An Introduction to Custom Mechanical Keyboards

[Oswin]

will need to bookmark this thread so i can find it easily

 

 

love the work @Eschew!

[Eschew]

Ah, thank you all for the praise and kind words! Not tagging because I'm kinda shy about these things, but I want those still following this thread to know that I'm very touched. 

 

I'd love to get the thread pinned too, but one of the reqs is more community activity. Been racking my brain trying to think of something that doesn't involve obnoxiously spamming the thread with updates or off-topic things.

 

Also been considering LukeSavenije's creative commons idea (if I'm understanding correctly, it'll be something like a Google Doc?), but the problem is I'm er... incredibly OCD and Grammar Nazi-like about things. Even more so for things that I care about (like this topic!). I'm afraid it'll quickly get annoying for the good contributors when I get my grubby hands all over everything.

 

Thought about it some more, and came to the conclusion that if people wanted to suggest new content or correct old info, I'd be more comfortable if they sent in their suggestions by replying here. Would help with giving the thread a good ol' bump, too. 

 

Also, also, in case I haven't stated it explicitly, I'm open to linking to reviews, guides, and other reading written by fellow forum members in the main post. Only requirements are it has to be relevant to mechanical keyboards/switches (pre-builts are fine too), and it has to be well-written.

[DailyProcrastinator]

Man this is great guide, definitely going to build my own keyboard now in the near future. If I were to just get my feet wet and get a ready to go keyboard with hot swap-able switches, is the Drop CTRL one of the better options?

[kelvinhall05]

Just now, TheDailyProcrastinator said:

Man this is great guide, definitely going to build my own keyboard now in the near future. If I were to just get my feet wet and get a ready to go keyboard with hot swap-able switches, is the Drop CTRL one of the better options?

Yes, that's pretty good. If you want to save money, get a GMMK.

[DailyProcrastinator]

Just now, kelvinhall05 said:

Yes, that's pretty good. If you want to save money, get a GMMK.

Okay cool, saving money upfront is good lol, if I get hooked I'll overspend down the road anyways hahaha. Thank you!

[seon123]

6 minutes ago, TheDailyProcrastinator said:

Man this is great guide, definitely going to build my own keyboard now in the near future. If I were to just get my feet wet and get a ready to go keyboard with hot swap-able switches, is the Drop CTRL one of the better options?

Yes. Alternatives would be the Gemini Dusk/Dawn whenever it gets back in stock, which is mostly the same but a bit cheaper (though I don't think the unused type C port is usable on the Gemini). Or the CU80 R3, which will have a GB in August, and should ship some months later, should also be cheaper. Only available in low profile and uses south facing switches.

[RTX 3090]

What mechanical keyboard should I get (this is going to be my first one)

Budget around £30 so needs to be something cheapy. I watched the LTT video, but I am unsure which one to buy. 

Are there any low profile ones in my price range

[Eschew]

TKL PCB-Case Compatibility List

All links are identical in content. The content is/was created and maintained by others.

• Mechanical Keyboard TKL PCB Compatibility (Google Sheets).
• TKL PCB Compatibility List on GeekHack Forums.
• TKL PCB Compatibility List on Deskthority Forums.

 

Not adding to main post because:

• Discussions are dated from 2018 - 2019. Spreadsheet looks to still be a work-in-progress. Uncertain if it's still being updated or not.
• Compatibility list is only applicable to TKL PCBs and cases.

Posting it as a reply here because I'd like to keep the compatibility list for reference purposes (forum search feature FTW), and some folks here might find it useful? I could bookmark the links, but my OCD's getting in the way. Also, thread bump.

 

Going off the assumption that, since they posted it on a public forums, the author(s) is/are alright with me sharing the links (with appropriate credit). I'm too lazy to not interested in signing up for a GeekHack/Deskthority forum account just to ask for formal permission to share. Of course, if they aren't hunky-dory with me sharing, I'll take the links down.

[geo3]

https://www.keycaps.info/

 

Here's a comparison of many different keycap profiles.

[Eschew]

Help Contribute! - Cable Vendors

Bumpity-Bump!

 

Been taking an interest in custom cables and aviator cables recently, and I was curious whether peeps'll be able to help me out? Window-shopping for cables sorta made me think about how awfully lacking this thread is when it comes to custom/aftermarket cable vendors (...it's also lacking in other areas too, but... LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOWWW*. ).

