Keyboard Builders' Digest / Inspiration
Apple Ergo Mech Keyboard
Apple ergo split mechanical keyboard? No, not that Apple. JMAWWorks carved this beautiful case out of curly apple wood.
Published May 24, 2023
This apple split was Jeremy Wright's (aka JMAWWorks) first attempt at several things, including upgrading his WFH setup, split ergo keyboards in general, Colemak layout, and designing & building a case as well.
Curly Apple wood from a neighbor’s cut down tree, not Palo Alto – JMAWWorks.
The beautiful case conceals a W-Ergolite wireless split keyboard from keyclicks.ca, with Gateron Wisteria switches and Nuphy Shiokaze keycaps. The overall height of the build is 22 mm.
While I’ve worked at a computer for decades, I’ve never been a touch typer. As an engineer, I sometimes obsess about optimization and ergonomics. So I thought it was a good opportunity to finally learn to type with QWERTY alternatives and treat myself to some desktop bling. What started out as a simple desire for an upgraded experience, quickly turned into massive research comparisons and I finally landed here. As a hobby woodworker, I wanted to attempt to bring a little of that to my desk as well. I came up with a sandwiched bezel solution that retains the low profile of this board but adds some hygge to my workspace – JMAWWorks.
The intriguing wooden fidget in the middle is a Möbius strip carved from the same wood last year. It was purely coincidental that the shape lined up well with the curve of the case, so the author thought to include it as well.
More on the Möbius piece here.
And a quick summary of how the case was made:
Published on Wed 24th May 2023. Featured in KBD #123 (source).
Related
Walnut board
This handwired walnut keyboard by u/gregschlom was CNCed from a single piece of wood which acts as the case, plate and cable guide as well.
CorkBoard60 prototype
The CorkBoard60 is a prototype by carvallegro - of cork.
PCB 68 keyboard
A bluetooth PCB via SuperMini in a wooden case: PCB 68 keyboard by alan0ford.
Figured walnut case
JPSwagDaddy's first build has a handmade figured walnut case.