Canon S-66 Typewriter Conversion

[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.







original typewriter


original board


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

[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 ), how long did it take to make? Mind doing a typing test?

[green-squid]

Nice.

[chip chop]

so badass..... great job!

[mike52787]

Very impressive. Cool that you preserved the original layout of the canon caps as well. first time I've seen that.

[ScottPaladin]

That is freaking sweet. Well done.

[SpacemanToby]

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 ), 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.

[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 ), 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

[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!

[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.

[SpacemanToby]

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.

[pyrelink]

Ah, I see. Very clever. Thank you for sharing.

[Brot]

Very Nice!

[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?

[SpacemanToby]

They fit out of the box. The Alps integrated Dome switches use the same caps as the skcl series.

[seebart]

Wow,quite the custom. Impressive!

[FSTP]

Great craftsmanship!

[xtreg]

Love that edge! Coolest board I've seen for a long while.

Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk

[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.”