Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects
A machined keyboard with machined caps
A machined keyboard with machined keycaps by saturnfig.
Published July 2, 2021
Creators! Feel free to tip me off about your keyboard related projects to bring them to 140K readers.
Gallery with lots of pictures and some info: https://imgur.com/a/HyNVOiF
Actual runtime + setup time on the case was ~70 hours (100 if you include the fixture) because I had to do 7 different setups and a lot of shifting and checking with my dial indicator until it was where I wanted it.
The whole thing was machined on a Haas mini mill, 16" x travel the case is 17.7" so that was what took so long. Also cutting the really small radius for the key switch cutouts took forever. The keycaps took a bit but not nearly as brutal as the case because 6 could be done at a time.
It "only" cost around $300. Most of the material was donated so that helped. Total BOM cost would be another $300 too.
Published on Fri 2nd Jul 2021. Featured in KBD #33 (source).
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