I spend far too long on KLE dreaming about custom caps that don't exist on boards I don't own: It's a lot of fun. I love that muted grey design of yours too. And congrats on the grab bag. I hope there are some you don't want since shipping shouldn't be too bad from Australia to Japan :)
i dod that too but then i contacted signature plastics and they told me that for one set i would have to spend 940$. in order to lower the price to around 150$ i'd have to let them make 75 sets. so yeah, there goes my keycap design. because generally not many people will group buy a german layout...
Just to let you know you can do light on dark with reverse dye sublimation, which also widens your color possibilities bc it's ink that colors it, not plastic
Hi Wesley, yes indeed, I certainly know that now (I've even done that using laser dye subbing myself, this video is certainly starting to get long in the tooth, so thank you for the comment for newcomers to see! :)
thank you so much for making these videos, dude! Just now getting into the scene and you are my go to guy. I trust you and you have great resources and don't rush any of it! Can't wait to build a 1 of 1 for myself!
@@nukert658 You can find footprints for choc switches now, and create your own PCBs in PCB design software like KiCAD, so yes, you can definitely make custom choc switch boards!
I wanted to make my own keyboard for an old retro machine and struggled to find ouw to do this - this video is awesome fior novices like myself! Many thanks
Its obviously a bit older now, the core concepts are the same, but if you have a look at the community right now, there is a bit of an implosion with group buys failing, vendors not fulfilling group buys, massive delays on production because of how many there are in the queue for keysets and so forth. You can still get stuff made as one-offs, but it just can be expensive. Best of luck!
Hey dude, awesome video! I am new to custom mechanical keyboards and got quickly overwhelmed by the inner workings & details of custom boards. I can't thank you enough for bringing to light these awesome resources that are kind of difficult to find and use on your own. I think DIY mechanical keyboards are about to blow up huge especially with the growing number of maker/ hacker spaces and the drive to create your own product solutions. Also the availability of custom manufacturing for custom & one off projects. Thanks for being a great ambassador for the community can't wait for your next video! ps. You should leave a link to your podcast website in the description
Hi Daan Bos, I just tried it at swillkb and it works fine, I have to click in the line space first before I can type. Perhaps try again or try a different browser.
I'm not sure, no-one so far has officially put their hand up, however TaeKeyboards has apparently been talking, possibly to MWave at doing one at their warehouse! You'll have to keep an eye out on Reddit, Facebook, and the Aus MechKeys discord!
Do you mean, after you do the KLE mock up? If you want production of the keycap set, you would need to reach out to a keycap manufacturer like GMK, or Signature Plastics to manufacture them for you.
what is the point of making a layout and then printing a case if you are going to have to make a PCB which is super hard, isn-t there a site that generates a pcb based on the layout_ otherwise it doesn-t make sense for 2 things to be super easy and then the other to need engineer skills.
Fair comment, however learning to create a PCB isn't hard at all. There is a number of guides out there that can teach you to do PCB design in open source software like KiCAD very quickly. You definitely do not need 'engineer' skills. There is an alternative option which is the hand-wire pathway, which works just fine, and is commonly used for unusual layouts that people want to test before spending the time in doing a PCB, since one of the aspects of PCB manufacturing is the minimum order quantity and of course cost. Having now created a number of PCBs, and also having handwired a few boards, yes, I have experience, but I would say to not be daunted by either of those pathways especially as you would be learning new skills in both.
@@theboard I saw that guide on your video and it was quite long. maybe hard wasn't the right word but it is at least time consuming. _"since one of the aspects of PCB manufacturing is the minimum order quantity and of course cost"_ What do you mean by this? isn't there a company that prints custom PCBs for users? or this is just business oriented? I simply want to create a pcb for my layout, not a bunch of them.
Most PCB fabrication services will have a minimum order quantity of 5. They won't run 1 single PCB, its just not cost effective for them. If you have access to a lab or makerspace that has a PCB CNC, then that is a different story, so like a university mechatronics department or electrical engineering department might have that kind of kit. Regardless of the size of the PCB and what is on it, most will have some kind of MOQ which will be higher than 1. In regards to time consuming, ok, that is a much more accurate representation of effort. You could always hand wire if you were after a one off, or, in the community, you could ask someone else to help you put it together, and some do this for a fee, others do it because they want practice, to help etc. Of course, the more you do, the faster you get at it since you know what you're doing and become experienced and skilled. The other aspect is, if you wanted to create a layout for you, there may be others out there who want your layout too and either don't know, can't be bothered, or aren't aware how your layout might benefit them. By showing it off, and having the community see it, you might find others who might want to buy the other leftover MOQ boards!
