Steampunk wow!!

[chimera15]

My daily ebay search had me run across this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Steampunk-Typewriter-Keyboard-Vintage-Custom-Antique_W0QQitemZ170344004923QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item27a94b3d3b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1234|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50


Pretty awesome..$750 reserve!

He said he used a logitech keyboard...  Means it might not actually be clicky and might be a rubber dome?  hmm


One way or another, that's how to build a steampunk board, wow..  The leather floor really is the way to go, unlike the cloth and strange fabrics I've seen used before..

[itlnstln]

I must have missed it, but did they mention what the keyboard was they used as the base?
 
EDIT: Nevermind. It's a "high-quality Logitech" 'board.

[chimera15]

I must have missed it, but did they mention what the keyboard was they used as the base?
 
EDIT: Nevermind. It's a "high-quality Logitech" 'board.

Yup, I totally agree.  I asked the seller about it.  It's a shame to have such beautiful workmanship on a substandard non mechanical board....

[Rajagra]

My first thought was that the reserve is crazy, but a lot of work has gone into it and it looks great. Personally, I'd like a carriage return lever* (duplicating the button?) and the lights would be more old fashioned. A small, flickering neon would be perfect, but maybe some kind of candle-effect bulb would be more practical.

* With bell!

[itlnstln]

Description: Foggy island with guy falling from sky. Letters spelling MYST on top. Adobe Garamond font.

Ah, Myst.  Great game.  I can see a lot of your pics.  Websense tends to block those from hosting sites (photobucket, imageshack, etc.).  Unfortunately, it always seems to block the ones I really want to see.

[chimera15]

My first thought was that the reserve is crazy, but a lot of work has gone into it and it looks great. Personally, I'd like a carriage return lever* (duplicating the button?) and the lights would be more old fashioned. A small, flickering neon would be perfect, but maybe some kind of candle-effect bulb would be more practical.

* With bell!

Yup, I've done some pricing, and that many typewriter keys will cost upwards of $100 at least, so a lot of raw material cost went into it as well, not to mention the workmanship.

[itlnstln]

My first thought was that the reserve is crazy, but a lot of work has gone into it and it looks great. Personally, I'd like a carriage return lever* (duplicating the button?) and the lights would be more old fashioned. A small, flickering neon would be perfect, but maybe some kind of candle-effect bulb would be more practical.
 
* With bell!

It's hard to tell from the fairly small pics, but the holes punched in the leather don't look very clean.

[chimera15]

It's hard to tell from the fairly small pics, but the holes punched in the leather don't look very clean.

I think they're actually round puncture holes, and may not lay flat against bottom in all cases.  It brings into question again what the actual key function is like. Are those mechanical switches that are above the bottom of the board, or is that square plastic actually traveling into the board past the leather, all the way to the bottom to actuate a rubber dome?  Dunno.  One way or another I like the look of the leather from the top down view over what I've seen before.

It'd be cool if he made a youtube video of it functioning or something wouldn't it? Maybe I'll suggest it to him if he writes me back.

I always kind of wondered how it is to actually type on these steampunk boards as well.  I can't imagine it'd be as comfortable or as functional as a normal keyboard.

[o2dazone]

Ah, Myst.  F*cking horrible game.

fixed that 4 u

[wheel83]

I have been working for about 6 months on making steampunk keyboards from solely MODEL M's...A lot of these steampunkers use cheap keyboards that have a square plunger and are usually rubber dome.  A couple people use Model M's, but I think they are more difficult to mount the keys on.  Although the dual key cap system makes it decently easy enough.  

Model M vs Rubber Dome with royal keys is a serious no brainer.

Anyways, my designs include painted cases and ROYAL TOMBSTONE KEYS.  I plan on selling them on ebay once I have perfected my methodology.  I'm glad this one is selling for 750$  I have already spent a few k in tools and resources.

These keys are very comfortable, however after a short time, I get paranoid that I can feel the glass on my fingers. Them being like 40+ years old, its a weird experience haha

[chimera15]

I have been working for about 6 months on making steampunk keyboards from solely MODEL M's...A lot of these steampunkers use cheap keyboards that have a square plunger and are usually rubber dome.  A couple people use Model M's, but I think they are more difficult to mount the keys on.  Although the dual key cap system makes it decently easy enough.  

