deskthority

I will make my first try at hand wiring a keyboard, for it, I was carefully considering some alternatives and I had arrived at the following layout, it will allow me to use one of my vintage sets as well as some new ones. It has been said that a picture worth a thousand words, then, here it is, please let me know what do you think.

I actually like the layout of the PC/XT model F, so one control key looks fine. I use my winkeys quite a bit, so I'd miss those, but you may not. But one shift? If you find that acceptable, some typing lessons are in order!

Also, where's the Fn key? I hope it's one of those Alt keys. Otherwise you probably don't have an Fn, in which case you're not going to have a good time with that layout.

I'd probably miss the bottom right shift key a lot.

You guys have very good points:
For windows I use Ctrl+Esc; for shift, I always use the left shift only, and I agree that some typing lessons may call for a different behavior; but, for now, even when I am still not that fast, I type fast enough for most of my activities. Finally, the right Alt is actually an Fn key, and for Alt Gr, I use Ctrl+Alt.

To be hones, it's not about speed it's about comfort!
In case I have to type !@#$ or capital letters with my left hand, I find it very exhausting to press shift with the same hand I type the desired character.

I'd sacrifice the dedicated arrows without hesitation for that but it the end you have to decide what you like most

Not the most aesthetically pleasing but you could put a 1U shift on the right side of the up arrow? Or move the arrows 0.25U towards the other keys, then have a 1.25 shift there, and a 2.25 shift on the left?

cookie wrote: To be hones, it's not about speed it's about comfort!
In case I have to type !@#$ or capital letters with my left hand, I find it very exhausting to press shift with the same hand I type the desired character.

I'd sacrifice the dedicated arrows without hesitation for that but it the end you have to decide what you like most

That is still the main aspect in the design of this layout, arrows or regular right side modifiers, again, what you said makes a lot of sense; but, this non-standard design if made of compromises.

scottc wrote: Not the most aesthetically pleasing but you could put a 1U shift on the right side of the up arrow? Or move the arrows 0.25U towards the other keys, then have a 1.25 shift there, and a 2.25 shift on the left?

That sounds closer to the design of an already available layout by a fellow member at GH:

Ah yeah, I couldn't remember the name of that one. It looks okay bit not my kind of layout at all. I like 60%, I like 65% (thanks matt3o for converting me), but I don't like whatever this middle-ground is.

I am typing now in a sixty with no arrows, that I have available using Space FN, but for certain things the dedicated arrows are just the best option. I do not like the TKL, not the over sixty approaches like the Fox, or FC660, so I am here considering a hand wiring, just for the sake of having exactly what I need, that probably will not fit anyone else's requirements, it will be my very own and personal Frankenboard.

nice board, what do you think about ortholinear, like plank with arrows?