Random keyboards, lovingly photographed

seebart · 10 Oct 2015, 19:13

Cool, PM me when you get time. I got a second one with Cream Damped Alps which feel slightly nicer. But the case is shiat on that one.

Muirium · 15 Oct 2015, 23:58

So, I bought a coloured HHKB mods kit from Fractoor last week. He bundled some freebies with it, for me and Scottc.

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Three Topre mount 3d printed skulls…

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Here we go…

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Looks fine from above, but something's not quite right.

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They don't really fit! Topre cap mounts need to flex a bit to actually clip into the switch. And these don't. Ah well.

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Neither my HHKB nor the good old Mr.Interface Topre sampler work at all righ with any of these three skulls.

Moving on…

Here's another couple of 3d printed caps Fractoor made himself. This pair is MX mount.

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True Deskthoritarians ought to be able to recognise both those MX switches without any further pics!

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This skull looks pretty good too. But once again it's a crappy fit.

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The Superman logo key, however, fits quite nicely on its mount. Odd. They look damn near identical from below! (Which I apparently didn't shoot.)

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The wee cheeky Geekhack chappy is doubleshot. Surely DCS. And there's a little Ducky switch tester/fob thingmaquack, with an MX blue switch inside. I'll let Scott have free pick at any of this lot. I got what I wanted (and paid for) in the HHKB mods!

Spoiler:

Muirium · 16 Oct 2015, 00:03

Speaking of which…

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I put off getting a set of these along with my HHKB in the first place. But I've got to admit they brighten the wee man up a fair bit. Especially now the days are getting short up here. Might as well let him turn a little festive!

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Duplicate pose, but a different lens. Turned out better on my macro (the first two pics at the top of the post). Not a surprise, primes beat zooms on their home turf, after all. This zoom didn't do such a bad job, but its strength is adaptability, not specialty. If you want sharp, go prime.

mr_a500 · 16 Oct 2015, 22:27

Nice photos Muirium. The 3D printing is fascinating (and wonderfully photographed) - but I still don't understand the point of keycaps with 3D skulls/robots/mutants/freaks/genitalia/etc. on them.

scottc · 16 Oct 2015, 22:39

While I definitely don't understand skulls, I can't help myself but find this reasonably amusing:

(marginally NSFW, but if you get in trouble for looking at this then your employer probably sucks anyway)

Spoiler:

Even if just for the complete absurdity of the concept. I mean, look at it!

mr_a500 · 16 Oct 2015, 22:41

I was just joking when I said "genitalia". I had no idea that this was already a reality. (...but I should have known)

scottc · 16 Oct 2015, 22:44

It's the trump card. You always know it's coming, you just don't know when.

Err... no pun intended!

mr_a500 · 16 Oct 2015, 22:51

mr_a500 · 26 Oct 2015, 23:36

This is an old photo, taken with cheap camera, but I'll post it anyway:

Desktop3278.JPG

(LCD has long since died - replaced with MacBook Pro - and numpad now has nicer keycaps, but layout is the same)

msiegel · 26 Oct 2015, 23:46

gorgeous

mr_a500 · 27 Oct 2015, 17:49

Thanks!

Some shameless cross-posting... but here's my 1979 Cherry Pro:

seebart · 27 Oct 2015, 18:14

mr_a500 wrote: ↑This is an old photo, taken with cheap camera, but I'll post it anyway:

Nice, I like that setup though, old or not.

Madhias · 28 Oct 2015, 12:55

Muirium wrote: ↑Speaking of which…
[PICTURE OF HHKB WITH HOT RED 'CONTROL' KEYCAP]

I also do need that red CONTROL cap, I have to look where to get one!

Yesterday I got my HHKB, which I bought here in the marketplace. I did not change anything yet, for example to use the normal printed caps, which I like more than these blanks. I also have to admit I can't really type on blanks.

So here are some pictures of the as I think the maybe best small format keyboard ever built in keyboard history. Yes, I like Topre - so we can start a Topre VS Cherry discussion here too

The HHKB is sporting matt3os PBT space bar by the way.

And here for artisan cap fans a closer picture from this Hack Orange Click Clack cap:

seebart · 28 Oct 2015, 12:57

Uhh that's sleek.

I see a header coming. Impressive photography Madhias!

Muirium · 28 Oct 2015, 13:12

Very nice indeed. I need a desk like that… mine's too beat up for that sleek look.