 

*It's Joke™. Lemme know what areas you'd like to see improvement in, and I'll see what I can do?  I know I need to work Stabilizers (plate-mounted, PCB-mounted, screw-in, Costar), and I'm planning to add more entries under the table of MX-stem switches. AS SOON AS I CAN stop procrastinating FIND SOME TIME IN MY DAY.

 

The cable vendors (U.S.-Based) that I've come across so far are:

Spoiler

• 1UPKeyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Alpherior Keys: Mediocre Selection.
• Dixie Mech: Sold Out. Extremely Limited Selection.
• Donut Cables: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Dream Cables: Mediocre Selection.
• Flashquark: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Kono Store: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Kraken Keyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Matrix Keyboards: Mediocre Selection.
• Mechanical Keyboards: Limited Selection.
• Mechcables: Good Selection. (Not yet added to main thread.)
• Oh, Keycaps!: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Rosecables: Mediocre Selection.
• Sentraq: Sold Out. Extremely Limited Selection.
• Spacecat Design: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Unicomp: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Upgrade Keyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• WASD Keyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Zap Cables: Mostly Sold Out. Limited Selection.
• Marketplaces: Etsy.

From my observations, prices seem to range between $30 for super basic, single-sleeved, un-coiled cables, to $60+ for double-sleeved, coiled cables with aviator connectors, and $100+ for gold-plated connectors, longer lengths, and super thicc coiled ones. Yes? No?

 

---

 

Primary Question: How much have y'all paid for your custom cables (details of the cable too, pls), and which vendor(s) have you bought them from?

 

Secondary Question 1: Does anyone have any other cable vendors they'd like me to add to the main post?

Secondary Question 2: Has anyone bought from Winnja recently (within the last 6 months) and is able to confirm that they are an still an active vendor? I know they've done cables in the past, but I'm only interested in adding active vendors to the main thread, and their site's copyright/policies haven't been updated since 2019.

 

Bonus Question?: Has anyone bought from LFKeyboards recently (within the last 6 months) and is able to confirm that they are still an active vendor? I tried sending an email to their support email address a month or two ago, but haven't received a reply from them, and I'm tempted to strike them off from the main post as an inactive vendor.

[geo3]

1 hour ago, Eschew said:

Help Contribute! - Cable Vendors

Bumpity-Bump!

 

Been taking an interest in custom cables and aviator cables recently, and I was curious whether peeps'll be able to help me out? Window-shopping for cables sorta made me think about how awfully lacking this thread is when it comes to custom/aftermarket cable vendors (...it's also lacking in other areas too, but... LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOWWW*. ).

 

*It's Joke™. Lemme know what areas you'd like to see improvement in, and I'll see what I can do?  I know I need to work Stabilizers (plate-mounted, PCB-mounted, screw-in, Costar), and I'm planning to add more entries under the table of MX-stem switches. AS SOON AS I CAN stop procrastinating FIND SOME TIME IN MY DAY.

 

The cable vendors (U.S.-Based) that I've come across so far are:

  Hide contents

• 1UPKeyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Alpherior Keys: Mediocre Selection.
• Dixie Mech: Sold Out. Extremely Limited Selection.
• Donut Cables: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Dream Cables: Mediocre Selection.
• Flashquark: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Kono Store: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Kraken Keyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Matrix Keyboards: Mediocre Selection.
• Mechanical Keyboards: Limited Selection.
• Mechcables: Good Selection. (Not yet added to main thread.)
• Oh, Keycaps!: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Rosecables: Mediocre Selection.
• Sentraq: Sold Out. Extremely Limited Selection.
• Spacecat Design: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Unicomp: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Upgrade Keyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• WASD Keyboards: Extremely Limited Selection.
• Zap Cables: Mostly Sold Out. Limited Selection.
• Marketplaces: Etsy.

From my observations, prices seem to range between $30 for super basic, single-sleeved, un-coiled cables, to $60+ for double-sleeved, coiled cables with aviator connectors, and $100+ for gold-plated connectors, longer lengths, and super thicc coiled ones. Yes? No?

 

---

 

Primary Question: How much have y'all paid for your custom cables (details of the cable too, pls), and which vendor(s) have you bought them from?

 

Secondary Question 1: Does anyone have any other cable vendors they'd like me to add to the main post?

Secondary Question 2: Has anyone bought from Winnja recently (within the last 6 months) and is able to confirm that they are an still an active vendor? I know they've done cables in the past, but I'm only interested in adding active vendors to the main thread, and their site's copyright/policies haven't been updated since 2019.

 

Bonus Question?: Has anyone bought from LFKeyboards recently (within the last 6 months) and is able to confirm that they are still an active vendor? I tried sending an email to their support email address a month or two ago, but haven't received a reply from them, and I'm tempted to strike them off from the main post as an inactive vendor.

