Want custom Cherry MX keycaps ...

Yeah, I know one can buy custom keycaps from all sorts of vendors. Even from users at places like geekhack and deskthority.

I'm looking for caps which are basically made from transparent plastic, then coloured all along the top/side surfaces so that they look like a solid darkish keycap with a fully transparent letter on top. For superior backlighting, of course. The only keycaps of this kind I've ever seen were on a SteelSeries Merc Stealth gaming keyboard (kind of a piece of junk, really, and not Cherry MX or mechanical at all, but it dominates your desk, is built like a panzer, and has truly outstanding backlight intensity).

Does anyone at TBCS know where such keycaps can be ordered? Or have the plastic-molding technology to produce at least one full keyboard set of them (that is, while maintaining a professional/industrial quality)?

I suppose I could actually mod keycaps, though it seems like a lot of effort for a substandard result.

I'm also looking to get some clear keycaps so I can laser engrave my own sets. I've been looking and not much out there from the usual keycap makers.

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Originally Posted by TLHarrell

I'm also looking to get some clear keycaps so I can laser engrave my own sets. I've been looking and not much out there from the usual keycap makers.

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Can't Honestly say this helps for anything, But the old First generation Logitech G11 keys are exactly like how you described (molded in transparent plastic, then painted except for the key)

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Originally Posted by Twigsoffury

Can't Honestly say this helps for anything, But the old First generation Logitech G11 keys are exactly like how you described (molded in transparent plastic, then painted except for the key)

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That was helpful, actually. The G11 uses nonmechanical polydome switches, so the keycaps likely wouldn't be interchangeable with Cherry MX. But the much newer Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard comes stock with Cherry MX Browns and the keycaps appear (on the photos I've seen) to be what I'm looking for. Alas, a small number of users and reviewers report that the keycap colour fill isn't evenly applied, I've seen photos showing the backlight leaking through top/side keycap edges and corners. This suggests to me that whatever ink/dye/paint stuff they use, it'll wear off after enough time and use.

Also, I can't tell from online photos where the G710+ backlight LEDs are placed. It almost looks like there's an LED underneath each key, and perhaps (in defiance of the usual Cherry MX colour branding) the keystems themselves are made of a transparent plastic which allows light from under the keyboard to show through the unpainted fonts on the keycaps. Anyone with a G710+ willing to pull a keycap off and reveal more?

TLH - you have laser engraving tools? Lucky dawg.

Btw, building my own uberkeyboard (again). Multimedia parts from a dead craigslist G510, keyswitches from my old Das, the "gamepad" components from my old Stealth Merc (which I maligned in above post), some USB 3.0 controllers, much custom metalwork, and a Parallax Propellor controller. Yup, a keyboard with 8 cores, haha. Best I can manage in my code and circuit spec (so far) is only 10KRO ... not full NKRO or 26KRO or whatever ... but, hey, shouldn't be too much problem since I only have 10 fingers. (Incidentally, not using generic USB HID drivers, nor their inherent 6KRO limits, at least not after my keyboard enumerates itself after OS boot.)

Mildly off my own topic ... does anyone know how the Logitech Gaming Software gets that nifty little indicator onscreen when adjusting the volume roller? I wonder how I can hack that component outta their drivers and emulate their USB packets to duplicate the effect ... ideas?

I know on my G11 its a series of LED strips ring'd around the rubber layer under the board, But that's not a mechanical board either, though i suspect its a similar concept across all logitech keyboards as the two other G series boards i've dissasembled have been lighted in the same exact fashion.

I dismantled my old G11. I can confirm that the keycaps will not fit the Cherry MX switches. The backlighting on them is an edge lit piece of clear plastic (possibly acrylic) with a pattern of screen printed white dots on it.

My new keyboard (Gigabyte Aivia Osmium - white backlit with Cherry browns) has individual white 3mm LEDs in every key.

And yep, I've had a laser for several years now, and a small CNC machine now as well. Look up White Light Laser on Facebook if you want to see more of the wild and crazy stuff I've been up to. I really should update here more often though.

Hey a thought,

I know a few members have 3d printers, are any of them capable of printing out the keys you want in the way you need it?

Might even be able to get TH to laser them down to an exact precision with an unusual font for the lettering?

Just brain storming though =)

I don't have a 3D printer yet, but the one I've got my eye on (the new UV curing resin type by Full Spectrum Engineering) would do keycaps really well, and they can be made in clear resin. It'll be a while though. I'm not a big fan of FDM type 3D printers though. The finish quality is garbage. They're fine for prototyping and making brackets for things... but they're far too fiddly for my tastes.

The best way by far would be to invest in a two piece mold cut from aluminum on a CNC (I have one, but haven't done aluminum yet) and cast the parts in resin. Heck, you could paint the inside of the mold with tinted resin first, then cast the parts doubleshot style. It'd be far faster turnaround time than 3D printing them and the surface finish would be flawless. It bears some thought. Might be worth doing myself if I can get ahead of some of these other projects.

Hmm, 3D printing, hmm. I do have access to such stuff at work.

