C64 Mini Keyboard, 1/2 alive and Some CAD

Bit of a change of pace from the electronics, onto the CAD…Here’s a first draft of the first key on the C64 Keyboard – the Left Arrow!

Done at full scale, then at 50% scale

And here’s the cousin, relaxin’ in the sun with the Brim still on, fresh from the printer.

 

How I got there…………

I’d hoped it would be easy enough to model up a single key, duplicate it 60 odd times, occasionally stretching a few for the larger keys……

That would really make only 4 keys to model –

My very early attempt at extruding a few keys – it just looked odd

 

So, out with the keyboard, a few macro shots and some eyeballing of angles……..D’oh!

To get the below rough angles, I took some high resolution images, scanned them in and just used Fusion’s canvas feature to create a sketch that roughly made the angles. I’ll print a few out at some point to check

A quick google and I’d found out that this guy – http://www.calaquin.com/search?q=c64  had also figured out the keys were different depending on the row

Thingiverse –  https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2025280 Helped a little, a few others have knocked up some C64 Keys it seems

There’s also some ‘iffy’ looking ones up on the net….

https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-commodore64-replacement-blank-keycaps-109077

There’s also some amazing models out there

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/electronics/other/commodore-c64

and some good looking ones, but clearly flawed – lacking the curves of the original keys

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/electronics/computer/vintage-computer-commodore-64

 

So, because i’m learning Fusion360 and i’m a stubborn person, i’ll attempt to model one myself!

Here’s my first bit…………

A Quadrilateral should have all the internal angles adding up to 360, My special quadrilaterals don’t 😉

Each Row of keys on the keyboard has a unique shape / profile…This ain’t good for my nerves, I’ve just ‘gotta’ do this properly and that now means I have to model a LOT more keys

The C64 has 3 Main key sizes, Plus a space bar….4 Key types total

• CTRL, Restore, Shift Keys and F Keys are all about 1.5 wide
• Return – About 2 Wide
• Space – About 9 wide and ‘raised’ convex profile, not concave like the other keys
• Standard Keys – 1 wide

Now, I have to model more keys

• Top Row – 2 Key types to model.
  • 1 Wide, 16 Keys;
  • 1.5 Wide,  F1
• 2nd Row – 2 Key types to model
  • 1 Wide, 13 Keys,
  • 3 keys 1.5 Wide
• 3rd Row – 3 Key types to model
  • 1 Wide, 14 Keys,
  • 2 Wide, 1 Key
  • 1.5 Wide, 1 Key
• 4th Row – 2 Key types to model
  • 1 Wide, 13 Keys
  • 1.5 Wide, 3 Keys
• 5th Row – Space bar! (1 Key type to model)

Total Key Types to model – 10!

 

That’s going to be 2 and a half times more work than expected………