Mechanical Keyboards

I wonder what ideas could come up, but important for me is that it supports QMK firmware and maybe bluetooth.

I currently use a very heavy bella RGB ISO keyboard with brass and allumium casing for PC usage and would definetly ditch the chromebooks keyboard. Not sure if soldering my own Keyboard would be a good idea because I love using hotswapable keys.

I want some ideas and recommendations, maybe I will transform it into a cyberdeck?

(The chromebook doesnt run ChromeOS but Debian 12)

My Kaychron Q6 with 68g Boba U4T and 75g Zeal Clickiez.

Yo everyone! I have questions about using cheap and generic mechanical keyboards. For example the Royal Kludge RK61 which has wired, Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections. My host will be Linux machines. Do you see any security issues with using keyboards like that or were there any incidents of such devices being malicious?

Another concern might be the 2.4GHz USB that's included. Assuming it's not doing anything malicious is the connection encrypted or would you always instead use wired or Bluetooth? Thanks for any answers!

Updated from my temporary keychron caps. Turns out they were a good intermediary step in learning the 40% layout before going without legends on the keys.

Bought these from Temu. I'm guessing they're factory seconds as the dots are slightly misaligned (which I didn't put on the board) and the packaging was generic. Still, looks much better now and they feel fine.

A few photos of my Dropbear60

Just broke my third Ducky Keyboard. Two of them died to a few drops of liquid, The third fell on wooden floor from a height of about 1m. While my cheap-o mechanical keyboard has bathed in coffee, been yanked off my desk multiple times by its cable getting pulled by my chairs armrest and survived without any damage.

Hi all, here’s my first ever mechanical board for work! Very excited to wave goodbye to the current horrendous membrane keyboard that sits in my office. I’m already planning to swap the linear Reds for a silent tactile, currently looking at the Durock Shrimps - given how much this already cost me, that will wait a bit…

Hi everyone, I have a plank (v6 I think), and I kinda regretted having the 2u key instead of 2x1u (although I love it aesthetically, I would rather have two keys) Here comes the issue, the stabilizer is board mounted, so I can't just desolder the switch and take it out, but I would have to desolder everything to remove the plate. That sounds like a mess, so I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to get around it. Maybe trying to cut the stabilizer and pull it out without destroying the board? 😅

Hello, I'm looking for any custom keyboard/pcb that requires the components to be soldered directly to it, and uses a atmega32u4. I happen to have a promicro board that I ripped the USB connector and traces from it, so with this new spare chip I was looking to try building something :)

I know most PCBs that can be bought will come with the components already soldered, but I'm open to protects where the pcb needs to be send to be manufactured.

I have have been using my pteron36 layout for long time, wanted to have a unified experience of mouse and keyboard without the mouse keys. So added a trackpad

My first (and only) 100% keyboard with Gateron red switches and Max semitransparent keycaps. The QWERTY legends are on the sides, on the tops I painted NEO legends, which I prefer for work and serious writing.

I am still looking for a print service that will make me custom legend keycaps within Europe. But I am afraid that will stay a dream.

Sorry it's not an MK, but keyboard cables seem relevant still.

I needed a cable and I wasn't really happy with the options available to purchase for keyboard cables. Either the length was wrong, the price was too high, the shipping too high, the colour too weird, the USB ends not nice, etc. etc. so I figured I'd build my own.

I got all the parts off AliExpress.

• Paracord
• USB connector with black metal shell
• USBC connector with black metal shell
• USB cable, black rubber sleeved
• Heatshrink (already had)

Sliding the cable through the paracord was surprisingly easy.

I don't have a wire stripper but it's not difficult to strip a wire with some wire snips (foreshadowing).

Things were going really smoothly so far, so time for hubris to kick in. Soldering onto the connectors was a bit of a nightmare. I had to desolder and recut the cable a few times, occasionally my method of desleeving caused me to cut through the wire which meant the other 3 had to be cut down to match the length as well. I burnt my hand on the soldering iron, I guess that is the blood sacrifice that it demanded for my mistakes...

I was kind of annoyed at this point and didn't think to take a photo of the soldering process. But I captured the end result.

