The Deskthority Award 2013

[The Keyboard Oracle]

And now, your special attention for the main Award...

What was extra special in 2013? The nominees for The Deskthority Award 2013 are:

7bit for organizing Round 4 + 5 • The winner of the Deskthority Award 2011 and 2012 and named in the Guiness World Records book as organizer of the world's biggest community keycap group buys. Round 4 and Round 5 ruled the Internet space. Can he be beaten?

Daniel Beardsmore for his continuous work on the wiki • He is a mean lean wiki machine! Beardsmore is the driving power and main author of the deskthority wiki and conquerer of the Alps vortex, turning the wiki into the world's best keyboard reference.

Douglas Engelbart, pioneer and inventor of the mouse (RIP) • Douglas Engelbart, engineer, inventor, and early computer and Internet pioneer, passed away this year. He is best known for the invention of the computer mouse and the development of hypertext, networked computers and graphical user interfaces.

matt3o for his groupbuys and keyboard builds • Matt3o crashed into the scene with all kinds of builds and tutorials, such as the Brownfox, a guide to how to build a custom keyboard and his laser cut prototyping project.

tinnie formerly known as Tinlong for the SSKs • Tinnie helped a lot of people get rare vintage keyboards such as the IBM Space Saving keyboard, "Kishsaver" and even the industrial Space Saver. Never before did we see such amounts of these wanted but rare keyboards emerge and being distributed!

And the golden Wingnut for The Deskthority Award 2013, as voted for by the members of deskthority, goes to...

Spoiler:

Douglas Engelbart, engineer, inventor, and early computer and Internet pioneer, passed away this year. He is best known for the invention of the computer mouse and the development of hypertext, networked computers and graphical user interfaces.


Douglas Engelbart, 1925 - 2013.

[Muirium]

There's no doubting he was the man. You have to wonder what the world would be like without Engelbart's sheer vision. Others would have invented the road ahead, but he delivered the entire highway before the rest of us had made a dirt track.

[matt3o]

I've told you we were not even on the same league May I have the wingnut for being ranked second just behind Sir Engelbart?

[Muirium]

I think that would be fair. You deserve a wing nut for the group builds you ran this year, that's for sure.

[webwit]

Tough one. On one hand I'd really like you to have it, and many others too I presume, for your great contributions and because you deserve it. I can disclose now I voted for you. On the other hand we'd create a precedent where non-winners can still win, which is inherently not right for an award system. If we start that, there might be no end to it, and an Award loses a bit of value. I'll make it easy for myself. If a club member thinks you deserve it and starts a club poll and wins it, you get the wingnut. Otherwise I'm afraid you have to create more custom keyboards and start more group buys in 2014, or hope someone will nominate you for all your past work.

[matt3o]

thank you webwit, I was just kidding. I stand beaten, hugging all my keycaps in the solitude of my room.

that being said... I wanted to try to make a mold of the wingnut and cast it in metal. It would have been a nice experiment I'll try with a standard cap I guess

[webwit]

I'm sure we can arrange something, I've three wingnuts left in stock for next year, unless the Engelbart Foundation (or whatever is there), IBM or Beardsmore claims them, which is probably unlikely. I think I need to ask clickclack though if he minds if I help such a project. Artists. Sometime they are peculiar. Such as his persistence to make silly keys instead of Duck keys.

[matt3o]

oh my, It wouldn't be for profit of course! And I wouldn't even give the samples away. It would be just an experiment to see if the process actually works... and maybe next year...

[webwit]

Yeah, but if the experiment works, you must team up with the man to create these in a joint effort, until infinity!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I certainly support using mine to create a metal keycap, even to its destruction. I love metal.

[matt3o]

there are two options here.

1) pure metal.
GOOD: super pro result
BAD: heavy, the mold must be very thin (eg: the wingnut might be too heavy and actually press the key). Also you have to use less noble metals because you can't really use 24k gold (first experiment would probably be tin+lead)

2) epoxy resin + metal powder
GOOD: we can use gold, silver, copper, aluminum powder. Key would be lighter so no special attention is needed for the mold
BAD: the key will look metallic, but it will actually be 50% metal, 50% resin. You can't get that super shine gold effect.

[Findecanor]

2) epoxy resin + metal powder
GOOD: we can use gold, silver, copper, aluminum powder. Key would be lighter so no special attention is needed for the mold
BAD: the key will look metallic, but it will actually be 50% metal, 50% resin. You can't get that super shine gold effect.

I have cast resin with metal powder, but used urethane resin. (not keycaps) Metal powder does make the resin more brittle.
Best-looking results have I got with first dusting the mould with metal powder, but it would rub off with too much handling.

If we cast in real metal, then it could be plated in another. I think all metals can be plated, even pewter, only that some combinations will require intermediate layers of different metals. For instance, chroming aluminium requires intermediate layers of copper and nickel. Multiple layers and layer thickness will reduce details and may affect stem fit. More costly.

[Muirium]

Going from past experience, are WASD likely to pick up their prize? I'm assuming that IBM's haul goes nowhere ("to connect to consulting services for enterprise cloud solutions press 1") while Ducky Nordic surely claims theirs. GMK could be fun.

[matt3o]

I have cast resin with metal powder, but used urethane resin. (not keycaps) Metal powder does make the resin more brittle.
Best-looking results have I got with first dusting the mould with metal powder, but it would rub off with too much handling.

If we cast in real metal, then it could be plated in another. I think all metals can be plated, even pewter, only that some combinations will require intermediate layers of different metals. For instance, chroming aluminium requires intermediate layers of copper and nickel. Multiple layers and layer thickness will reduce details and may affect stem fit. More costly.

actually we could even gold plate plastic

[bhtooefr]

One thing about plating is it could also wear off more easily, right?

Not that I think anyone's gonna be typing on a wingnut that much, but still.

[matt3o]

One thing about plating is it could also wear off more easily, right?

definitely

[Daniel Beardsmore]

For instance, chroming aluminium requires intermediate layers of copper and nickel.

Why would you chrome-plate aluminium? Aluminium is a lovely metal, very bright, completely pure in tone, and very light. I use anodised aluminium fountain pens, both dyed and bare metal.

Granted, chrome plating is good if your only aim is to flaunt. Anodised aluminium provides a nice balance.

[Muirium]

Exactly. I'd rather a practical and noble solid aluminium than the glitz of a super shiny finish that will ultimately wear off. Especially as these little guys are being awarded for Kishsavers, beam spring controllers and Univac finds: proper timeless stuff.

Matt: you are also thinking of this, of course?

[matt3o]

that goes of course to every club member

[Ekaros]

Where is double-shotting in that?

[matt3o]

Where is double-shotting in that?

[kint]

that goes of course to every club member

reading my mind....

[Halvar]

Hear hear! Key caps are for Geekhackers, Deskthorians wear out key hats.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

What, Monopoly pieces for keys?

[Muirium]

This particular one. I've always liked its symbolism, and it should actually work!

[webwit]

Like this one I posted earlier?

[Muirium]

Yes. Top hats for the entire club!

[snoopy]

Like this one I posted earlier?

my ssk needs one of those

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Yes. Top hats for the entire club!

Black anodised?

[Muirium]

Perhaps. I'd likely prefer the bare aluminium version myself, as is my general want, but black is more hat authentic.