Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects
cos(y) Kong
The cos(y) Kong by weteor is a 30 or 36 key 3-row keyboard with column stagger.
Published August 28, 2023
The cos(y) Kong is another twist in a series of weteor's minimal layouts, this time with a pretty uncommon columnar stagger (see also: Kong, Chonky Kong).
Apparently quitting is harder than I thought and after two month keyboard hiatus I've got some ideas exploring <30 key / 3-row layouts – weteor.
The PCB, with on-board RP2040 as controller, can also be used for a more spaced out 12u variant (top). For the 10u (bottom), which is in the author's opinion is better to use, the outer cols are broken off.
The columnar stagger makes this Kong-variant much more comfortable than a flat 3-row ortho layout. What's more, unlike normal col stagger, the highest column lies under the ring finger, which tilts the hands inwards and allows for a more natural hand position.
The case is resin printed and then spray painted with rust effect color spray and some layers of clear coat.
Features
- 30/36 switches
- hotswap sockets (MX)
- single PCB with optional break-off outer columns
- on-board RP2040
- case files are supplied (stl, dxf, as well as cadquery files)
- QMK with vial support
The author uses a Hands Down variant optimized for 28 keys by jcmkk3, called bird.
Resources
Published on Mon 28th Aug 2023. Featured in KBD #133.
Related
Easy75
An open-source 75/80% keyboard with encoder and display: Easy75 by Eddy Zhao.
Buran-Ortho
A monoblock split keyboard with orthoish halves: Buran by ScatteredDrifter.
‘Ākohekohe
A nice low-pro Hummingbird-like monoblock split by Reeve: ‘Ākohekohe.
TrueStrike42
An open-source Hall-effect unibody split keyboard: TrueStrike42 by Choi Byungyoon.