Proof of Concept: Han Solo Return Key

[andCoffee]

So this is the first product of me ****ing around with no experience and little resources. 

After this first test, I've realized that I probably need to buy a silicone molding kit and a different shade of grey coloring (or perhaps white to mix in?).  Advice is definitely welcome.

Anyway, this is what came of my first test:

[fohat.digs]

I saw this thread title and thought: "stupid"

But now I see that it is awesome. Great idea!

You are doing it for IBM buckling springs, right?

[joey]

That's really cool, nice work!

[suicidal_orange]

I've always wondered why custom caps are 1x when there's more room for creativity with a bigger key.  This is a great example

[FrostyToast]

I've always wondered why custom caps are 1x when there's more room for creativity with a bigger key.  This is a great example

Perhaps it's because it's much harder to control the quality of larger caps which would in turn be more complicated in addition to the extra points of failure.
It's also much easier to find a spot for a 1u artisan. Most people don't have two spacebars or two enter keys. )

[morpheus]

May the force be with you...tee hee.

This is a cool concept doe.

[Usarise]

Seeing this on May 4th is a treat.

Nice work andCoffee!  Looks good already and with some more refinement it's gonna look fantastic!

[absyrd]

Nice timing with the share on this. Pretty damn cool.

And isn't it too wide to fit and actuate the keypress?

[jamster]

I saw the thread title and thought that, even though I don't like artisans, this concept is genius. Waaay more interesting than anything else I have seen.

[greath]

I've always wondered why custom caps are 1x when there's more room for creativity with a bigger key.  This is a great example

Perhaps it's because it's much harder to control the quality of larger caps which would in turn be more complicated in addition to the extra points of failure.
It's also much easier to find a spot for a 1u artisan. Most people don't have two spacebars or two enter keys. )

You could have some crazy awesome artisan spacebars doh...

[andCoffee]

Nice timing with the share on this. Pretty damn cool.

And isn't it too wide to fit and actuate the keypress?

Yeah, at current it's too wide, but I don't think it would be hard to narrow down.  The big issue for me is needing to invest in a silicone molding kit, some new dyes, and possibly some new resin as this stuff isn't drying as hard as I'd have liked.  I may have been a little lax with my measurements on the 1:1 mixture, though.  Still, this was just more of a test to see if the details would come out well enough to make this a worthwhile endeavor. 

[andCoffee]

Also, you can see little notches on one of the sides where I tried to carve it down a bit with a knife. 

That didn't work very well.

[JinDesu]

Haha, I love it. Can't wait to see it after you clean it up a bit more.

[Findecanor]

Did you sculpt that yourself or cast it from something?
The sides were sloping somewhat on the original, but only little.

[andCoffee]

Definitely didn't sculpt it myself.  That is not a skill I possess.

[DrHubblePhD]

This is sickkkkkk 

[tigersharkdude]

10/10 would buy

[rm-rf]

i think i need this.

[berserkfan]

Excellent. I believe patient geeks will get to buy more things on discount again.

(my logic goes like this. this is awesome, so many kids will want to buy. They will discover that they have run out of paypal cash buying too many keycaps. They will be forced to disgorge some of their previous purchases in their desperate rush for Han Solo. So more treasured keyboards will be dumped on the market at fire sale prices. I can just see someone giving up his Kishsaver just to get a Han Solo  )

[suicidal_orange]

I've always wondered why custom caps are 1x when there's more room for creativity with a bigger key.  This is a great example

Perhaps it's because it's much harder to control the quality of larger caps which would in turn be more complicated in addition to the extra points of failure.
It's also much easier to find a spot for a 1u artisan. Most people don't have two spacebars or two enter keys. )

You could have some crazy awesome artisan spacebars doh...

The best key to make would be caps lock - big enough for a design but not big enough to need a stabiliser (stems cause cap makers problems, don't want three of them) and not hit very often

[fohat.digs]

The best key to make would be caps lock

True, but "Hans Solo Return" is a sentence (almost, at least).