Congrats on your very nice looking keyboard 😁 I've also gone through the hassle of applying modern day keycaps to the MechBoard64. Same result as you discovered... My understanding is that Jim Drew considers producing new C64 keycaps with Cherry mx style sockets. I know he has the casting mold to do it. If so, the 3D printed keycap adapters will no longer be needed. However, this will cause the keycaps to be lowered a bit in the frame corresponding to the height of the 3D printed keycap adapters. A small update of the keyboard bracket may therefore be needed to compensate for the lower height of the microswitch/keycap. Not that I'm here to advertise for other C64 keyboard projects, but Jim will also be offering a brand new C64 keyboard called the BlingBoard64 (I think...). This is a complete C64 keyboard with keycaps and heaps of LED light.
I've built a pair of these Mechboards. I used original keycaps for both. I actually like where you took this one, your caps look awesome, maybe it is time for someone t do as you thought and 'nudge' the switches around for a better fit with standard keycaps. The adapters I used to get the OG keycaps to fit my Gateron swithes work, but the stems are long enough now that I wonder if the actual feel would be better with direct mounted keycaps like you're using.
Pimp My Keyboard used to carry a size 9u spacebar which is identical in size to the C64 spacebar. The spacebar is part of the 'SA Family' and is made by Signature Plastics. However, the SA Family spacebar has two outer female sockets that are placed further apart in comparison to the C64. Therefore, the two rectangular holes in the keyboard bracket used for the keycap stabilizers need to be placed further apart in order to get it correctly installed...
I just received my Mech 64, I have it all setup with orginal keys. The Shift lock doesn't sit right, it seems stuck in a low position. The shift lock keycap seems to sightly smaller than the other keys and does not have the insert to "lock" up and down like the original keyboard. Any thoughts for getting this key to work?
Congrats on your very nice looking keyboard 😁 I've also gone through the hassle of applying modern day keycaps to the MechBoard64. Same result as you discovered... My understanding is that Jim Drew considers producing new C64 keycaps with Cherry mx style sockets. I know he has the casting mold to do it. If so, the 3D printed keycap adapters will no longer be needed. However, this will cause the keycaps to be lowered a bit in the frame corresponding to the height of the 3D printed keycap adapters. A small update of the keyboard bracket may therefore be needed to compensate for the lower height of the microswitch/keycap.
Not that I'm here to advertise for other C64 keyboard projects, but Jim will also be offering a brand new C64 keyboard called the BlingBoard64 (I think...). This is a complete C64 keyboard with keycaps and heaps of LED light.
I've built a pair of these Mechboards. I used original keycaps for both. I actually like where you took this one, your caps look awesome, maybe it is time for someone t do as you thought and 'nudge' the switches around for a better fit with standard keycaps. The adapters I used to get the OG keycaps to fit my Gateron swithes work, but the stems are long enough now that I wonder if the actual feel would be better with direct mounted keycaps like you're using.
I need to something similar with my amigas.
I bought a prebuilt Mechboard64 and steel plate from a builder on ebay. Still waiting on cmbstuff to offer keycap sets........
I suggest printing your few odd keycaps in resin (sla) instead of fdm.
Did you find a good solution for the space bar?
Not yet, but probably going to go with 3d print.
Pimp My Keyboard used to carry a size 9u spacebar which is identical in size to the C64 spacebar. The spacebar is part of the 'SA Family' and is made by Signature Plastics. However, the SA Family spacebar has two outer female sockets that are placed further apart in comparison to the C64. Therefore, the two rectangular holes in the keyboard bracket used for the keycap stabilizers need to be placed further apart in order to get it correctly installed...
I just received my Mech 64, I have it all setup with orginal keys. The Shift lock doesn't sit right, it seems stuck in a low position. The shift lock keycap seems to sightly smaller than the other keys and does not have the insert to "lock" up and down like the original keyboard. Any thoughts for getting this key to work?
For me, I didn’t use a locking switch, so not sure in your case.