I recently got this Apple Design keyboard at my local thrift shop for $1. It's the closest thing to a mechanical keyboard I've found at any thrift store so far, and I got it hoping it had Alps keycaps.
Unfortunately it has the proprietary ones. However, when I opened it up, I see a metal plate along with the membrane with domes.
Taking these out leaves enough room for a PCB with the same dimensions and standoffs. Plus, it won't have to have any controller circuitry, it can just mirror the membrane's matrix and be wired directly to the original ADB controller, so it can be used on vintage Macs.
Then, I would dremel out the sections where the switches would go, install the switches and PCB-mount stabilizers, etc.
Unfortunately I don't have the time, skills, or tools to develop my own PCB. Would anyone be interested in this? I would send my modded case to anyone who is interested (and pay on top of that, if you need)
AppleDesign Keyboard: Replacing the membrane with a PCB
- abrahamstechnology
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Laser with SMK Cherry mount
- Main mouse: Mitsumi ECM-S3902
- Favorite switch: Alps and Alps clones
- DT Pro Member: 0212
- abrahamstechnology
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Laser with SMK Cherry mount
- Main mouse: Mitsumi ECM-S3902
- Favorite switch: Alps and Alps clones
- DT Pro Member: 0212
(Interesting thing I just found... the spacebar has a Space Invaders spring!)
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
just out of curiosity, can you post some pictures of the interior?
- abrahamstechnology
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Laser with SMK Cherry mount
- Main mouse: Mitsumi ECM-S3902
- Favorite switch: Alps and Alps clones
- DT Pro Member: 0212
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
would you do a capacitive PCB?
PS: why can't you upload? bug?
PS: why can't you upload? bug?
- abrahamstechnology
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Laser with SMK Cherry mount
- Main mouse: Mitsumi ECM-S3902
- Favorite switch: Alps and Alps clones
- DT Pro Member: 0212
That would be ideal, but there seems to be no good aftermarket supply of Topre springs. I suppose I'll just dremel out the whole slider assemblies to put a regular PCB with switches in.
It says that the file size was too large, but I have used this same camera set at the same settings in the past and was able to upload.
- 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
You could try asking Cooler Master. Bram set me up with a spare NovaTouch spacebar spring once. They likely had the conical springs when they were selling the NovaTouch, and just might have them still, for warranty repairs.
Topre themselves? Not nearly as communicative.
Topre themselves? Not nearly as communicative.
-
- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- DT Pro Member: 0011
Nothing in this thread makes any sense!
- 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
C’mon! Who doesn’t want to see someone transform a notoriously meh dome into a capsense, maybe just maybe actually kind of decent super experimental dome?