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DIY Das Keyboard
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 Last week, I discovered a product that really got my geek senses tingling: the Das Keyboard, a keyboard with completely black, unmarked keys. My ego is well fed by the idea that I am good enough with a keyboard that I really don't need the labels. Call it nerd street cred, hacker machismo, or whatever closes your circuit. However, I was not too excited about idea of paying $80 plus shipping for the thing, no matter how sexy it is. (Which is not to say I didn't start compulsively typing my credit card info into the purchase form, I just didn't actually go through with it.) I don't have that kind of cash just laying around at the moment. So I had a thought: "I Could Do It Myself!" But how? I found this question on Ask Metafilter, where someone had the same idea, but no one came up with a solution. The suggestions did point me in the right direction, and, with a little experimentation, I made it work. Read on to find out how, and ultimately, whether or not it was worth it... |
| Check out the photo gallery of the process, if you like. I read about a lot of options at the Metafilter page, including vigorous rubbing, sand paper, Dremel, soaking in rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, goo-gone, paint, Brasso metal polish, and toothpaste. Here's what doesn't work: Rubbing alcohol - no effect, other than making the keys cleaner. Vigorous rubbing - I don't think I have enough skin on my fingers to see that one through to the end. Dremel polishing - all I succeeded in doing was grinding nice grooves into the tops of the keys I tested it on. Perhaps it takes one stronger with the force than I. Nail polish remover - that melts the plastic and makes you see pretty colors, and not in a good way. Here's what I didn't try: Goo-gone - it never came to that because it would have meant buying something when free options still existed. Paint - I didn't get the feeling that that was a long term solution; I think the paint would wear off after a while. Toothpaste - I'm not going to waste my precious toothpaste on a mere keyboard, don't be stupid! If you want to do it like I did, here's what you need: 1: A keyboard or two that you don't mind destroying. Black, preferably. 2: 150 grit sand paper: $3 3: 600 grit sand paper: $3 4: Steel wool: $4 5: A hard cylindrical object (not your weenier), to use as a shaping tool along with the sandpaper. I found that a spray paint can worked the best, as it's convex curve was pretty close in shape to the concave curve in the keys. 6: A Leatherman. I used mine to pry off the keys, and to hold them firmly while sanding. 6.5: Bonus! If you're a true obsessive-compulsive/masochist, you can get a glossy mirror shine on they keys by finishing up with a cloth and Brasso metal polish, available for about $4 at your local supermarket. I didn't like the look though; I think the gunmetal gray effect that the steel wool gives is much nicer. Plus it was way too hard to give the keys a consistent shine with the Brasso. 7. LOTS of free time. This took me days to complete - after everyone else went to sleep each night that is.  Start by prying off a row of keys. Do NOT take off all of the keys. The keys have a different pitch based on which row they're in. The unmarked keys you'll be making may be swappable with their row-mates but you must maintain the caste system that was established for the good of the keymunity. Wrap the 150 grit around your cylinder, place a key so that it's curve is aligned to the curve of the cylinder, and start stroking it up and down. (Oh, stop it. What are you? 12?) If you've got the right diameter cylinder, you should get consistent wear across the face of the key right away. If your cylinder is too small, only the center of the key will wear, or if it's too big only the edges. Size matters. 20 or so good strokes should be able to get it off. Get the lettering off of the key, you jackass.Check it often. As soon as the lettering is gone, give it a couple of light strokes to take down some of the grooves you've made. It's easier to do with the 150 now than the 600 later. Try and keep the grain going up and down. Avoid circular, or angular strokes. It's much harder to make it look good if your grain is all over the place.  I recommend doing the whole row with the 150, and then switch to the 600. You have to think like an assembly line, or you'll never get through it. You will go through the 600 much faster than the 150. It stops being useful when it turns white. At that point, it's got plastic ground into it, and isn't abrasive. Change the 600 grit sandpaper out regularly. Then, grip the key with your needle nose, and work it into the steel wool as hard as you can for about 40 strokes. Blow it off and you should have a nice looking key, ready for reattachment.Repeat while ($unfinishedKeys > 0) There are a few keys to take note of. The F, J and number pad 5 keys have nubbins on them that you'll want to be delicate with. Don't wrench on them like you would with the other ones. I recommend manually applying the sandpaper very carefully. Also, the larger keys, like the shifts, enter, and especially the space key are pretty difficult. You might want to save them for last, once you've got your technique down. The real trouble with the space key is that it's got a convex curve. But I found I could sand it down okay by placing the sandpaper on the carpet, and letting the natural give of the floor help me give it an even finish.  So, was it worth it? I don't know about that. If I was charging someone to do this for them, my hourly rate would have bought several of the Real Thing. Additionally, I am missing my fingerprints on a few fingers from the sandpaper, and my muscles are all sore from the non-stop stroking, night after night. I wouldn't do it again, and would advise against trying, just buy one. (Though maybe this could be considered a rite of passage for a young hacker, similar to building one's own lightsabre). It does work though. I typed this entire article with the damn thing, and I don't think it slowed me down at all. If anything, I find that I compulsively glance the the keyboard less and less the more I use it. I'm glad I have it.  I'd really like to get my hands on a real Das Keyboard, but maybe I'll just have to wait until my birthday, or Christmas. When/If I do, I'll be sure to post a review, probably titled Das Keyboard vs. Das Freeboard: The Reckoning. If you do end up following these instructions, please do let me know about it. I'd be interested to see if anyone gets any satisfaction from all of my efforts. |
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Jim - #1 Thu, May 26th 2005 @ 4:33 PM 9 words |
| Geek. A blindfold would have been quicker and cheaper. |
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Aaron - #2 Thu, May 26th 2005 @ 4:44 PM 122 words |
| Ah, but I still need a monitor until they get the mindjack working. It's just a matter of time really. On that note, there's this article in Wired where they hooked up a robot arm to a monkey's brain, and it turns out he can control all 3 of his arms independently at the same time. This means, (maybe) once we get our computers plugged directly into our nerves and neurons, we can get a second set of hands and eyes to type and look at the screens inside our heads. I can't wait! Cyberpunk, here we come. |
