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You are not logged in. [Log In] AppleCentral » Forums » Mods and Hacks » Desktop Mods
      » Misc. Mods » clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions
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#555776 - 04/06/11 02:54 PM clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions
geekdude Offline
n00b

Registered: 09/08/08
Posts: 45
hi all. So I got these 2 clear G4 era apple pro keyboards and I was taking them apart and cleaning them so I can put one in with my g3 when I sell it on eBay. It had lots of crumbs. It was bad. now however it is turning into a keyboard mod progect. I have the keyboard all apart and Ive noticed that there is this grey paint stuff on the top of the keyboard membrane. I am attempting to remove it so when the keyboard is reassembled you can see the patterns in the membrane through the keyboard. I always thought they looked cool. I have a few keyboard membranes taped to my window right now. anyways I tried soaking it in isopropyl alcohol but that didn't help much. Right now I am attempting to scratch it all off with the dull side of a butter knife which works better than you would imagine actually. kinda like a realy big game of scratchers lotto, but its takeing forever anyone have any sugestions of other things i could try?

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#555777 - 04/06/11 03:03 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: geekdude]
NucleusG4 Offline
Master•Blaster

Registered: 04/20/02
Posts: 12486
Loc: Miami, Fl.
Dremel?
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#555778 - 04/06/11 04:12 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: NucleusG4]
geekdude Offline
n00b

Registered: 09/08/08
Posts: 45
nah a keyboard membrane is like a overhead transparincy with circuts printed on it. A dremmel would quite efficiently turn it into a wildly flailing ball of melted plastic.
I found a carving knife that is working better but I still have a feeling that im going about this the hard way like using some sort of chemical to lift it off would be a lot easier. Oh well its going to be off the chain when I get done.

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#555780 - 04/06/11 04:33 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: geekdude]
NucleusG4 Offline
Master•Blaster

Registered: 04/20/02
Posts: 12486
Loc: Miami, Fl.
I'll take your word for it. But.. I wasn't suggesting a Dremel with a carving attachment.
The way you describe scratching it of with a dull knife..sounds like dremel work. You know they make polishing pads for the dremel that will buff an item fairly well..
That's not viable?
Can you post a pic?
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#555781 - 04/06/11 05:57 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: NucleusG4]
geekdude Offline
n00b

Registered: 09/08/08
Posts: 45
oh. that makes since. Im still afraid it might melt holes in it or rip it. The dremel we use at my house doesn't have variable speed. Then again I have never used polishing pads with the dremel it might work. Anyways im allmost done.

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#555782 - 04/06/11 06:11 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: geekdude]
geekdude Offline
n00b

Registered: 09/08/08
Posts: 45

this morning the grey covered the whole thing except where the keys hit. This is what you will see right under the keys. the keys are translucent and I plan on adding a backlight.


Edited by geekdude (04/06/11 06:11 PM)

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#555821 - 04/07/11 08:54 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: geekdude]
geekdude Offline
n00b

Registered: 09/08/08
Posts: 45
heres what I got so far.

you can only see it above the arrow keys but I still think it looks nice. It would look much cooler with an EL Sheet backlight so you could see it through the keys but ill leave that for another day. Also Iv'e found couple of keys such as the shift, capslock, and space don't work. I should have tested it beforehand because now I don't know if this is a preexisting problem or something I did. and I lost the pieces that make contact to the leds in the shift and numlock now they don't work.

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#555823 - 04/07/11 09:56 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: geekdude]
scottyb Offline
Where's the cache?

Registered: 01/16/08
Posts: 233
Loc: Alaska
I'll have to admit, it looks better than I thought it would.
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If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention...

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#555824 - 04/07/11 10:17 PM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: geekdude]
NucleusG4 Offline
Master•Blaster

Registered: 04/20/02
Posts: 12486
Loc: Miami, Fl.
Very nice!
_________________________
http://davidbearphotography.com/



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#555828 - 04/08/11 02:41 AM Re: clear apple pro keyboard mod in progress questions [Re: NucleusG4]
geekdude Offline
n00b

Registered: 09/08/08
Posts: 45
thanks

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