Ever since I saw the half plate of the Cheat I wanted to try it out and see if it feels any different. Seeing a 356 Mini with a half plate convinced me to make my own.
This is the documentation of the process that I went through to create my own half plate using the original plate from an ISO version of the Poker 2. Sadly I only have photos of the finished product since I am sort of in the middle of moving and my camera was already at my new place. Also, reading this build log after I wrote it I can finally say I have proof that I am a terrible writer!
Tools I used for this mod
- Rotary tool "Dremel 3000"
- Blade and sanding disc attachment for the rotary tool
- Hand files (big and small)
- Sanding paper with grit 40/120/400
First step: CuttingFirst I screwed the plate into a jaw vice to keep it steady during the process. I used the rotary tool to cut out the middle part of the plate where the alphas are, leaving only the number row and the modifiers. I tried to cut as much off as I could and as close to the "horizontal line" of the plate as possible so I don't have to file away that much afterwards. Be careful here and wear safety goggles since sparks will fly! This part is rather self-explanatory though, just cut the plate where it connects to the outer part.
Second step: SandingThis was the longest part of the process. There were still pointy spikes from inaccurate cutting so I used a sanding disc attachment on my rotary tool to file them down. I used the same attachment to remove roughly 1.5mm from the inside of the plate to make the frame more narrow, since the switches were still laying on top of the plate with one side. After that I used the hand files to get into smaller places and to file everything sort of even, which didn't work that well with the rotary tool.
After that the plate looked pretty bad. It was originally painted black and you could see silver coming out where I cut and sanded. I also slipped a couple of times so the surface looked far from brilliant. That's when I decided that I wanted to make the whole plate silver! I used sanding paper with grit 40 to remove the paint on the top side and used grit 120 to make it smooth. I decided that it wasn't smooth enough and sanded it with grit 400 sanding paper. The result is a nice brushed aluminum look and a shiny silver plate that goes perfectly with my case!
One thing to note was that sanding down the plate could give you some trouble since you can't lay it flat. It has a little spike on the back side that you have to solder onto the PCB. I solved this problem by taking a wooden plate and drilling a hole in it where I can insert said spike. Now I was able to lay the plate flat on the piece of wood and start sanding.
ConclusionIt does not look perfect due to me slipping while cutting and filing, creating random marks on the top part of the plate but I am happy nontheless!
Does it feel any different?
Yes. But not much. Like advertised, it feels a little bit softer as opposed to the hard hitting plate. There is not much resonance. it also could be my imagination playing a trick on me since I used MX Browns for the alphas (used MX Black for the whole board before) since those were the only PCB mounted switches that I had, but I DO think it feels a little softer, which I find pleasent.
Would I do it again?
Hell no, way too much work
)
Other advantages I discovered were that I can change out most of the switches without desoldering, allowing me to test a variety of stem/spring combinations quickly and easily. Very useful for when you are planning a new keyboard and you are not sure what switches you want to use. It is sort of a large switch tester which I think is really useful since 1 switch doesn't really give you the same feeling as a whole keyboard.
Are there any disadvantages?
Except the effort you have to put into it and that there is a chance that you can **** up, no. It still works like before, even better in my opinion.
Things that I would do different?
Instead of directly screwing it into the jaw vice I would use something to cushion it. The plate is quite soft and it left "bite marks"
) Also not slipping with the rotary tool would be a good thing to do.
Pictures!
PK2-HP3 by Fnzzy on 500px
PK2-HP1 by Fnzzy on 500px
PK2-HP4 by Fnzzy on 500px
PK2-HP2 by Fnzzy on 500px
