deskthority

I am about getting an TX CP

there is the option to get an brass plate for another $20.

I never tried brass before, but I heard it aimes at giving the sweet spot between alu/stainless steel

Did someone tried an brass plate before? Would you recommend it?

Will most likely put either tactile or linears into it..

we discussed this some time ago. brass is more subject to oxidation, someone even suggested that could be toxic. bottom line, use aluminum

It heavily depends on the alloy that is used. Some sorts of brass don't tend to oxidate much, others are really going green.

In the watch world that's a recent trend. Yet the bottom plate is always made out of steel or titanium - there seems to be a problem with prolonged skin contact, concerning allergies or sth like that. But since you are not touching the brass itself, there shouldn't be a problem.

Aluminium or steel is way more versatile with keycaps and other colors in your appartment, so keep that in mind.

If you are concern about oxidation or metal it self there is plenty of ways to seal brass - even a coat of oil will do it for years. Carbon fiber is really toxic material - unless you have brass allergy I dont think it is anything to worry about. Especially for parts you dont touch.

Personally I think it would look killer with brass plate and some kind of dark wood frame.

thanks for the input!
I am more interested in the way an brass plates impacts the feeling of the switches..

I'd say the feeling is closer to steel than it is to alu

Phenix wrote: thanks for the input!
I am more interested in the way an brass plates impacts the feeling of the switches..

Brass is a dense and heavy metal - plate from brass will weigh more then steel (around 10-15%) and about 3-4 times more then aluminum. For that reason sound will "stay with in brass". So in theory it should prevent resonance and give sound a deeper tone. (in theory that is...)

I think you should give it a try as it will indeed make for an very interesting experience.

I'm pretty excited for my first build with brass plate. Got one waiting for assembly. The brass used in the plate is not supposed to oxidize notably.

Check out that brass weight:
http://imgur.com/a/YaO2C

Could someone tell me the difference between steel plates and alu plates? I've never tried alu before

PollandAkuma wrote: Could someone tell me the difference between steel plates and alu plates? I've never tried alu before

Where did you try steel plate then?

Alu plate is by far the most common variant in custom/community keyboards.
The steel plate used in some retail keyboards or vintage keyboards doesn't quite deliver the same performance as a steel plate in custom keyboards. The Pok3r may be the closest impression of a steel plate you can get.

There's a lot of other factors that come into play when talking about plates.

How is the plate mounted?

Mounting a steel plate in a plastic case isn't going to deliver anything close to the rock solid/concrete typing experience people talk about here.
Mounting the PCB to an alu case is a much better solution but still does not deliver the raw steel experience since the PCB/Case mount is still going to add flex/dampening to the key feel. O
Only when you case-mount a plate, you can really get the raw plate experience. One great example is the WhiteFox where the alu plate is directly mounted to the alu case. This will give you the true alu plate experience.

Getting the same construction with a steel/brass plate is probably going to get a little more expensive though, not sure what's the cheapest keyboard kit that mounts the plate to the case and offers steel plates ...

PollandAkuma wrote: Could someone tell me the difference between steel plates and alu plates? I've never tried alu before

steel is too stiff especially for light spring switches. alu tends to "soften" the keystroke giving a better overall typing experience. that being said it's a personal preference.

Wodan wrote:

PollandAkuma wrote: Could someone tell me the difference between steel plates and alu plates? I've never tried alu before

Where did you try steel plate then?

Alu plate is by far the most common variant in custom/community keyboards.
The steel plate used in some retail keyboards or vintage keyboards doesn't quite deliver the same performance as a steel plate in custom keyboards. The Pok3r may be the closest impression of a steel plate you can get.

There's a lot of other factors that come into play when talking about plates.

How is the plate mounted?

Mounting a steel plate in a plastic case isn't going to deliver anything close to the rock solid/concrete typing experience people talk about here.
Mounting the PCB to an alu case is a much better solution but still does not deliver the raw steel experience since the PCB/Case mount is still going to add flex/dampening to the key feel. O
Only when you case-mount a plate, you can really get the raw plate experience. One great example is the WhiteFox where the alu plate is directly mounted to the alu case. This will give you the true alu plate experience.

Getting the same construction with a steel/brass plate is probably going to get a little more expensive though, not sure what's the cheapest keyboard kit that mounts the plate to the case and offers steel plates ...

I thought my poker 2 plate was steel, maybe not haha

PollandAkuma wrote: I thought my poker 2 plate was steel, maybe not haha

Oh yeah that's steel!

But the plate only holds the switches together, it is not "fixed" to the case. Only the PCB is fixed to the plastic case ... both, PCB and case, add some flex to the whole construction. Enough flex to make this universally pleasent even with linear switches.

I'm a sucker for an ultra solid keyboard with soft linear switches that I can hack at like the dudes at the opening scene of Frozen.