| Guest:Greg - #3 Thu, May 26th 2005 @ 4:50 PM 5 words | |
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[this is rad] |
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Rob - #4 Thu, May 26th 2005 @ 5:59 PM 66 words |
| thud id what eiuuk haoown id O triwns ti use thw dAISA RBEEOARD, i THAT VI CINETIOL. (this is what would happen if I tried the das boot keyboard, I have no control) I came close to hitting the leter "A", you can see, but hit capslock instead. Also: are there spacebars with lettering on them? I figured that was a gimme. |
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Aaron - #5 Thu, May 26th 2005 @ 6:10 PM 14 words |
| No, but it would look weird if it wasn't given the same finish. |
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Rob - #6 Thu, May 26th 2005 @ 6:41 PM 123 words |
| I don't know - this strikes me as similar to taking the numbers off your phone or your TV remote. You will celebrate your blind keypunching expertise for exactly three days before it begins to annoy the shit out of you. Then you will become depressed, thinking about all of the time you spent wasted. Then you'll hit the denial phase. You will complete all of the five phases similar to dealing with death and/or overcoming heroin addiction, and when you've finally accepted your folly you will get another bright idea, like trying to program your house windows to go from transparent to opaque like in the CIA movies. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. YOUR FRIENDS CAN HELP YOU. |
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Aaron - #7 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 9:15 AM 16 words |
| NO I DON'T! I CAN QUIT WHENEVER I WANT. I JUST DON'T WANT TO! |
| Guest:Matt - #8 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:10 AM 102 words | |
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if u used waterproof sandpaper it wouldn't have run out so quickly. The grit doesn't get clogged if u keep dipping it in water. Please don't try to sound like what u did was special or something. I mean it's moronic. Their just painted on letters. Try a degree in Industrial Design. 80% of the concept model making process is sanding. And lets not even get into what toolmakers and machinists have to do. Next you'll have a page dedicated to how you invented the wheel or something equally moronic. Congrats mate. Good Work. Tosser |
| Guest:Rigel - #9 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:12 AM 57 words | |
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you could have just gotten an IBM model M keyboard (best EVAR) and swapped around the keytops to confuse yourself. or removed them entirely, theyre just caps, and theres a key under it that must be removed to get to the spring/switch. woulda cost you $5 used, and about 15 minutes of work. retard. |
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Aaron - #10 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:15 AM 16 words |
| So you're saying I did it wrong? OH CRAP! I WILL NEVER LIVE THIS DOWN! |
| Guest:Dave - #11 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:18 AM 42 words | |
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I would buy a keyboard with a switch that illuminates or otherwise exposes the letters when flicked, but leaves them invisible when off. Not only would it ease the transition, but it would allow the keyboard to be used occassionally by guests. |
| Guest:Dvorak - #12 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:20 AM 18 words | |
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Geeky, sure, but why not go all the way and convert it to a blank keyed Dvorak keyboard? |
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Aaron - #13 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:20 AM 26 words |
| That's an interesting idea! I could paint on the letters with UV ink, and then set up a black light under my monitor stand. Hott! |
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Aaron - #14 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:20 AM 8 words |
| Dvorak? I'm not that crazy. |
| Guest:Rigel - #15 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:26 AM 26 words | |
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an additional benefit of the model m is that you can swap keycaps to turn it into a labeled dvorak. if you consider that a benefit. |
| Guest:Ish - #16 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:43 AM 72 words | |
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Try using my stupid microsoft wireless desktop elite model 1011 it has these stupid semi-transparent glossy black tinted keys that when the light from the windows hits it makes the keys unreadable at any angle beyond 22.5 degrees give or take depending on your location to a light source and any other various angles you might have to deal with.  |
| Guest:Bob - #17 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:45 AM 9 words | |
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Anyone try krylon fusion paint? just spray and go. |
| Guest:Franklin - #18 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:47 AM 28 words | |
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For your next project you should get some wire keepers and fix that mess behind your computer desk |
| Guest:Adam - #19 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:51 AM 107 words | |
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Dave... isn't part of the idea so that guests can't use it easily? Also, most people that can type can type without looking at the keyboard, as long as they get their fingers on the f and j keys. Matt... stop being so self righteous... not everyone does industrial design or machining and I'm sure this will help some people... it's also quite funny. Well I thought it was funny, and a pretty good idea. I might do it with the main keys on the keyboard, but I don't know about the F keys or thinks like that. |
| Guest:Bulletsponge - #20 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:53 AM 41 words | |
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Good job Aaron, There is nothing like handcrafted customization. You could always buy the Das keyboard, or the IBM model ,. but you have a one-of-a-kind item that is a daily reminder of your determination, and style. Nice. |
| Guest:Polygoo - #21 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:15 AM 32 words | |
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I actually did the same but I painted mine with some krylon paint, it came out fine. What made it easier for me is that did it to the Zboad ( removable keyset ) |
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Aaron - #22 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:19 AM 13 words |
| When did you do that? How has the paint held up over time? |
| Guest:Boxed - #23 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:20 AM 63 words | |
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Would this work if I just buy a black keyboard and spraypaint it black, then spray a finish so it wouldn't be sticky? Why do you have to sand the letters off. BTW... I did the same thing to my cell phone some time back but the paint would wear off every few weeks and I would have to reservice it. |