Model M vs Rubber Dome with royal keys is a serious no brainer.

Anyways, my designs include painted cases and ROYAL TOMBSTONE KEYS.  I plan on selling them on ebay once I have perfected my methodology.  I'm glad this one is selling for 750$  I have already spent a few k in tools and resources.

These keys are very comfortable, however after a short time, I get paranoid that I can feel the glass on my fingers. Them being like 40+ years old, its a weird experience haha

I'd really like to see a model f version.

[wheel83]

Looking at that steampunk keyboard.  It really isnt nice at all.  He didn't even change the labeling on most of the keys.  Notice the numpad section. That shows no effort.

[chimera15]

Looking at that steampunk keyboard.  It really isnt nice at all.  He didn't even change the labeling on most of the keys.  Notice the numpad section. That shows no effort.

He changed the navigation section.  Not sure how you would have changed the numpad section?  I think that's a relatively easy thing to do isn't it?  I don't get how you could say it shows no effort considering the rest of the board...

[chimera15]

If you compare it to the original one, that I first saw:



That one has the same original numbers for the keys, and I think even blank white for the navigation section?


I think I'd take this one, over that one for style, for sure.

[chimera15]

Hehe..  dang, wish this one was for sale:




Still that gives me an idea for a direction with my modded btc board...hmm..  Still I don't want to drop $100 on old typewriter keys. lol

[wheel83]

those panel lamps are usually called pilot lamps on ebay. they make gem ones made for guitars that LEDS light up nicely.  For 750$ the brass is nice, but I would like all the keys to have new prints.

Also the top one is the first one Jake van slot (sp) made.  and its a model M.  he made it crudely with glue and some questionable techniques.  but it works and sure looks nice.

My style isnt so much steampunk as it is retro + royal glass key tops.

But ya, if your gonna make custom directions keys, etc, you might as well do the f keys and numbers up properly. both of those keyboards use keys from different brand types of typewriters.  in my opinion it makes it look tacky.

[chimera15]

those panel lamps are usually called pilot lamps on ebay. they make gem ones made for guitars that LEDS light up nicely.  For 750$ the brass is nice, but I would like all the keys to have new prints.

Also the top one is the first one Jake van something made.  and its a model M.  he made it crudely with glue and some questionable techniques.  but it works and sure looks nice.

My style isnt so much steampunk as it is retro + royal glass key tops.

But ya, if your gonna make custom directions keys, etc, you might as well do the f keys and numbers up properly. both of those keyboards use keys from different brand types of typewriters.  in my opinion it makes it look tacky.

Well I don't have any experience with the old keys, but from what I've seen it's pretty difficult to get a matched set, and they're expensive as well, about $1 per key from what I've been seeing on ebay.  Do you know how to get a matched set of 100 or so cheaper?

I also wonder if it's possible to turn the printing inside horizontal, and then cut the metal stems so they fit directly into alps switch slots?

[wheel83]

nope ... you are absolutely correct in your evaluation. it is a money pit for sure if you want perfect keys. i believe both keyboards use royal keys and i forget the brand of the yellowed type of keys, but they go for about the same price.

[Rajagra]

A replica Enigma Machine would be pretty cool, but you don't see many of them on eBay to use for parts! :lol:


You'd get bonus points if you could swap in coding wheels to change the keyboard layout to Dvorak etc.

[chimera15]

The seller wrote me back and I told him about this board and thread.  Hopefully he'll come and comment and answer some of our questions.  Anyway, he said he's going to do a model m for his next one.  Should be pretty impressive.

[wheel83]

i hope he discovers this forum as well.  thats how i discovered model m's haha.  you would be surprised how quickly one could build that with the right tools and information and methodology.  It is impressive looking though indeed.  but royal keys have mounting "tabs" that arent impossible to work with. they were built by hand, so dissecting the old typewriters isnt too difficult. to moung them usually i would use "inside" of the dual cap model m system.  focus on 9/16" buttons basically and youre gold.  its tough to get leather or fabric to mount flushly without a heavy amount of dremeling to the plungers. so that part of the task i have somewhat eliminated from my keyboards.

and the profit one makes considering the time spent is not great at all.

in my opinion the sound of a model m is the only sound i would relate to using these keyboards.  it just wouldnt feel right with switches in my opinion.

