait for a while.

RiGS · « **Reply #38 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 09:35:34 »

Also note that kbc keycaps have a nice texture.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #39 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 09:41:50 »

I like the feel of the nubbies.

RiGS · « **Reply #40 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 09:53:18 »

KBC is testing thick pbt doubleshots as well.

RiGS · « **Reply #41 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 09:58:09 »

Wow that reminds me an old Bruce Lee movie.

RiGS · « **Reply #42 on:** Tue, 15 February 2011, 10:01:27 »

I was thought KBC is based in Taiwan

calavera · « **Reply #43 on:** Wed, 16 February 2011, 01:00:06 »

hey just a heads up. I mentioned this in one Korean forum and I have already 12 interested. If we can really get this rolling I have no doubt we can reach 25 buyers. Hell, I could just start one right now with only Koreans and have 25. lol

I'd need something solid from SP and/or KBC that we can in fact do a group buy soon with thick PBT though. Thin key caps in their (also mine) book is a big do not want.

laden3 · « **Reply #44 on:** Wed, 16 February 2011, 01:29:52 »

Quote

Key thickness varies between the different size of keys (i.e. 1x and 1.25x) but all are around 0.030" to 0.040" thick on the side wall.

Thanks!

pretty thin =S

http://bbs.kbc-china.com/thread-4876-1-1.html
says end of the year, or earlier, if lucky enough...

calavera · « **Reply #45 on:** Wed, 16 February 2011, 01:42:20 »

Quote from: laden3;295923

pretty thin =S

http://bbs.kbc-china.com/thread-4876-1-1.html
says end of the year, or earlier, if lucky enough...

that thickness is better. Is that a sample of their thick PBT to be used in double shots only or is dye sub also in the works?

laden3 · « **Reply #46 on:** Wed, 16 February 2011, 02:08:26 »

Never heard of them making ABS double shots. I know they can make these keycaps shown in the pics, but, the problem is to produce them at a higher success rate in each batch. IMO that is one of the reasons double shot PBT is not available yet.

I wish I could visit their factory some day...>.<

The black ones are POM

calavera · « **Reply #47 on:** Wed, 16 February 2011, 02:17:04 »

so the black ones pictured are POM. Is double shots possible with PBT or POM though? I thought double shots are made of ABS.

laden3 · « **Reply #48 on:** Wed, 16 February 2011, 02:28:08 »

It is possible, but the success rate is very low. That's what I heard ~

RiGS · « **Reply #49 on:** Wed, 16 February 2011, 05:54:27 »

Those are very nice. Btw on the package it says pbt.

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Author Topic: White dye subbed PBT keys from SP (104 leys US ANSI) (Read 15430 times)