Project FlameCube

Well, here's what the markI keyless keyboard looked like before it shorted out.

May it rest in pieces...

Work on the markII will progress next week. But, my progress may be haulted if I need to have my toe cut open to fix an ingrown toe nail. :|

I've finish the design for the key-label sheet and made a conceptual image of what the finished product should look like.
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This thread has become Project Keyboard

Very cool, Slug.

Well yeah. Until I can get around to the LCD lid this is all I have to work on. This is a complete system mod in the making.
Once I'm done the following items on my desk will be modded.
- FlameCube (may change it's name to STENDEC)
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- 15" LCD

My mp3 player, speakers, and portable speakers already match everything else. At this point I'm wondering if I want to mod my laptop or not. It would look pretty sweet with a satin black finish.

THAT! is amazing!!!1

however how is the spacebar going to work? usually theres only a single contact point but with keys, the spacebar key is huge but wherever you press it, the contact is always made. Will that be the case with your kb?

Each Black dot on the label sheet has a carbon contact under it. Thankfully, the keyboard is so small that the natural contact point for my thumb is the center contact area for the space bar.

I just got the Lexan I need to make the keyboard. The end product will be 12"W x 5"L x 0.5"D

capt., i have this old keyboard i never use, so i figured i'd get a first hand look at what you are doing and i made my own keyless (ghetto) l337 keyboard. it's damn hard to type on that thing, but you already knew that i guess...
even though i think the mod is totally amazing, i dont think i have the typing skills to handle your kind of keyboard. good luck.
mod on.

I wanna make a keyboard like in minority report kind of its a piece of clear plexi or glass, and has indentations cut out with small glass pieces stuck in the gaps and a small touch button underneath with the wiring going between the keys so you can see where one ends and one begins.

The construction of the MarkII keyboard is complete and it operates nicely. I'm waiting for some tools to arrive so I can drill the right size holes for the programmable media keys.
If anyone wants something oggle at, here's the key label sheet that I'm having printed locally for $16 (it's a custom size and it's being laminated to add durability).
http://www.captainslug.com/modding/7_keys-final.gif (238kb)

nice keys... i like the font

Just completed final case modifications LATE last night. New pics up some time tonight.

Then I'll get my workshop setup for machining the LCD lid. To which the parts showed up yesterday and it works very well.

As you can see below I went to great length to add more ventilation to this case. The side ventilation was completely hollowed out where the original drilled holes were and the inside is now protected by a clear molded thermoplastic mesh (only $1 a foot!). Not only does it keep out dust and debri effectively, but it it's ventilation percentage is a pleasant 70% (25% improvement). Plus it just looks so sweet with the 14 RED LED lights hitting it.



I also rounded the 44-pin laptop hard-drive cable by splitting and wrapping it. The case breaths so much better now. So well in fact that I no longer need a noisy 60mm intake.

And here's the 5.6" LCD


Accomplished in the past week
+ improved ventilation
+ cable wrapping to clean up cable management
+ customized case lighting (2 Red 7-LED light bars, Red HDD activity LED and Orange power LED)
+ wired LCD to Molex connection
+ shortened HSF unit height 7mm by removing fan bracket

Upcoming next week
+ Finish setting up workshop in basement
+ DVD window paquard
+ LCD lid machining

To do later
+ Get finished LCD lid anodized black to match case.
+ Keyless keyboard (I might scrap this project since I need to get used to the folding keyboard anyways)

capt., i salute you. this thread and your work in general makes me want to do amazing things. and because i am a grad student and dont have time to be amazing, i can settle for watching you do amazing things. thanks. great work.

mod on

All I gotta say is,

Damn you Cap and your sweet mods.

Keep it up buddy that keyboard is gonna be amazing.

WOWSAS! I am in love

Very nice, Slug. As always, you continue to impress me immesurably

Nice Job, Capt'n

cheers
Charlie

Thanks everyone. Comments mean so much more when they come from those who understand the process.
In the next week I hope to complete the lid and the keyboard. Assuming of course that the drill bits I need come in the mail...

Nice, very Nice. I couldn't do work half as good as what you are doing.Compared to your's I can't believe I thought my case was fancy when I added a new window. Thats an excellent deal on those LED's, do you have good experiences with the dealer. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting 50 blue leds for $8.50.

The shipping takes awhile, but that's understandable since they're coming directly from the manufacturer in China. They even threw in free resistors.