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Custom mechanical keyboards
- 394549 8y agoHow does one go about building a custom mechanical keyboard? Are there any good resources to get started? I've long fantasized about building a standard-layout keyboard with a couple of extra unobtrusive shift/modifier keys.
- noncoml 8y agohttps://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/ https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/ would be a good start
- css 8y agoGet yourself a switch tester [0], find a layout you like (or handwire your own [1]), and compile your own firmware [2]. The r/mk wiki has a great page [3] for starting to build your own. [0] https://www.amazon.com/KBDfans-Mechanical-keyboard-Tester-switches/dp/B07BTMWJ92/ https://www.amazon.com/KBDfans-Mechanical-keyboard-Tester-sw... [1] https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87689.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87689.0 [2] https://qmk.fm/ https://qmk.fm/ [3] https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/customkeyboards https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/customkeyb...
- Libbum 8y agoMassdrop [0] have a lot of kits going up every so often, and it's one of the better places to get some of the very custom stuff. [0]: https://www.massdrop.com/mechanical-keyboards/drops https://www.massdrop.com/mechanical-keyboards/drops
- CarVac 8y agoBuild your layout with keyboard-layout-editor, paste the raw data into builder.swillkb.com, order plates from Lasergist or export files for a different service, buy switches of your choice (I recommend Kailh Box switches), hand wire them up to a Teensy or Pro Micro, set up QMK for your matrix and layout, and program it.
- mkozlows 8y agoThis is the beginning of an (incomplete as of now) series on doing so, and should be a good starting point: https://matt3o.com/book/ https://matt3o.com/book/
- melling 8y agoI have some links on Github: https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes/blob/master/keyboards.org https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes/blob/master/keyboa... There’s a small section for “Build Your Own”
- drspacemonkey 8y agoI love mechanical keyboards, and as a tinkerer the concept of making a custom one really appeals to me. That said, the fact that the main page loads up dozens of multi-megabyte "thumbnail" icons is absolutely baffling.
- kimdotcom 8y agoThis is really not out of the realm of a dedicated hobbyist. The switches and keycaps can be ordered from quite a few vendors. Also, custom circuitboards are no longer difficult to design or produce in small quantities (especially separate left/right boards). Use a Teensy to wire it together as a USB HUD device. 3d print the case.
- eltoozero 8y agoYou mean USB HID, Human Interface Device.
- kimdotcom 8y agoYes. Good catch.
- metalliqaz 8y agoShameless plug for my own custom keyboard firmware project: https://github.com/dhowland/EasyAVR https://github.com/dhowland/EasyAVR Works with the Teensy
- justwalt 8y agoThanks for linking this, I’m actually in the design phase of this project right now so the timing couldn’t be better. I’m going to try it some time this week.
- kimdotcom 8y agoSo, I used to have a full-size keyboard with a built-in calculator as part of the numpad (had an LCD display above). I would love to built an updated version.
- CarVac 8y agoLooks like this is just a scrape of /r/mechanicalkeyboards. In fact, my custom board is there. https://scrapbox.io/MECHKEYS/Mitosis_Anaphase:_full-custom_hand-wired_build_with_Box_Navy_:_MechanicalKeyboards https://scrapbox.io/MECHKEYS/Mitosis_Anaphase:_full-custom_h...
- Yhippa 8y agoI gotta give that sub props. They got me hooked. Went to a meetup for that sub in DC last year and it was really cool to see how friendly that community is and how creative they are.
- brokenmachine 8y agoeye twitching from OCD Aargh, that bottom key! Just switch the high keycap with the low one on the other side!
- CarVac 8y agoThere's a reason it's like that: the right side has arrow keys, so I made them all G20. The left side has page up/page down so I made them both SA R3.
- hateful 8y agoI've been thinking about doing this for a while. And I LOVE the fact that the whole first page is mostly egonomic/split.
- clircle 8y agoI wonder if fancy split keyboards are actually getting popular, or if all split keyboard owners are posting pics on the internet.
- kimdotcom 8y agoThe board is less expensive to fabricate because it is physically smaller.
- flogic 8y agoManufactured or pre-made split keyboards aren't cheap. However if you're making your own the costs aren't all that different. So it's easier to ignore the cost and effort if you're making a split keyboard. Also by definition, you're talking about someone willing to go down the less beaten paths. I would love for split keyboard to become more mainstream. They're far superior to the traditional key layout. But if the sample set is customs, it's probably selection bias.
- igpay 8y agoI recently went through the trouble of getting a custom split layout mechanical keyboard machined. I have a write-up/buildlog here: http://www.csun.io/2018/07/16/custom-mechanical-keyboard.html http://www.csun.io/2018/07/16/custom-mechanical-keyboard.htm...
- shmerl 8y agoAre there any custom keyboards which allow creating Unix layout? Especially with Escape in second from top row, and Backspace in third from top?
- metalliqaz 8y agoPretty much all of them are fully programmable. So you can swap Caps Lock with Ctrl, move Esc to the grave key, and put backspace on the backslash key. If you want to customize the actual size and position of the keys, then that is harder to find.
- LyndsySimon 8y agoMost maybe, but nowhere near all. The two I have offer only limited customization through a set of DIP switches.
- CarVac 8y agoThis page shows mostly full-custom keyboards, which you have to compile the firmware for yourself. Naturally, that affords ample customization.