[ricercar]

$750 Reserve? Day-am! I need to get mine finished, foto'd, and on eBay ASAP.

[microsoft windows]

Imagine if someone made one of those "steam punk" keyboards with an integrated pointing device like a trackball or trackpoint...

[wheel83]

There is a steampunk IBM M15 out there with a touch panel input between the "halves." A steampunk M13 does sound nice and a weird combination of technologies.

[talis]

Well, not a Trackball but I'm toying with the idea of a Steampunk Tenkeyless with typing ball as volume control.  Maybe push to mute.  The letters make it easy to grip.  Would make a great joystick grip as well.



I'm used to using guitar pots (guitar amps) so that's part is trivial.  Now have to do some circuitry searching to convert analog to keycodes.

Something like this with a rotary encoder may work.  Just on each tick of the rotary encoder send the associated key press.  Just need to work out direction (can do it with the quad encoder, that matrix controller board may be able to work it out).

[talis]

Thanks for the links.  Those look like they would work.

Hrmm, actually it doesn't look like that matrix board is able to decode a rotary encoder.  That's too bad, could do some neat stuff with that.  Could probably work out a bit of external logic to generate the ticks (just need to generate two outputs, one that ticks high when you're turning CW, and one that ticks high when you're turning CCW).  Probably just needs a couple of flip-flops and a logic gate or two.  I'll try and work something out =P

[wheel83]

I think hacking a griffin powermate would be much easier and awesomer.  Those things are frickin sweet.  Awesome japanese designer.

edit : i am pretty sure a griffin powermate is what you want for this mod.  it has a lot of VERY nice features.

[talis]

I think that board you linked to would work. I could just use a rotary switch to send Vol Up, Vol Down, and push to mute.  All I use is AutoHotkey right now to send these three key commands (Win+arrow key combos).

They are referring to a "rotary switch", not a rotary encoder.  They mean one of these .  The rotary encoder puts out a binary code depending on its position (or at least a code based on direction of travel, and number of degrees turned).

Either I think could be made to work, but both would require a bit of external logic to get both directional, and positional information.

[chimera15]

Pretty sweet, it's got 19 bids, looks like it's going to sell.

[Rajagra]

It's past the reserve with 4 hours to go. Could end in a bidding war even?

[o2dazone]

I just realized the guys feedback

where the f is my book ashole i want my fucng money back

[chimera15]

The guy was buying a dictionary so it's OK.

Gives me an idea though.  Buy a switch from that model M mini guy for $4 every cycle and keep trashing him  so that when he relists a model M mini I can get it for cheap.

Problem is he's disappeared.  Not selling those minis anymore.  Hopefully on vacation.

roflol

[chimera15]

Interesting, found another one on ebay...  This one seems to be going for a little bit more reasonable price right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Custom-Distressed-Steampunk-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ120441795743QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item1c0ae3f49f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1205|293%3A1|294%3A50



This is pretty cool too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Steampunk-Flash-Drive_W0QQitemZ150356405943QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item2301f0aeb7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1234|293%3A1|294%3A50

[microsoft windows]

That keyboard looks like one of those crappy Dell keyboards. I don't care if they put typewriter keys on one of those. It's still a lousy thing to type on.

[keyb_gr]

That keyboard looks like one of those crappy Dell keyboards. I don't care if they put typewriter keys on one of those. It's still a lousy thing to type on.

Most definitely one of them NMB-made Dells. I also used to think that they're not too exciting (and indeed they stink when contrasted with a Model M) - but unless badly worn, they're actually quite decent for rubber domes. The current ones are a lot worse...

Steampunk flash drive, LOL...

[microsoft windows]

A good rubber dome keyboard can easily withstand 20 years of use without cleaning. Those newer Dell's can't even withstand 5!