Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects
Wooden Alps keyboard
A wooden keyboard by u/the5andmany with Alps switches and hand-filed switch plate.
Published May 15, 2022
As for the layout of the5andmany's handcrafted keyboard, it's mostly ortholinear – at least the alphas. The top switches are used for layer switching, escape and delete, and there is a dedicated arrow cluster too.
Beneath the nice doubleshot keycaps with Norwegian legends (scavenged from an old typewriter) the keyboard sports Matias clicky Alps switches.
Turns out typewriters didn't usually have updownleftright-keys… so for now they are 3d printed – the5andmany.
Raw materials for the hand planed wooden case are recycled too: the teak wood is from an old door, and the ash/maple? is of a pallet. Wooden parts are finished with Danish oil.
But there's still more to the story: the aluminum switch plate, mounted on foam pillows, is in fact handmade as well – using hand files:
I like the grind. It's a lot of work, but it's satisfying and time flies while listening to audiobooks – the5andmany.
More photos: here.
Published on Sun 15th May 2022. Featured in KBD #78 (source).
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