@@demi7416 Ah. So once you decide what kind of layout and colour choices you want in the set, you pretty much contact the manufacturer of choice (be it GMK, Signature Plastics, zFrontier, MaxKeys, etc), and get a quote from them for your set. They'll tell you minimum set quantities and price breakdowns, and well, gather up the cash (either through a group buy situation, or if you have cash reserves), pay, and then wait. Its not complicated in the big picture situation, what is complicated is the money part normally.
Thank you so much for your video and now I’m designing my own keyboard case. I’m currently stuck at the mount hole and the kerf things in the sandwich build. I’m planning to use three 3mm acrylic mid layer, one 3mm bottom layer, and one 1.5mm brass plate as switch plate. Would like to ask for any recommendation for the mount hole diameter?
Hi Marcus, your mount hole diameter will depend on your personal preference and the attachments you use. Most people will use either M2 or M3 standoffs inside the layers, and a variety of bolts/screws that go into the standoffs. Commonly are Pan head or Hex head type, less countersunk since that would require countersinking the top layer so the bolt/screw sits flush. For small boards/macropads, M2 is fine, but bigger ones that need more support, M3 is what people step up to. Once you move into M4+ sizes you really have to have quite wide bezels to fit the standoff holes.
The Board Podcast thanks for ur reply and it really helps! Just a simple question that there are so many types of m2 standoff that some have 4.5mm outer diameter while some have 3.2mm outer diameter. Which one is the m2 standoff you talked about 😅. Sorry I’m new to this.
@@marcusyungchong7944 There is no right or wrong one. Its 100% up to you which M2 standoff you're using which will dictate which diameter hole size you will incorporate in your plate files for cutting. The designation M2 is M is metric diameter of the bolt/screw thread and 2 is the size, i.e. 2mm. The standoff can be as big or small so long as the internal thread hole that is tapped takes a 2mm threaded bolt/screw. Some people will go bigger for look or strength (like hexagonal ones) others will go with smaller cylindrical standoffs etc.
It was mentioned that you can use the Plate & Case Builder CAD files to make a solid case. Is there any good resources and videos out there on how to do this?
There have been some streamers who have done streams on this, designing it from scratch, but I don't know specifically who, though they have been predominantly on Twitch however. You can probably ask on Reddit and get some pointers to resources/videos there.
You're looking at 5mm from the top of the switch plate to the bottom of the housing, and then the space underneath the housing to fit a controller. Its not unusual to run about 12-15mm inside including the plate thickness. You can always go deeper to give yourself more room (e.g. more closed layers), it just increases the overall height of the board by each layer you add.
You could possibly get some made via MechanicakKeyboards.com they do custom dyesub sets, but their profile choice is limited. I think they still offer that, you use their template and they can produce it, but its somewhat limited compared to a proper run with a manfacturer like GMK/SP.
Do you mean like an exploded diagram, or do you mean the potential layouts? The physical form is the same as a standard unless you get into HHKB or Winkeyless style, they're the standard 3....
i have a bunch of questions, in the plate & case builder i don't think it provided the case cad files, just the plate. if you could hop on a video call with me that would be amazing.
Hi Ritam, the case builder produces plate/sandwich files as it is intended that you use them directly to cut laser cut sandwich case parts, or use the output (e.g. dxf file) to create your own 3D machinable case files to suit your own design.
@@theboard For a keyboard, you need the case, then the PCB, then the plate, then the switches, then the keycaps. I don't understand what it means by the switch layer, open layer, etc.