Now with this particular USB A connector, there are 5 pins. Apparently for micro USB compatibility. So I sounded it out with a multimeter to make sure I had the right pins and confirmed with a diagram online. I had finished assembling the cable at this point and plugged it in but it was not working... Apparently the probe slipped a little while I was checking pins AND apparently the diagram online was incorrect. So the white D- wire had to be moved over one pin. This required disassembly to fix. Luckily, it did not break anything when I plugged it in - had it been VCC in the wrong spot it might have done some damage!

Finally it was done and working and I'm happy with it. Fingers crossed my dodgy soldering does not short 🙏

I have plenty of parts left over so I plan on making more but next time I will get a wire stripping tool...

Figured I should share my latest Helix build. I have enough boards to make 5 more of these but it still comes out to about $120 per keeb. Wireless is expensive. Please feel free to ask me any questions. I soldered it for for RGB lighting as well but haven't had a chance to test them yet since ZMK doesn't have proper RGB support. These are built using Nice!Nanos.

My next build will be the same as this but with Sunset switches and smokey translucent keycaps.

Laneware L-pad

Haimu silent tactile switches

Novelties:

• HolyOOPS Totoro aluminium cap

• GMK Plum

• GMK Camping

• GMK Pono

• GMK Hallyu

The macro pad itself is kind of meh, with some QC issues. Would not recommend it for the price considering how many other options are now available in that price range with more utility.

I'm using Boba U4s at home and enjoying them, but I'm looking to build something new for work and I'm assessing my options.

Durock shrimps are on my radar. I've enjoyed Zealios in the past, but it seems like the consensus is that Zilents actually aren't that Zilent because of up-stroke noise.

Is there anything else I should consider? Also not opposed to some switch mods or franken switches.

Bad Wings: Slim - My final (and favorite) XSwitch project.

• 7mm tall (9mm with rubber feet)
• Weighs 3oz fully built.
• Bluetooh via XIAO BLE
• CR2032 replaceable battery
• Open Source

One of my more basic keyboards that I use for work. Can't go wrong with a custom ESC key.

PhaseOne with lubed Healios v2 and OmniType Modo Light. Definitely my favorite out of my collection.

I've been waiting for this set for FOREVER and I'm so excited to throw it on a board of mine. Pics to come when I do :D

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.onlylans.io/post/488

My home office setup:

• Planck v7 board
• Drop + Matt30 MT3 Susuwatari keycaps
• Gazzew U4T switches
• Pimoroni Keybow Mini (with kiwi to control smart-devices)
• Handmade leather wrist rest for ergonomics

Hi! It is my first post in this community in Lemmy. I just wanted to show my ortholinear KB. It is a KpRepublic BM40 (plank-like) with Cherry Brown switches.

I built it 8 months ago and I love it, for every day work and for working elsewhere beacause it is very easy to carry in my backpack.

I hope you like it.

I know.. it's horrible, I need a replacement. But this board almost perfectly fills my use case of usage from the couch on my TV/Monitor, wireless, full size (numpad needed for work stuff), balances great on my lap, or across my legs when sitting in weird positions on the couch cross-legged or one leg tucked. Built in Wrist rest to help balance and grab when putting down or on the back of the couch.

I got a Keychron K4 last year, but a little too thick, with full height keys and no wrist wrist make it uncomfortable. The length is about as short as I could go.

So I guess that means I'm looking for:

• Low Profile
• Full Size, 1800 or 96% something in that area
• Wrist wrest
• Obviously, Mech or I guess optical. but I'm done with Scissor Switches and Membranes.

Was looking at the Keychron K5 Series, and am tempted but the lack of space in front of the keys is my only hesitation. I know this world is big and I am only familiar with a small portion of it (keychron, GMMK, what I see here). Anyone got any recommendations for something similar to the Logitech K800, but you know... good.

Right now at work, I'm using the GMMK Pro I started with that has lubed Boba U4T I got from a local marketplace and knock off GMK Black Lotus Caps.

Current work setup, lubed Matcha switches in a Womier K87 and Keychron Q0.