Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects

Tempest v2

The updated Tempest by Oliver Thurley features a snap-off pinky key.

KBD.news
Published September 8, 2025

Oliver Thurley (aka thrly/Background_Reporter9) shared an update of his open-source split Tempest: version 2 features a snap-off pinky key, among other changes. (Here is the post of the original Tempest, based on the Corne, with some splay and modified thumb key angles.)

Updated my Tempest design to version 2, adding the extra keys (like TOTEM) as snap-off pcb so you can choose 36-38-key version, tweaked the stagger for better vim hjkl comfort, and also added nice!display option – Backgound_Reporter9.

Features

• 36-38 keys (5x3+3)
• low-profile Choc switches, hotswap
• splay
• nice!nano
• nice!view support
• reversible PCB
• ZMK firmware

Resources

• https://github.com/thrly/tempest

Published on Mon 8th Sep 2025. Featured in KBD #198 (source).

Related

Avlo44

The Avlo44 is a unibody split with exposed diodes designed by u/jrp22.

FiFi

A classy FiFi build by brickbots (gallery, PCB, case).

Split typewriter

Rheinmetall Portable Ergonomic Typewriter from ~1935. Posted by hardboiledbabylon (r/mk).

Raveniung

FearlessSpiff's Raveniung is a Reviung-derivative unibody split with oak plate.

Form Neo

Tien Pham shared his Form Neo, a relatively low-profile monoblock keyboard.