I ordered from Winnja in Feb and received the order in May. 

 

I spent $150 for 2 PC side cables with quick connects and 4 Keyboards side cables. 

[Drama Lama]

On 6/26/2020 at 2:06 AM, Eschew said:

[2.4] Functional Layouts

Functional layout is the firmware-mapped arrangement of keys on the keyboard, and is different from mechanical/physical layout (Section 2.3). The most widely used layout is QWERTY, but others also exist and may be more popular in certain countries.

@Eschew

small suggestion to add to the layout section: note that not all QWERTY and QWERTZ layouts are the same ( but also depend on country and region ) . For example swiss and german layout are both QWERTZ but still differ in some keys.

thanks.

[Dissitesuxba11s]

On 11/21/2020 at 7:09 PM, Eschew said:

Zap Cables: Mostly Sold Out. Limited Selection.

I would not label Zap Cables as such since they cater to the custom cable community more than the ones that just want to buy a cable out right. If you want a custom cable for cheaper and a lot quicker, then just make it yourself assuming you know how to solder. Zap has a huge selection of cable sleeve colors and materials, and I have personally made one for my TKC1800 (see image). It cost me about $20 (including shipping) to make this cable.

 

 

[Eschew]

2 hours ago, Drama Lama said:

small suggestion to add to the layout section: note that not all QWERTY and QWERTZ layouts are the same ( but also depend on country and region ) . For example swiss and german layout are both QWERTZ but still differ in some keys.

thanks.

Thank you for the feedback! Rephrased the entry under Functional Layouts (Section 2.4), per your suggestion. Changes are highlighted in green.

On 6/25/2020 at 5:06 PM, Eschew said:

[2.4] Functional Layouts

Functional layout is the firmware-mapped arrangement of keys on the keyboard, and is different from mechanical/physical layout (Section 2.3). The most widely used layout is QWERTY, but other layouts and variants of these layouts also exist and may be more popular in certain countries.

Admittedly, I'm a little hesitant to elaborate on or add more photos/content to the Functional Layouts section because 1) discussing layouts is not the main focus of the thread (Custom Mechanical Keyboards), and 2) personal preferences. I'm very against artificial padding when it comes to thread/posts -- as in, bloating up the thread length without adding any substantial value to the topic (dumping irrelevant photos of the same thing would be one example). Also, the entirety of Section 2.0 is meant to provide a bit of background info about keebs -- enough to understand the basics, without bombarding newbies with confusing info. If readers are interested in reading more about the nuances of keyboard layouts, I've also provided my sources in the Bibliography (Section 7.4).

 

2 hours ago, Dissitesuxba11s said:

I would not label Zap Cables as such since they cater to the custom cable community more than the ones that just want to buy a cable out right. If you want a custom cable for cheaper and a lot quicker, then just make it yourself assuming you know how to solder. Zap has a huge selection of cable sleeve colors and materials, and I have personally made one for my TKC1800 (see image). It cost me about $20 (including shipping) to make this cable.

Interesting. Although, my current standard for Online Vendors and Marketplaces (Section 7.0) is: if an established vendor has listed at least one product, part, or accessory relevant to custom mechanical keyboards, and is currently capable of providing support for that product/part/accessory, then I'm willing to list them in the thread (I have a bias against pre-built manufacturers, however. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). In my eyes, Zap Cables qualifies for the Vendors list because, on top of offering a (limited) selection of USB cables, they also do deskmats, and their store is up-to-date thus far.

 

Thank you for the feedback, however! Apologies that we don't see eye-to-eye on the matter.

[Drama Lama]

14 hours ago, Eschew said:

Admittedly, I'm a little hesitant to elaborate on or add more photos/content to the Functional Layouts section because 1) discussing layouts is not the main focus of the thread (Custom Mechanical Keyboards), and 2) personal preferences. I'm very against artificial padding when it comes to thread/posts -- as in, bloating up the thread length without adding any substantial value to the topic (dumping irrelevant photos of the same thing would be one example). Also, the entirety of Section 2.0 is meant to provide a bit of background info about keebs -- enough to understand the basics, without bombarding newbies with confusing info. If readers are interested in reading more about the nuances of keyboard layouts, I've also provided my sources in the Bibliography (Section 7.4).

thanks

most people use the american english layout anyway and if you are searching for a specific layout, you probably know this

[Eschew]

Help Contribute - Build Logs + Design Guides

 Wubba wubba bump. 

