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Not directly StarCraft-related, but I'm sharing anyway. I'm currently working on a keyboard mod to give to my father for his birthday. The idea is that he's got a couple of years left until his retirement, and since he's working on a PC at least some of his day, he's going to use it every day and hopefully enjoy it.
Since this is new territory for me, I'm working off a pretty detailed example (looky here) following the example of Jake van Slatt and Datamancer.
First, you need a fitting base keyword to work off of. I used the same model of cheap office keyboard I've been using at home for at elast the past five years or so (Cherry RS 6000). No idea how old it actually is, it's a PS2 version, always worked flawlessly. So the very first step for me was to work out how to transfer Rampkins' build log to the keyboard Im using. The below pic shows my Inkscape project file. It's actually rather technical this time - since I'm incorporating ready-made parts, I have to keep certain distances very exact (such as the key spacing). Ignore the fact that my notes are in german.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Cd2Xe.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/3mAow.png)
The process of making the keys involves several steps (since it's quite time-consuming, I'll outsource some of the work to my sisters). The brief outline, for those of you who didn't read the whole build log, is to snip off the key caps and replace them with brass tubing glued to the key base. After that, you refurnish the whole keyboard body with wood, leather and more brass.
I built one prototype key to be sure it worked as intended before embarking on the rather boring quest of producing 104 keys (space bar will be custom-made from the same wood I'll be using for the body).
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6aeBn.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KeFIy.jpg)
So, the steps are:
- saw brass tubing (16 mm x 1 mm) to pieces of 19 and 15 mm length
- file off all sharp corners
- polish with steel wool (still considering ditching this one, but polished brass is awesome)
- saw wood pieces to fill the brass tubing
- fix the wood into the brass using foam rubber (my wife's idea - way less messy and way more precise than glue)
- use tin snips to reduce the standard keys to just the actual triggers
- glue the snipped-off plastic key bases to the wooden key center
- print out the hand-painted-over keys and cut them out quite carefully
- top them off with protective adhesive film so they don't wear off instantly when in use
- glue key face to key
(- repeat 104 times)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/bdHB8.jpg)
I finished hand-sawing the 19 mm brass casings for the high keys today and started on the 15 mm low ones. Yes, probably your keyboard, too, has high and low keys (compare f-keys to keys from the center area such as "g").
Fortunately, I had an almost complete alphabet of calligraphy letters from another project (customized card deck I made for dear friends), so making the lettering wasn't quite as much work as it might have been. I used the font Adine Kirnberg Script as a base and Inkscape's calligraphy brush (I suck with a tablet [and Inkscape's tablet support is not so top-notch], so mostly with the mouse and lots of Ctrl-Z).
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/OEoFw.png)
May 1st is a holiday over here, so I hope to get some work done then. Will keep you updated.
 
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Good luck with the build. Your father is one lucky guy. I almost always really like the stuff Datamancer does. Someday I'm going to buy one of those. Perhaps even something like the Archbishop PC with the Opti-Transcripticon scanner 
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Wow this looks very cool. I'm sure your father will love it!
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If you're putting this much effort into modding a keyboard why not start with a mech kb as a base?
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I hope we get to see results when you finish!
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The result looks appealing visually but definitely not something I would want to use on a daily basis in terms of functionality, especially the spacebar.
Still, it's a pretty sweet gift. I guess it will either be his real keyboard if he doesn't use his computer that much and on the other hand it's still a nice piece if he prefers a regular keyboard. Maybe it's not as bad to use as it looks after you get used to it though.
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On April 30 2012 09:43 Kurr wrote:
The result looks appealing visually but definitely not something I would want to use on a daily basis in terms of functionality, especially the spacebar.
Still, it's a pretty sweet gift. I guess it will either be his real keyboard if he doesn't use his computer that much and on the other hand it's still a nice piece if he prefers a regular keyboard. Maybe it's not as bad to use as it looks after you get used to it though.
I don't understand this at all?
What is wrong with they keyboard layout that would make it impossible for you to use? I also don't understand what is wrong with the spacebar?
You've left me at a loss for words... care to explain why the spacebar is unusable for you? Seems like a regular spacebar to me o.O
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This is really cool, albeit odd and extremely specialty :D
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Damn this project is tight.
What I'm curious about, how does typing on that actually feel? Like... is it more / less comfortable to use than the original one? I can't imagine at all what this is like. =S
Edit: Can you tell us how much you estimate the materials costing you total and, once you're done, how many hours you needed to build this?
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You're starting with a used cherry as the base? Seems odd, but looks sweet.
edit: nvm misread haha
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Good luck dude :D I can't wait to see how this turns out, though it would be cool if you made videos of it so us chobu modders can learn from you ^^.
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r.Evo: about 20 for the keyboard, 30 or so for the brass tubing, 20 for some good pieces of "wenge" wood. Probably about 30-50 for the leather. Some odds and ends, some glue, some tools I didn't have (decent metal saw...)
I spent probably about 10 hours on measuring and figuring out the layout, completing the key lettering and other prep work. About 4 hours of sawing the brass, probably a bit more filing (my sister, wife and me spent most of today's evening working on the first 20 keys). Maybe another hour for sawing the interior wood. Planning an afternoon to cut out the wooden exterior, will probably take longer to really finish it up though.
Call it 120,- in raw parts and maybe 40 hours of work.
Will try to post some more photos and maybe a time lapse video (recently figured out how to do those with my webcam).
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Damn, this looks cool as hell. Wish someone would make one for me :D Good luck, that seems like a boatload of work,
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EPT
