A 60% keyboard in a 3D printed case and using Mac-themed XDA keycaps that are clones of the "Extended 2048" design. The case is reminiscent of the "Kishsaver" compact Model F buckling spring keyboard from IBM.

Bottom of the keyboard uses self-adhesive cork feet, similar to the original Model F.

case was printed vertically, leaving a few remnants of the process on the back surface. The USB port can be sued for charging or wired connection.

The plate with Epomaker Budgerigar tactile switches is free-floating, held in place by EVA and cork "gaskets." The right side of the Kishsaver case holds the rest of the Yushakobo PCB, while the left side is used for routing the unnecessarily large cables and ports designed for external use. The Primer61 uses a standard Pro Meicro for wired connections, or Yushakobo's BLE-enabled board with the same footprint. I used the cheap and readily available Nice!Nano clones and ported the firmware from QMK to ZMK. Due to quirks of the PCB's keyboard matrix, I don't expect battery use to be very efficient, but wireless performance is otherwise quite good.

Got a Primer61 PCB from Yushakobo in Tokyo! I designed a case, printed it in fun shiny filament, & ported it to use ZMK on a Nice!Nano clone. It's a Kishsaver homage that conveniently hides all my design sins. I'll leave it paired with my Mac Mini that runs all my local servers. #mechanicalkeyboard

A tenkeyless Realforce keyboard with gray and blue keycaps included Korean sub-legends, along with a Contour Rollermouse Red with its cord re-soldered.

Is Topre still a #mechanicalkeyboard? Souvenir Realforce 45g TKL from Leaderskey in Seoul, plus an accounting write-off reclamation project on the cut-cord Rollermouse from eBay.

Don't quote me on this, but I *think* that board can use the "Cherry Utility" to remap keys in the on-board memory, for instance if you use Volume controls more than other media controls.

They're MOSTLY still so custom that build quality takes a back seat but there's a few. QK Alice Duo doesn't go full column stagger, but it's a split made by a current darling of the broader keeb scene & then there's aluminum CNC cases for certain known ergo layouts at Ergomech Store and Boardsource

An actual fancy #mechanicalkeyboard this time. I won a GDK Lab DK1-TKL and immediately put Box Navy switches on it. I ran with Unicorn Barf SA from a grab bag for a bit, but settled on KAM Superuser. This is a very pleasant metal rectangle.

My DSS Honeywell keycaps needed a home, so I made them one that was inspired by the original terminal keyboards that inspired them to begin with. The 3D-print is not quite perfect, but I like the overall effect very much, & the black switches on my custom PCB feel nice. QMK/VIAL firmware on RP2040.

An inexpensive concert light stick with a custom topper inspired by KPop Demon Hunters

Alternate view showing the open cage-like structure of a light stick with 3D printed topper.

In a departure from my usual mechanical keyboard projects, I designed & printed a simple slide-on HUNTRIX topper for those generic concert light sticks for my daughter. I liked the ones on Etsy that screwed into the base of one of these, but I couldn’t find STLs, so…

#3Dprinting #kpopdemonhunters

In the hashtag, yes, lol. It is a rather mechanically board. 😂

The keycaps really are for cocaine and meth, though. The analyzer could process toxicology screens on blood samples.

A mechanical keyboard from 2010 made by TG3 for a Siemens chemical analyzer. Cherry MX Black switches (except for the stabilized keys, which have Grey) and Dye-Sub DCS keycaps.

Exposed PCB showing a "Soarer's Converter" style DIY adapter.

Aluminum bottom plate with 9.25oz (262g) for slightly increased stability and undeserved premium feeling.

This #mechanicalleyboard has a Meth button. A METH BUTTON!

Also an internal PS/2 converter running VIAL and over half a pound of steel wheel weights stuck in the bottom because I thought a glorious board with a METH button (and a cocaine button, btw) deserved to feel a little more premium.

May I interest you in our Lord and Savior Box NAVY?

Lenovo 10E education ChromeOS tablet running Focuswriter distraction-free word processor on fully installed Debian Linux, along with a DIY mechanical keyboard.

WILL I use my #mechanicalkeyboard and this Linux-converted ARM Chrometab with FocusWriter to write more? Unclear.

COULD I? Yes.

Interesting that the PCB is a full 60%, but only for a 7u spacebar. I found split-space hotswaps hiding on my Epomaker Tide65 PCB, so I did what one does and laser cut a new plate. I paid for two extra keys, and by God I'm gonna get them!

