Issue 178 / Week 45 / 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+17 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #178
Keyboard projects, KBDcraft GIVEAWAY!, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, new vendors and discount codes!
Switch trends
Best-selling keyboard switches of October, 2024
In this month's overview of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are October's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.
Review
Akko YU01 review
The full-resin Akko YU01 keyboard elevates RGB lighting to a whole new level as the case acts as a giant diffuser. 65%, hot-swappable, wireless, featuring Akko Piano switches and ASA keycaps.
Projects
Kolossus
A sub-40% monoblock split with trackball and encoder: Kolossus by Protieusz.
Clops
A QAZ-like monoblock split: Clops by Calvin0563 – with on-board RP2040 and optional encoders.
Limbo
LostPistachio's Limbo is a relatively slim Dactyl-like keyboard with vertical thumb keys.
The Phasmic keyboard
Phasmic is a magnetic framework to build modular keyboards – shared by Tan Guan Hong.
Ortho 4x10 TKL
Rob Quinn made a super-cute ortho "TKL", the aptly named Ortho TKL. :)
Smallcat
Smallcat is a 26-key split keyboard by Matt Petiteau, featuring the author's cat, Lila.
Krtkus 62
The 5x12 ortholinear Krtkus 62 is a low-profile keyboard open sourced by Jan Bláha.
Credit card sized macropad
This macropad, about the size of a credit card, was shared by Ziddy Makes.
Quick news
Velvet V3 released. I love the redesigned case. It's open source by the way, so a dedicated post is imminent, but a review unit is on the way too. Expect an in-depth write-up soon.
The ScottoChoczard is the Choc-spaced low-pro version of Joe's ScottoHazard. Handwired, wireless, with fancy momentary switches on the "wings".
Sasha Karmanov (Ak66666) made some ALPS switch support brackets for the ThumbsUp! v.5.
Tips
Clean nice!view customization by Oleksandr Vasyliev aka infely.
Reducing key travel with 3D printing. Fellow redditor jmding made a thing. STL here.
2+1 typing games: In Blue Smoke's Drak(c)ula you type-read Bram Stoker's horror novel Dracula. And yazeenq's Typing Ninja is a fast-paced word-slashing typing game. Both are in the free demo phase. Bonus: Another WIP typing game by Joshua318 – the more you type the more cats show up and give you love.
Closed-source, WIP, etc.
dynam1keNL is working on various sets of low-pro keycaps for Kailh's ultra low profile PG1316S switches. CAD models soon.
Koenigspiel is working on a brutalist split:
Liaison is a WIP split by dohn-joh, with his hallmark lever thumb keys. Repo coming soon.
BK-1 by asagilmore – preview of another ultra-low PG1316S split. More details soon.
Pinya is workin on a foldable prototype with Kailh's ultra-low PG1316s switches too.
Split62 by mhzizzi. A low-pro1plit created via Ergogen.
Ulti77 by TheGuyWhoCodes.
Keyboard art
Veddermandenis built this retro battlestation out of Lego pieces. Check out the post for many more photos with all the little details.
B&W wood? HueRifficCaps did something like that. These are made from lamitated died and bleached wood veneers.
splitkb.com, MoErgo Glove80, ZSA Technology Labs, Aiksplace, Upgrade Keyboards, @keebio, Cyboard, Jason Hazel, Jacob Mikesell, Sean Grady, kiyejoco, Ergohaven, KEEBD, @kaleid1990, littlemer-the-second, ghsear.ch, u/motfalcon, Timo, Bob Cotton, FFKeebs, @therick0996, Christian Mladenov, TALPKEYBOARD, Joel Simpson, Schnoor Typography, u/eighty58five, Daniel Nikolov, Caleb Rand, Skyler Thuss, Brendan P., James McCleese, Benjamin Bell, Yuan Liu, Ben M, zzeneg, Spencer Dabell, Anatolii Smolianinov, Penk Chen, Clacky, Matthias Goffette, Stefan S., Alex Miller, Hating TheFruit, Trey Causey, Mario S., Dylan Ingham, Gordon Diggs, Cloyce, Davidjohn Gerena, Shnobble, Raphael Stanzani, Duncan B., HubertTheMad, Jesse L., Andres Sakk, s_p_l_o_d_e
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