Possible to replace Pro1 key caps?

[lawliett 77]

Is it possible to pry out existing key caps and replace them with 3d resin printed key caps?

Are the key caps glued into place?

I looked at the pro1 disassembly video, but the keyboard was never disassembled from the main body.

I want to replace them with more textured concave key caps.

Edited February 15, 2022 by lawliett

[VaZso 1,998]

6 minutes ago, lawliett said:

Is it possible to pry out existing key caps and replace them with 3d resin printed key caps?

Are the key caps glued into place?

I looked at the pro1 disassembly video, but the keyboard was never disassembled from the main body.

I want to replace them with more textured concave key caps.

It is glued to the bottom part of the phone and it can be removed by aplying heat on it (using a heat gun at relatively low temperature).

However, I don't think 3D-printed keypad will work well...

[pebert 98]

I'm planning to cast key caps in transparent acrylic or epoxy resin, paint them black on the top and then laser etch the new characters on them.

[suicidal_orange 100]

27 minutes ago, pebert said:

I'm planning to cast key caps in transparent acrylic or epoxy resin, paint them black on the top and then laser etch the new characters on them.

Paint on gamer RGB keycaps doesn't last long and these will be hit by fingernails more often so chipping will surely be even worse.  Maybe you could doubleshot with a burnably thin layer of black over transparent?  Or depending how the keys work maybe you could paint and laser the legends on the back?

I was considering chopping up my keyboard to create something as close to the ISO-Colemak layout I've been using in Sailfish for years but your idea is better 🤣

[EskeRahn 5,459]

1 hour ago, pebert said:

I'm planning to cast key caps in transparent acrylic or epoxy resin, paint them black on the top and then laser etch the new characters on them.

The big question here is if you can get the key-tops free of the elastic plate? The current is some combination of an elastic mat, and some harder material on top, that is then painted white (and for some keys a colured square top right, and finally the black layer of paint.

And this combined plate can be freed by heat.

I have no knowledge wether the tops can be separated by heat, Though I intuitively doubt it... So you might need to 3D-print the elastic base plate as well in e.g TPU

On my spacebar the black is wearing off, all other keys are (still) intact. So the timing of soon getting a Pro1X could not have been much better. *LOL*

[pebert 98]

46 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

The big question here is if you can get the key-tops free of the elastic plate? The current is some combination of an elastic mat, and some harder material on top, that is then painted white (and for some keys a colured square top right, and finally the black layer of paint.

And this combined plate can be freed by heat.

I have no knowledge wether the tops can be separated by heat, Though I intuitively doubt it... So you might need to 3D-print the elastic base plate as well in e.g TPU

it was issues getting them off, might be a bigger issue putting them back though 😁

 

1 hour ago, suicidal_orange said:

Paint on gamer RGB keycaps doesn't last long and these will be hit by fingernails more often so chipping will surely be even worse. 

I i belive the keys on a gamer keyboard is pushed a little bit more frequent than the keys on my phone 🙂

[VaZso 1,998]

2 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

On my spacebar the black is wearing off, all other keys are (still) intact. So the timing of soon getting a Pro1X could not have been much better. *LOL*

On my Pro1, all keys are intact but all of them are shiny.
When I was holding a less-used Pro1 in my hands, I was wondering it was originally matte - it looked a bit strange for me at first. 😄