Author Topic: Pewter Model m keycaps (Read 17723 times)

fohat.digs · « **Reply #50 on:** Thu, 07 March 2013, 09:35:57 »

I just received 2 blank metal keycaps, and they are wicked bad !

They look great and fit perfectly.

It will be interesting to see how they develop patina over time. I am wondering whether I should pull them once a week and rub my fingers all over all 4 sides to get some matching skin fluids on them, to make them "age" the same as the typing surface.

Great work, Ben!

osrix · « **Reply #51 on:** Thu, 07 March 2013, 13:04:16 »

Thanks man, Glad you like em, Ive developed the process a little further so they are now super clean, without the pitting I had before.
Throw up some pics, I also wana see your board!

sleepy916 · « **Reply #52 on:** Mon, 11 March 2013, 22:11:29 »

I just got an email from techkeys selling metal Model M keycaps in the artisan keys section. Looks very similar to these.

i3oilermaker · « **Reply #53 on:** Mon, 11 March 2013, 22:18:57 »

Thats because it is!

MKey = orsix

osrix · « **Reply #54 on:** Tue, 12 March 2013, 15:47:50 »

Its true V4's! Exclusive to Techkeys!

WarNutts · « **Reply #55 on:** Tue, 12 March 2013, 20:13:34 »

Wow they look great. Nice job.

absyrd · « **Reply #56 on:** Wed, 13 March 2013, 11:20:08 »

Continue to improve, for sure. Watching this thread until you get that whole board filled up.

osrix · « **Reply #57 on:** Wed, 13 March 2013, 13:20:42 »

Yeah, Thanks massive improvement on V1! I still wana do my whole board but until i find a satisfactory way of engraving (or?) I cant cos I dont touch type yet so cant have blanks!!"

joules · « **Reply #58 on:** Sun, 17 March 2013, 20:02:32 »

Quote from: osrix on Sun, 27 January 2013, 18:32:29

I could still do with some advice on engraving or some way to get really nice letters and symbols, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

I any case I hope this is of some interest to someone, I love my Model M

Oh hey awesome! \M/METAL\M/ key kaps!

I...(yeh whatever geeks are good at everything..)..

Acid etching would be the way. Have you thought of that? You could even oxidize the resulting pit.

Theres also Tint etching, that I know nothing about.

sleepy916 · « **Reply #59 on:** Mon, 18 March 2013, 00:38:38 »

I wouldn't mind getting 4 keys but $64 seems a bit steep. They look good though.

Krogenar · « **Reply #60 on:** Mon, 18 March 2013, 06:35:57 »

Quote from: osrix on Sun, 27 January 2013, 18:32:29

I could still do with some advice on engraving or some way to get really nice letters and symbols, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Here's some advice:

http://www.rolanddga.com/products/engravers/

Don't buy one of the machines -- they're expensive, but do try to find someone in your area that owns one of these machines. Call Roland (the manufacturer) and ask if they know of someone in your area that has a machine of theirs that could accomplish what you need. In fact, get a few people, and then job it out and see what they can do for you in terms of price. Give them some subpar pieces to experiment on.

I agree with the people (fohat and others) who recommend starting with Esc for starting out with engraving. Those will sell the easiest in the beginning.
If I had an engraving machine myself I would gladly offer it's services, but, sadly, I don't.

Great looking work so far, and thanks for making some Buckling Spring stuff -- they needed some attention! Once there's an engraved set, I WILL be picking up an entire set.

EDIT:

My guess is that you would have to modify your mold so that more than one key could be engraved at a time; arranged in some kind of very consistent matrix, which, after engraving, would be broken away. But that's just my guess -- doing one key at a time would be mind-numbingly slow. Maybe you could start with an engraved WASD cluster?

CommunistWitchDr · « **Reply #61 on:** Tue, 19 March 2013, 01:27:11 »

Quote from: Krogenar on Mon, 18 March 2013, 06:35:57

But that's just my guess -- doing one key at a time would be mind-numbingly slow. Maybe you could start with an engraved WASD cluster?

From my impression of the typical Model M user, HJKL may be a better option

lazerpointer · « **Reply #62 on:** Tue, 19 March 2013, 11:19:40 »

Techkeys should sell the whole cap, not just the top cover. Then I could buy your metal caps for my Unicomp board. (1 piece caps currently installed)

Edit;
Well I guess it's easier said than done lol. Not a lot of spare Model M caps floating around.

Grim Fandango · « **Reply #63 on:** Wed, 20 March 2013, 18:06:17 »

Looks awesome, in a rustic, sculpted kind of way.

rknize · « **Reply #64 on:** Wed, 20 March 2013, 20:20:41 »

Just buy a one unit blank from Unicomp. Specify that you want the 2 piece cap.

osrix · « **Reply #65 on:** Thu, 21 March 2013, 12:43:39 »

Quote from: Krogenar on Mon, 18 March 2013, 06:35:57

Quote from: osrix on Sun, 27 January 2013, 18:32:29
I could still do with some advice on engraving or some way to get really nice letters and symbols, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Here's some advice:

http://www.rolanddga.com/products/engravers/

Don't buy one of the machines -- they're expensive, but do try to find someone in your area that owns one of these machines. Call Roland (the manufacturer) and ask if they know of someone in your area that has a machine of theirs that could accomplish what you need. In fact, get a few people, and then job it out and see what they can do for you in terms of price. Give them some subpar pieces to experiment on.

I agree with the people (fohat and others) who recommend starting with Esc for starting out with engraving. Those will sell the easiest in the beginning.
If I had an engraving machine myself I would gladly offer it's services, but, sadly, I don't.

Great looking work so far, and thanks for making some Buckling Spring stuff -- they needed some attention! Once there's an engraved set, I WILL be picking up an entire set.

EDIT:

My guess is that you would have to modify your mold so that more than one key could be engraved at a time; arranged in some kind of very consistent matrix, which, after engraving, would be broken away. But that's just my guess -- doing one key at a time would be mind-numbingly slow. Maybe you could start with an engraved WASD cluster?

Thanks for such good advice and ideas, much appreciated. I'll get on it!!

Krogenar · « **Reply #66 on:** Thu, 21 March 2013, 14:21:50 »

Quote from: osrix on Thu, 21 March 2013, 12:43:39

Thanks for such good advice and ideas, much appreciated. I'll get on it!!

No worries. Thanks for supplying the community something new! Let us all know how your search goes.

Then move on to making thin copper keycaps, so I can have a keyboard with a patina. (kidding!)

osrix · « **Reply #67 on:** Wed, 16 October 2013, 15:11:18 »

Full on model F not mine unfortuantely but nice very nice

Alessandro · « **Reply #68 on:** Wed, 16 October 2013, 16:04:38 »

GIMME!

RabRhee · « **Reply #69 on:** Wed, 16 October 2013, 16:55:17 »

Very cool caps, pretty slick as blanks, let alone with engraving, and very nice to see some buckling spring love. Great to see this.

Krogenar · « **Reply #70 on:** Wed, 16 October 2013, 16:58:17 »

Those are beautiful.

fohat.digs · « **Reply #71 on:** Wed, 16 October 2013, 17:08:41 »

And somebody did the ANSI mod on it, too!

osrix · « **Reply #72 on:** Wed, 16 October 2013, 17:37:04 »

getting some serious cravings for Model F now :/
Fohat whats the ANSI mod - sorry googled ..now i get it

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Author Topic: Pewter Model m keycaps (Read 17723 times)