Warning: This project is not for the impatient. If you try to rush through the fitting process, you may end up breaking somthing. Although, since you're into steno, I imagine you like doing things the right way. I can assure you, StenoToppers are the "right way" to do DIY steno 😉.
So grab a some fine wine and put on your favourite classical music. Depending on the quality of your print, the full fitting could take anywhere between 2 and 5 hours. The printer I had access to was pretty rubbish, so I believe this fitting guide covers the worst-case scenario quite well. Chances are good that your print will come out nicely.
When StenoToppers come out of the printer, they will likely not fit on your keyboard straight away. Straight off the printer, they look like this:
If you look closely, there's all sorts of garbage clogging up the connection mechanism:
If the printer isn't perfectly calibrated, and you're using a material or printing method that leaves a lot of residue behind, then there's going to be some cleanup to do. This guide is all about how you can get your StenoToppers from the images above to look like this:
You need a very fine needle file to clean up the stem. You should be able to get some of these cheaply if you don't already have them. Also, check to see if your friends can lend you any.
Important: If you have access to a Dremel (hand-held rotary bit tool), then I would highly recommend using it with a griding wheel rather than a file. Just be careful not to damage the key.
Just something with a sturdy blade. There's going to probably be bits of excess material on the upper part of the stem that makes the key stick if you try to press it on an angle. A knife will clean it up quicker than a file.
Preferably high-quality. You may need this to make the key surface smooth (rather than the stepped finish from the printer). A smooth surface dramatically decreases the effects of interference.
You need to remove the existing keycaps from your keyboard. My keyboard came with the one below. I highly recommend using one of these, because trying to remove standard keycaps with fingers or a knife generally ends up with things being broken. A key-puller may not work with the StenoToppers, because they are much wider. They are tall enough, however, that you should be able to grip them with your hands.
For each key, you're doing the same basic thing: Cleaning and fitting. There's three basic things that, when done properly, will complete the fit and finish of the key.
- Remove excess stem material
- Fit keycap to a keyswitch
- Make required surfaces smooth
Important note: If you're going to be doing this with needle files, I recommend that you spread the work out over a few days - to avoid your hands cramping up. I did all the filing in one hit (roughly 3 hours), and it took a further hour for my hands to fully recover.
With that out of the way, I'll go through each step for a standard stenotopper, and you can follow it for the rest.
To get rid of the garbage the printer left behind, there's two main techniques. For the big stuff, you can try (gently) scraping it off with a craft knife:
Be sure to cut away from yourself, or use a grip that gives you very tight control over the blade. It's easy to slip on small parts like this.
Once the big stuff is removed, you'll likely need to use a needle file to clean up the inside of the stem and under the key:
Make sure you also target any waste on the outside of the stem, because this can affect how smoothly the key operates. It's hard to see, but if you feel it catch on the way down, then you probably just need to file down the outer faces.
First, pull a keycap off your keyboard (use a key-puller please) and try to fit the stenotopper. Chances are, it won't fit. Don't force it - just take it off and do a tiny bit of filing on the inside. Remember, it only takes a difference of about 0.4 mm to go from too-tight to just-right. Be patient, you'll get the hang of it.
If you have removed all the waste material, the key should fit snugly and press in without catching - at any angle. If you use your finger to wobble the key around, it shouldn't move much more than 5 mm in any direction.
There may be a tiny gap between the top of the inside of the stem, and the top of the keyswitch. This is normal, and is meant to provide a bit of extra material in case the print comes out a bit off.
When pressing the keys down, they will deflect a bit and probably rub against the key behind it (if there is one). This is expected, and will likely occur if your keyboard has an angled backplane. The solution is quite simple - just put some tape across the back of the key, to make it smooth.
Sanding the back of the key is also an option, but this takes a fair bit more time - especially considering how many keys there are.
Once you have repeated the process for each key, you will have a full set of StenoToppers. Set aside about 5 hours to do this - it takes a while, but it's worth it for a comfortable DIY stenotype.
You may notice that the keys feel a bit heavier than normal. This is a by-product of the thickness of 3D printed parts and is unavoidable without using different manufacturing techniques. Personally, I like the heavier feel. It makes the keys seem like they're solid, and really doing something. Sort of like a heavy watch. Of course, your mileage may vary with this.