| Guest:MHGL - #24 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:29 AM 26 words | |
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Re: ($unfinishedKeys > 0) Which programming language uses $ to designate an integer variable?  |
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Aaron - #25 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:30 AM 49 words |
| What you described with your cell phone is exactly why I decided to avoid paint. Plus, paint is messy. I would recommend that if you do decide to paint it, take the keys off of the keyboard first. You don't want any particulate gumming up the key switches. |
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Aaron - #26 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:32 AM 17 words |
| MHGL: PHP, Kix Script, AutoIt. These are the three I've been using a lot of lately. |
| Guest:MHGL - #27 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:37 AM 28 words | |
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Sweet, I figured it was PHP, not very familiar with it at this point. Not that I'm very familiar with anything else for that matter... |
| Guest:MHGL - #28 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:41 AM 22 words | |
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Also, and I realize this is very off topic, AutoIt looks very, very handy. Will certainly be playing with this. |
| Guest:THEJOKER101 - #29 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:43 AM 6 words | |
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MHGL - PHP does, for all variables. |
| Guest:THEJOKER101 - #30 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:44 AM 5 words | |
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Damn it, i'm behind! |
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Aaron - #31 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:44 AM 44 words |
| It really is. I just about to release a utility I wrote with it that lets you run any one of hundreds of commands/shortcuts/etc just by hitting Win-space, typing a few letters of it and hitting enter. It's called ASH. |
| Guest:Polygoo - #32 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 11:49 AM 56 words | |
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heres some pics, there really crappy but you can see it.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/goo/sets/383683/ I did it like a week ago, so far its been fine... if it wears off i'll just repaint it LOL |
| Guest:Houser - #33 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 12:05 PM 18 words | |
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TCL uses $ for variables also. Nice work, BTW  |
| Guest:John - #34 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 12:09 PM 98 words | |
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This method is wimpy. I just type madly on my dvorak keyboard until the letters wear off. After a year or two, viola, 1/2 worn off D and K keys (which correspond to the letters E and T on a dvorak keyboard). Once they are completely worn off in 5 years, I will swap some other keys to the D and K position. until ($keysAllSwappend_and_Worn) { repeat; } (perl also uses $ for all variables). I figure in another 200 years, all the keys will be completely worn off. If only these thinkpad keylabels weren't so tough... |
| Guest:Drew - #35 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 12:14 PM 9 words | |
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Why not just erase the text using MS Paint? |
| Guest:Polygoo - #36 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 12:18 PM 1 words | |
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lol |
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Aaron - #37 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 12:29 PM 5 words |
| That looks pretty good Polygoo! |
| Guest:Anus - #38 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 12:34 PM 23 words | |
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Why not just remove the keys altogether and type on the unmarked nubs below? That'd only be about a 30 second hack! |
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Aaron - #39 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 12:40 PM 36 words |
| MHGL, here is the program I was talking about: http://www.saneasylum.com/articles/591 (don't tell anyone about it, it's a secret) |
| Guest:Guest8675309 - #40 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 1:02 PM 5 words | |
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Found via Gizmodo, awesome job! |
| Guest:Nothanks - #41 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 1:47 PM 9 words | |
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what type of keyboard did you start with? |
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Aaron - #42 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 1:53 PM 29 words |
| Some old HP USB keyboard I had in a box in the garage. I don't know why I wasn't using it before, it's actually quite nice. |
| Guest:Luser - #43 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 1:59 PM 12 words | |
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I bet you can black out the screens with electrical tape, too! |
| Guest:Bill Bradford - #44 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 3:38 PM 65 words | |
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BTW, the Das Keyboard is just a Keytronic keyboard, I'm guessing the E03600 Black USB, currently out of stock, with custom keycaps. Logitech's price to end-users is $21.50. The DasKeyboard guys are making a *killing*. |
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Aaron - #45 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 3:44 PM 34 words |
| Yeah, but I bet they have Matt working for them, and he charges them $50 a pop to wet sand down the keys with his industrial design skills. |
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Aaron - #46 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 3:56 PM 57 words |
| BTW, if and when I forget which keys are where, I've setup a keyword in ASH that lets me just type in "key" and have an on screen keyboard pop up. I haven't actually needed it yet, but it's nice to know it's there. |
| Guest:CIESEL - #47 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 5:05 PM 42 words | |
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dont listen to the "tards" & "tossers" who are giving you negative feedback. this was actually very cool. especially the listing of things that dont work cause i know i definitely would've tried most if not all of them. great how-to. |
| Guest:Ugo - #48 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 5:43 PM 57 words | |
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I did the same thing except I used a black and decker mouse to sand all the keys without taking them off. I also painted the face plate red. Here is my blog post w/pic http://www.ualberta.ca/~andrewu/archive/2005_02_01_archive.html#110957045026872230 |
| Guest:Polygoo - #49 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 6:09 PM 84 words | |
