I wanted to do a quick follow-up on my recent post about attaching an Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch to the underside of my desk, because I’ve now done what I threatened to do at the end of that piece: I’ve broken into the keyboard, removed the important bits, and then reassembled it into a little 3-D printed case that contains just the Touch ID button.
It now sits above the left side of my Magic Trackpad and the right side of my keyboard, giving me quick access to a Touch ID button I can see, without needing to have a whole keyboard stuck on the bottom side of my desk.
Deconstructing the Apple keyboard was a little hairy, though I followed the instructions and consulted Myke Hurley’s video and managed to get through it.
I had ordered a 3-D printed case from CraftCloud, and fitting the button inside was also tricky but doable. (The button itself is cleverly anchored down to plastic support beams using the same backing plate and screws that mounted it inside the keyboard itself.) The big issues with the case involve threading a long ribbon cable around a bunch of posts so the cable is positioned well without folding on itself. I got it eventually.
The failing of the case is that there’s no back side! I solved the issue with some electrical tape. Not ideal, but not a big deal since the whole thing is attached to my keyboard tray.
Anyway: It works. But I would really love it if Apple would just make a Magic Trackpad with integrated Touch ID.