My Keyboard My Hands

I used the brand new Epilog laser cutter that Instructables recently got to laser etch an image of my hands onto my laptop keyboard...permanently. Now that's voiding your warranty in DIY style!

I've laser etched more laptops than most since I help operate the Instructables laser cutter at Maker Faire and the Web 2.0 Expo, however I've never actually etched any of my own computers.

I decided to put my old PowerBook G4 under the laser for a slightly more experimental and complex etch than I've previously done. Luckily, the technique worked, the etching went off without a hitch, and the computer came out of the ordeal completely unharmed.

Typing on top of your own hands is a little freaky, but I'm definitely enjoying it, and so far, it's prevented any writers block because I'm always ready to type!

Step 1 Photograph hands and computer keyboard

The first step was to take a bunch of photos of my hands in position over the home keys on my computer.

I set a camera up on a tripod and took photos with my hands in place over some white paper so that the image would be easier to trace in Photoshop.

I then took the paper background away and took some photos of just my computer keyboard so that I'd have something to register my hands on.

Comments

[totos]

It would be really hard to etch the laptop that controls the laser...

[mugiwara]

You sir are crazy. I like it!

[The Tower That Ate]

Well done! :] Though, there's another way to do this. I've had this laptop for long enough that I've made actual impressions in the plastic. :3

[wupme]

On my older Notebook, you can definately see that too. And also the Keys i use the most are somewhat "polished" from my fingertips, and are so shiny... But, you know what sucks? One of my old notebooks, looked like that after just 2 Months, with about 2hours using it a day :(

[anibioman]

that is really easily worn down... some of my keys are polished like that, and part of my space bar is worn but only part so it looks odd.

[The Tower That Ate]

Mm, we should circumvent the problem entirely: Laser-projected keyboards! :D .

[planetsideplayer14billion]

How are you supposed to play video games!?!?!?!

[daltonjcw]

I've seen those, i need one!

[Cartuner55]

dont get it. they have a rep of being hard to type on.

[PSPerson]

i can vouch for that. touch typing is impossible.

[wupme]

But it looks cool.

[updown789]

Damn! Good work :) My school has one of these, so might try and persuade my teacher to let me do that to my laptop!

[nikolaou]

cool. i like the skewers and the magnet. you are clearly a good problem solver. wish i had a lazer cutter laying around

[techshop1]

........you Rock! love love love it!

[fultron89]

Sacrilege.

[daltonjcw]

that is totally awesome!

[Flumpkins]

WOAHHH!!! It looks soo photoshopped. NICE!!!

[wupme]

Damn i need one of those laser cutters. Seriously i got a sh**load of ideas, even how to make good money with it. But they are so expensive :(

[RoyalPayne]

Where do you people come up with these ideas? More important, the time.

[eygen]

That's a really good idea! I don't have any access to laser cutters though, so I think I'll start experimenting with a marker =]
That should make a nice decoration.

[winkman]

Looks ok, but i couldn't do it on my laptop! Throughout the whole instructable you were talking about putting it on your bed to etch, and i was like.... "A bed isn't a very good place to be etching something... especially your laptop!" And then i saw some of the pics and i realised that you meant the etching bed..... aaaaahhh..... Silly me!

[ceramiceye]

lol. I thought the same thing for a minute

[gentry]

Why are you holding a vienna finger to your jaw in step 3?

[Skor459]

Orange phone dude But nice observation. It's actually more of a Mini Aidelli's Mango Chicken Sausage I'd say, if you want to get technical.

[Newblit]

I Love the idea although I could never do it to my computer because as much as I love it I could only think that's awesome when not in use but when in use I am not so sure if I would like it or not.

[Llewner]

For those not interested in breathing in super toxic fumes from lasering improper plastics, check out this guide from Hobart Laser Extraction Systems:

http://depositfiles.com/files/noq5811u0

[madmanmoe64]

Could you etch a full size 'you' into a mirror. That would really freak people out.

[noahw]

This is a good idea, but I wouldn't use the laser to make it happen. The mirror in theory could send the beam directly back into the laser, and that wouldn't be good. Instead, you could generate a giant life size sticker of yourself using a plotter/cutter and some vinyl. It would just be outlines, but I think you could still generate a nice representation of yourself. Take the sticker, apply it to the mirror, and then use a sand blaster to etch the image into the glass.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Your-Own-Sandblaster-and-How-To-Use-It/

[srhadaham]

you could faintly laser the back of the mirror and it would look pretty cool, but in order to laser a mirror the size of your body you would have to have a big laser

[mdj817]

When fabricating mirrors (thanks, How It's Made!) they put a matte finnish onto the back to protect the thin layer of metal. Maybe you could flip over the mirror, and then burn it. If you told it to cut fairly deeply, maybe it could completely remove the entire metal part of "you." Of course, you would have to refine the computer design further, so that you didn't just end up with silhouette. Or, it could fail miserably, which is much more likely. :-P

[JakeTobak]

Would you worry about using the laser on just glass or would there still be too much risk of reflection? I probably wouldn't suggest this to just anybody, but since you're part of the Instructables Team and you've obviously got some chutzpah, you could maybe etch a piece of glass and silver it yourself.

[noahw]

Using the laser on glass alone is perfectly fine. Randofo has been etching a bunch of drinking glasses using a rotary tool for the laser cutter and has been getting great results. I think he'll be posting about them soon. As far as etching a sheet of glass and then silvering it myself - that sounds intriguing and would certainly solve the reflection problem. I just looked up a bit about the process of making a mirror online, and it seems pretty doable. I think I might put this on my list of projects and give it a go! Thanks.

[Llewner]

We laser mirrors all day long here in my shop. It's not a problem. Most lasers can handle thin metal without a worry, and yes, we laser from the back side and then usually send it to the paint booth for a coat of black to fill in the lasered out areas.

[Goodhart]

So, the laser did not penetrate into the spaces between the keys? That is a good thing. Many keyboards I have dismantled have a thin rubber-like membrane with all the contacts on it, and cutting it would allow it to slip to the side and you would then lose use of that key.

[thermoelectric]

Some of the newer keyboards just have a metal backing plate and the membrane only under the keys.

[Goodhart]

Yes, that thin rubber-like membrane under the keys was what I meant. If it got cut because the laser got between the keys, it could fold under and hinder the neighboring key's use. But that is only a hypothesis, not a theory ;-)

[thermoelectric]

Ahh, Now I get where you're coming from, And that might affect them but like you said But that is only a hypothesis, not a theory ;-)

[phant0m_sp00f3ra]

wow mate congrats u r in giz!

[Weissensteinburg]

Great idea! When I saw your skewer rig, I thought it was some fancy caliper measuring system...and then I noticed the binder clips :D

[keng]

sir, you are......insane.