2026-04-02

Last modified: 2026-04-03 11:06:48

Keyboard Glockenspiel

Activation force is now about 10.0g, so still a long way off 50g.

• needs counterweighting
• needs a stop to prevent the key from lifting up
• still too much fore/aft play on balance pin
• still too much side play on pins
• mouse ears want to not leave sharp bits where your fingers touch
• need to be able to make black and white keys different lengths

For counterweighting it would be good to find a way to use lead shot as I already have a bag full of it. I guess just make a hollow area in the back of the key and fill it with lead shot and glue.

I've just realised that black keys need to be taller than white keys, so the same top surface can't be printed against the bed if the rest of the keylever geometry is the same.

So potentially we make the white keys with the key shape printed in one piece, and the black keys have an extra piece that glues on top?

We can lay out the keys like this:

And now there is a key stop, with provision for filling with lead shot and glue:

So I think just one test print of this, and assuming no blunders commit to it and build the full thing. Just some fillets and chamfers, and turning the sharp steps into an angled transition.

Looking good I think! The circles on the black key are for the key top part to glue into.

Needs mouse-ears on the action end. I'm going to see if I can get away without adding mouse-ears on the finger end.

Actually I will try it like this:

So at least it won't have sharp bits on the most visible area.