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Custom Keyboard FAQ

Thank you for your interest in my work.

To answer some of the most commonly asked questions....

Due to the broad range of customizations and configurations, it is difficult to simply put a price tag on each keyboard, but they usually range from about $1200 to $1500 or more depending on the complexity and intricacy of the design, the choice of metals, options, finish, etc. This may sound like a lot, but when you consider that each keyboard can cost up to $300 in parts alone, then factor in the time it takes to find authentic antique keys, disassemble them, design the custom key inserts, cut and align them all, cut the original keys down to round stalks, paint each key and keystalk by hand, crimp 105 keys together, cut the metal frames, drill the holes, file, sand, prep and polish the metal, assemble everything, solder the leds, fit the jewel lights, test the keyboards, etc,etc,etc....I really don't make much money on them. Also, don't forget the price of saw blades, sand paper, polishing compounds, printer cartridges, paint markers and all of the other tons of materials that are used. My keyboards are that expensive because they are that difficult to make. These prices are subject to change slightly with availability of parts and supplies.

To give an idea of the pricing of the different metals, in order from least to most expensive, it would go "brushed aluminum, polished aluminum, polished brass, antiqued brass, polished copper, antiqued copper". At the moment I'm building the keyboards on a commission basis but once I get situated in my new workspace, I hope to be able to make them in bulk and in established "models", such as "The Sojourner" and "The Aviator", etc. I will also be willing to take on custom designs, of course, dependant upon availability and current workload. As it stands, each keyboard takes roughly a month and a half to 2 months to build after all of the fabrication, sanding, polishing, testing, etc.

I will also periodically offer special, "one-off" keyboards on Ebay from time to time. These will usually be special designs that I just wanted to try out and will probably be more complex and rare than my other designs. At the moment, I have two keyboards up for auction. There is the copper "Baron of Cyprus" keyboard, and "The Industrial" keyboard.

The keyboards I use are brand new keyboards modeled after the older style "mechanical-switch" models that use Cherry Keyswitches. Mechanical-switch keyboards are far superior to your average, "soft-touch", "membrane" keyboards which are basically considered "disposable". My keyboards use a separate mechanical switch at every key which are known to last for YEARS. There are even mechanical-switch IBM Model M keyboards built in the 1980's that are still going strong and have developed a huge cult following! I use PS2-plug keyboards by default, but can provide a USB version for an upcharge of roughly $120. Some of you might prefer to save a few bucks by getting a PS2 keyboard from me and a $15 "active" adaptor from www.clickykeyboards.com to change it to USB. By "active", it means that there is circuitry inside of it to maintain proper loads and work properly with KVMs and such. I have used these extensively and they are reported to work wonderfully. I can also do Mac keyboards, but there is an upcharge of $130 or so because I have to start off with a Matias Tactile Pro (one of the only mechanical-switch Mac keyboards).

I can ship to anywhere in the world, as long as you don't mind covering the shipping fees for anything outside of the contiguous United States . If you wish to price shipping on your own, I will be located in Chino , CA , zip code 91710. Each keyboard probably weighs between 5 and 7 pounds including shipping materials and the approximate dimensions of the box would be about 24 inches x 12 inches x 9 inches.

As I mentioned earlier, I will be making other accessories like monitors, mice, etc, but I can't really quote prices on them right now until I've made at least one prototype of each. Feel free to sign up to my MAILING LIST to stay informed of new products and gadgets.

Here are some of the available options that can be mixed and matched to your liking.

Keys:

The keys that I use are authentic keys from antique Royal (and occasionally Underwood) typewriters. They are the kind that use a "glass" insert (actually plastic..not many typewriters used actual glass) and it takes 2 sets to do a full-sized keyboard. Mine are crimped onto the original plastic key stems, not glued.

I use custom inserts (or "legends") under the glass so I can create them in almost any layout or alphabet. Most different layouts are the same hardware with different lettering printed on the keys, then from there, you tell your software which layout to use. I can do them in AZERTY layouts but there is one slight hitch. The AZERTY designs have one more keyswitch than most keyboards, the "<>\" key, so I have to move that key up to one of the useless keys up top (like "printscreen" or "pause"). A Dvorak layout should translate seamlessly.

Feet:

I keep experimenting with different foot designs and will add more thumbnails as I develop them. I'm rather partial to the simpler "table leg" style foot for the brass and copper keyboards, while the triangular foot tends to look better on the aluminum models.

Metals & finishes

I can currently fabricate keyboards in brass, copper, and aluminum, in a polished or antiqued finish. I also plan on building a metal kiln in the near future to make more intricate designs like floral "wrought-iron" styles and other sand-cast designs.

Cords

The cords come in gray by default, but I can encase them in braided steel, cloth, or paint them with a rubberized automotive bumper paint in any color to match the keyboard theme.

Lights:

I can make the LEDs into fake keys, jewel lamps, or even fabricate custom designs. The leds can be white, red, blue, green, or yellow. The jewel lights come in white, red, blue, green, yellow, and violet.

Thank you for your interest in my work. Though it may take me a day or two, I'm rather fanatical about responding to all of my email so please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or project ideas.
I'm quite accessible.

-Richard R. Nagy-
aka "Doc"
aka Datamancer