@@ritamr2690 SwillKB/Ai03 plate generators will not give you a CAD file. Its as simple as that. What they do is take the layout of your keyboard produced in Keyboard Layout Editor (KLE), and draw the plate and corresponding holes for the switches to sit in. This is the plate layer. A sandwich case is like as it sounds, it is a number of layers like a sandwich, made of thin pieces of material. From a Top Down perspective side on, it would look like this: Top Plate (mostly decorative) Switch Plate (switches sit in this) Open Plate (its called open so there is cutout for USB port to poke through) Closed Plate (closed because no cutout for USB) Bottom Plate (the base of the sandwich case). Example of this is one by Qlavier: pbs.twimg.com/media/ENGlZsqXYAEKELJ?format=jpg&name=4096x4096 You can see all the layers built up inside, with a total of what looks like 7 layers, which includes Top, Switch, Open, Closed, and Base. Hope this helps understand what a sandwich case is. The other output from a KLE through SwillKB/Aio3 generator is that the digital format (.dxf, .eps, .svg) can be loaded into CAD software as a drawing/wireframe and then you would apply CAD design skills to build a case yourself around it.
Great video. One big question wasn't answered though. How to bring the design to reality? I mean, who can manufacture all-custom pieces (Especially the keycaps).
Hi Hamid, There are a lot of different fabrication businesses involved in the process. For PCB, its really your preferred PCB manufacturer. I for example use AllPCB, while others use JLCPCB, or OSHPARK etc. For keycaps, you're a little more limited, but still a large number of different vendors out there like Signature Plastics (aka Pimp My Keyboards), GMK, or going through the Chinese supply chain like to EnjoyPBT, Taihao, or unknown makers through vendors like KBDFans etc. For cases like acrylic cut, you have options like Ponoko, Laserboost, or local laser cutter services to you, for aluminium, you need to find and get quotes from CNC places, which are plenty abound, its just cost/location/capability to your needs. Hope that gives you a sense of the situation.
@@HamidBazargani No worries! If you're not on Discord, there is also the mechanical keyboard discord, there is reddit and geekhack, and a whole bunch of other sites for more support too!
Not sure what you mean by a custom profile, as in keycap profile, e.g. DSA, SA, XDA? Cherry MX is the switch type that has the + stem that the keycaps sit on.
@@theboard Sorry I just wanted a dsa xda and sa profile for some of mx style switches so i xan use the same color palet but with the profile fitting me
@@zhaiketoledo3658 You can buy blank DSA from a few vendors so can easily pick your own colours. XDA might be a little more challenging. SA you can also get coloured blanks from Signature Plastics.
So if you create your own using this approach, you send it to someone who renders it? and by render you mean they create it? and ship it to you? Sorry I am confused on the whole thing.
There are a bunch of different ways to do it. Renders are digital visuals that give you picture of what the end result. You can use the files that are created from SwillKB/Ai03/Keebio Plate generators to create 3D CAD files for a manufacturer to mill, or laser cut into a sandwich case. Trying to fully explain it in comments is a little difficult unfortunately.
@@theboard I understand fully. I am at the 54 minute mark in the video. It seems like a comment would definitely not suffice even the background information required to understand the simple trivialities of how to go about completing a keycap...
You need to have a top case part designed so that the screw holes in your plate line up with the holes in the top case. Then you need holes in your case bottom, to match other holes in the case top. KLE/SwillKB does not generate top mount plates/cases unfortunately, you will have to do this using other 3D modelling design software.
Its a bit outdated now since its a number of years old, but the basics are still quite applicable. You can reach me by emailing theboardpodcast at gmail dot com if you like :)
Now, more than a year and a half from the publishing of this tutorial, will you do something different? Thanks for your work, I've just ordered the switches and soon will begin the design :D
Hi M1008. What different things would you like to see? Through the rest of the channel, I've been working with and prototyping various layouts and PCBs, from my own, and others. The only thing that I really haven't done is made keysets because to get through through a successful group buy is quite challenging. If you'd like to give me more feedback on the things you'd like to see/hear about that is different, please let me know! :)
Is there a set of names for the different type of keycap legends? I thoroughly hate the keycap legend style everyone seems to be using where for example the right most key beside the right shift key is labeled "/ ?" compared to the old style where the same key has the "?" in the upper left and the "/" in the lower right. I really love the 'Black Pudding" style keycap but as far as I can find is only available in the new style which as I said, I hate!! I just purchased a Logitech K845 with MX Blues before I noticed that it was in this new Style.
