[WTB][EU-AT] ISO Alps Keycaps + Stabilizers

[EnthusiastDude]

I am currently looking for nice ISO Alps keycaps, preferably ISO-DE, but I'm thankful for every offer.
I'm not too picky with the colour scheme, but please no pad-printed sets.

Please include a picture when sending an offer.
Thanks everybody

[ppCircle]

Non pad printed iso alps, huh. It's gonna be hard but i will check if i have such a set

[EnthusiastDude]

Yeah, I know it's quite specific. Thanks for checking!

[Polecat]

Are you looking for caps to fit a specific keyboard, or building from scratch? Alps caps are far from universal; there are at least three different stem positions on the ISO Enter keys and two on Caps Lock. Bottom rows can be quite a challenge.

I have a set of Italian ISO caps from an Acer 6312, new, but they may be pad printed. They're not double shots. The Wiki says Acer used an "unidentified process" on the legends. I'm in the U.S. and under Covid lockdown, so I can't ship anything at the moment.

[EnthusiastDude]

Ah thanks for reminding me, I'm basically looking for a TKL layout like the Focus FK-3002 would be without numpad. No stepped caps lock that is and 1.5u Ctrl, Alt and 7u space.

I have no clue what stem positions on enter keys there are, could you explain that to me?

On the topic of Acer 6312 keycaps: Aren't they completely differently stabilized than normal Alps keycaps?

[purdobol]

I have something like this lying around.

Spoiler:

Trouble is... no clue what it's worth
Caps are in good condition, except end key witch has ink dot on it. Switches are Alps clones type OA2.

[EnthusiastDude]

Great, that looks pretty nice. I'll drop you a message for further info.

For everyone else:
I need two sets (stay tuned, I'll post pictures of the finished keyboards), so please continue making offers.

[Polecat]

Ah thanks for reminding me, I'm basically looking for a TKL layout like the Focus FK-3002 would be without numpad. No stepped caps lock that is and 1.5u Ctrl, Alt and 7u space.

I have no clue what stem positions on enter keys there are, could you explain that to me?

On the topic of Acer 6312 keycaps: Aren't they completely differently stabilized than normal Alps keycaps?

We had a brief discussion of the ISO Enter keys here:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21573&p=448503

Two or three variations have the switch rotated 90 degrees from the other switches (slider long dimension vertical), with the stem in different positions, right to left. The fourth has the switch mounted with the slider horizontal.

I don't remember the stabilizers on the 6312 being unusual, but I can check that this evening. Its predecessor the KB-101A uses normal Alps stabilizers.

[EnthusiastDude]

Thanks for the great link, I was not aware of that. The funny thing is I just built a custom keyboard and I made the plate with swillkb and I thought that I messed up the enter key placement, but it might just be that all my enter keycaps are not the right type.
Here take a look:

JPEG_20200507_012048.jpg (415.9 KiB) Viewed 3608 times

[Polecat]

Thanks for the great link, I was not aware of that. The funny thing is I just built a custom keyboard and I made the plate with swillkb and I thought that I messed up the enter key placement, but it might just be that all my enter keycaps are not the right type.
Here take a look:
JPEG_20200507_012048.jpg

Yes, I ran into that exact problem trying to use a Focus ISO Enter key on a Datacomp plate and PCB. I ended up buying a whole keyboard (luckily only $8) just to get the Enter key I needed.

The link within the above link shows Blindassassin's PCB with all four Enter switch positions. He referred to them as 1u, 1.25 u, and 1.5u, but I'm not sure where that's measured from? That's the closest I've seen to quantifying the different versions for identification:

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=18276&p=402644&hil ... so#p402644

(scroll down a bit on that link...)

I'll happily measure and identify the ISO Enter keys I have here once I have a meaningful way to do that. Just got home, I'll check the Acer 6312 stabilizers in just a bit.

[Polecat]

Ah thanks for reminding me, I'm basically looking for a TKL layout like the Focus FK-3002 would be without numpad. No stepped caps lock that is and 1.5u Ctrl, Alt and 7u space.

I have no clue what stem positions on enter keys there are, could you explain that to me?

On the topic of Acer 6312 keycaps: Aren't they completely differently stabilized than normal Alps keycaps?

Well you are absolutely correct about the 6312 stabilizers. Always something new to learn. The stabs on those snap into the bottom edge of the cap, with the bent ends slipping into a guide on the plate. Pretty much useless for anything but another Acer.

For what little it's worth the stem on the 6312 Enter is in the same position as the one on my (black) FK-2002. Centered in relation to the wide part of the cap. I believe that's the same as Dell, but I don't have one of those to confirm.

[EnthusiastDude]

Damn I hoped that I was wrong about the 6312.

That's really helpful, I think what I would need for that one custom is an enter keycap with the stem centered in the narrow part.
It seems like the enter keycap with the stem centered in the wider part is the most common type. I have a bunch of different alps keyboards and they all have that stem placement.
Thanks for looking into all of this.

[Polecat]

Damn I hoped that I was wrong about the 6312.

That's really helpful, I think what I would need for that one custom is an enter keycap with the stem centered in the narrow part.
It seems like the enter keycap with the stem centered in the wider part is the most common type. I have a bunch of different alps keyboards and they all have that stem placement.
Thanks for looking into all of this.

From the earlier discussion it looks like Matias and AEKII have the stem centered to the narrow part. From my own experience Datacomp and Azio also came that way. I'll check the others I have here now that we have a reference to work from.

[Polecat]

From the earlier discussion it looks like Matias and AEKII have the stem centered to the narrow part. From my own experience Datacomp and Azio also came that way. I'll check the others I have here now that we have a reference to work from.

Four more examples for the list of Alps ISO Enter caps. Left to right Datacomp (Mac), Costar CSK-2102, Azio Levetron, and Ortek MCK-84. The first three have the stem centered to the small part of the cap; the Ortek has it centered to the big part. All four use normal Alps stabilizers.

[EnthusiastDude]

Four more examples for the list of Alps ISO Enter caps. Left to right Datacomp (Mac), Costar CSK-2102, Azio Levetron, and Ortek MCK-84. The first three have the stem centered to the small part of the cap; the Ortek has it centered to the big part. All four use normal Alps stabilizers.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing that!

[EnthusiastDude]

I think for the custom with the "misplaced" enter I might go with Matias modifiers (because of the fitting enter keycap) and Canon typewriter hipros for the alphas, similar to this: viewtopic.php?t=15633
Thanks again for helping me with that issue.