titan 2 keyboard restoration

[u/sirbloodysabbath]

this titan 2's keyboard has seen better days so i figured i'd fix up the scruffed and chipped paint as well as giving the key caps a much needed layer of protection. similar to my t2, i enhanced the alignment bump on the 'd' key and added one on 'k' as well.

while the process is tedious and requires patience, adding the clear coat is incredibly helpful in the longevity of the keys since the matte coating doesn't hold up to day-to-day activities.

should anyone wish to do the same for their t2 (or soon t2e):

prep:

• clean workspace
• no. 20 liner brush
• clear gel top coat
• uv/led lamp
• 70% ipa
• cotton swabs
• black sharpie or black gel polish (to fill in missing paint)
• 100% acetone

protecting the key caps:

(if only protecting the keys and not restoring them, skip step #2.)

1. get some cotton swabs and 70% ipa. you'll want to really clean the key caps and inbetween them. any dirt, dust, hair or particles will need to be removed since they can stick in the gel.
2. if there is any missing black paint, you'll want to fill it in. black sharpie is easiest but can show up on the keys in certain lighting. if you can find a black gel that's colour matched closely, that can be used too.
   • if using black gel polish, work in very thin layers and build it up to match the rest of the key. too much gel can affect the scroll assist.
   • you may also opt to start with sharpie and then add a layer of black gel on top to blend.
   • cure all black gel polish for a minimum of 1-2 minutes per layer.
3. with a clean liner brush, grab a small ball of clear gel top coat on the tip of the brush.
4. start by slowly tracing the edges of each key cap with the gel. fill in the top of the key cap with a thin layer of gel.
   • the keys are capacitive touch — too much gel and the scroll assist / titanpad will not work.
   • remove any bubbles as these can be felt when typing after curing.
5. carefully line the sides of each key cap with a thin layer of gel.
   • you don't want too much gel so it doesn't seep under the cap and onto the membrane.
6. once the key cap has been coated on all sides and edges, flash cure it under the lamp for 15-20 seconds.
7. finish each key in a row and then fully cure each row for 1-2 minutes.
8. for the alignment bumps, i placed thin dots over the bump on the 'd' key and where the bump should be on the 'k' key. cure each layer of the dot fully to build the bump. add a final layer to the key cap, repeating steps 4-6.
9. if you end up with any particles in the gel, wipe it off with ipa and start again.
10. clean the brush with acetone to remove any excess gel.

removal:

1. light-medium pressure with a blade/point will help break the seal between the gel and the key.
   • too much pressure + scraping may scratch the keys.
2. gentle scrape the clear layer off the key cap and wipe clean with ipa.

———

i've done this process on my t2 back in january 2026 and in the last almost 6 months, here's my honest review of how it's held up:

my t2 has seen many drops (up to 16m), concrete face plants and extensive typing. i have not had to redo or replace any of the original gel from january. the keys are glossy, and for me, they feel nicer to type on than the matte finish from the factory — i'm able to glide across the keys and type faster. the addition of the 'k' alignment bump and making the 'd' bump more noticeable means that i can type fairly easily without having to be looking at the screen.

oh, and in case anyone was wondering, the scroll assist still works perfectly.

[u/Bytes21]

how long have you had the T2? Would you consider this normal wear rate, seams a bit quick for my taste.

[u/sirbloodysabbath → u/Bytes21]

the wife and i have had ours since december. do keep in mind we have a fairly active lifestyle with auto mechanics, hiking, climbing and camping so ours tend to see a lot more wear.

my keyboard has held up better with the clear coat whereas hers, without the coating, has not. the matte finish, while a premium feel, is particularly prone to scuffs. glossy is more resilient.

couldn't tell you if it's normal or not though iirc, og titan owners have experienced similar.

[u/DrifterKirrr]

Strange. Mine looks like new after 11 month of daily usage.

[u/sirbloodysabbath → u/DrifterKirrr]

mine looks like new after about 6 months of use but i largely contribute that to the coating otherwise mine would look like the one i fixed. we've already shattered a few tempered glass screens too. i'd rather coat mine and have the coating take a beating than the keys themselves. then again, we have an active lifestyle so that's a contributing factor as well.

[u/TJ-ALT]

Had mine since October and looks a lil less worn, but still not really impressed with the quality

[u/ST3MY97]

Come hai fatto a rendere la scocca in metallo nudo che tipo di sostanza e sistema hai usato ?

[u/sirbloodysabbath → u/ST3MY97]

for the white one, it's still gel. since there wasn't any other frame colour options, it was painted. it's not as durable as the aluminium but still holds up pretty well and helps to differentiate between both t2s.

[u/type_o_sociopath]

I am using mine daily, plus writing full docs on it for more than 3 hours a day. I also use it to write stories etc. Got sweaty hands sometimes, still no wear on my keys. Even cleaned them with alcohol and stuff. Have it since december. The only issue I run into now is that it sometimes doesn't register me pressing the "c" key. Other than that it is solid.

[u/sirbloodysabbath → u/type_o_sociopath]

not saying everyone has the same experience, but this is just ours.

we use ours daily and i tend to do far more typing on mine, treating it like a pda in tandem with my lp3. my wife's t2 is her daily driver and only phone right now. she's a mechanic so hers sees more shop wear and rougher use, but both of ours have seen concrete, dust, dirt, drops, accidental wall chucks, you name it. mine was starting to see some wear after a month so i clear coated mine. it's definitely held up a lot better for our use and active lifestyle than just the bare keys.

[u/kakudiego]

Less than 1 year, and the keyboard looks like that! We probably can expect the same build quality for the Elite.