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Author Topic: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?  (Read 3622 times)

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Offline Moralless

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Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« on: Wed, 05 November 2014, 07:14:40 »
Hello, I'm interested in wrapping the plate and bottom of my custom keyboard as I have created a few scratches which I'd like to hide and also think it would contrast well with its white acrylic body. Just wondering if anyone has ever attempted on wrapping their keyboard plate in vinyl as I'm lost on how to go about this. Currently I'm thinking of doing it by removing all the keys then pre-depressing the switches with some tape and then place the vinyl sheet over everything and press the vinyl down in between the switches and then cutting the vinyl to let the switches go through. With this method I'm afraid of forming air bubbles and making the whole thing look 'amateurish'. I also have access to my brother's heat gun so instead of pressing the vinyl in between the switches I could just heat the vinyl up and let it form over the switches and just cut it out from there. I'm not really too sure about the feasibility of this method  as I have no idea on the properties of carbon fiber vinyl, but I am confident that the switches itself could tolerate the heat.

I don't have any vinyl on hand with me yet but I do plan to test these two methods and was wondering what you guys think about the practicality of these two methods or maybe you can share some other methods on how I could wrap my keyboard plate in vinyl.
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Offline heedpantsnow

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Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 05 November 2014, 07:59:29 »
I'd take out all the switches of course. If you don't want to do that then at least take off the tops of the switches so you can get the vinyl as close to the plate as possible. If you can't do that (maybe you don't want to or your plate doesn't allow that) then I wouldn't do it. Trying to lay it down between the switches and cutting it out will end in a ton of air bubbles, probably some wrinkles, and most definitely a lot of jagged edge around the switches.

I'm trying to be less of a perfectionist these days but in this case I would say "do it right or don't do it at all."
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 05 November 2014, 13:16:27 »
In years past there were some great threads on this, but they probably got destroyed during R00tw0rm
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Offline tjcaustin

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Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 05 November 2014, 13:19:11 »
That sounds way more involving and less guaranteed of success than just disassembling the board completely and wrapping the plate separately.
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Offline BlueNalgene

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Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 05 November 2014, 13:30:43 »
I did something similar recently

You might find it useful.  The heat gun is definitely an option for some things, but perhaps not going over switches.  The heat will cause the nearby areas of the vinyl to deform and this will give you wavy lines in the 'fibers' and look kinda silly. 

What does your plate look like, or rather, what model of keyboard are you thinking of modifying?
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Offline Lu_e

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Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 05 November 2014, 19:15:20 »
Taking it apart and hydrographic would be sweet
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Offline RickyJ

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Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 07 November 2014, 02:29:47 »
I did this with my Poker when I got it a couple years ago.




Dampens out any plate harmonics, no ping.
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Offline Moralless

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Re: Wrapping a keyboard plate with carbon fiber vinyl?
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 07 November 2014, 03:29:44 »
Quote from: RickyJ on Fri, 07 November 2014, 02:29:47
I did this with my Poker when I got it a couple years ago.

Show Image

Show Image


Dampens out any plate harmonics, no ping.

That looks sweet! Did you apply it with the switches installed or no?
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