Steampunk Keyboard

[Dracoola]

[Build Log] Steampunk Keyboard

Initially I started this an advice and suggestions thread and now that I have started to build this thing, I'm not making another thread, I'll continue this one...

[Original text for the thread]

Hurro,

Would you kindly take a look at the following link...

http://steampunkworkshop.com/keyboard.shtml

Tell me if this can be done by shopping, modding and tweaking well within a decent, sane financial limit.

I really really really want me one of these. But hell they are too dam expensive. Building one can be looked into. The materials I can buy, but the skills required to get this thing done near perfect are an issue.

Either way.. Tell me what you think?

Can this be done without going " ah hell screw this" at some point and throwing everything away?

"How hard can it be?" [Jeremy Clarkson - Before every Top Gear challenge]

Any helpful instructions? guidelines? suggestions?

Thank you

[/Original Text]

Updates will be posted as I keep adding/modding more.

 

[Dracoola]

Soon baby soon. As soon as I get the material together!!! MUHAHAHHAHA

 

[hmir]

You're into steampunk?

 

[Mazhar Ali Khan]

You are insane.

 

[AbdulW87]

............"How hard can it be?" [Jeremy Clarkson - Before every Top Gear challenge].........

and the he gets a hammer :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Dracoola]

and the he gets a hammer :lol: :lol: :lol:

Bahaha Yea! Mostly he does that.

You're into steampunk?

Yup. I've built me small stuff, mostly decoration / novelty pieces using machine parts from the past.

This should be my first actual working machine. Taking a day off from office to get supplies/materials to see if I can pull this off nicely

 

[hmir]

Very cool. May I see pictures?

Have you taken steampunk into your wardrobe?

 

[Dracoola]

Sadly No man. No pics, Lost all the stuff to time, corrosion and kids! Mostly kids!

If all the source material is available well within sane financial range, then I'm going for it. I'm worried about the keys the most. At most, I have 3 old type writers that I can use but will need a lot more keys. The frame/keyboard modding I would go with wood/fabric rather then metal in the first build attempt.

Steampunk in my wardrboe? WHY YES I DID

Modified a base from an old compass, cover and frame from an old watch and integrated all that into my Casio watch into looking like an old school Steampunk badass watch. Lost that to the kids too. sigh.

 

[Dracoola]

Alright.. I've started building it already. Have started with prototypes to figure how and what needs to be done and how it should be done right. This is the log from tonight's experiment.

Started off with a Dell keyboard and an old Royal Typewriter.

Pulled only 2 keys out. The 2 keys I can afford to waste if it screws up. Then pulled out a 3rd one later.

Here's the typewriter. The keys are folded inward and clamped on the metal branched-tips of the key arm

Pulled off a key very carefully.. Only to realize there was NO text/number/symbol under the key. WTF Why didn't I see that before? Its some "special" Key I'm guessing

I acquired three different types of bolts to try out combinations and material workability.

Then it was off to getting the skirts off the keys. Which turned out to be VERY tricky. Look at how messy it was.

Lessons Learned.

1 - Old keyboard keys are very well built. Very strong material.

2 - Use a sharper, more aggressive tool. Heat it very well till the tip turns red before proceeding. A little heat does very little "cutting"

So I changed my approach to using a cylindrical pipe to cut a hole through the key while saving the base of the key..

Lessons Learned.

1 - Use a very hot tool next time. Keys are VERY solid. NOT easy to penetrate

2 - Use something sharp so it would go through easy. The plastic melts and cools down quick and like wax becomes all mixed up. not good.

Now it was time for experiment 2. The bolt itself.

I started off with the solid iron bolt. HUGE mistake. Dam these things are tough. Took a whole half hour of sawing through the dam thing to get the top off.

Now this is how it looks after 20 minutes of filing.

See the difference? of course there isn't any. I need to get Aluminum "earth" bolts for this. This iron stuff requires A LOT of effort.

While filing the keys to make them smooth this crack happened. Plastic that melted from the skirt fused with the bottom and when I tried too hard to file it, it cracked bad.

Lessons Learned.

1 - Use sharper, MORE powerful, excessively heated tool to cut it clean in one go.

Now it was time to glue the tops to the keys.

I didn't realize UHU could work so well with metals too. You can't use a stronger solution because it would melt the plastic. A weaker solution will not work with metal. This needs to be analyzed.

Here's what the final product looks for now. I didn't take photos for the shiny Stainless Steel bolt.

The keys work well. I checked. But the problem of melting is there too. The Shiny bolt works fine because I filed the key to fit. But the iron bolt requires delicacy cause the melted plastic gets stuck while you press the key.

Well this is it. Experiment done, Prototype ready. A lot of things learned and a lot needs to be answered.

1 - HOW the hell would I engrave the alphabets on a iron bolt head? I tried manually with a stencil. Didn't help. You can't even press alphabets on it. The material is tough.

2 - It took 3 hours to make 2 keys. At this rate I'll be done with this sometime next century.

 

[hmir]

You could take the bolts somewhere to get the letters etched onto the bolt top. i.e. a workshop.

Or, your could maybe use some good quality adhesive stickers to stick on to the bolt.

 

[Dracoola]

You could take the bolts somewhere to get the letters etched onto the bolt top. i.e. a workshop.

Or, your could maybe use some good quality adhesive stickers to stick on to the bolt.

No stickers man. That would completely defeat the purpose.

Yea I'm going around asking if someone can put the letters on the top.