DIY Dye Sub PBT keycaps tips?

JCMax

01 May 2022, 21:28

I recently ordered PBT dye sub-sheets from decent keyboards on etsy and now I am getting ready to do the dye job.

I was going to go by this tutorial on YoutTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNZkzK4l0F8, but first I wanted to ask those of you who have done this before if you have any tips.
I was going to do the technique like how the guy in the video does. Get silicone pads for top and bottom, tape, and a curling iron. He presses it down tight for 90 seconds.

This is also for Model M/Model F blank keycaps.

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LambdaCore

01 May 2022, 22:19

Never done this before, and it's kind of a "no, duh!" sorta deal but I'd highly recommend getting a few keys you don't mind sacrificing to test the waters, try different colors, fonts, etc... I'm sure certain color combinations, fonts, etc will show up on the caps better than others.

JCMax

02 May 2022, 02:50

One of the subs was for replacing the crooked menu icon on my New Model M. These were made for a pearl button instead of the gray first and fore mostly. But I think it could still work. It might be a good guinea pig.

Johnbo

03 May 2022, 17:25

I've dyed a handful of keycaps.

Pressure will take a little bit of trial and error to get right. Too little pressure and the print won't transfer fully and look faded, too much pressure and you warp the keycap. So, like LambdaCore said, be prepared to sacrifice a few caps as you nail down your workflow.

Hak Foo

04 May 2022, 06:38

I've had some success with an alternative approach: smear up the cap with dry-erase marker, then use a programmable laser-engraver to sear the design onto the cap. The remaining marker comes off with isopropyl alcohol.

My first attempts tended to wear pretty fast, but using a longer burn time and possibly a more pigmented marker seem to have helped.

What I like about it is that it's not dependent on a consumable as much-- if you mess up one glyph, you can try to burn the same design on another cap, rather than ordering a new sheet of dyesub papers. Just buy a big old bag of caps off Aliexpress to work with. :)

JCMax

14 May 2022, 23:49

Cool. I'll just have to experiment a bit. I need to get some test sheets to figure out what the right force/time is.

Has anybody ever tried to paint their key-caps with something that won't wear off too fast? I've read people who have spray painted legends on theirs and that they wear off quickly. Is there a type of paint or technique that could be used with clear legends that will last 50+ years? Maybe using some sort of sealer?

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