Behind the Scenes of Issue 27

First-hand experience of bad ergonomics, personal favorites, evaluating kbd.news performance, new supporters (and their management).

In this piece: On the importance of ergonomics and a healthy workplace. Personal favorites. Some charts and comparison of the old and new site. Also, with more lovely supporters on board my workflow keeps getting more complex. I've written some scripts to manage this part of the publication process.

On the importance of ergonomics and a healthy workplace

I've done half of this issue in a hotel room. A very nice hotel room I have to say: spacious, modern, designed with great taste, but one without a proper desk or table. And it was a torture…

[…]

This is exclusive or early-access content for my supporters on BMC.

If you can't afford supporting this project, don't worry, I might publish parts of these write-ups later.

Btw, the full story is 6300+ characters long and you can read it at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dovenyi/behind-scenes-issue-27

enigma36

Enigma36 - A handwired unibody keyboard with underglow and trackpoint by sadekbaroudi.

The amoebas are secured in that they are connected to the switches, and the switches are secured to the case.

The gerbers were grabbed from the git repository and sent to a PCB manufacturer.

Videos: https://imgur.com/gallery/vHC8Sze

Amoebas used: https://github.com/mtl/keyboard-pcbs/tree/master/amoeba-royale

Thumb joystick: https://www.adafruit.com/product/444

Bridged Lagrange

A new update to the design of the Lagrange keyboard by dpapavas.

The Lagrange keyboard (repo) is an open source, handwired keyboard designed for ergonomics. It isn't new, it was introduced around New Year's (featured in KDB Issue 10), but papavas tried to improved the design further with the newest iteration.

The design now features an optional "bridge" accessory, which attempts to address the last remaining grievance the author had with it, namely that due to its split nature, each side tended to drift out of place over time.

Besides requiring frequent readjustment, this also gives your hands a "moving target", in the sense that the key placement it needs to adjust to, is always different. It's also made significantly worse (with respect to a typical split keyboard, like the Ergodox say) by the high tenting angle.

The bridge is a linkage (made from printable parts and easily sourced threaded rods) that can be adjusted to hold the two sides at a given separation distance and "toe angle". You adjust it once (well hopefully, or at least rarely if you have to experiment with different setups) and the sides stay at the same relative position, as if the keyboard wasn't split. Secondarily, it also serves to guide the cable along the bridge and keep it out of the way.

For more information check the (project page) or the build guide.

Tented Levinson with joystick

A tented Levinson with joystick by ThreepE0.

ThreepE0 wanted to put together a keyboard that was a bit more ergonomic for gaming. Basically just a Levinson on a ramp with a thumb stick connected to the F0, F1, and C7 pins.

Currently the thumbstick simulates WASD, mouse input, or it can present itself as a joystick to the OS. Can also be used to shift layers.

In a next revision the thumbstick will be moved closer to keys.

3D print files pending.

Gallery: https://imgur.com/gallery/kDUMz4A

More pics with hand placement: https://imgur.com/a/LgCQFnk

A Commodore inspired Planck 64

A Commodore inspired Planck 64 with resin keycaps by 23_Andreas.

The alpha prototype of the case is PLA printed and the recess with the label is just a decal for now.

To reconstruct the original profile, the keycaps were scanned. At first, some keys were printed with PLA, but the author quickly switched to photopolymer resin for accuracy and detail.

"This version was kept white for a more modern look, something Commodore also went for with the C64C and C64G." The next version will sport the classic brownish colors.

For more details check the keebtalk post.

Custom Kyria

A Kyria built by _GEIST_ with trackpoint, haptic feedback and custom plates.

For more pics and some details check this gallery: https://imgur.com/gallery/smkwnOJ

Splitkb cases: https://github.com/splitkb/kyria

A small riddle

A small riddle by SouthPawEngineer.

This keyboard has 46 keys. Can you find them all?

EZ MX switch opener

EZ MX switch opener. No more sore fingers? Posted by fnu_lnu_.

This relatively new switch opener by Gateron is already available on Aliexpress.

E.g. from this seller.

Definitely not cheap (above $30), but classy and may prevent your fingers from getting soar after opening a bunch of switches.

Shiba cafe

A cute typing game for anyone who needs another excuse to use a custom keyboard. Posted by hey_its_me_ur.

Try it here: https://jub.itch.io/shiba-cafe

Laser cut custom keycaps

Laser cut custom wooden keycaps by jere344.