 

Fiiirst... #shameless-plug for @minibois's recent build log-plus-custom design guide!

If anyone's ever wondered how to get started on designing their own PCB, or what sort of nitty-gritty is involved in designing a keeb from scratch, I'd highly recommend checking out the mini_cardboard build log-slash-guide! It's informative, it's entertaining, and it's very accessible for beginners. mini_cardboard is a 2x2 keeb, but scale it up, and many concepts are still applicable to tenkey macropads, 60% compacts, TKLs, and even full-sized keebs.

 

---

 

Second, I've been reviewing Section [4.3] Assembly and found it very dissatisfying. Specifically, I'm aware that many keeb kits are different, and there's a multitude of ways to assemble the PCB + mounting plate + case together; it's... not as simple as "Standard PCB" uses one process, then "Hotswap PCB" uses one other process, as the megathread currently implies.

Spoiler

Custom Keyboard Mounting Styles Cheatsheet

The Custom Mechanical Keyboard thread currently doesn't account for all these different mounting mechanisms/assembly step-by-steps.

So! I'm planning to scratch the Section [4.3] Assembly altogether. In it's place, I'm thinking, a list of keeb build logs from forum members?

 

If LTT forum peepos have come up with informative, step-by-step, picture-packed build logs for their custom keebs -- in a dedicated thread, in a reply to the Mechanical Keyboard Club! thread, in a Blog post, etc. -- lemme know, and I'll consider adding it to the main thread? I'll even entertain YT build guides/timeskips, but emphasis on "custom," "informative," and "step-by-step."

• If submitting a YT video for consideration, please send me a PM instead of replying to this thread. I'm exercising my dictatorship (), and will count replies to this thread with YT embeds/links as undue advertising and channel promotion, and will read but will ignore those submissions.
• Apologies in advance, but I won't consider swapping the switches and/or keycaps of a prebuilt keeb as adequately meeting the "custom" criteria. I'm looking for from-the-ground-up assembly guides or build logs with something new and experimental added. 

[Entropy.]

Hihi! Have some basic suggestions that I think you might want to add?

 

-Expanded plate section? POM, FR4, Copper/Brass, ect. I know they're quite similar to others you might've mentioned, but I feel like it shouldn't be super hard to add, and might help out people that are new(er) to the hobby to see the exact plate they're looking for, and get a description?

 

-Perhaps a basic intro to modding stabs, andd a guide/link to mod guide for stabs? E.G Band-aid, Holee, lubing. 

 

-This is a stretch, but possible basic acoustics of a keyboard explained? E.G How [example] keyboard sounds like xx (high-pitched and clacky, low-pitched and thocccc-y, clocc-y (clack and thock), ect.), and what cases made out of different materials can make a switch sound, how keyacps can affect sound?

 

-Maybe a little peice on foam? What it can do to switch feel and acousitcs? Can correlate to the acoustics of a keyboard perhaps?

 

-Basic explainer (and perhaps a guide) on frankeinswitching? 

[Eschew]

2 hours ago, Brok3n But who cares? said:

Hihi! Have some basic suggestions that I think you might want to add?

 

-Expanded plate section? POM, FR4, Copper/Brass, ect. I know they're quite similar to others you might've mentioned, but I feel like it shouldn't be super hard to add, and might help out people that are new(er) to the hobby to see the exact plate they're looking for, and get a description?

 

-Perhaps a basic intro to modding stabs, andd a guide/link to mod guide for stabs? E.G Band-aid, Holee, lubing. 

 

-This is a stretch, but possible basic acoustics of a keyboard explained? E.G How [example] keyboard sounds like xx (high-pitched and clacky, low-pitched and thocccc-y, clocc-y (clack and thock), ect.), and what cases made out of different materials can make a switch sound, how keyacps can affect sound?

 

-Maybe a little peice on foam? What it can do to switch feel and acousitcs? Can correlate to the acoustics of a keyboard perhaps?

 

-Basic explainer (and perhaps a guide) on frankeinswitching? 

Thank you for the suggestions, thoughts and thought processes below:

• Expanded Plate Section: At your request, I've added POM, FR4, and Brass to the existing list of mounting plate materials. Copper, I'm not too familiar with; a quick Boogle suggests it's not too ubiquitous (i.e. Group Buys), though I could be mistaken. Also, I'm under the impression that pure, unalloyed copper would be rather susceptible to oxidation (if not immediately, then definitely over an extended period of time)? I realize that the existing notes on mounting plates is too vague for a direct comparison between two similar materials (e.g. POM vs. FR4), simply because I lack firsthand experience and secondhand resources. To standardize as many variables as possible, I'm specifically looking for a detailed account on typing experience and acoustics for all the listed mounting plates used in the same keyboard (or same keyboard configuration) -- as far as I'm aware of, I don't think such an account exists (yet)?
• Modding Stabilizers & Modding Switches ("Frankenstein" Switches): Hm. I'll put a tentative "Maybe" for this suggestion, for now. For the same reasons I won't cover modding switches in detail this thread (Section 7.3) -- limited experience, liability -- I won't be covering modding stabilizers (that is to say, I currently have zero experience modding stabilizers, lol). Also, I sorta consider switch and stabilizer modding to be too dense to cover within a simple "Introduction" to custom mechanical keyboards? There's basic mods like lubing, filming, and spring/stem swapping, some intricate details about modding BOX switches (or the limited ability to), then there's more intense/creative stuff like using a Dremel to sand down the switch's housings just to get rid of that 0.1% of scratchiness. Although, I might change tentative "Maybe" to an "Okay" once I feel more comfortable and more familiar with the topic.
• Keyboard Acoustics: This, I'm afraid, I can't think of an objective, systematic, and accurate way to cover. As I understand it, keyboard acoustics is rather dependent on the keyboard's parts, or rather, the combination of parts working in concert to provide that auditory feedback. Think more in terms of interactions between keycap-plus-switch with case-plus-plate-plus/minus-sound-dampeners, rather than properties that are inherent to any specific keyboard part? And that's not even considering how the nuances of different sound profiles are incredibly difficult to capture with mere words (example: imagine trying to convey how this sounds different from this).
  • Keycap Acoustics: Another dense topic with too many variables. Different materials, different profiles, different rows, modifiers, etc.
• Foam: Briefly mentioned under Sound Dampeners (Section 4.1), they dampen keyboard noises and reduce pinginess from keystrokes. I don't imagine they contribute much to how individual switches feel, but they could add more rigidity/less flex to the board for more consistent-feeling keystrokes? Though rigidity and flex is probably more related to how the foam is mounted in the case (Mounting Styles), rather than the foam itself, methinks.

Points and counter-points are welcome, I still consider myself a bit of an amateur when it comes to custom mech keebs.

And another thank you for your interest in the thread.

[Eschew]

Minor Update - Content Migration

From the main thread, the content of [Section 6.0] Online Vendors and Marketplaces has been migrated over to Custom Mechanical Keyboards - Vendors List. To save myself the trouble of separately updating two things every time there's a change, I will be removing the majority of Section 6.0's content on July 31, 2021. What will remain will be a link to the refreshed Vendors List, as well as any informative material (e.g. What is a Group Buy?).

• Note: I cannot simply copy-and-paste any time there's an edit to one thread or the other. For one, the different text editors are used. For another, the threads are organized differently.

 

Currently, the content of [Section 6.0] Online Vendors and Marketplaces is slightly outdated. What the refreshed Vendors List offers over this one:

• Table of Contents + Internal Links: Navigation should be significantly easier compared to this thread. Specific sections may be found without relying on the reader's ability to CTRL + F.

• Markdown Table: Stores are organized and separated by columns, rather than messy bullet-points.

• Strictly On-Topic: Replies to the main thread are focused on ongoing, up-to-date discounts, promos, giveaways, and custom keeb news. No extraneous comments, chit-chat (there's another thread for that), or memes.

 

I've intended to separate Section [6.0] from the main thread for a long time, but there's a specific direction I desired to take it in -- a no-nonsense thread that remains relevant and on-topic with up-to-date material, without frivolous, meme-y comments. I'm afraid threads here have a habit of being populated with unfocused, off-topic chit-chat, and unfortunately, as a plebian forum user, I haven't the ability to relocate off-topic material away from my thread. I'll accept that LTT'ers will do as they do, and take my intentions elsewhere.

 

Also, the thread over at A.S.S. is easier to organize (e.g. table of contents, internal links, markdown table), and its tabulated organization is closer to what I originally envisioned and desired the Vendors List to be. Editing is less annoying as well. The sheer length of this thread on LTT, or possibly the number of links crammed into one place, makes editing difficult and buggy -- the text editor sometimes freezes up completely and at random (i.e. it's difficult to replicate the issue), and it's fear-inducing and frustrating.

 

---

 

TLDR: I'm moving my Vendors List to A.S.S. and will update that one consistently. The existing one is currently outdated and will be yeeted on July 31, 2021.