Page 1 of 1

Canon S-66 Typewriter Conversion

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 12:31
by SpacemanToby
Unfortunately I don't have a very extensive build log for this one.

I replaced the integrated domes that come stock on the typewriter with Alps SKCL greens.
The case is hand routed out of an oak board. The board had a live edge on it that I tried to incorporate into the case.

Image

Image

Image

original typewriter
Image

original board
Image

This is the only image I got during the routing process. My garage is a graveyard of failed router jigs.
Image

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 12:34
by Dingster
Hands down one of the prettiest wooden boards Ive seen, love how you kept the "log" aspect of the wood, with natural corners and curves (also linears :D ), how long did it take to make? Mind doing a typing test?

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 12:40
by green-squid
:o :o :o
Nice.

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 16:11
by chip chop
so badass..... great job!

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 16:11
by mike52787
Very impressive. Cool that you preserved the original layout of the canon caps as well. first time I've seen that.

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 16:16
by ScottPaladin
That is freaking sweet. Well done.

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 17:05
by SpacemanToby
Dingster wrote: Hands down one of the prettiest wooden boards Ive seen, love how you kept the "log" aspect of the wood, with natural corners and curves (also linears :D ), how long did it take to make? Mind doing a typing test?
Thanks! It took a month or so, but mostly because it's hard to find time these days to work on it. I'd say it's a couple evenings to tear down and desolder the typewriter (this one in particular is annoying because Alps Integrated domes have 4 pins), 2 or 3 evenings hand-wiring, a couple nights making the router jigs and prepping them for routing, the actual routing goes pretty quickly, then just a couple more days of finishing, chiseling, and staining.

I'd like to make a typing video. I've never done one, but i have a decent mic, so I don't see why I couldn't.

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 19:16
by Dingster
SpacemanToby wrote:
Dingster wrote: Hands down one of the prettiest wooden boards Ive seen, love how you kept the "log" aspect of the wood, with natural corners and curves (also linears :D ), how long did it take to make? Mind doing a typing test?
Thanks! It took a month or so, but mostly because it's hard to find time these days to work on it. I'd say it's a couple evenings to tear down and desolder the typewriter (this one in particular is annoying because Alps Integrated domes have 4 pins), 2 or 3 evenings hand-wiring, a couple nights making the router jigs and prepping them for routing, the actual routing goes pretty quickly, then just a couple more days of finishing, chiseling, and staining.

I'd like to make a typing video. I've never done one, but i have a decent mic, so I don't see why I couldn't.
Looking forward to it, should sound pretty amazing :)

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 19:22
by nsmechkb
This is one of the coolest boards I've ever seen. I keep wanting to try Alps in a wooden case; it seems like a great combination. Awesome work!

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 21:29
by pyrelink
Beautiful work Toby. Out of curiosity, do you happen to have any photos of how you mounted the plate into the case/the empty case? I am assuming they were hand wired, and thus no PCB that needed to be supported with standoffs?

I love that you left the wood mostly natural, it has such a nice grain. Also +1 for green skcl.

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 22:19
by SpacemanToby
pyrelink wrote: Beautiful work Toby. Out of curiosity, do you happen to have any photos of how you mounted the plate into the case/the empty case? I am assuming they were hand wired, and thus no PCB that needed to be supported with standoffs?

I love that you left the wood mostly natural, it has such a nice grain. Also +1 for green skcl.

There's actually no bottom to this case. My plan is to make it sort of a display back.
Essentially, it's screwed into the top and bottom sides of the case. The bottom side of the plate had a couple screw holes that I was able to use, and for the top I made a little strip of wood to hold it in. I don't actually have the Teensy in yet, but it will sit down in one of the corners on the space bar row.

Image

Posted: 30 Apr 2018, 22:26
by pyrelink
Ah, I see. Very clever. Thank you for sharing.

Posted: 01 May 2018, 10:55
by Brot
Very Nice!

Posted: 01 May 2018, 12:28
by snufflecat
Very neat. How do the caps mount on the switches? Do they fit "out of the box" or did you have to make adapters for them?

Posted: 01 May 2018, 12:42
by SpacemanToby
They fit out of the box. The Alps integrated Dome switches use the same caps as the skcl series.

Posted: 01 May 2018, 13:07
by seebart
Wow,quite the custom. Impressive!

Posted: 02 May 2018, 08:04
by FSTP
Great craftsmanship!

Re: Canon S-66 Typewriter Conversion

Posted: 03 May 2018, 07:53
by xtreg
Love that edge! Coolest board I've seen for a long while.

Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk

Re: Canon S-66 Typewriter Conversion

Posted: 08 Jan 2020, 01:44
by joebeazelman
This keyboard really tickles my aesthetic receptors. It deserves the top design award. It’s so creative and hillbilly chic! It looks like some guy in the country took a broken C64 and some wood he found in the wilderness and built himself a terminal to monitor and program his moonshine still. If it hasn’t been named, it should be called “White Lightening.”