Hi guys,
I have recently seen some people polishing their ABS keycaps (GMK, SP etc.). Normally I don’t like double shot keycaps due to the uneven shine on the caps, but this treatment seems to solve that problem.
Is it hard to do? What materials do I need (grid etc.)? Will the more frequently used keys still be apparent?
Thanks in advance.
Odin
This is the only place I’ve seen anyone polish a keycap. I have some that are starting to shine, so I was thinking of giving it a try.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/pulse-sa-keycap-set/talk/2250872
Worth it to note also that the other way around is possible (i.e. Sandblasting shiny caps to restore its matte texture). Wodan of deskthority fame has written some documentation on this.
Ohh did not know that. Thanks for the hint .
Old thread, but I was curious what the collective thinking is with polishing ABS keycaps? Sounds weird, but looks pretty righteous and seems like a win/win when dealing with unintentional wear and shine.
They do look nice. Seems like a good solution to me.
The other approach would be to lightly sandblast, removing all uneven shine. Same idea, opposite solution. Soda blasting seems like a fairly easy DIY and might take even less time than polishing.
This is definitely something that I like to do someday.
Glad I saw this thread. Think I’m going to polish up the Susuwatari set on the Planck this week!
Looking forward to reading about your process and seeing some pics! 
Rock tumbler 
I was thinking of trying the acetone vapor method. I’d imagine you can do all the keycaps at once for a consistent shine while being able to control the amount of shine by adjusting the acetone concentration and the volume of the container.
I think I’m one of the weirdos who loves to see the uneven shine on my boards. My HHKB case is starting to shine on the case near the spacebar, and I love it.
I also used to play guitar and loved super worn teles and strats. Something about pristine things makes me feel like I need to baby it too much and sucks the joy of ownership out for me.
I read about that but I don’t trust myself lol. Seems a bit too risky for me.
I’m right there with ya man
Definitely interested to see how your Susuwatari set turns out.
Picking up the polish first thing in the morning and will be working on it tomorrow. Think I’m just going to hand polish and see how they turn out.
Interesting with the isopropyl - I do have some similarly scuffed keys. I know from my time in the signage industry that isopropyl is bad news for shiny acrylic, but using it this way with just a tiny amount that quickly evaporates with the buffing seems like a pretty good idea. I’m interested to know how the plastic does after a few months.
rubbing compound, 10, 5, 2.5, 1 then .5 micron polishing paste
if they’re gonna shine, i’d rather it be on my terms