I do have a red blank HHKB Control, if you can bear to live on blanks! It's on my Realforce just now, but looks right out of place with the legends all around. I like the colours, but I demand either 100% legended caps or 100% blanks. I can type on blanks just fine, but that Control and Esc duo are the only two Topre blanks I have.

seebart · 22 Nov 2015, 22:22

Engraved sphericals Micro Switch from 1970

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seebart · 28 Nov 2015, 15:41

MICRO SWITCH SW-10876:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/mic ... 11231.html

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MICRO SWITCH 68SD15-1-E:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/mic ... 11720.html

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ramnes · 28 Nov 2015, 15:45

I want a bannerheader with that last one!

The color scheme is fantastic.

Compgeke · 02 Dec 2015, 07:03

Been seeing a lot of luggables in the Great\Interesting Finds thread, just had to pull out my Dolch.

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seebart · 14 Jan 2016, 23:01

Gold Wingnut in reverse on G80-1000 APL:

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Madhias · 15 Jan 2016, 07:51

Wow, great pictures! The melted background is wonderful, and all that other caps too - these are APL ones?

seebart · 15 Jan 2016, 16:03

Madhias wrote: ↑Wow, great pictures! The melted background is wonderful, and all that other caps too - these are APL ones?

Thanks."Melted background"? You mean soft /out of focus? Yes that's an engraved APL set. The Wingnut commands respect, I can't just put it on any crappy keyboard, gotta be the nicest one I own. And since the Wingnut is cherry mount this was the choice, I really need to get an adapter 3D printed.

Madhias · 17 Jan 2016, 22:09

seebart wrote: ↑Thanks."Melted background"? You mean soft /out of focus?

Yes, that bokeh!

Here's another 'action' shot:

seebart · 06 Feb 2016, 18:21

Cool typing shot Madhias, here's some more bokeh:

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scottc · 06 Feb 2016, 18:24

Seebart, how do you like the Nixies? I know you're not a huge MX man, so it'd be interesting to hear how you feel about them. I can't wait for mine to arrive! I can't promise they'll remain on the original board for long though, since I've got no chance of converting it...

seebart · 06 Feb 2016, 18:35

Yes you're right scott, MX is not my favorite switch but I do appreciate my MX blacks from 1985. So comparing my vintage blacks to the nixies is interesting in that the nixies feel a bit nicer but I can't pinpoint it yet. More "swing", like a nicer feeback overall, not as "flat" in feel. There is a reason this MX switch has a certain reputation. I'd like to hear some feedback from some other people on this.

Now this Nixdorf keyboard is interesting in itself, I'll post a teardown soon. I'd say it's the best built Cherry MX keyboard I have come across so far.

scottc · 06 Feb 2016, 20:10

Interesting opinion. I do definitely enjoy my vintage MX blacks, so I can see where you're coming from. I've got a Nixdorf soft touch on esc on my most-used custom board, so I don't really know how a full keyboard of them feels but the single switch definitely feels good. I'll let you know when mine arrive! I'll definitely be filling a custom board with them, I'm just not sure when exactly.

As for the best-build MX board you've come across, that's a grand proposal! You should see my all-metal Triumph Adler board...

ohaimark · 06 Feb 2016, 20:44

Uselessly detailed examination of the dyesub job on a Model F XT keycap.

seebart · 06 Feb 2016, 21:15

ohaimark wrote: ↑Uselessly detailed examination of the dyesub job on a Model F XT keycap.

Not useless at all. Dyesub visual lecture 101.

scottc wrote: ↑Interesting opinion. I do definitely enjoy my vintage MX blacks, so I can see where you're coming from. I've got a Nixdorf soft touch on esc on my most-used custom board, so I don't really know how a full keyboard of them feels but the single switch definitely feels good. I'll let you know when mine arrive! I'll definitely be filling a custom board with them, I'm just not sure when exactly.

As for the best-build MX board you've come across, that's a grand proposal! You should see my all-metal Triumph Adler board...

Considering how hyped these switches are we have close to nothing in our wiki. Believe it or not after I have added the Nixdorf to our wiki the nixies are predestined for a custom board. Anything else would be a waste really. I have no idea what protocol that Nixdorf speaks, I doubt it's convertible.

ohaimark · 06 Feb 2016, 21:35

If you want more extreme-ish macro photos I'd be happy to indulge.