I have been thinking that i would like a key board that looks like an old mechanical type writer. I found that someone actually modified an old type writer to work as a key board, but i think I would be satisfied with using a standard key board and just having the keys look as the ones on an old type writer.

Has any one seen a mod like this? I guess one could take apart a type writer and somehow stick the keys to the keyboard by removing the top layer of the keys.

Just looking for ideas if anyone has any.

Thanks

WELCOME! I would bet using an old typewriter for parts would be the easiest way to do that. That would probably still take alot of work. If you get anywhere with that, make sure you post up a pic or two to show us. The welcome wagon will be here any second now *runs from stampede*

Anyhow, Enjoy the site!

Welcome to PR dude

Welcome to PR....

check this out....
http://www.ahleman.com/ElectriClerk6.html

Now get to work! HA!

Thanks all for the replies, and for that link to that old looking key board.

That is kind of what i am looking for, but I do not think I have the expertice to rewire the whole thing to work that way. I will try a regular keybord with the old style keys and see if that works. Time to hit the antique shops and fle markets.

Thanks again.

I have this auction on eBay currently

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7359363591

Let me know if you need more info

-MF

Quote: Originally Posted by Monsignor Funkibut I have this auction on eBay currently http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7359363591 Let me know if you need more info -MF

Thanks, I will keep an eye on the auction. Looks good.

now i'm no expert but arn't teh keys on a typewriter closer together than normal keyboards(or is that my imagination). i think a laptop keyboard would work if they are. though i'm no expert on keyboards, still useing a sweet dell quietkey(so old all the keys are dirty and several of the letters have wore off) jsut my thoughts on the topic.

I am thinking I may have to make the keys my self, since there are obviously not enough keys on a typewriter to fill the standard keyboard. Multiple sets of key would work, but they would have to be from same brand/model typewriter to match. It would also be nice to make oval keys for the longer keys on the keyboard, although I have seen that some typewriters had some rectangular keys.

Perhaps thumb nuts would work, but they would not have the raised edge around the keys, but if they were made out of some plastic, perhaps it could be Dremeled to have that raised edge, and remove the knurl on the sides.

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Have you ever disassembled a keyboard? Ive broken down at least two dozen and mechanically speaking they are pretty simple.

If you haven't, try to find a busted one and break it down some you understand the component parts you're dealing with.

-MF

After doing a quick computer render of what the keyboard would kind of look like by changinf the keys to round, I see that it does not make it look as old as I thought it would. Looks more like a military keyboard than an antique one.

Perhaps some changes to the keyboard housing will be required.

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I think it could be the coloring, or the font. It does looks cool though.

Perhaps you are right. It may need to be a bit more Victorian age ornate, with a scribed font, and clean and shiny. I was going for an old and abused look, but i'll try a simple black with white faces on the keys.

Thanks

Quote: Originally Posted by milo001 After doing a quick computer render of what the keyboard would kind of look like by changinf the keys to round, I see that it does not make it look as old as I thought it would. Looks more like a military keyboard than an antique one. Perhaps some changes to the keyboard housing will be required.

I like the mockup, but I did also felt that something didn't look quite right. And yes, it has a military feel to it.
So, out of curiosity I went here:
http://typewriter.rydia.net/museum.htm

After looking at lots of old typewriters, I noticed that there were lots of different fonts on the keys , many of them quite plain, so that wasn't the answer. What dawned on me was that the feature that the vast majority of these contraptions had in commom was the exposed levers underneath the keys and the key area is quite high up to allow them the space to move. . I believe that the enclosure underneath the keys is what makes the thing look modern. Of course, this really complicates trying to make a modern keyboard look OLD, but perhaps you will come up with something.
Maybe one approach would have to be a series of "dummy" levers that don't do anything except give the illusion of a lever operated mechanism. Might be easier than taking an old typewriter and putting microswitches on the ends of all the levers.

wow... an engineering diagram and a 3d render. I'm impressed with the preparation!
I think the rendered one looks pretty nice... It would make a good keyboard for my current mod, actually

Also, I think that older keyboards were more tiered, as in more space between the levels

|------- |____
|------------ |-------------
instead of

Quote: Originally Posted by Bionic wow... an engineering diagram and a 3d render. I'm impressed with the preparation! I think the rendered one looks pretty nice... It would make a good keyboard for my current mod, actually Also, I think that older keyboards were more tiered, as in more space between the levels |------- |____ |------------ |------------- instead of

Yeah, Bionic you are definately right about that....


I was back on the link I posted earlier in this thread showing the "ElectriClerk" mod that a guy did...but a different view:

http://www.ahleman.com/Props/ElectriClerk3.html

If you look closely at this view, you can see how easily it was done. It appears that he hollowed out the old typewriter and put a normal computer keyboard UNDERNEATH the old machine. Then, he put the round keys on tall standoffs (higher in the back like Bionic suggests) and the standoffs push down on the micro switches in the newer keyboard below. In the right hand side of the picture you can see where the number pad on the keyboard extends out beyond the old machine and the workings become quite evident! I imagine that these keys are a bit wobbly on these tall standoffs so, a plate with holes in it part way up would control the wobble....

Indeed, the vertical spacing seems to make a big difference. And also I tried a render with a different font, white faces, shiny keyboard and now it looked more like chinese decoration.

A slight vertical offset could be accomplished by creating different height keys (quite a bit more work). Not to the same degree of offset as a typewriter, but perhaps enough to create the illusion. I also thought of the mechanical levers, even if they were only painted on the plastic under the keys.

Perhaps a modern keyboard is not the answer. Would have been the easy answer, but I may have to star to more seriously look into the typewriter modification. I will have to assume that replicating every single key in the keyboard would not be necessary, and maybe the Function keys could be a temporary lever switch installed on the typewriter houseing, instead of wanting to have levers and keys for them also. the number keypad could be removed since all those keys are replicated in the alpha-numeric section of the keyboard. SO the only ones to be a problem would be the center section of the keyboard.

I found this site of a guy that actually did the typewriter conversion and it does look like a lot more work than i what I was planning. http://www.multipledigression.com/type/

Thanks to all for the sugestions and the link to the typewriter museum. It helps.

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