Paying Dues before Paying the RentI thought it was appropriate to finally show my face around here. I wanted to introduce myself to the GeekHack community. I’ve been a lurker here for quite some time and frankly, my apprehension to do so comes from the fact that I’ve felt pretty intimidated by the community. That’s not to say I haven’t had some great interactions with some members of GeekHack because I certainly have. Overall, I’ve found the community has been incredibly knowledgeable and receptive thus far.
I’m currently in my third week of resin casting. So far, I’ve dumped quite a bit of money and time into the learning process. The resources and specifics available for doing so is fairly limited on the internet if you’re not absolutely sure what you’re looking for. With that said, I can say with absolute certainty that the process would’ve been much more difficult without the hard work of the artisan community here at GeekHack. You can say that I am standing on the shoulders of giants so with humility and reverence, I wanted to thank those who paved the way to make the world of artisan keycap a respected and established craft.
Clack: You’ve set the bar. A high one at that. A true pioneer.
Brocaps: The level of precision and quality is truly unparalleled. If I could put something out at a fraction of skill you do, I would be so lucky.
Martinyeah/Hotkeys: You’ve elevated the craft with the level of detail and complexity. A true innovator who will take this field to it’s pinnacle.
Hipsterpunks/KWK: When form meets function. Unique and stylistic. Bringing aesthetic and artistic expression to the forefront.
Binge/Nubbinator: The tutorials written by you guys have open doors for many aspiring artisans. Watching the progression in terms of skills and technique has been incredible and inspiring. Without the likes of you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My gratitude goes out to you guys.
Booper: Your write-up has been a case study on what to do right in the learning process. The refinement in your work as well as the updates gives way for accessibility and inspiration to beginners. Kudos.
Katzenkinder/Krytone: Anyone looking to learn and develop needs to look no further than your posts. Through experimentation, you guys have given me a lot of insight on how to hone my skills.
The list I just provided is, by no means, a definitive list of those who I respect and want to show appreciation to. There are countless artisans in this community that have contributed greatly to this craft and without you, the field wouldn’t be where it is today. My apologies if you were not mentioned directly.
So where am I today? My background is in toy design but I am currently working as a director of international sales at a small design company as my day job. Since picking up resin casting, I’ve passed down everything I’ve learned to my GF. Since I own mainly Topre keyboards, that has been my primary focus. My GF on the other hand prefers here ergo clears so she has been making her own artisan keycaps. In fact, as we speak, she is working tirelessly on a project to fulfill orders for her new keycap. For me, I am simply not at a point where I feel confident enough to put anything out. Topre has been a bit of a challenge for me. Until I can come up with a blank template that is satisfactory in quality and precision, I refuse to put anything out there. Besides, given the number of skilled artisans in the community, I have big shoes to fill.
I have nothing but respect and admiration for GeekHack. I’d be happy to share my findings with anyone interested in my learning process. I look forward to contributing to the community and being a part of it. Expect any major updates on this thread. Thanks for reading
