Ya, dun remember where I saw that, but made a strong impression.

ZZZZZ my first attempt to dye the ABS Keycaps ended up epic failing.

The dye-ing quest begin with the arrival of the Keycaps from Taobao,
then I start looking for the dye and the thermal meter. after 2 days of searching for the dye, I found 1 old school package from Singapore,
small matchbox size package, with different color, I don't feel confident of that, since the thing look so 1970s' ish, so I went looking for other packages...
and found another one, but the package looks 1980s'ish..... so I gave up and decide to try them.

for the thermal meter, I went to all the farmasies and kitchen ware shop in the mall and found none, and finally found one in a bakery supply shop, digital one.

Welcome to Malacca, the place of formal glory date back to 1960s, and a lot of the old shop stock up old supplies.
The 1980s' ish dye doesn't work at all, even I boil it and try to melt it, it doesn't melt at all, it still have pigment not melt sinking in the bottom of the glass pot I try to use,
with the temperature drop to 60c, I soak them in the pot and soak for like an hour, it doesn't stick at all.

So I decide to try the 1970s' dye, whit less hope, but to my surprise that the dye powder melt into the boiled water without a trace immediately after I pour them in!
the color of the liquid look orange rather than yellow, waited the temperature to drop to 60c then I drop all the keycaps in, and with the thermal meter monitoring the temperature,
i stir the keys in the pot non-stop, and soak it, when the temperature drop below 50, I will turn the stove on and heat it up to 60c again.
After 10+ minutes later, when I pick one key up, and wash it with water, the color actually stick! but much too light, so I decide to add another pack of the powder into the liquid.
but I only have one pack, so I decide to go get another few pack for thickening the liquid, so I head out with my bicycle, the shop are 5minute ride away.

So when I come back with all 5packs last stock from the shop, I went to the pot again and found that I forgot to turn off the stove, it ain't boiling... but the it's smoking,
the thermal meter wasn't in the pot, I knew this isn't good, my first impression is to pour cold water into the pot, but I decide not to, and wait it to cold down,
and pick them up, there, I think 30% of the keys are warped. there goes my keycool ABS white blank key, but the color dye in nicely.

Conclusion? Epic Fail!

I think I will give PBT a try next,
if I can get a set with laser carved key.


Seniors here, Human10, Kai, Epiguru, mind provide me a link with that?

I want a single color PBT with 104 keys that fit Leopold 500 series keyboard......
preferable lasered, side carved or front carve.
most of the ABS colored key are non-legended, and most of the PBT laser or carved are non full set.

The rainbow PBT I already have, that fit on my SS7G.

This post has been edited by kaysa: May 25 2012, 01:03 PM

The thick PBT look great! but.... spacebar....
the dye sub spacebar really look cool too, but if it can't fit on Leopold, I have to pass it.
or if anyone (like human10, or humanten?) can mod the stem for me @@?

that spacebar, does it mean the PBT caps can be used on the Leopold 500 series too????

Great! so this Leopold is manufacturing PBT keycaps? Is it possible to get a set for my FC500R?
a white set with legend will be nice. I want to DYE them.

And how about the prices for the Realforce you can get? 103, 104, 87, 86, different weight? different color?

This post has been edited by kaysa: May 26 2012, 01:11 PM

Ya, so waiting Cyclone to give a more competitive price.

LoL what are you waiting for???
EK edition mean the LED are different light from the normal edition?
the price droped because the "Silent" version is on sale now I think.

But it especially mentioned that the LED are red instead of blue.
and it also mentioned that is the EK version, and the other doesn't mention that.

The all white with Blue LED multi weight is $10 less than the EK all 45g version, in EK.

Now I m so itchy for that one.... or the silent white/gray one.........
cyclone are so too busy to do this anymore I think.

My friend's aunt are coming to Malaysia from US in a few months time,
got to get my money ready for that!
and a set of colored keycaps will suit nicely on the white board I think.

around -$USD30.00 drop?
that's like -RM100, but the postage is still stiff.

get my SS7G la, zzz.
if you wanna get a HHKB Pro2, 1K plus,
if you getting a HHKB Lite2, that is a Mambrane keyboard.
Don't buy a wrong one @@.

A friend get it from Japan, 2nd hand one, so cheaper,
but I get a set of keycaps from Taobao for RM300+ postage...
the total price are close to the price of getting a new one @@
but now I have 2 set of keycaps for it.

Its really a pleasure to type on it,
even though I do not have many typing works,
so I play typing game

LoL let your GF try some realforce, then she will ask you to buy one for her.

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Added on May 27, 2012, 11:29 pmthanks for the turorial for dye keycaps, but what is 匀色剂，速染剂，固色剂?
I know all the meaning and can guess the usage of them all,
but if I go hardware store to ask for these,
they will have a blur blur face show me.

This post has been edited by kaysa: May 27 2012, 11:29 PM

no la, I m asking now what kind you can get and what price.
I am actually interested in the 87 silent version, but what color not sure yet.
and are you able to get those colored keycaps?

which one you get? can show photo? I might go and find one.

Thank you for the picture, but I think I din't see this one in Daiso in Melaka,
how does the package look like? is it ment for keyboard armrest?
or is it something else that you use it as armrest?

BTW the Diablo sancturay keycaps have new changes zzz are they gonna delay it to 2013?

This post has been edited by kaysa: May 30 2012, 01:09 AM

Epiguru:
This guy is selling some PBT White which can fit on to Leopold,
http://geekhack.org/member.php?9194-feng
can you please help me get one set? (I do not have paypal.)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/KBC-White-Printed-...=item4d00cc3cf0

He promise $2 discount if get it from Geekhack.

sorry Epiguru, I found another seller in Taobao, I think will get it from taobao, its cheaper and I can find a proxy myself, need not to bother you.

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Added on May 31, 2012, 10:58 amCheck This Out!
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=1312984...&_u=vpi3ince4bc

Not Blank Thou...

This post has been edited by kaysa: May 31 2012, 11:00 AM

did you ask him?