- shmerl 8y agoYes, I want backspace to remain larger than other buttons. So putting it on backslash key doesn't sound like a good idea.
- reaperducer 8y agoNow if there was only a place that sold custom keycaps. Actual keycaps, not stickers. I'd love to have my Open-Apple and Closed-Apple back. Or a comma to replace my F19, which is currently mapped to comma. Or maybe a pair of proper "Meta"-labeled keys again. Or replace Function-Control-Option with Meta-Super-Hyper like those old Symbolics keyboards.
- diabeetusman 8y agoThere's http://www.wasdkeyboards.com http://www.wasdkeyboards.com and http://www.maxkeyboard.com/ http://www.maxkeyboard.com/ that both do custom printing on (unfortunately cheap-feeling) ABS keycaps.
- disqard 8y agoIf you can deal with not having instant gratification, Massdrop [0] has group buys of custom keycap sets, which are designed by members of the community. [0] https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-admgc-sa-green-screen-custom-keycap-set https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-admgc-sa-green-scree...
- reaperducer 8y agoSign up for an account to even browse the web site? No thanks.
- fuball63 8y agoI was just talking to a coworker about mechanical keyboards, and how it feels like a right of passage at this point to transcend into full techie. Like picking a side in Vim/Emacs. I'm thinking about getting one, /r/mechanicalkeyboards has a buying guide, I'm thinking about buying this budget one to see what its all about: https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Keyboard-68-Keys-Magicforce-Qisan/dp/B01E8KO2B0 https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Keyboard-68-Keys-Magicforc...
- deathanatos 8y ago> it feels like a right of passage at this point to transcend into full techie I own an ErgoDox (which is featured in several of the photos, though I own the EZ, which is a pre-assembled version; most of the ErgoDox's seem to be the DIY variant), but I own it because my wrists were starting to hurt after I started using Apple/MBP keyboards. (I've also used a Kinesis Freestyle with the metal vertical structs, and that was satisfying too. I value the ErgoDox's customizability and FOSS firmware more.)
- tomcam 8y agoNeovim, obviously
- majewsky 8y agoReal programmers use Acme.
- berbec 8y agoReal hackers use cat << EOF
- deathanatos 8y ago“Ed is the standard text editor.”[1] [1]: https://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/ed-msg.html https://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/ed-msg.html
- nerdponx 8y agoMF68 is a great starter board. You won't be able to go back.
- j45 8y agoI own both a kinesis freestyle 3 keyboard (split and wireless) and the Microsoft ergo sculpt keyboard. The ability to combine the ergonomics of both would be great.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- andrewvc 8y agoAs an ergonomic nut I have to recommend the kinesis edge gaming keyboard. Most mech keyboards are just fancy design plus mech keys. The kinesis lets you find the best horizontal distance apart and change their tilt from center. It's not that attractive, but it's great from an ergonomic perspective.
- brokenmachine 8y agoPersonally I don't find anything with a staggered layout ergonomic. It's better than standard though. I've gone totally ortholinear now. Ergodox at home and Truly Ergonomic at work.
- cliftonk 8y agoI recently purchased a low-profile mechanical keyboard with low key travel (Havit tenkeyless) and it’s been amazing (I’ve always disliked how high profile and long key travel cherry switch keyboards have). The switches feel great but build quality on everything else seems lacking. I’m tempted to buy a half dozen of them in case they are discontinued. Does anyone know of other keyboards similar to this one? Thought it would be useful to ask here. Thanks.
- CarVac 8y agoIt uses Kailh Choc low profile switches, and you can build your own board using them if you want, in any layout you want ranging from bog-standard to off-the-wall crazy.
- brokenmachine 8y agoWhere can you get low-profile switches and keycaps from? I'd love to make a custom low-profile ergo board.
- CarVac 8y agohttps://novelkeys.xyz/products/kailh-low-profile-switches https://novelkeys.xyz/products/kailh-low-profile-switches https://novelkeys.xyz/products/novelkeys-x-kailh-low-profile-heavys https://novelkeys.xyz/products/novelkeys-x-kailh-low-profile... https://novelkeys.xyz/products/novelkeys-x-kailh-low-profile-choc-thick-clicks https://novelkeys.xyz/products/novelkeys-x-kailh-low-profile... Unfortunately there isn't that much selection in low profile caps, yet. https://novelkeys.xyz/collections/keycaps/products/kailh-low-profile-keycaps-with-legends https://novelkeys.xyz/collections/keycaps/products/kailh-low... https://novelkeys.xyz/collections/keycaps/products/kailh-low-profile-keycaps-blank https://novelkeys.xyz/collections/keycaps/products/kailh-low...
- brokenmachine 8y agoOh wow!! Thanks for that!
- eddieh 8y agoThis got my hopes up about something I was just talking about a few days ago [0]. However, this does not seem to be custom bespoke keyboards, but rather DIY keyboards. It also seems to be limited to mechanical key switches with the bulky key caps. I'm not too interested in building my own keyboard, but I do see the appeal. Some of these are truly works of art. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17563058 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17563058
- princeb 8y agowhat would be really cool is a bloomberg mech keyboard with the green and blue keys. but i think the pcb is proprietary.
- cjbprime 8y agoNice! My mechanical keyboard wishlist item is for an ortholinear keyboard that has a full set of rows including number keys and function keys, so that I can play Starcraft 2 on it. :)