Issue 40 / Week 33 / 2021

This is a hand-picked selection of last week's content from a keyboard builder'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 entries in this issue:

Editorial

Behind the Scenes of Issue 40

Various pieces of original content, lots of progress in the background, Issue 39 follow-up, becoming familiar with my first mechanical typewriter, etc.

Review

Taiwan Jet Axis switch review

ThereminGoat ventures on vintage territory with reviewing Taiwan Jet Axis switches.

Projects

Low profile barobord

The low profile version of sadekbaroudi's barobord was added to the repo.

TA Royal Alpha 610

A TA Royal Alpha 610 typewriter turned into a keyboard in micho___'s first hand-wired project.

Community

Cherry MX turns 38

Cherry's genre-defining MX switches turn 38 years today.

Tips & Tricks

2nd gen Kailh hot-swap sockets

The new(?), 2nd generation hot-swap socket from Kailh comes in funky colors and is rated for 6000 swap cycles.

Dactyl flex PCBs

Open-source flex PCBs by janaka1 for Dactyls with adjustable row curvature.

Keyboard Spotting

Reuters tear-down

A detailed write-up on the Reuters trading keyboard.

Ergonomics of the 1880s

To put it mildly, this Hammond 12 typewriter with its "ideal" layout raises some questions.

Centurion terminal(?)

I hate when a single photo gets posted without context, but this Centurion looks gorgeous.

Inspiration

IBM Selectric teardown poster

Looking at this IBM Selectric teardown I'm glad we build mechanical keyboards and not typewriters.

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