8 replies to this topic

[wischatesjesus]

 

 

Some of them suffered some pretty bad errors in the top layers that I attribute partially by the resolution of the printer and partially to my having no clue what the fuzzy bunny I'm doing.

 

 

 

 

Now that I've run these all off though it turns out they aren't quite the right size. I used the wrong row as a base key.

 

 

Anyway, STLs for the keycaps are here, and my blender working files are here.

 

I'll update this thread if/when I get the logos on the right size cap.

[SS396]

The contour lines or terracing where its trying to create the compound concave and sloped surface is a pretty weird after effect. What you want to do is rotate the keyblank so that surface is parallel with the tray and then it will move the majority of the errors to the bottom of the key skirt and it won't matter because you won't see them.  You'll also have to create some stand offs that you can break away.  You will still get some terracing on the face but it will only be in one axis and won't be so distracting.  

I don't know what kind of media you are using but you might be able to do some acetone vapor smoothing but you will lose some of the detail of the logos.

 

Is there any way you can run a thinner diameter media?

 

Just a few ideas.

[dorobo]

Despite all the errors this is pretty neat. I kinda like the texture it got. It almost look like wood but red! 

 

I finally got a tai-hao sunshine set on my keyboard and decided to stay out of the keycap hobby as it's just too crazy and too expensive. But i wanted SA keycaps so bad... just look at that retro goodness.

Edited by dorobo, 17 April 2017 - 12:48 PM.

[Guns_N_Rozer]

Despite all the errors this is pretty neat. I kinda like the texture it got. It almost look like wood but red! 

 

I finally got a tai-hao sunshine set no my keyboard and decided to stay out of the keycap hobby as it's just too crazy and too expensive. But i wanted SA keycaps so bad... just look at that retro goodness.

 are those keys chocolate ? yammy  

[wischatesjesus]

The contour lines or terracing where its trying to create the compound concave and sloped surface is a pretty weird after effect. What you want to do is rotate the keyblank so that surface is parallel with the tray and then it will move the majority of the errors to the bottom of the key skirt and it won't matter because you won't see them.  You'll also have to create some stand offs that you can break away.  You will still get some terracing on the face but it will only be in one axis and won't be so distracting.  

I don't know what kind of media you are using but you might be able to do some acetone vapor smoothing but you will lose some of the detail of the logos.

 

Is there any way you can run a thinner diameter media?

 

Just a few ideas.

 

I'll give the rotate a whirl. My only worry is that it will mess with the key to cap interface.

 

Of course all that could change when I get these on the right cap model. Perhaps I can just print them upside down...

 

As for acetone bath, the are PLA prints and I haven't been able to get good results with it. Brief research suggests that this is a property of PLA.

 

I have been looking in to getting a finer nozzle, but for now I think I'm just going to see what I can do with the slicing alone.

 

UPDATE: printing at an angle seems to have helped a bit. Also got the raider logo on the right row. Still need to figure out why my slicer put a hole in the raider logo.

 

 

Edited by wischatesjesus, 11 April 2017 - 06:05 PM.

[JeffMagnum]

As for acetone bath, the are PLA prints and I haven't been able to get good results with it. Brief research suggests that this is a property of PLA.

 

THF is about the least toxic solvent you can use for PLA vapor baths, but it'll seriously dehydrate your skin and dissolve latex gloves so use nitrile ones to handle it. It's also a potential human carcinogen with chronic exposure but that wouldn't be an issue for your purpose unless you're doing this daily for some reason. I'd just print in ABS and use acetone if I were you since you don't need any of PLA's properties for this application and acetone is cheaper, readily available, easier to work with, and safe enough to wash your hands with. 

 

Also, do you have any of these with recessed ability icons instead of embossed ones? 

[wischatesjesus]

THF is about the least toxic solvent you can use for PLA vapor baths, but it'll seriously dehydrate your skin and dissolve latex gloves so use nitrile ones to handle it. It's also a potential human carcinogen with chronic exposure but that wouldn't be an issue for your purpose unless you're doing this daily for some reason. I'd just print in ABS and use acetone if I were you since you don't need any of PLA's properties for this application and acetone is cheaper, readily available, easier to work with, and safe enough to wash your hands with. 

 

Also, do you have any of these with recessed ability icons instead of embossed ones? 

 

I'm thinking I'll just give it a pass with sand paper rather than play with chemicals. I don't have any ABS on hand, and had planned on screwing with some paint finishes anyway.

 

Here is an STL for a recessed version of the hawken logo on the escape key that I printed. If you have particular keys in mind I can crank them out for you in a few minutes. All of the blender files have the logo and key as separate objects, so the process to go from embossed to recessed is pretty much just dragging the logo down into the key model and doing a boolean subtract.

 

I've been working off keycap models I found here, for reference.

 

This one glows in the dark:

 

Dropbox links in the OP have been updated with the row 2 raider file and the recessed hawken logo escape key.

[OdinTheWise]

paint filler is usually used to smooth it out, also from what i have read, good calibration helps a lot. 

[wischatesjesus]

Drop box files updated with this one: