Hey #3DPrinting and/or #CustomKeyboard folks of #AskFedi, do 3D printed keyboard key caps work okay, especially installing and/or removing the cap from the switch stem? I think I need some custom enlarged keys around 25x25mm because the PCB layout for my shenanigans is going to be way too tight with normal 19x19mm keys.
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@jpm I printed the keycaps for my kerbal space program controller. It took a bit of trial-and-error to get the tolerances right, some of which will be specific to my machine's specific quirks and print settings.
You may find that a 25x25mm key is too big for the switch's mechanics to handle. If you press it near the edges there may be too much force that turns into torque, which may cause the switch to jam instead of depress.
@tj Yeah, I'll be fiddling with key caps and switches for a while to find the ideal combo I think
@jpm I have not 3d printed keycaps myself but I have done laser-cut stems/toppers to fit in choc v1s and that kinda worked, though the point of connection between the step and the topper is a point of weakness. I am aware of the Lamé cap, specifically designed for FDM printing.
[edit] I take that back, on closer inspection of those photos they might be resin
@oscherler yep I’m considering that too
@jpm I’ve done it (FDM) and they work okay - they just don’t feel very good with the layer lines on top.
Ideally you’ll have some way of scaling the stem separately from the rest of the key, or maybe it doesn’t matter too much.
@hwang that’s a good point about scaling the stem separately because that’s the critical fit point. The key tips wont be an issue because they will have a tiny display there instead.
(Paging known prolific 3D printerator @timixretroplays )
@jpm I've never looked into this specifically, to my understanding key switch stems are 100% designed for injection molded plastic and filament printing wouldn't be reliable enough to do it en masse - but if you were building something one-off, something could be designed with good enough tolerances.
What hardware are you looking at?
@timixretroplays well, “one” will be starting at about 100 and may end up being like 4000 or so, depending on how silly this gets. Looking at using standard Cherry MX switches, but yeah the rest of it will be very custom.
@timixretroplays … Including a screen
@jpm oh, it's that project. Cool.
For 3D printing, you'll see better resolution and consistent prints with resin or SLS powder prints, but those will be more expensive than filament (but you might know someone local with a resin printer who'll try a few things for shits and giggles). For prototyping you should just buy a bucket of MX keycaps off eBay (or harvest them from an already very, very dead keyboard) and glue things on.
