after seeing http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8 ... t7468.html it inspired me to have a go at one of my (many) dells
had a old acorn case that I always liked then managed to get a load of commodore keyboards from ebay
plus I'd "attempted to modd the dell by just putting some keycaps on top of the dell ones but never really liked the end result
half way though the modd
I used commodore keycaps (ones that fit on black stems as there are different types white/grey stems also .which look like they will work with cherry switches better )for the keycap convertor I used some plastic bar 2mm X 4mm from model railway supplier's (my old hobby).
cut a "step" into the top half to fit the keycap then filed the sides of the bottom half to fit the alps switch .
the convertors where 10mm long. 5mm in the keycap and 5mm in the switch.
you can get brass bar also but the plastic nice and easy to work and seems strong enough .
had to cut up the space bar in order for it to fit but I think it looks ok (ish)!!
the other keycaps where just from a rubber dome board and had the stems removed and just lightly glued onto the original dell caps (In case I ever want to remove them).not that happy with the "sit on effect" but it means all the caps are at same level
sprayed the case gloss white and give it a coat of gloss varnish just to help protect it
the white went ok but got a couple of bits in the varnish !!!!!!
really like the pen bar and got to have a curly lead on a old school keyboard
may want to put a logo where the acorn one was .either alps or deskthority
anyway what do you lot think any good???
hope I've explained how I did it ok any questions please just ask
well what do you lot think ?
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- Location: uk (yorkshire)
- Main keyboard: many
- Main mouse: rat 5 modded
- Favorite switch: cherry mx black
- DT Pro Member: -
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- Location: Amsterdam
- Main keyboard: variable: beamspring, Northgate, IBM SSK, Topre
- Main mouse: CST L-Trac
- Favorite switch: beamspring, dampened complicated white Alps, Topre
- DT Pro Member: -
I'm impressed by your converters !
And they make me wonder why there is no lively trade in Alps-switches-to-CherryMX-caps-converters, given the greatness of Alps switches and the availability of all kinds of great Cherry keycaps..
Perhaps there is and I managed to miss it ?
And I really like the kind of rough look you get by mixing very different keycaps and cutting space bars..
And they make me wonder why there is no lively trade in Alps-switches-to-CherryMX-caps-converters, given the greatness of Alps switches and the availability of all kinds of great Cherry keycaps..
Perhaps there is and I managed to miss it ?
And I really like the kind of rough look you get by mixing very different keycaps and cutting space bars..
- photekq
- Cherry Picker
- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: Various Cherry Corp keyboards
- Main mouse: Razer Deathadder (1st gen)
- Favorite switch: Nixdorf 'Soft Touch' MX Black (55g springs)
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Alps>MX converters wouldn't really work. They would raise the keycaps up quite a lot, making the keyboard look a bit silly and making the stems unstable. kmiller8 on geekhack has 3d-printed some in the past I think.nourathar wrote:I'm impressed by your converters !
And they make me wonder why there is no lively trade in Alps-switches-to-CherryMX-caps-converters, given the greatness of Alps switches and the availability of all kinds of great Cherry keycaps..
Perhaps there is and I managed to miss it ?
And I really like the kind of rough look you get by mixing very different keycaps and cutting space bars..
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- Location: uk (yorkshire)
- Main keyboard: many
- Main mouse: rat 5 modded
- Favorite switch: cherry mx black
- DT Pro Member: -
"rough" thought I'd done ok (ish) lolnourathar wrote:I'm impressed by your converters !
And they make me wonder why there is no lively trade in Alps-switches-to-CherryMX-caps-converters, given the greatness of Alps switches and the availability of all kinds of great Cherry keycaps..
Perhaps there is and I managed to miss it ?
And I really like the kind of rough look you get by mixing very different keycaps and cutting space bars..
the thing is the converters are dead easy to do (in plastic or brass)and as you say open alps switches to cherry mx keycaps
as for the spacebar I like to use as much as I can and not end up with loads of left overs
and thanks for replying
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
Those Commodore caps are sublime! I haven't seen any in an age, but the front printed graphic characters and the pi reminded me of my VIC-20's many mysteries.
Mount adapters are tricky. Right now, all the action is in Topre switch => MX caps. Alps definitely deserves a shot, but you have to add a lot of height, like this, to make those fit together. Topre has the double advantage of being in hot demand and has enough space sunk down inside the slider to swallow another mount.
Maybe whole new stems would be better…
How does this board feel, stability wise?
Mount adapters are tricky. Right now, all the action is in Topre switch => MX caps. Alps definitely deserves a shot, but you have to add a lot of height, like this, to make those fit together. Topre has the double advantage of being in hot demand and has enough space sunk down inside the slider to swallow another mount.
Maybe whole new stems would be better…
How does this board feel, stability wise?
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- Location: uk (yorkshire)
- Main keyboard: many
- Main mouse: rat 5 modded
- Favorite switch: cherry mx black
- DT Pro Member: -
to be fair a little wobbly but not that bad (not that I type a lot at the best of times and I only really built it to "look at")Muirium wrote:Those Commodore caps are sublime! I haven't seen any in an age, but the front printed graphic characters and the pi reminded me of my VIC-20's many mysteries.
Mount adapters are tricky. Right now, all the action is in Topre switch => MX caps. Alps definitely deserves a shot, but you have to add a lot of height, like this, to make those fit together. Topre has the double advantage of being in hot demand and has enough space sunk down inside the slider to swallow another mount.
Maybe whole new stems would be better…
How does this board feel, stability wise?
I think it lifted the caps about 3 to 5mm at the most .I'll plug it in my other pc and give it a "run though "to see how it feels