A '70s-style gasket-mounted monoblock split featuring Selectric I keycaps: Hacktrick by Tschibo00.
KBD.news Published January 20, 2025
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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, 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.