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Hey thats a good idea! Powersander, damn I shoulda done that lol that would be so easy. WTF is Matt's problem? I guess he likes going to peoples' web sites, boasting about his degree for which he spent thousands of dollars for and still has no job from... Did you post that from work Matt? Why don't you go back and design some more of those "As Seen on TV" products you've been working so hard on, there great! |
| Guest:Je$u$ - #50 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 6:23 PM 16 words | |
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The haters can $uck my dangling participle, the whole point is the doing. Nice work Aaron. |
| Guest:KaHaR - #51 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 6:52 PM 3 words | |
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perl uses $ too |
| Guest:Steve Baker - #52 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 7:17 PM 94 words | |
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Reminds me of the early Commadore PET's that had shiney cardboard keycaps. You had about three weeks to learn how to touchtype before all the keycaps wore off! Good work though - someone had to try it...so the rest of us don't have to! I see an all-white keyboard in your future. You could justify doing that the hard way because you can't buy one. Personally, I'm addicted to split keyboards - so if I want one, I'll *have* to make it myself. |
| Guest:Lazar - #53 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 8:46 PM 30 words | |
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Nice work. Worth noting, could have avoided buying the Happy Hacker blank-key keyboard instead... might've avoided spending more or less money, and more ore less time in comparison. |
| Guest:Dude - #54 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 9:13 PM 74 words | |
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"BTW, if and when I forget which keys are where, I've setup a keyword in ASH that lets me just type in "key" and have an on screen keyboard pop up. I haven't actually needed it yet, but it's nice to know it's there." -what if you forget where the letters K,E and Y are? |
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Rob - #55 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:33 PM 15 words |
| Aaron, this is like the opposite of what happened when you spelled Napolean Dynamite wrong. |
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Rob - #56 Fri, May 27th 2005 @ 10:40 PM 49 words |
| You've written one post to get 400 emoticon-happy 14 year olds to visit and now you have amassed the technogeeks. Any way you can write something that would attract that subphylum of the uber-wealthy that would happily donate to our paypal accounts out of sheer boredom? |
| Guest:EC - #57 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 1:27 AM 44 words | |
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There's a lot of dickheads trying to run down what you made, but I wouldn't pay any attention. That keyboard trick is ace and considering to money you saved i'd tell them to have a coke and a smile and STFU. |
| Guest:John Smith - #58 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 4:16 AM 10 words | |
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I wonder if it would work with my Apple Powerbook |
| Guest:Moke - #59 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 5:51 AM 15 words | |
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yes, i hsve dpne ths sane thung wuth mu keubosd = ut wirkd rea;;y we;; |
| Guest:Polygoo - #60 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 5:56 AM 1 words | |
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lol. |
| Guest:Evilpig - #61 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 8:47 AM 30 words | |
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pretty good mod.. wtg ------ techzap.net |
| Guest:Союk - #62 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 10:08 AM 271 words | |
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I did this cheaper some 15 years ago (what year did the Amiga 3000 come out?). Back then all computers (Mac, IBM, Amiga, Atari...) came in the same nauseating color, except NeXT, and so I took the plastic off of the monitor, CPU case, keyboard and popped all the keys off in order, went to the local hardware (they still had those then) store and bought a $2-$3 can of flat black paint, opened the window and painted the everything flat black and put the machine back together. Every now and then I had to repaint the on/off buttons on the monitor and the computer (the CPU less as I probably turned the machine off two or three times a year {isn't it pathetic that WinUAE is more stable than Windoze?}) and repaint a,s,d,f,j,k,l,;. At some point I took my computer in for warranty repairs (Commodore was still in business) and there was a woman with her Mac there and seeing the machine she said aghast "Why would anybody EVER do something so HIDEOUS as this to their computer?" and before I could open my mouth the guy behind the counter asked her what she new about style, she owned a "MacIntrash" As a touch typist in both English and transliterated Russian this has suited me fine for nearly two decades. I currently use a flat back Japanese SGI keyboard as this suits the same function (all black and in a language I don't read or write thus requiring 100% touch typing), but with a professional aesthetic. |
| Guest:Chuck - #63 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 6:38 PM 3 words | |
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Nicely done dude |
| Guest:Dan Geech - #64 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 7:08 PM 26 words | |
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Great Job, Man! I began doing a very ghetto version of "Das Keyboard" using my old HP keyboard and a black magic marker. Keep on truckin'! |
| Guest:RpgActioN - #65 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 10:37 PM 47 words | |
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God, how did you get them so perfect? All of my keys are uneven now, and some of my fingers are bleeding (I couldn't find a perfect diameter to use for a cylindrical object... Though I should have, as suggested I didn't, try my penis. |
| Guest:RpgActioN - #66 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 10:37 PM 5 words | |
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Because it's big enough. |
| Guest:Phobos13013 - #67 Sat, May 28th 2005 @ 10:57 PM 77 words | |
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another suggestion is buy a really cheap keyboard that uses paint instead of stickers for letters. I have had a keyboard like this for the last six months because i used the keys so much the cheap paint smudged right off. Yea it looks cool and surprisingly ppl have major trouble using this computer when they sit down to it which i think is odd because i think you get used to it realllllly quick. peas out |
| Guest:U Dummy - #68 Sun, May 29th 2005 @ 4:29 PM 11 words | |
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should have polished the key board while you were at it |
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Aaron - #69 Sun, May 29th 2005 @ 7:56 PM 65 words |
| U Dummy, I tried that, and they look pretty good. That's what the Brasso is for. But I didn't like the way they looked at the end. I much prefer the gunmetal finish to the glossy finish. Thanks to everyone who's stopped by. I got over 4000 hits from Gizmodo on this page so far. Thank you for your interest. |
