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If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

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Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#11

Post by ComputerGuru »

politelemon wrote: post #5

I'm simply a mechanical keyboard user, I have a few trusty Filcos that I use and I will sometimes buy a keycap set and wait 1 year for it[1]; I don't have the courage to build custom keyboards. However I do derive a vicarious pleasure looking at the build logs and end results shared by others, this post included. The two best places I've found to follow are the /r/mechanicalkeyboards[2] subreddit and the geekhack.org…

The last time I dropped by /r/mechanicalkeyboards it was full of people that thought Cherry MX was the be-all end-all rather than just a brand name and a poor substitute for something like a proper buckling spring switch. Is that still the case?

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#12

Post by Symbiote »

politelemon wrote: post #5

I'm simply a mechanical keyboard user, I have a few trusty Filcos that I use and I will sometimes buy a keycap set and wait 1 year for it[1]; I don't have the courage to build custom keyboards. However I do derive a vicarious pleasure looking at the build logs and end results shared by others, this post included. The two best places I've found to follow are the /r/mechanicalkeyboards[2] subreddit and the geekhack.org…

There's also a fairly new subreddit, /r/ErgoMechKeyboards/, which only has ergonomic keyboards (simply split ones, or more usually with staggered columns rather than rows, and often a 3D shape).

Fewer fancy, expensive keycap sets, and more works-in-progress with wires sticking out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#13

Post by Normal_gaussian »

souterrain wrote: post #4
amerine wrote: post #2

I love custom keyboards. Sharing work like this is pretty inspiring. All I’ve done is solder two ergodox’s from massdrop, but it was a blast.

I find custom keyboards to be beautiful, but I have a very hard time using a proper mechanical keyboard. I am not a proper touch-typist, and lack the patience or free time to re-learn. I tried with an Ergodox for some time, but it became so frustrating that it interfered with my appreciation for the engineering and artistry of the thing. Any suggestions relating to low-profile, short-travel switches/keycaps that will…

I finally bought an Ergodox EZ just over a month ago, after suspecting a split keyboard could solve some postural issues for a while (its practically impossible to use a split keyboard whilst sitting lopsided).

I was a touch typist (two hands, and completely left handed), but I was "wasd" centred.

Learning to home row type was by far the hardest thing about the keyboard. It took me a week of 8/hr a day coding/writing to get back up to speed. Thankfully I didn't have work commitments so could go all in - but on day 3 I was so very close to quitting.

AFAICT it has completely sorted my tendency to move into a bad posture - and for that I know it is worth it.

But to spend 40hrs getting frustrated and working slowly? I couldn't justify it without the posture problem.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#15

Post by andrewflnr »

wishinghand wrote: post #7

I’m on the verge of doing this. I have an Ergodox EZ but I want thumb clusters that are more useful, plus I’d like an encoder knob or two. The Kyria is close but it doesn’t do RGB per key or have a thumb cluster that exactly matches what I want. To the drawing board I go!

TIL people put knobs on their keyboards. Do you generally have to configure your own actions for knob events or is there software that supports them out of the box?

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#17

Post by andrewflnr »

quotemstr wrote: post #8
rwmj wrote: post #6

He built his own keyboard and still included a huge CapsLock key in the place where god intended Ctrl to go?

No, no, no. It's written "CapsLock" but pronounced "Control".

That's still a little confusing. Can we get that in International Phonetic Alphabet?

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#18

Post by Symbiote »

trashcat wrote: post #10
quotemstr wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, no, no. It's written "CapsLock" but pronounced "Control".

This is how most of my keyboards are because not many key sets come with big Ctrl keys.

Particularly if you're not interested in spending €100 plus on the keycaps, then there are keycaps on Alibaba for much less money, but they don't necessarily cater to every possible layout.

This keyboard is using this $27 set: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33006008300.html

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#19

Post by lawn »

quotemstr wrote: post #8
rwmj wrote: post #6

He built his own keyboard and still included a huge CapsLock key in the place where god intended Ctrl to go?

No, no, no. It's written "CapsLock" but pronounced "Control".

I think you spelled "escape" wrong. Yes, I'm a vim user.

On the keyboards that support it I've had it remap to another layer if I hold it, but I'm thinking of using it for escape/ctrl, as I do use some emacs commands from time to time (mostly evil mode, but not everything). But I haven't decided where to put my layer switch key yet.

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