Less of an option here, admittedly. 🤣

Nothing makes you want to clean your #mechanicalkeyboard like talking a picture of it in bright sunlight, LOL. Fixed a bad solder joint and 3D-printed a “sidewall” case for this laser-cut Masonite board I made.

Made a couple of prototype #mechanicalkeyboard keycap nesting trays, one on the laser and one on the 3D printer. I definitely want to get my @signatureplastics.bsky.social caps out of the ziploc, I can't shake the feeling that I'm overthinking this. Anybody got a scalable & CHEAP DIY-ish solution?

5. What colors do you like? and 6. Do you want to do anything off the beaten path with your keycaps, e.g. retro (e.g. Severance style), completely flat, etc.?

...true 100% are common at the low end, less at the high. 2. Price range? 3. Do you want switches to make their own clicky noise and if not do you want there to be a little point in pressing where it gives instead of being fully linear? 4. Do you want pressing to be firm, light, or "normal"?...

I bet the keeb nerds on BSky can help. You really only need to know a few things for your 1st, which may well be your last if you just like it and don't fall down the rabbit hole. 1. More layout details, pls. 80%/TKL are common, as are 96%/1800 (almost every key's there but some are squished)...

Modified Epomaker Tide65 keyboard

Laser engraver cutting 1/16" (1.6mm) birch plywood

DIY laser cut keyboard plate with switches

aluminum keyboard case with battery replaced by steel automotive wheel-balancing weights

Got a great deal on an aluminum #mechanicalkeyboard but it had issues. I laser cut a new plate so I could use the split-space hotswap sockets hiding on the PCB, changed the springs in the switches to be heavier, replaced the battery with extra weight, changed the keycaps, & flashed "real" QMK/VIAL.

I do have a garage in Texas in summer. Also an old Ender clone. Hmm…

Jeez, all this talk is going to seriously affect the number of clean blank keycaps I have, LOL. It may be a while before I can do proper experiments, but this is a lot to think about, in a good way.

I

Up close it’s not hard to tell, but it looks nice at normal viewing distances. The limitations are that I can’t seem to get very intense color, and while I think it’s a form of dye sub, it’s penetrating much less deeply. That also means variability in any of several factors affects quality.

Thanks! This method has some major limitations but doesn’t need a stencil or a huge laser. The short version is to completely coat the top of PBT keycaps in ink, then use a 5w diode laser at 2% power and 45mm/minute to raster the image on. I wipe off the excess with acetone nail polish. remover.

Focus boards are infamous for the clips and for some very quirky value engineering overall. This one looks great! I have a 5001 that I re-wired (RIP calculator, though I have the module if anyone needed it) and a DIY board made from the caps and switches of a 7000P. How much did the wax-boil help?

Drop CTRL v2 Barebones, but NOT the High-Profile one. That look is not as popular in the hobbyist space these days, but lucky for you. There are other boards in the gaming space that might be hotswap and meet your needs, but w/ the additional challenge of what to do with the old switches and caps.

Completed jig holding 27 keycaps with DIY legends

jig holding PBT keycaps before cleaning with acetone

5W Diode laser running at 2% and 45mm/min to sublimate Cricut "infusible ink" into PBT keycaps

Made some "Redneck Dye Sub" #mechanicalkeyboard keycap legends with Cricut markers and a diode laser. A little annoyed that some of them didn't come out great, but enough of them did that I'm pleased overall, including the #yallmeansall one.

I probably need a new plate frame, but the vinyl went on perfectly. #ihavefriendseverywhere, even in Texas.

#starwars #andor

There are a million things I would change about this DIY Alps wooden keyboard, but overall it came out nice, and I learned a lot, including how to get VIAL running on a bespoke board.

The oil is drying on the walnut and pecan #mechanicalkeyboard case I (mostly) built this weekend for my bespoke Alps PCB. The strip of pecan was DEFINITELY on purpose and not to fix an oopsie. I swear!

Latest in progress #mechanicalkeyboard project: Alps white, Focus keycaps, M0110a-ish layout, 3D printed plate, deeply flawed PCB that I am MAKING work because I paid stupid tariffs, and QMK on RP2040. Still to do: hardwood case.

A Keyboard Layout Editor screenshot showing a custom layout including PCB options.

Next #mechanicalkeyboard is in progress. Trying to add to my skills, so this one will have a PCB with piggybacked RP2040 microcontroller, run QMK, have a wooden case, and reuse caps and Alps switches from a beat-up old Focus. After ordering the PCBs, I should have called it the Tariff 9000 :-)