deskthority

This is one of my first post in this forum and my first mechanical keyboard and also my first custom and handwired Keyboard....I always start with the simplest way


The idea was to make a keyboard that fit my needs, I wanted a small keyboard a 60% but I also need a numpad as I use it a lot, my first idea was to buy one but has very few options and less in ISO layout so finally I decided to follow the great tutorials of Matt3o and Cribbit and made a handwired one.

I started with "keyboard-layout-editor" to see options, look for diferent layouts and how to match it with a complete PBT keycaps in ISO Spanish that I found in China and this lead to me for a 60% + 1 extra row + numpad at right, ISO layout and cursors at the bottom.

This was easy thanks to "keyboard-layout-editor"as is simple for a noob like me. The second choice was the switches, I bought a tester and I liked the khail box and as I was unable to decide just one type and I finally mixed 3 different types, Whites for alphas, pale blue for modifiers and orange for numpad and arrows

As I need 5 rows + 20 columns I decided to use a Teensy ++ 2 (chinese version that surprisingly worked with oficial teensy loader)

For the firmware as I´m not a great programmer I used "RUIKI MAO GMK Keyboard Firmware Builder", other simple and powerfull tool for noobs

And the final decision, how to made the case, I used 1.5mm laser cut plate for the switches plate, the bottom plate and the cover top plate and to mantain a low profile I used 8x8 aluminium box profile and custom printed corners to make the 2 sandwiches. Top cover has 2 funtions, cover the keyboard and be a wrist rest


Lets go to the build process


After file all aluminium chips of the laser cut, lets put all stabs and switches in a colourfull way





Note there is a GATERON Intruder, this is just to allow the 3mm led for the CAPS Lock status Led



All switch plate has M3 tappered holes




Color is the way





I realised that Khail box do not have a perfect fit to the plate so I had to hot glue them a little bit to ensure them and now the hard work....HANDWIRING


Diodes rows bucling and soldering






Completed rows






For the colums I used rigid cable from a Ethernet cable donor and a visegrip magic




To wire Teensy controller I used some fancy coloured cables from a SCART trash cable (20 colours FTW)




Rainbow teensy is ready to go




Some extra wiring and a 330Ohm resistor for the CAPS Lock led




Time to cut, file and mount 8x8 profile to the case and 3d printed teensy holder, and a little bit of EVA foam to isolate the bottom plate




Some details of the teensy holder






For the visible aluminium parts I brushed them with Scotch Brite to make a nice finish, not as cool as anodizing but nice enought to me and some details of the case build








The CAPS lock led worked, not at the first time as I put in firmware the pin for NUM Lock instead and then because I wired it wrong GND + Pin instead the CORRECT one +5v and Pin



Now its a low ligt under the cap, but im thinking in made a window in the keycap





Finally the result of the build












I hope it was as entertaining as for me was the build

PD: Im not sure if this is the correct subforum for this post

Very nice piece of work, especially for a newb! The details on the case corners and the Teensy holder are a nice touch. You even remembered to make the all important mistake during assembly, and recovered from it. Consider yourself a recognised DT maker!

One thing which piqued my interest was your description of your chosen layout:

a 60% + 1 extra row + numpad at left, ISO layout and cursors at the bottom

I was expecting to see the numpad left of the 60% (where it *should* be!) but you went with a flush approach on the right instead. Looks pretty good in either case. Though I'd sorely miss Page Up and Down myself!

Muirium wrote: 19 May 2020, 00:52 I was expecting to see the numpad left of the 60% (where it *should* be!) but you went with a flush approach on the right instead. Looks pretty good in either case. Though I'd sorely miss Page Up and Down myself!

Thx Mu regarding numpad (I corrected the post, I always have problems with words left/right) but anyway I put the numpad at Right as I used to have it there and use it with my right hand the extra row does not have many room for extra keys so just put the essential ones for me, delete and (would be nice for me include home also but...) and FN key to access layer 1 (when I have Volume controls and the rest of extra keys of the numpad)