| Guest:Stephen - #70 Sun, May 29th 2005 @ 10:43 PM 37 words | |
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I'm trying to lean Dvorak at the same time, but I like your practical solution. I ordered a Das Keyboard anyway. I'm not only an ubergeek, but an uberdork as Bill Bradford pointed out above. |
| Guest:Mister PoPo - #71 Mon, May 30th 2005 @ 10:51 AM 92 words | |
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Try brake fluid for removal of the lettering... I've used it several times in the past for removal of unsightly painted/silkscreened logos and such from plastic items. It will, however, cause you to end up w/ a really dull finish. I think the break fluid basically melts the plastic, so don't -soak- the keys, just wipe them with a fluid dampened cloth.. At the opposite end of the nerd-cred spectrum, I'm quite happy w/ my Saitek Eclipse w/ the blue backlit keytops. |
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Aaron - #72 Mon, May 30th 2005 @ 12:52 PM 34 words |
| The Saitek is a nice looking keyboard PoPo, maybe I'll get one of those for my home rig. |
| Guest:Slartibartfast - #73 Mon, May 30th 2005 @ 3:42 PM 12 words | |
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If you're worried about paint coming off, just use vinyl dye. |
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Aaron - #74 Mon, May 30th 2005 @ 5:57 PM 35 words |
| Slartibartfast, that sounds awesome! I've never heard of vinyl dye before! I would have definitely tried that first had I known. Also, love the name. If only yours was the 42nd post. |
| Guest:David - #75 Tue, May 31st 2005 @ 8:49 AM 61 words | |
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Or you can get this keyboard: And buy it here: http://store.yahoo.com/pfuca-store/hhkbblank.html It's cheap... |
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Troy - #76 Tue, May 31st 2005 @ 9:13 AM 16 words |
Wow, $259 on sale. Thats cheap?  |
| Guest:HoopyFrood - #77 Tue, May 31st 2005 @ 9:15 AM 98 words | |
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I've been using an IBM model M with the keycaps popped off for about 2 years now. The nice thing is that on most of them, the F and J key is actually white with the rest a darker color, so it's easy to see where to prop your hands on home. Man, you did a lot of work for that one. Props for dedication. I dig the idea of the Japanese keyboard though... that's got some style. |
| Guest:Vinc0r - #78 Tue, May 31st 2005 @ 11:44 AM 12 words | |
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also some irc-scripting languages are usin $ for variables and identifiers, afaik |
| Guest:Kim - #79 Tue, May 31st 2005 @ 8:03 PM 87 words | |
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Another suggestion for training your geek blind typing skills: Use another key code layout. I'm from a country which lays out all of the special characters in a different manner. I'm currently living in the US, so eventually I just gave up on switching key map layouts all the time with Alt+SHIFT and started blind typing special characters too. This also gives me plenty of entertainment watching co-workers wanting to write code on my computer during pair-programming and code-reviews. |
| Guest:Josh - #80 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 5:12 AM 57 words | |
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I think it's a decent idea. It's quite a bit cheaper than the alternatives, but it sounds like the man hours definitely made up for the monetary price!! Anyway, it's a pretty cool idea, and it's good to see that someone other than myself has way too much free time on their hands. |
| Guest:Posicat - #81 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 12:26 PM 60 words | |
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Note, if you have the true-geek's ultimate keyboard (IBM PS/2 Model M keyboard) you can simply pull the lettered cap off of the actual key, and have a blank keyboard. If you forget some keys, you simply stick those back on. Or really confuse people by arranging them in Devorak, a random pattern, or spell things out. |
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Aaron - #82 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 12:37 PM 97 words |
| This link provides a picture of the M with the caps taken off: http://www.preater.com/modelm/ I must admit, it sounds nice. However, I am kind of addicted to the Win key. I use it more than was ever intended. Also, I don't like the super-large Enter key. But to each his own. You know, the Das Keyboard seems to be modeled after the M, wouldn't you say? Perhaps it can also be used as a blunt object during office squabbles. |
| Guest:Rigel - #83 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 12:54 PM 94 words | |
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the model m is weighty (also, poster #82 missed my previous mention of it. nice work, guy). also, you can spill whatever the fuck on it and it holds up like a champ. i had one that broke after 12 years of use, but i say that only because i couldnt find a replacement cable for it - the cable was bad, and thats probably all that was bad. opening the thing up can be a bitch though, if you get something rattling around inside. |
| Guest:Rigel - #84 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 12:56 PM 45 words | |
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also of note is that if the das keyboard is the keytronic referenced above, then they're cheap shitty MEMBRANE SWITCHES theyre using. not the full on model m bohunk individual switches. basically, these das keyboards are bubble-type keyboards with springs. and that sucks. |
| Guest:PosiCat (again) - #85 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 1:47 PM 125 words | |
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A new Model M keyboard can be gotten at http://www.pckeyboard.com/ They have various colors, and replacement parts if you have a sick Model M. I re-read my post above, and I didn't want Aaron to think I didn't appreciate his post. I'm all in favor of people building/modding over buying the same item. It's a lot of work, and something to take pride in. Well done! That being said I'm googling for Vinyl Die to learn how to use this interesting stuff. I'm thinking perhaps medium-blue keys (with the letters still) and a metallic purple keyboard-case to match my system. |
| Guest:Rigel - #86 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 3:04 PM 20 words | |
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wow, $59 is a far cry from $5-at-an-electronics-junk-shop, which is where i got my replacement...... |
| Guest:Invader Zim - #87 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 4:43 PM 24 words | |
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But the Model M doesn't have Windows keys. (ducks while people throw things) |
| Guest:Zivie - #88 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 5:00 PM 37 words | |
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lol, i dont know if u noticed but... the reason DasKeyboard was so expensive was also because they keys were weighted... lol, apparently its supposed to let u type quickly because you apply less pressure to it |
| Guest:El Frijole - #89 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 5:07 PM 70 words | |
