Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects
Hacktrick
A '70s-style gasket-mounted monoblock split featuring Selectric I keycaps: Hacktrick by Tschibo00.
Published January 20, 2025
Hacktrick was a special project by Tschibo00 to bring Selectric I keycaps back to life in a MX keyboard. It required conversion of the keycaps scavenged from this iconic typewriter, and also rotated MX switches. The keyboard is gasket mounted with a special sound guidance feature to have a more bassy sound.
This is my latest creation, Hacktrick, a gasket-mount keyboard to use converted Selectric I keycaps. I adore the 70s style of the original keycaps, so I had to use them in a keyboard as I was able to get hold of a broken Selectric I with mint keycaps. The Selectric was used in the 70s in some government office in Hamburg, thus has a German layout – Tschibo00.
To keep the Space Age style, the case is painted glossy bright orange with chocolate brown, reminiscent of the Braun alarm clocks of that era.
Features
- 33 keys (5x3, Katana layout)
- MX switches, hotswap (standard stem only, no box or circular)
- RP2040-Zero controller
- encoder
The layout is basically a 33-key Katana layout. The switches – Gateron Lunar Probe – are mounted sideways to be able to use the keycaps without any adapter. The Selectric caps are originally mounted on levers, thus the stem is wider in the north-south direction. To use them the switch needs to be rotated, because the MX top housing hole is wider in east-west direction.
The ball head is mounted onto a special adapter to be used as an encoder.
To have a nice sound, the keyboard also features a wave guide in the back part.
Resources
Published on Mon 20th Jan 2025. Featured in KBD #184 (source).
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