Hi. Is there any chance to get CAD for keycaps themselves? I’d like to try to print custom keycaps on high resolution resin 3D printer. Thanks
Did you find a file or maybe make one?
This would possibly be an option for custom layouts as well.
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No, I didn’t. But I plan to try to make models
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That would be amazing. I dont really want to remove a keycap from my framework, as they are supposed to be not removable, so a model would be great
Ok, so I was a little bored and I did remove a key cap. It wasnt that hard and I made a test model of the F1 Key.
I just dont really have a way to test it. I doubt, that my printer is accurate to that level, especially with a 0.4mm nozzle
FrameworkKeycapTest-Body.stl (35.5 KB)
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Let me send this to my friend, who owns anycubic 8k resin printer 
Sure, go for it.
But please post the results
I am really curious, if I got the measurements right. Its really small
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I’m recovering after knee surgery, so can’t visit my friend any time soon. But I did send it to him for printing
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Sorry to hear that.
Get well soon
@Serhii_Mumriak hope you’re doing better now.
I’m trying to design a case for the keyboard, to use it as an external keyboard, and was wondering if there was any progress on the keycap CADs.
We’ve borrowed a resin printer at our maker space. Your design was one of the test prints. When it cures I’ll report back on the findings.
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Well, that was a lot of learning in a short time. Short version: doesn’t fit, don’t know why yet. Needs more research.
The size seemed quite good: the printed keycap came out very close to same size as the orgiginal. Both width and height. Width as measured on original: 15,66mm on print: 15,55. Height original: 9,87 and on print: 10.12. The height difference was a bit more, probably because of the direction the print was sliced in, as I understand it gravity plays a factor in part accuracy with resin printers.
At first I had to figure out how to remove a keycap without breaking. I read somewhere someone used a spudger to lever up both top corners of the keycap. I purposely picked F10 since I don’t use it often in case of breakage. I took an old spudger to it and it worked wonders. Two little satisfying clicks and the keycap could be removed.
Time to compare:
Looks very similar, one “big” difference is the size of the holes that need to snap in place. I tried to widen one with my spudger. That resulted in a broken part. (luckily i have spares).
I’m trying to get some more data this weekend that might help to print a new version next week.
If any of you have any more data for this project, please share! I have tried to search the forums but came up short so far.
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I feel bad for taking so long to post here, as I have made a pretty much working model right after I received my FW13 last December, but as I only have a Prusa Mini with a 0.4mm nozzle, my prints weren’t consistent enough on the small details for me to be comfortable with publishing them without further testing. I wanted to have some samples done with SLA or SLS and check how those fit before wasting anyone else’s time and filament by uploading a model that might only work on my machine by chance / luck. Anyway, I still haven’t managed to get that done over the last several months, so I decided to post the v0.13 iteration of the model as it is currently.
What I have come up with started out from measurements of an original keycap (as well as it’s socket) with digital calipers and went through several adjustments through trial and error fitment tests.
- The original FreeCAD design: https://github.com/isti115/framework-laptop-13-keycap/releases/download/v0.13/framework-laptop-13-keycap-v0.13.FCStd
- Prepared file for printing from PrusaSlicer with a 0.4mm nozzle: https://github.com/isti115/framework-laptop-13-keycap/releases/download/v0.13/framework-laptop-13-keycap-v0.13.3mf (I had to adjust the perimeter generator from “Arachne” to “Classic” and turn on “Detect thin walls”, otherwise some of the smaller details were completely missing after slicing.)
- Bare STL file: https://github.com/isti115/framework-laptop-13-keycap/releases/download/v0.13/framework-laptop-13-keycap-v0.13.stl
Now for the part about actually replacing some of the keys.
HEADS UP: You’re doing all of this at your own risk, tinkering with this part of the keyboard is NOT among the user servicable parts of the official guides. I don’t want to feel responsible for anyone damaging their keycaps / switch mechanisms, so only do this if you’re willing to own your mistakes, in case you make any! Framework doesn’t seem to be selling individual keycaps or switches at the marketplace currently, so if you break something and cannot successfully fabricate a spare part, you might need to order a full keyboard (Framework | Framework Keyboard) to be able to replace / fix it. (Not to be confused with a complete input cover.)
The easiest method I have for popping the keycaps off is to stick the spudger end of the Framework Screwdriver under the side of a keycap and start working towards undoing one of the top latches from there.
Putting them back on is easier, especially with the original ones, but if the print is not perfect, using the following technique has been the most reliable for me: Put the keycap “up” towards the screen instead of right into the socket, then slide it “down” to latch the bottom feet under the switch arms and then apply force to the “upper” part to snap the remaining two clamps onto the top part of the switch.
I’ve also recorded a video showing the process: https://youtu.be/78FYG9iIurg
This page has a very nice image that helped me visualize the actual inner workings of the switch:
https://deskthority.net/wiki/Scissor_switch#Internals
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Whoah! That is lovely amount of progress!
I kinda lost interest after the attempts I documented above, but those have the strong feeling that your effort supercedes that. Thank you for sharing Istvan. And also for pointing out that the Framework Screwdriver also has a spudger on it, 
.