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hot damn, that is nice... i might have to get some sandpaper and try it out on a couple out-of-the-way keys on my all-white apple bluetooth keyboard (i like it not just because its apple, but the fact that its a nice wireless keyboard, decent feel, without all the extra shit and volume knobs and stuff), this would look really hot with no lettering.... |
| Guest:Jasonbrewer - #90 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 6:43 PM 57 words | |
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Vinyl dye can change the color of plastic in such a way that it won't "rub off." It soaks into the plastic for a permanent color change. Vinyl dye is cheap and easily obtainable from most auto parts stores. This should definitely be a workable solution for dark keyboards w/ white lettering. |
| Guest:Sirkevinthegeek - #91 Wed, Jun 1st 2005 @ 9:14 PM 130 words | |
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Ditto on the vinyl dye, although it will usually be labeled "vinyl paint" in your auto parts stores. I've used it on my keyboard, mouse, speakers, and my desk (melamine). The only wear I've seen is on my desk, where I've managed to dent the surface deep enough into the melamine to show some white. I don't think the dye was able to soak into the melamine as deeply as the softer plastics on the keyboard, etc. As for my keyboard, I painted the frame silver and left the keys alone. I imagine you would probably still be able to see the imprint of the letters a bit after you dyed it. The subtle brushed look of your keys is really sweet, I think. |
| Guest:Dan - #92 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 1:20 AM 119 words | |
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first of all, awesome work on the keys... i love the brushed look although i am a bit skeptic as to how long it takes for that to 'rub off'... anyways, i don't have your kind of commitment to creating an unlabeled keyboard, so i went shopping... i met tons of people who had never heard of vinyl dye (didn't try auto parts, though). long story short, i finally found some, but... it seems too transparent for actually painting *over* the labels. it looks pretty sweet for just changing the color of your keyboard/drive bezel/... and keeping what ever lettering is on there visible. or is that a different kind of vinyl dye? slartibartfast? |
| Guest:Dan - #93 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 4:06 AM 56 words | |
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just tried the local auto parts store... the stuff they're selling needs priming (is that what it's called? well, some layer below the actual paint). for 14 euro a pop plus the primer (which costs about the same) *and* a new keyboard i am getting dangerously close to the real thing. any other ideas? |
| Guest:Toto - #94 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 4:56 AM 209 words | |
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Back a few years ago I changed the hardware of a keyboard to Dvorak but kept using the qwerty software. Then, a few weeks later I decided to try out Dvorak. it was really easy to learn and I was able to touch type pretty soon, but it blows because you have to convert when ever you go to use another machine. So I switched back to qwerty but not before colouring in all of the letters with a marker. It was all back but pretty soon it rubbed off and my hands were just dirty. Still bored and acting like a moron I decided I'd try to melt the surface of the keyboard (it had been through a hell of a lot by this stage). Keys are brittle and when they get near a flame they have a tendency to snap. Anyway, I use an iBook now and I've wanted to remove the letters from keyboard but they're pretty thin and it would screw over the resale value. I'm still really keen to do this, and due to a little RSI I was planning on hooking in an external so I might give it a shot. I'll send you the pics |
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Aaron - #95 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 6:31 AM 22 words |
| Dan, please post a pic of the Vinyl dye effect. It sounds cool. Toto, you too when you get around to it. |
| Guest:Irqzero - #96 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 6:52 AM 61 words | |
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Model M's are incredibly awesome. Not only do I use mine with the keys popped off, but when they get dirty, you can chuck it in the dishwasher. Just make sure you let it dry for a day or two. They also have that nice clicky feel (and sound!) that you just don't get on modern kbd's. |
| Guest:Dan - #97 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 8:27 AM 139 words | |
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haven't tried the vinyl dye on an actual keyboard, just tried it on some paper at the store and then decided not to buy it because it was so translucent. the stuff at the car dealer's didn't say what kind of dye/paint it actually was, i didn't buy that because of the price and the need for priming. @jason: does the paint you were talking about need priming? btw, the vinyl dye i saw came in a 100ml squirt bottle and was pretty viscous. the auto-thing comes in a spray can. i'm still not sure if slartibartfast and jason were talking about a different type of paint. any brands you guys would recommend? preferably something that is sold in germany  |
| Guest:AndrewTheTechie - #98 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 8:58 AM 75 words | |
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Hmm....*ponders the model M he has in the closet* I like the idea of the UV letters with the blacklite...but I'm working on something cooler. I am going to replace all the caps on my keyboard with translucent ones, paint the letters on the inside with clear, uv paint, then put some uv leds inside, powered of the usb bus. I'll post some pics when its done. |
| Guest:Alex - #99 Thu, Jun 2nd 2005 @ 1:39 PM 9 words | |
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Did the way the keys feel change a lot? |
| Guest:Noopzilla! - #100 Fri, Jun 3rd 2005 @ 1:53 PM 22 words | |
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I lost my windows keys in an unfortunate Final Fantasy XI accident.  |
| Guest:Noopzilla! - #101 Fri, Jun 3rd 2005 @ 2:04 PM 36 words | |
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and apparently, i just lost a big chunk of skin off my thumb after doing this hack. ouchies! you should put a disclaimer up there, haha |
| Guest:199 - #102 Fri, Jun 3rd 2005 @ 4:34 PM 61 words | |
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I removed the numbers and letters off my nokia 3210 I think, in 99 it was one of those phones with removable covers and keypads i had alot of rubber key pads so i removed the letters by rubbing it on the carpet (i didn't use sand paper) it came out really nice, i wish i had pics of it, |
| Guest:TiagoTiago - #103 Mon, Jun 6th 2005 @ 2:00 AM 105 words | |
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do it or don't, it is up to u, what about doing the character removal thing, switch to dvorak or other less known layout and also doing that (forgot the name) thing where you print something on a special sheet and put the sheet over a hard surface and scratch it to transfer what was printed, and replace all keys with matrix green code alphabet? (there is more than one font on the web of the green code alphabet, not the title font, that reverse asian and made up characters you see scrolling down the screens, or when neo goes budha(the enlighten one) |
