5 ms·

It was neat to see Thomas Ran name-dropped in a New Yorker article. He's one of the most brutal keyboard reviewers on YouTube (and quite hilarious). I sent him

It was neat to see Thomas Ran name-dropped in a New Yorker article. He's one of the most brutal keyboard reviewers on YouTube (and quite hilarious). I sent him some of my 3D printed key switches not too long ago and he did a teardown video: https://youtu.be/H_Ym9528awM https://youtu.be/H_Ym9528awM Many have found the mechanical keyboard hobby to be quite deep... When you reach the point when you're ready to start designing your own key switches and actuation mechanisms contact me and I'll give you some advice :) If you're curious what a 3D printed (analog hall effect) keyboard using 3D printed switches (and keycaps) looks like: https://gfycat.com/firsthanduniformeasteuropeanshepherd https://gfycat.com/firsthanduniformeasteuropeanshepherd ...and it has some interesting features: https://gfycat.com/costlyglaringhyracotherium https://gfycat.com/costlyglaringhyracotherium

pca006132 4y ago
What printers do you use to print the keycaps? I tried this before but it takes a lot of work to sand the surface in order to remove the layer lines.
- nkrisc 4y ago
  I would imagine resin printers would be far superior for key caps compared to FDM.
- Symbiote 4y ago
  A while ago I tried using CurviSlicer to FDM-3D print a keycap. It modifies G-code to make slightly-curved top surfaces. The top of the keycap was nice, and wouldn't have needed any finishing. However, the slicer messed up the sides/insides of the keycap. Someone more motivated could try applying the curviness only to the 'dish' part of the keycap. Curvislicer: https://github.com/dhardy35/curvislicer https://github.com/dhardy35/curvislicer
- riskable 4y ago
  I use a Prusa MK2.5s with a 0.4mm nozzle most of the time. For fine detailed legends I use a 0.25mm nozzle. Here's some keycaps I printed recently: https://imgur.com/a/Ge0tlc5 https://imgur.com/a/Ge0tlc5 The key (haha) to printing great keycaps is to print them on their sides. That way their top surface is smooth (to your fingers) right off the printer. The keycaps in those images have not been post-processed in any way. That's exactly how they looked when I took them off the printer.
bdowling 4y ago
His reviews are great, but I find it mind-boggling that Thomas Ran (Chyrosran22) doesn't touch-type when he demos typing. e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9LcLgcCmus&t=644s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9LcLgcCmus&t=644s. Is he able to touch-type but simply chooses not to? Or did his obsession with keyboards never lead to him learning how? It's a mystery to me.
- pythko 4y ago
  He’s said that he thinks his method of typing works fine and doesn’t lead to repetitive stress injuries, so he prefers it. I don’t remember which specific videos he said that in off the top of my head, though.
- LoganDark 4y ago
  Um, excuse me what? That is touch typing. What you're thinking of is "home row", a specific method of touch typing. I also don't use home row, but I'm faster than a lot of people who do, and it absolutely counts as touch typing because I don't have to look at the keyboard at all.
  - laserlight 4y ago
    Were you able to tell by watching the video if he was looking at the keyboard or not? If yes, how? Because the video only shows fingers hitting keys. There’s nothing about what is being typed or if the typist is looking at the keyboard.
    - eimrine 4y ago
      >If yes, how? I have not looked at video at all, but as a touchtypist I have a struggle not to set my index fingers on f/j. I have seen some Internet touchtypists who claim they can use something else as keys to figuring up where their fingers are located (for example, lShift/rShift or Lenovo's clit) but in real world I have not seen any touchtypist who is not sticking his index finger on f/j constantly.
  - Aeolun 4y ago
theptip 4y ago
Very cool! I’ve been idly wondering how I could build a keyboard with smaller keys, for someone I know who is a little person. The 3D printed switches seem like a great option. It looks like some of the keys in that review were smaller than standard, how far could they be scaled down? Do you have a link to print instructions you can share?
- seltzered_ 4y ago
  fyi, had a post on modifying existing keys to be smaller here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d/psudoku3_modifies_mechanical_keys_to_be_smaller/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d...
- riskable 4y ago
  The default switch width/length is 18mm to fit inside standard Cherry MX key switch cutouts (in a top plate) but you can shrink that down to probably 14mm (just change the parameters in the .scad). Alternatively, you could just cut a sheath-shaped hole in the top plate where you want the switches to go and then you wouldn't even need a switch body and could cram the switches really close together. I used a trick like that with this silly fidget toy I made a while back: https://gfycat.com/calculatingthankfulgoldeneye https://gfycat.com/calculatingthankfulgoldeneye
rmetzler 4y ago
Cool design!
- elefanten 4y ago
  Agreed. Very cool use of magnets
seltzered_ 4y ago
> When you reach the point when you're ready to start designing your own key switches and actuation mechanisms contact me and I'll give you some advice Any ideas on how to approach half-sized key switches? So far I'm erring to what @pseudoku3 has done by cutting down existing key switches: https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d/psudoku3_modifies_mechanical_keys_to_be_smaller/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d...
- riskable 4y ago
  By changing a few settings my 3D printed Void Switches can be cut down to 18mm from the bottom to the top of the keycap. I just uploaded some pictures so you can see how low profile they can get: https://imgur.com/a/GejwL34 https://imgur.com/a/GejwL34 You could probably shave off another 1-1.5mm by printing some parts in resin (or switching to a teeny tiny nozzle) but I don't think that's enough to warrant the complexity or difficulties it would introduce during assembly. For going shorter than that you can cut down the travel (the switch in the picture is 2mm of travel if memory serves), use a shorter keycap/stem, or go with a completely different mechanism (I have a few ideas but haven't had a chance to try them out yet).

