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In search of a creative diversion from his job in IT, Jake von Slatt found it no further away than his computer keyboard. A devotee of Steampunk, an aesthetic genre combining modern and Victorian elements, von Slatt spent two months on his brass-trimmed mod of a 1989 IBM Model M keyboard. He spared no detail, from the status lights to the Roman-numeral-marked function keys. Get all the information on his build at steampunkworkshop.com .

Build a Vintage
Keyboard

Cost: $100
Time: 2 Months
Easy | | | | |
Hard

1. Remove the key caps from the IBM keyboard, and strip off all but the bare base of each one using a drill press and a plumber's torch.
2. Cut out holes for the key bases in a piece of black felt, and lay it on the keyboard bed to cover it.
3. Shape the brass carriage pieces with a band saw, and cut out interior holes with a drill and a saw. Smooth and lacquer the brass, and attach the carriage to the keyboard.

4. Buy '50s-era Royal and Smith Corona typewriter keys on eBay ($65 total). Cut off the plastic on each key top so it lies flush on a key base, and glue them together.

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