| Guest:Typhin - #104 Mon, Jun 6th 2005 @ 9:23 AM 271 words | |
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I vaguely remember the Model M that I had back when they were new. The CB-8923 by IBM is probably the best keyboard I've touched, though. It's strong, sturdy, and spill-proof. It's got the Win and Property (that one between right Win and right Ctrl) keys without having media crap and volume knobs an sleep keys and other such garbage. They keys are easily removable, too. Not sure I'll be able to do this hack with it easily, though, considering the letters on my board haven't even begun to wear off after more than eight years of intense typing. The one I have now is actually a newer one of the same model, my old one died when I had a power outlet go bad on me. I don't know how long my computer spent not being grounded at all, but it had build up a really nasty charge. Got the crap shocked out of me just by touching the case. Luckily, the keyboard was the only thing to go bad. Though it was kinda funny to see the strange ways the computer acted, it just got annoying to have certain keys (like 'UA') act like the win key was pressed. Especially when that symptom spread to all keys. The Das Keyboard isn't actually weighted, it's made so that different keys have different stiffness. You'll be able to feel when your hands slip off of the proper position more than just by the nubs on F and J. Some keys actually require more pressure, not less. |
| Guest:Me - #105 Mon, Jun 6th 2005 @ 11:36 PM 48 words | |
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The thing with the monkey connected required a about a hundred pins or more to be inserted into the brane and left there with a hole in the side of its head for the cable. Pull to hard on the cable and boom. No more monkey. |
| Guest:Chudpi - #106 Tue, Jun 7th 2005 @ 8:56 AM 6 words | |
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Dude, your desk is really clean ... |
| Guest:Dad? - #107 Tue, Jun 7th 2005 @ 8:38 PM 12 words | |
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...and I could also spray paint a $5 keyboard all black...right. |
| Guest:Alex - #108 Wed, Jun 8th 2005 @ 1:43 PM 6 words | |
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Painted keys should feel quite uncomfortable |
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Jim - #109 Wed, Jun 8th 2005 @ 1:45 PM 25 words |
| They would also wear and need to be repainted, as pointed out in the article. |
| Guest:JC4P - #110 Wed, Jun 8th 2005 @ 10:31 PM 35 words | |
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That is awesome, i will make one when my summer starts. I type faster and better when i dont look at the keyboard, so yay! |
| Guest:Matthew_Kreh - #111 Thu, Jun 9th 2005 @ 2:04 PM 114 words | |
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Hey guys. Just a thought... Why not paint one of those clear spill-proofing keyboard covers to be black? Then, you can be uber with the no-text keyboard and your friends can take the cover off and have the keys back to normal. It would be a lot simpler, and more importantly it would be "backwards compatable" with other keyboard users. The no-mod approach would also not impair your resale value (as was commented on by Guest:Toto #96) I applaud good mods, but when they impair the usability of a system for other users I believe they need revision. |
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Troy - #112 Fri, Jun 10th 2005 @ 8:07 AM 83 words |
| I think you have missed the entire point for doing this in the first place. Having other people use their keyboard dose not drive the uberfolks above. I’m also confused by what you meant by the ‘resale value’. I don’t think keyboards have a resale value. To further your idea, though make sure you use a flexible paint that dose not chip when the plastic cover bends and paint the inside of it so that it won’t wear with usage. |
| Guest:Matthew_Kreh - #113 Fri, Jun 10th 2005 @ 1:03 PM 253 words | |
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Troy, I understand the point as a three-fold advantage to the person doing it. 1. Customizing their PC to the way that they want it to be. Expressing your individualism. 2. Learning to type faster, based on the fact that you train yourself as to where the keys are located instead of looking at the keyboard to make sure that you are typing the correct characters... 3. Gaining a sense of respect from other computer users based on the fact that you have proven your typing expertise by removing the visual "crutch" when it was no longer needed. Normal keyboards do not have a practical resale value, but keyboards that are built into laptops (like the iBook in Toto's post above) are considered differently. Flexible paint on the inside of the cover is logical, but for my purposes I just set the keyboard in my legs and then scoot up to my desk so that the keyboard is under the desk and out of sight. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on the idea. I'm just saying that there are other ways to reach the practical end goal of typing faster by not looking at the keyboard. You can fix 1 keyboard with Aaron's idea, but with an opaque spill-proof keyboard cover you could apply the same end result to any keyboard (of the same size/style) that you come across. |
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Aaron - #114 Fri, Jun 10th 2005 @ 1:19 PM 97 words |
| Matthew_Kreh, that sound interesting. Please post pics of the process. I'd love to see a version of that where the paint stays adhered to the cover. Making it easy for others to use my computer is not something I'm very interested in. You can break things really quick from my machine, and I wouldn't want someone who isn't a fully touch typing hacker messing with it. So it also performs the function of a nerd litmus test. If you can't handle it, go use a normal (in all respects) workstation. |
| Guest:Matthew_Kreh - #115 Fri, Jun 10th 2005 @ 1:21 PM 85 words | |
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Here's a couple of links that explain what I mean, or you can search the web for "keyboard typing mask" and get other results. Viziflex Typing Mask $12.95 Opaque Typing Masks I saw these priced at $12.00 These are inexpensive compared to the $80 Das, but lack the individualism of modding a keyboard yourself. |
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Aaron - #116 Fri, Jun 10th 2005 @ 3:06 PM 23 words |
| Those are really nifty! I think you win! Fast, cheap, easy, AND it will protect your computer from the spillage of illicit fluids! |
| Guest:Shaeffer - #117 Sun, Jun 12th 2005 @ 1:50 AM 100 words | |
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Well, I went and bought a some sandpaper... three hours and some sore thumbs later, my white keyboard is looking sexy. But you really need to put a disclaimer about the sore thumbs, like someone said. I used my ten dollar keyboard with some shortcut keys, that I bought three years ago, and 4 dollars worth of sandpaper = 14 bucks. The keyboard I used while sandpapering? A model M. Now, I think I'm gonna find some of that vinyl dye and painy it crazy or something. |
