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It must be twice a week that I think about getting involved in custom mechanical keyboards: it seems like such a cool interest! I've been pretty happy with the

It must be twice a week that I think about getting involved in custom mechanical keyboards: it seems like such a cool interest! I've been pretty happy with the HHKB (no caps, obviously), but it just sounds fun to make something truly your own. Does anyone have a good pointer for the right place to start with this (huge) topic?

CTDOCodebases 4y ago
My pointer is modify your HHKB if you like it. You can modify the domes, get adapters (sliders) to use MX style keycaps and even replace the case.
- benreesman 4y ago
  Thanks for the tip! If you don't mind a follow-up question: what's a gentle transition from the HHKB's Topre switches into something more popular in the mechanical keyboard community? I honestly have very little intuition about the color-naming scheme for switches.
  - CTDOCodebases 4y ago
    Switches are categorised as follows: - linear (no tactility)(reds) - tactile (tactile) (browns) - clicky (sharp tactility + sound) (blues) The colours refer to the original Cherry MX switches and clones but it’s better to refer to them as linears/tactiles/clicky’s. If you want something tactile good and popular I would suggest Gazzew Boba U4T switches since the Topre board you are using is tactile. These are loud but they sound good. There are silent versions available. There is a lot of variety even with keyswitches alone and if you are super fussy like me it will take a lot of trial and error to figure out what you like.
    - benreesman 4y ago
      That’s extremely helpful. Thank you for taking the time with a newbie.
      - comfypotato 4y ago
        To make this simpler, cherry mx browns are the gateway key switch.
        CTDOCodebases 4y ago
        Topre to Cherry Brown is a downgrade IMHO.
        benreesman 4y ago
        Haha ok so now we've got multiple passionate mechanical keyboard experts on the thread so I'm going to ask even more questions! I grew up on an IBM Model F (I can't believe I let that thing out of my sight, it's probably worth more than I am now), and spent about a decade using just whatever. That thing just felt and sounded wonderful (to the typist at least, I imagine it annoyed my siblings). When I decided to get something a little more customized to my situation the HHKB hit a lot of the high notes: good, solid tactile finger feel, distinctly audible but (barely) quiet enough to use in an open-plan setting, and a factory no-keycaps option (part of the transition was to break myself of anything but full high-speed touch-type). I had used some Das stuff and it was ok but never really clicked. I still love these things, and through moves etc. have accumulated a few, but I'd like to indulge myself in something truly tailored to my specific preferences, especially on connectivity, build, and aesthetics. The HHKB layout is damn-near ideal for a QWERTY-heavy-chorder like myself, but I think I could live with a slightly smaller footprint, it's got a small but noticeable margin for error in excess of what I need anymore. Ideally I'd like something with multiple USB options, A and C at least. I'd love something heavy, maybe machined metal as a base. And I'd like to stay in the ballpark of the Topre keys on the HHKB. I don't care about `CTRL` or `META` on the right, and I would probably prefer a `SHIFT`, at least on the left, that's the same size as the Sun-style `CTRL` that I have instead of caps lock. If I've got a few bucks to spend having a real artist put something together that will retain scope for me to tinker on going forward, who do I go to?
        CTDOCodebases 4y ago

CTDOCodebases 4y ago

My pointer is modify your HHKB if you like it. You can modify the domes, get adapters (sliders) to use MX style keycaps and even replace the case.

benreesman 4y ago
Thanks for the tip! If you don't mind a follow-up question: what's a gentle transition from the HHKB's Topre switches into something more popular in the mechanical keyboard community? I honestly have very little intuition about the color-naming scheme for switches.
- CTDOCodebases 4y ago
  Switches are categorised as follows: - linear (no tactility)(reds) - tactile (tactile) (browns) - clicky (sharp tactility + sound) (blues) The colours refer to the original Cherry MX switches and clones but it’s better to refer to them as linears/tactiles/clicky’s. If you want something tactile good and popular I would suggest Gazzew Boba U4T switches since the Topre board you are using is tactile. These are loud but they sound good. There are silent versions available. There is a lot of variety even with keyswitches alone and if you are super fussy like me it will take a lot of trial and error to figure out what you like.
  - benreesman 4y ago
    That’s extremely helpful. Thank you for taking the time with a newbie.
    - comfypotato 4y ago
      To make this simpler, cherry mx browns are the gateway key switch.
      - CTDOCodebases 4y ago
        Topre to Cherry Brown is a downgrade IMHO.
        benreesman 4y ago
        Haha ok so now we've got multiple passionate mechanical keyboard experts on the thread so I'm going to ask even more questions! I grew up on an IBM Model F (I can't believe I let that thing out of my sight, it's probably worth more than I am now), and spent about a decade using just whatever. That thing just felt and sounded wonderful (to the typist at least, I imagine it annoyed my siblings). When I decided to get something a little more customized to my situation the HHKB hit a lot of the high notes: good, solid tactile finger feel, distinctly audible but (barely) quiet enough to use in an open-plan setting, and a factory no-keycaps option (part of the transition was to break myself of anything but full high-speed touch-type). I had used some Das stuff and it was ok but never really clicked. I still love these things, and through moves etc. have accumulated a few, but I'd like to indulge myself in something truly tailored to my specific preferences, especially on connectivity, build, and aesthetics. The HHKB layout is damn-near ideal for a QWERTY-heavy-chorder like myself, but I think I could live with a slightly smaller footprint, it's got a small but noticeable margin for error in excess of what I need anymore. Ideally I'd like something with multiple USB options, A and C at least. I'd love something heavy, maybe machined metal as a base. And I'd like to stay in the ballpark of the Topre keys on the HHKB. I don't care about `CTRL` or `META` on the right, and I would probably prefer a `SHIFT`, at least on the left, that's the same size as the Sun-style `CTRL` that I have instead of caps lock. If I've got a few bucks to spend having a real artist put something together that will retain scope for me to tinker on going forward, who do I go to?
        CTDOCodebases 4y ago