Author Topic: Where to buy individual keys, not full sets  (Read 3984 times)

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Offline tchap

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Where to buy individual keys, not full sets
« on: Mon, 03 November 2014, 17:43:11 »
I want to find around 50 unmarked keys for a special project, and all keys are the same type keycap.  I am using cherry mx.  I found some clear keycaps that are not marked.  I want types that will fit next to each other and look identical.  Can anyone suggest a source for a keycap that I can buy that is the same type?  Much appreciated.

Offline rowdy

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Re: Where to buy individual keys, not full sets
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 03 November 2014, 18:17:55 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

Do you want DSA profile?  They all look identical, and definitely sit next to each other, regardless of what row they are.

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/products/full-keysets/dsa-blank-sets-1
http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/products/full-keysets/dsa-extra-blank-keys

Depending on how many you want, PMK sell individual keycaps for about $1 each, or, say, a numpad set (18 keycaps) for $11.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline tchap

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Re: Where to buy individual keys, not full sets
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 03 November 2014, 18:32:34 »
Thanks for the info on DSA.  Yes  that looks fine.  This is not a keyboard, it is a bank of buttons for a special system so I like the same style.  I wonder if there is a better looking version of that same style. 

Offline tchap

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Re: Where to buy individual keys, not full sets
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 03 November 2014, 18:47:41 »
http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/products/full-keysets/full-clear-translucent-dcs-keycap-sets

Is this DCS similar in terms of each key being identical?  I like this look. 

Offline inlikeflynn

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Re: Where to buy individual keys, not full sets
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 03 November 2014, 18:55:45 »
http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/products/full-keysets/full-clear-translucent-dcs-keycap-sets

Is this DCS similar in terms of each key being identical?  I like this look. 
most of the rows will have a different profile from the others, so they wouldn't be identical and probably wouldn't look good if all in a line 50 across or something.

I'd suggest Relegendable keycaps as you could keep the profile the same and have a clear top in case wish to label them in the future
http://www.keycapsdirect.com/faq.php#13
you can buy the 50 or so from there too (FYI pimpmykeyboard is the same company, Signature Plastics)
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Offline tchap

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Re: Where to buy individual keys, not full sets
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 03 November 2014, 19:41:04 »
http://www.keycapsdirect.com/images/Ruby/Completeset.jpg

I like these Ruby key the best from that link you posted.  These look like money.  Now to find out how I can pipe some RGB light up into it. 
« Last Edit: Mon, 03 November 2014, 19:45:21 by tchap »

Offline rowdy

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Re: Where to buy individual keys, not full sets
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 03 November 2014, 21:30:05 »
http://www.keycapsdirect.com/images/Ruby/Completeset.jpg

I like these Ruby key the best from that link you posted.  These look like money.  Now to find out how I can pipe some RGB light up into it. 

The red ones?  They are standard DSA - not transparent.

DSA keycaps are also usually fairly thick, so you'd need very bright LEDs to make those light up.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