One way of making cheap wooden keycaps is using a laser cutter.

The fact you can't see such keycaps very often on r/mk may indicate their quality or sturdiness leave much to be desired.

However, according to the author, these work pretty well and it's relatively easy to do in a row (about 5 minutes per key).

More pics: https://imgur.com/a/6jY5tLM

This one is still a prototype and jere344 will try to improve it before engraving and painting it.

He plans to use these in a macropad or as a media key so it's not too likely to be damaged with use.

Here is another similar project from more than a year ago by knot-a-robot with an open source vector file.

3D printed PLA/mussle shell keycaps

This Planck EZ by Shib_Mc_Ne features 3D printed PLA/mussle shell keycaps. With source files.

Flat keycaps for an ortholinear keyboard with Cherry MX switches.

Source files:https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/67474-flat-mx-keycap

Quick and dirty combination of the following models :

• keycap: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4571242
• shank: https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/35594-tight-cherry-mx-cap

The base plastic is PLA, but the added mussel shell powder gives it a cool "natural" look. One downside is that it grinds the nozzle a bit.

Bought from: https://francofil.fr/product/filament-pla-moule/

They also sell wheat and coffee filaments, as well as several others. It seems like you can add almost anything to PLA if you grind it fine enough.

This filament is sometime a little hard to print, but there were no issues during printing (Prusa i3 MK3S).

The fit of the shank on Cherry switches was perfect with Prusa's "Generic PLA" settings.

Hard line hand wire

A hard line hand wire system by Nightwish612.

Nightwish612 is building a stream deck with an old Fire 7 tablet and hexagon keys.

He decided to try a hard line hand wire this time.

Follow-up on 2021-05-25 with new picture here.

Modification for easier reach

A Jorian keyboard with slight modification for easier reach by hulianomarkety.

Email anno 1984

Emailing anno 1984 when over seas. Posted by hagr.

The way you would check your emails from a train/your hotel room back in 1984.

Featuring a fancy modem and a Tandy TRS-80 Model 100:

('Database's' Tony Bastable demonstrates the art of emailing 1980's style when over seas. First shown on Thames TV in 07/06/1984.)

As a happy coincident, there was a post in r/CyberDeck about a reporter who used a TR-80 back in the day writing about the Tandy TR-80 Model 100 (typed on a TR-80 Model 100): This TRS-80

A great read, however, contrary to a statement in the article, this model was definitely not the first portable computer, nor the first laptop/notebook computer. (The first one of this form factor was the Epson HX-20.)

A Brief History of Numlock

A Brief History of Numlock and Arrow Keys by @figmadesign. Posted by charlesatan.

A great write-up from @figmadesign:

https://twitter.com/figmadesign/status/1395445717783613443

Burroughs electronic check writer

A Burroughs Model T9929 electronic check writer spotted.

The original post has been deleted by the mods for some reason, but I managed to save the picture of this beauty anyway.

I'm not sure what a check writer or check embosser is, but I can almost feel the weight of these thick vintage keycaps.

1983 IBM PCjr

1983 PCjr keyboard from IBM posted by rpiguy9907.

This is the model which replaced the infamous chicklet PCjr keyboard regarded as one of the worst keyboards ever:

"The PCjr is widely considered to be one of the worst keyboards ever designed, and considered to be one of the main reasons why the PCjr was a commercial disaster." (Deskthority)

However, the improved model on the picture is still nothing special in terms of key switches, it's just rubber domes so it's not unusually awful either.

To quote CrazyComputerist: "It has a pretty nice compact layout, dye sublimed PBT caps, a glorious square metal badge, and looks a lot like a baby Model F. If they had buckling springs, people would certainly be paying a fortune for them and using them with modern machines."

Big boi inspiration

A retro frankenstein machine incorporating a Famicom/NES clone, a keyboard and a tv screen. Posted by chad3814.

(Original source.)

Topre keyboard

Office Topre keyboard by Buzanoff.

What an exotic layout! Quite unusual numpad with dedicated 00 and triple 0 keys, and my favorite: "harmony room" button.

Laser-etching keycaps

Laser-etching keycaps for a cyberdeck. Posted by Tinfoil_Haberdashery.

The keycap is an opaque PBT one. The UV laser seems to denature the pigment and/or ablate the surface in a way that makes gray marks.

The laser used was a SFDC SFX-UV and it is a 3W engraving laser. (A galvo head UV fiber laser.)