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Steve - #118 Mon, Jun 13th 2005 @ 7:14 PM 4 words |
| You're both retards!!! |
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Wiktorion - #119 Fri, Jun 17th 2005 @ 1:32 PM 46 words |
| Thanks! I tested one of youre non-tested options: Paint. It worked very well, i used Black hobby paint to paint the keyboard, then i used green hobby paint to paint the keys. It looks great! |
| Guest:Azure - #120 Sun, Jun 19th 2005 @ 11:29 PM 52 words | |
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i was just wondering does nailpolish remover work if u just wet a towel or something and rub a very small amount?? or does it melt the plastic too quickly to work at all? btw AWESOME job, gonna try this with a white kb even if nailpolish definitely wont work |
| Guest:Snakebite - #121 Thu, Jun 23rd 2005 @ 5:57 AM 160 words | |
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Most of the letters have worn off my KB anyway, so I don't need to do this lol. Anyone that can't touchtype is dead with one of these lol. However, it would be nice to get that sort of finish on a nice ergonomic KB... See that's what I don't understand about the comercial version, anyone that does that amount of typing should know by now that an ergonomic KB is much easier on your wrists than a standard one! Nice work tho, but (being much more polite about it), yes, wet&dry paper would have been easier, & since you can get it upto & above 1200grit (higher is realy hard to get 1200 is what they finish car bodies with) you would have got a better finish with it & lost those sanding groves without the need for wirewool & brasso... |
| Guest:Mpma (.nl) - #122 Fri, Jul 1st 2005 @ 10:09 AM 106 words | |
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hello there, nice project.. i want you to know that there is a cleaning fluid, i used it at some job i've had, to clean computers end especially to remove stickers, it smelled like oranges, and on for example a compaq monitor it would easily remove the red letters from the compaq logo and leave the grey letters on at the same time (compaq deskpros had these red/grey logos). i have no name for the product to share here, but it worked more easily than the job described here. p.s. the fluid did never damage any plastics when i used it. |
| Guest:X, Y And Z - #123 Sat, Jul 16th 2005 @ 3:32 AM 6 words | |
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Cool, would be really frustrating though |
| Guest:Faru - #124 Sat, Jul 30th 2005 @ 1:31 PM 45 words | |
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This is slightly too much effort - But you should get points for doing it, while the rest of the anti-yous wanked the internet away.  they only need a mouse and their favorites menu anyways. |
| Guest:Asdf - #125 Thu, Aug 11th 2005 @ 6:29 AM 30 words | |
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i remember in elementary school we used these black keyboard covers that kept us from looking at the keys. http://www.protectcovers.com/ |
| Guest:Olly - #126 Fri, Aug 12th 2005 @ 4:07 AM 59 words | |
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I have just finished reading your article and most of the comments posted on this page. I found the article fascinating and admire you for taking the time to try and make your own version of the 'Das Keyboard'. The keyboard looks great and you deserve the credit that you are getting from everyone here! Nice job! |
| Guest:N8K99 - #127 Fri, Aug 12th 2005 @ 10:37 PM 57 words | |
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well nice!  i am no where near touch typing, as half the time I am on the cpu, I have my infant daughter in the other hand, so i play the keyboard like a piano melody, and it helps to see what notes I'm gonna hit. |
| Guest:DALinDixie - #128 Wed, Aug 17th 2005 @ 12:09 AM 70 words | |
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 I don't know what you folks are smoking and/or drinking, but I wish I had some of it. It accentuates your lunacy and determination and decelerates your effectiveness, thereby constipating your motivation to impart invaluable knowledge to those of us who need direction toward meaningful pc projects. You have no idea how many of us "depend" on you. |
| Guest:Emptylunchbox - #129 Fri, Sep 23rd 2005 @ 12:40 AM 5 words | |
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Try vinyl dye next time. |
| Guest:Sadfghjkl - #130 Tue, Feb 21st 2006 @ 6:35 PM 6 words | |
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L O S E R S |
| Guest:Retro - #131 Wed, Mar 15th 2006 @ 2:42 PM 194 words | |
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Hi Aaron, I've been trying to attach this comment to your Freeboard post, but no matter what Ichange, it keeps telling me "Comment spam detected DENIED!" So I'm sending this by eMail hoping you'll post it on my behalf 8Regarding Mpma nls entry, I don't know the exact English name for the fluid, but its originalpurpose according to the label is removing residue from printers I'm guessing this refers toindustrialscale rotation printers, not your average home Desk or LaserJet So it's probablysomething like gooex Googling revealed a brand name "isocleane", but since my bottle isn'tlabeled like that, I don't know if it's actually the same Oh, and Aaron, you might want to call your model "The Freibord" instead of "Das Freeboard", forthe following reasons * there already is a commercially available keyboard named Freeboard * freeboard is a naval term, and its German translation is Freibord * changing the German and English parts of the name to their EnglishGerman counterparts would bea nice "hack" in itself, similar to what happened with the "Blinkenlights" signs see Blinkenlights Entry, Hacker'sDictionary |
| Guest:Greg - #132 Wed, May 10th 2006 @ 12:29 AM 28 words | |
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toothpaste doesn't work btw, it makes the keys smell good and cleans them once everything is rubbed off, but it doesn't rub anything but dirt off |
| Guest:Kandyshopp - #133 Thu, Jun 1st 2006 @ 1:43 AM 52 words | |
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Nah , it should be "Das Tastatur". however it sounds like kinda dino. nah, listen - all morons who thought would have Das k/b using blackmarker : here's a map of some keygroups- 35grams, 45grams, 55grams, 65grams, 80grams.... GOOD WORK AARON |
| Guest:Kandyshopp - #134 Thu, Jun 1st 2006 @ 1:43 AM 29 words | |
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and the missing RUL http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/xoxide/das-keyboard-3.jpg |
| Guest:Don - #135 Sun, Jun 11th 2006 @ 2:01 PM 35 words | |
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The newest version of Das Keyboard uses mechanical switches so they are not weighted by finger. I just got an actual Das Keyboard because I like the key switches and I can touch type anyway. |
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Jonlee - #136 Mon, Mar 12th 2007 @ 10:12 PM 76 words |
| I've written a tutorial on how to create your own Das Keyboard II using vinyl dye. Pictures are included! http://www.jonlee.ca/2007/03/12/how-to-diy-das-keyboard-using-a-model-m/ |
Aaron #590
Thu, May 26th 2005