What choices are there for printed black keycaps for the model M are there?

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daemonspudguy

12 Dec 2022, 03:33

Who even makes doubleshot PBT caps, much less would be willing to make some that also have to act as a slider to push the spring down?

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Polecat

12 Dec 2022, 05:39

daemonspudguy wrote:
12 Dec 2022, 03:33
Who even makes doubleshot PBT caps, much less would be willing to make some that also have to act as a slider to push the spring down?
Tai Hao makes doubleshot PBT keycaps for MX mount. But nothing for the Model M.

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thefarside

12 Dec 2022, 07:39

Your best option would be to sign up for the interest form ellipse has for pad printed back Model M and F caps.

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fohat
Elder Messenger

12 Dec 2022, 15:50

If you can live with "almost" black then one option is to dye ordinary caps to a dark gray with the legends still barely legible ....

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Muirium
µ

12 Dec 2022, 17:35

Doesn’t the dye always eventually come off on your fingers?

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fohat
Elder Messenger

12 Dec 2022, 18:07

Muirium wrote:
12 Dec 2022, 17:35
Doesn’t the dye always eventually come off on your fingers?
Not in my experience. I have 5+ year old dye that has not faded or come off at all, and using both vintage and Unicomp M/F caps.

That is what makes dye so much better than "paint"

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Muirium
µ

12 Dec 2022, 18:25

Just boil on the stove dye? I’ll admit I’m prejudiced (having ruined clothes with the stuff, which then came out in every wash until I threw them in the trash). But in my mental model dye is only good when it’s poured into molten plastic or baked on at prolonged high temperature from a stencil in an oven.

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daemonspudguy

13 Dec 2022, 21:06

thefarside wrote:
12 Dec 2022, 07:39
Your best option would be to sign up for the interest form ellipse has for pad printed back Model M and F caps.
I have.

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daemonspudguy

13 Dec 2022, 21:08

Polecat wrote:
12 Dec 2022, 05:39
daemonspudguy wrote:
12 Dec 2022, 03:33
Who even makes doubleshot PBT caps, much less would be willing to make some that also have to act as a slider to push the spring down?
Tai Hao makes doubleshot PBT keycaps for MX mount. But nothing for the Model M.
How much money would convince Tai-Hao to make the boulders of PBT Model Ms (Models M?) use, that also act as the slider?

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Muirium
µ

13 Dec 2022, 22:16

Probably about the same amount it cost Ellipse to tool up for his IBM remake caps, once all is said and done. Those undersides are active components in the switch, in a way neither Alps nor MX take part. I think they have to flex a bit in use, as well as pulling and installing the buggers. It's a non-trivial step up from merely another shape of slider-top cap-mount.

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fohat
Elder Messenger

13 Dec 2022, 23:48

Muirium wrote:
12 Dec 2022, 18:25

Just boil on the stove dye?

I’m prejudiced (having ruined
I hear you. My results dyeing IBM key caps have been far better than my results dyeing clothes (although I have dyed wool successfully a few times). This is pretty long in the tooth, but reply #14 is a classic.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35 ... #msg664178

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