Building a custom keyboard from the ground up

[Muirium]

case is in production...

Action time!

I hope you brought your camera.

[matt3o]

another small update... just received the alps caps for the whitefox!

[Paranoid]

What kind of alps caps did you get?

[Halvar]

Gosh -- are you backing out of the maxi taobao GB then?

[Muirium]

I think you underestimate the scale of Matteo's custom ambitions, Halvar. He's set on world domination!

[matt3o]

What kind of alps caps did you get?

from a focus. abs double shot, a bit thin but very nice red/blue/green legend mods. I'll post pictures later.

Gosh -- are you backing out of the maxi taobao GB then?

hell no!

I think you underestimate the scale of Matteo's custom ambitions, Halvar. He's set on world domination!

^^
THIS!

[Halvar]

Ha ha, I'm relieved to read this.

I'll still hang on to the delusion that you started a group buy for essentially one right SHIFT keycap from the other end of the world. Just because it's such a nice thought.

[pasph]

I'm undecided between standard iso

and this hybrid

[Muirium]

Second one's better, to me. Backspace in its right place, and no big ISO enter. But then I would say that, being an HHKB fan.

Designed function layers?

[7bit]

Split up space bar and Enter to get a really innovative layout!

[matt3o]

I tried that return positioning and it didn't work for me... but if I were you I'd take both

[Muirium]

Apparently I can get some sweet fresh MX greens from 7bit in early August; well before the blues come in stock. Are greens any quieter than blues? (I hear they're less tactile feeling, as the bump mechanism is identical but the spring is stronger.) One of the most appealing things about Matteo's design, for me, is how it sounds with clicky switches.

I've no greens, or the appropriate spring to make a ghetto green, to play around with. The stiffer feel does intrigue me.

[7bit]

Greens are louder and click more constantly.

[matt3o]

lovely lovely caps

20130612_091808_.jpg (83.83 KiB) Viewed 4930 times

[Halvar]

I don't know how our ancestors came up with ideas like this enter key, but otherwise, these look very nice.

[matt3o]

embrace the power of the BIG-BIG enter key!

[Muirium]

Big enter may well have been to do with how big a deal it was to make a new line back in the old days:

Literally "carriage return". On a manual, like this one here (very similar to the typewriter I learned to type on) you had to take your hand off the keyboard and slug that big handle right across, every single line you typed. I imagine that the first electric keyboards borrowed the sense of ENTER! from the very procedure they made obsolete.

And once something has traction, it tends to stick around a while.

[djcinek]

I imagine that the first electric keyboards borrowed the sense of ENTER! from the very procedure they made obsolete.

It was rather (carriage) RETURN But yes, it must be then...

[Muirium]

It was rather (carriage) RETURN But yes, it must be then...

Indeed, there is a difference between enter and return. I even have a key for each on my layout for this project. Enter (the up chevron with a line across the top) does the same thing as return without inserting a new line. Handy in a spreadsheet cell or a dialog box when you want to interact with the cell / text field logic once you've entered your text. Enter is the only key in the whole number pad that I use regularly at all. Way down in bottom right, and so too my design.

Yet I forever call return enter when it comes to words instead of fingers!

Greens are louder and click more constantly.

That is literally all I needed to hear. I'll fire up an order once my plate emerges from the laser.

[matt3o]

is anyone interested in a 15x7 layout? I have the case for that and I could laser cut the plate for you. the original keyboard was probably a pos. the end result would be pretty pro I'd say

[Muirium]

<Starts getting wild ideas about two row 1s. That'll give me all the thumb reachable modifiers two hands could ever need. It's a metal case?>

How is your trial run going?

[matt3o]

<Starts getting wild ideas about two row 1s. That'll give me all the thumb reachable modifiers two hands could ever need. It's a metal case?>

Top plastic, bottom metal. I'll take some pictures. The good part is that I can have the plate laser cut in a way that takes all the original standoffs, so the end result would be seamless. Also there would be enough room for wireless and battery if needed.

How is your trial run going?

Still waiting for some parts to reach me. if there's something that I learned is that you can't rush custom keyboard building.

[Muirium]

<Starts getting wild ideas about two row 1s. That'll give me all the thumb reachable modifiers two hands could ever need. It's a metal case?>

Top plastic, bottom metal. I'll take some pictures. The good part is that I can have the plate laser cut in a way that takes all the original standoffs, so the end result would be seamless. Also there would be enough room for wireless and battery if needed.

You know me well! If I've the $bank for it in addition to my own…

How is your trial run going?

Still waiting for some parts to reach me. if there's something that I learned is that you can't rush custom keyboard building.

Probably a good thing, given how appealing it is try to everything, all at once!

[pasph]

Split up space bar and Enter to get a really innovative layout!

Like these?

[pasph]

@matt3o
There's a place near you that can anodize the case in same color at a reasonable price?

[matt3o]

@matt3o
There's a place near you that can anodize the case in same color at a reasonable price?

yes, problem is quantity as always. these companies don't like to work on small numbers and if they do they make it pretty pricey. consider that over 100 cases I've got a quote of just 2 euros per piece for anodization, but nobody helps you for just few samples.

I'm toying with the idea of doing that at home... it's not actually that complex.

[Muirium]

Audacious! What kind of colours are available that way, do you think?

[matt3o]

Audacious! What kind of colours are available that way, do you think?

anodizing at home? the most common are black, blue, red, silver... but there's no limit, you can mix them the way you want.

[pasph]

You need space and equipment (pricey? i think near $500?)

[matt3o]

You need space and equipment (pricey?)

The most expensive equipment I could think of is the power source. Of course if you plan to do that for just 1 case it might not worth the effort.