pca006132 4y ago

What printers do you use to print the keycaps? I tried this before but it takes a lot of work to sand the surface in order to remove the layer lines.

nkrisc 4y ago
I would imagine resin printers would be far superior for key caps compared to FDM.
Symbiote 4y ago
A while ago I tried using CurviSlicer to FDM-3D print a keycap. It modifies G-code to make slightly-curved top surfaces. The top of the keycap was nice, and wouldn't have needed any finishing. However, the slicer messed up the sides/insides of the keycap. Someone more motivated could try applying the curviness only to the 'dish' part of the keycap. Curvislicer: https://github.com/dhardy35/curvislicer https://github.com/dhardy35/curvislicer
riskable 4y ago
I use a Prusa MK2.5s with a 0.4mm nozzle most of the time. For fine detailed legends I use a 0.25mm nozzle. Here's some keycaps I printed recently: https://imgur.com/a/Ge0tlc5 https://imgur.com/a/Ge0tlc5 The key (haha) to printing great keycaps is to print them on their sides. That way their top surface is smooth (to your fingers) right off the printer. The keycaps in those images have not been post-processed in any way. That's exactly how they looked when I took them off the printer.

bdowling 4y ago

His reviews are great, but I find it mind-boggling that Thomas Ran (Chyrosran22) doesn't touch-type when he demos typing. e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9LcLgcCmus&t=644s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9LcLgcCmus&t=644s. Is he able to touch-type but simply chooses not to? Or did his obsession with keyboards never lead to him learning how? It's a mystery to me.

pythko 4y ago
He’s said that he thinks his method of typing works fine and doesn’t lead to repetitive stress injuries, so he prefers it. I don’t remember which specific videos he said that in off the top of my head, though.
LoganDark 4y ago
Um, excuse me what? That is touch typing. What you're thinking of is "home row", a specific method of touch typing. I also don't use home row, but I'm faster than a lot of people who do, and it absolutely counts as touch typing because I don't have to look at the keyboard at all.
- laserlight 4y ago
  Were you able to tell by watching the video if he was looking at the keyboard or not? If yes, how? Because the video only shows fingers hitting keys. There’s nothing about what is being typed or if the typist is looking at the keyboard.
  - eimrine 4y ago
    >If yes, how? I have not looked at video at all, but as a touchtypist I have a struggle not to set my index fingers on f/j. I have seen some Internet touchtypists who claim they can use something else as keys to figuring up where their fingers are located (for example, lShift/rShift or Lenovo's clit) but in real world I have not seen any touchtypist who is not sticking his index finger on f/j constantly.
- Aeolun 4y ago

theptip 4y ago

Very cool! I’ve been idly wondering how I could build a keyboard with smaller keys, for someone I know who is a little person. The 3D printed switches seem like a great option. It looks like some of the keys in that review were smaller than standard, how far could they be scaled down? Do you have a link to print instructions you can share?

seltzered_ 4y ago
fyi, had a post on modifying existing keys to be smaller here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d/psudoku3_modifies_mechanical_keys_to_be_smaller/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d...
riskable 4y ago
The default switch width/length is 18mm to fit inside standard Cherry MX key switch cutouts (in a top plate) but you can shrink that down to probably 14mm (just change the parameters in the .scad). Alternatively, you could just cut a sheath-shaped hole in the top plate where you want the switches to go and then you wouldn't even need a switch body and could cram the switches really close together. I used a trick like that with this silly fidget toy I made a while back: https://gfycat.com/calculatingthankfulgoldeneye https://gfycat.com/calculatingthankfulgoldeneye

rmetzler 4y ago

Cool design!

elefanten 4y ago
Agreed. Very cool use of magnets

seltzered_ 4y ago

> When you reach the point when you're ready to start designing your own key switches and actuation mechanisms contact me and I'll give you some advice Any ideas on how to approach half-sized key switches? So far I'm erring to what @pseudoku3 has done by cutting down existing key switches: https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d/psudoku3_modifies_mechanical_keys_to_be_smaller/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/comments/v0g89d...

riskable 4y ago
By changing a few settings my 3D printed Void Switches can be cut down to 18mm from the bottom to the top of the keycap. I just uploaded some pictures so you can see how low profile they can get: https://imgur.com/a/GejwL34 https://imgur.com/a/GejwL34 You could probably shave off another 1-1.5mm by printing some parts in resin (or switching to a teeny tiny nozzle) but I don't think that's enough to warrant the complexity or difficulties it would introduce during assembly. For going shorter than that you can cut down the travel (the switch in the picture is 2mm of travel if memory serves), use a shorter keycap/stem, or go with a completely different mechanism (I have a few ideas but haven't had a chance to try them out yet).