I've never really been confident that 3D-printed objects are as "solid" as proper one-piece casts. I suppose hard plastic is hard plastic, though, some of those thermo resin blends are nigh indestructible, or at least they're almost as difficult to machine as some metal alloys.

I'm not sure if our (or indeed, any) 3D printers can do transparent plastics, or if such a product would even look decent. I'll look into it.

Oh ... kinda thinking I'd like a "nonstandard" font on my keycaps. So I guess I gotta make my own, somehow.

A two piece mold opens up some unique opportunities to do the caps in clear and colored resins. The UV curing resin type (whether laser or DLP projection) can operate with clear resins. Once you have a proper blank keycap, a laser can take care of the rest easily.

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Originally Posted by TLHarrell

A two piece mold opens up some unique opportunities to do the caps in clear and colored resins. The UV curing resin type (whether laser or DLP projection) can operate with clear resins. Once you have a proper blank keycap, a laser can take care of the rest easily.

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metallic letters impregnated into the resin itself?

I was figuring on laser engraving the caps. They could be engraved more deeply, like around 0.015"-0.020" deep, then filled with metallic paint and the surface buffed. Actually embedding metallic letters would require a method for holding them in place (another mold) and you'd have to get the metallic letters to begin with. The laser engraved version allows for more flexibility with fonts, font size and placement, etc. With it painted in an engraving, you get the benefit of your lettering never rubbing off (or it'll take far longer than you or the keyboard will last anyway).

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Originally Posted by Twigsoffury

metallic letters impregnated into the resin itself?

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Ooh, now we're talking!

Would one simply press them in place onto hot plastics which haven't yet cured/hardened? Or would best results be obtained from some sort of precision-fit laser machining? I suppose the symbols could be made of plastic, metal, or whatever.

I'm looking around for teeny tiny LEDs, perhaps one of the SMT varieties, which (along with necessary 30AWG wiring) could physically fit within the Cherry MX keystems. Preferably something multicolour - backlighting ain't no good to me unless it's available in a full rainbow of shades I'll hardly ever use.

Which leads to another question: can one purchase clear Cherry MX keystems to retrofit existing switches? I suppose there's always the so-called Cherry MX Clear keyswitches, but methinks their tactile characteristics might be a bit too stiff for my liking. I haven't ever had any to examine, so I'm unsure whether I can use those components while maintaining the "feel" of my much-beloved Cherry MX Browns.

The only 3D printers I can readily access don't have fine enough capacities; they are rather low-budget older models, used mainly for "large" prototypes/models, not very useful for anything much smaller than, say, the housings on a coffee-maker.

And I need enough of whatever components to produce a complete keyboard, so roughly 100 pieces (some extra keys for macros, multimedia, etc, although they needn't necessarily use the same switches as the main QWERTY block).

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Originally Posted by Konrad

(along with necessary 30AWG wiring)

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Lol 30 gauge, whats that like a single strand from a larger gauge?

=p

30AWG is the smallest wiring I have on hand, 32AWG is the smallest I can find to purchase (locally). It's just meant to carry <5V and <50mA signals, so it should suffice. I want wires thin enough to string into and through mechanical keyswitches without obstructing their functionality. If I choose SMT-variety LEDs in every keyswitch then I can gain more versatile backlighting options at the cost of much extra work.

The Merc Stealth keyboard uses 8 SMT LEDs strung out along the edge of a 0.25"-thick chunk of transparent plastic with holes drilled out for the (rubber) keyswitches to pass through ... the cheapish Holtek controller is programmed for only 3 intensities of 3 colours (plus Off), but the overall backlighting effect is most impressive. I might go with this approach, I don't have any real need to control backlight settings for individual keys or groups of keys (the latest/greatest marketing gimmick for gaming keyboards, lol, almost got caught up in it).

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Originally Posted by Konrad

I'm not sure if our (or indeed, any) 3D printers can do transparent plastics, or if such a product would even look decent. I'll look into it.

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I see some objects on google that look pretty darn good, not exactly 100% transparent, but more of a foggy translucent?

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Originally Posted by Konrad

30AWG is the smallest wiring I have on hand

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I know, its just funny because i work on stuff with huge OOOAWG

lol, 000AWG seems unworkable for this project. Never seen a USB hub which could deliver 200A ... nor a USB Tesla Coil to plug into one.

Got me thinking a little, though. Gotta put some juicy caps or secondary battery onboard.

My latest innovation, all worship my inspired moddy awesome sauce: I will integrate an infinitely useful "CALCULATOR" toggle (and display) near the Numpad! The fun just never stops.

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Originally Posted by Konrad

lol, 000AWG seems unworkable for this project. Never seen a USB hub which could deliver 200A ... nor a USB Tesla Coil to plug into one.

Got me thinking a little, though. Gotta put some juicy caps or secondary battery onboard.

My latest innovation, all worship my inspired moddy awesome sauce: I will integrate an infinitely useful "CALCULATOR" toggle (and display) near the Numpad! The fun just never stops.

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Stumbled across this today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1jDaZX6PCk