Issue 152 / Week 4 / 2024
This is a hand-picked selection of last week's content from a keyboard enthusiast's perspective. Posts that may teach you something, make you think and contribute to the common knowledge of the DIY builder community.
There are 11+11 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #152
Keyboard projects, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, new vendors and discount codes!
Projects
Lynx CAT
The Lynxware CAT is a set of split input devices built with mouse switches, open sourced by Ape_Devil of Lynxware.
MagWave44
DreaM117er shared his MagWave44, a Dactyl Skeleton derivative ergo split with magnetic tenting.
Rasti64
Penk Chen's Rasti64 is a 64-key, low-profile board sporting the author's custom keycap set.
Ocreeb MK2
Salim Benbouziyane shared the files of his Ocreeb MK2, a modular macropad system exploring the idea of a custom magnetic connector that lets you attach all sorts of external modules.
Cornepad
Andrea Varotto shared the files of his Cornepad, a unibody keyboard with a numpad in the center.
Sally
Sally is a 3D printed split keyboard with a staggered Alice-like layout – designed by keeb_carving.
Manifold
The manifold is a handwired keyboard in a 3D printed IBM SSK-like case. Designed by _galile0.
ScottoDeck
Joe Scotto made a streamdeck: the ScottoDeck is handwired and diodeless.
Snowflake
Takashi shared the Gerbers of his Snowflake macropad.
Doom keycap
Brostafarian open sourced the keycap that plays Doom.
Quick news
Altair and Altair-X by ai03. Pretty common split layouts in a much less common alu case, gasket mounting and plate/foam stack – at least in the split scene.
New low-pro keycaps by Tai-Hao? The profile looks cylindrical like MCC but with MX stem. At least mounted on MX caps in all the photos I've seen, but the caption says "MX/Choc".
Handwired: a one-handed keyboard for the Taipo layout by u/hadybaal, and Jocon 36, a gaming pad by u/Fickle_perceptions.
Closed source: Lunch Money is a cheap trough-hole split by Syphin and UpperDecker. The designers are looking for international distributors.
WIP: a monoblock Le Chiffre/Cornelius mashup by ADreamOfStorms. And the split Staggersaurus by awesome-ice.
Keyboarddweebs's Alex is giving away one-handed keyboards to anyone with a disability who needs one. These are 8-key Octoplus Trios with artsyio layout.
Scratchy factor: RTINGS not just tested smoothness for 100+ switches, but did it as objectively as they could. Article + video. It turns out that the perception of smoothness is affected by sound as well.
A Chiffre+ posted by Monkeycrunk. Satin finish case made of raw brass.
NotFormSam's Trigon with its modular wrist rest is an interesting concept: "personalize with color chips and middle name badges".
Bloodwood endgrain Choc by u/con_work.
splitkb.com, MoErgo Glove80, ZSA Technology Labs, u/chad3814, Aiksplace, @keebio, Upgrade Keyboards, Cyboard, Ashkeebs, Sean Grady, Jacob Mikesell, Jason Hazel, @kaleid1990, KEEBD, kiyejoco, littlemer-the-second, Christian Lo, ghsear.ch, u/motfalcon, Bob Cotton, FFKeebs, @therick0996, Joel Simpson, Richard Sutherland, Christian Mladenov, Lev Popov, TurtleKeebs, Daniel Nikolov, Schnoor Typography, u/eighty58five, Mechboards, Caleb Rand, Skyler Thuss, Yuan Liu, James McCleese, Benjamin Bell, Ben M, Spencer Dabell, zzeneg, Matthias Goffette, Anatolii Smolianinov, Hating TheFruit, Penk Chen, Davidjohn Gerena, Vitali Haravy, anonymous, Clacky, Shnobble, Alex Miller, Gavin Folgert
Your support is crucial to help this project survive.