Hi Evil Dave of Canada, You're looking for offset legends. It really comes down to the company making them and their moulds. GMK for example is one company that is very popular in the community, and their offset legends are top left/bottom left, where as Signature Plastics, another company, have their legends centered but in still two rows instead of the same row. GMK/SP are two main makers from the custom community, but there are others out there, so its a matter of either finding a company that has chosen top left/bottom right legends placement, or running a custom set to produce them in that position.
If I want to make a custom plate, how should I make sure that the plate has holes that line up for the PCB mounting screws? Thinking specifically about a Tada68...
You would need the schematic diagram of the tada68 mount holes and then edit the plate files from swillkb in something like inkscape/illustrator so they match. You might be able to get schematics from like GeekHack or asking people who have a Tada68 PCB to measure for you.
Hi, is possible to export switch layer into the Sketchup ? I need to print switch layer on my 3D printer. And can you show how to programe firmware for Teensy ?
You can save the .svg file, and then open it in Inkscape. Once in inkscape, you can export it into a file format that Sketchup will accept. Alternatively, if you have Sketchup Pro, you can import using EPS. What kind of 3D printer file do you take? If its a STL, I could possibly help you with a model file. If you would like to send a KLE layout link to theboardpodcast@gmail I can give it a try in converting it for you (you'd have to give me thickness as well). In regards to programming firmware for uploading using a Teensy, I am unable to help you there, I have never programmed using TMK or QMK, but in my Ergodox Video, I use the Teensy loader to flash the hex file onto the Ergodox which was very simple. You may get better assistance on Reddit for the programming.
Please get in touch with me via email? I would love to be able to help you out! I have converted and printed a switch plate on my own printer from KLE output, so..... no pressure, but if you want to, I'm here :)
Nice video, but essentially it's impossible to create a pcb as an electronic engineer, there must be a simpler way. It's incredible that no company has made a step by step procedure to create it, with the right infrastructure creating customs pcbs and keycaps is not a drama. I need a custom keyboard shorter than 24 cm with mine keycaps etc. But also with this awesome guide this seems out of my range
Its not impossible at all to create a PCB. Considering if you look through the rest of the videos on this channel, you will see so many videos of builds (including my own) where people have created their own PCBs for their own custom layouts. If you need help in making a custom keyboard shorter than 24cm, create the layout in Keyboard Layout Editor, ask the community in /r/mechanicalkeyboards on reddit, and someone there can help you make it happen.
Admitting that it could be possible and that I have created my own layout with my own pcb. But still I can't find a place where to make my own keycaps and I can't even imaging where to print the pcb, too.
So you can print the PCB with a number of manufacturers. AllPCB, PCBWay, PCBQuick, WellPCB, JLPCB, a lot of PCB manufacturers. You just need your PCB to be in an acceptable gerber file format for them to be able to manufacture. You can either solder on components yourself, or if you want assembly service, you just need to forward the components to them. In regards to custom keycaps, I'm not 100% sure what you mean about what you want to make, but you can buy your own colours/sizes depending on your profile from various vendors like Signature Plastics (pimpmykeyboard.com), or asian vendors like KBDFans, or on Aliexpress/Taobao too. If you need custom printed or colours, both Signature Plastics and GMK will do them, but they generally have minimum order quantities of 100+ sets.
So to have my custom keycaps (custom color and legend, no strange shapes) I have to convince 100 people to follow me on my custom pcb and for you this is not impossible. It's faster to build up a company of keycaps production :/ I thought that paying more there exists in the world a company producing custom color/legend keycaps not asking you for 100 orders.
You can always go for handwire one. Those two tools brought me in the hobby years ago. And they are still serving me well :) Plenty of how to's on the web and QMK will do rest :)
If you're talking about SwillKB, it will only produce flatfiles for laser cutting or further work into a 3D package. If you save the dxf, you should be able to import the dxf into something like Fusion to create a 3D extrusion version of the flat files.
At the moment, as far as I am aware of, you are not able to put custom QMK firmware onto the Vortext Vibe. It is something in-work, as the Vortex boards use a different micro-controller unit. This Github repository lists what they have got up to so far- github.com/pok3r-custom/qmk_pok3r You will need to have a good foundation and understanding of the QMK build through the toolkit backend (e.g. C+/bash) though to compile, but as the Vibe is currently not supported, you might have to wait a while unfortunately.
Hi Demon0no, yes, you are right, I certainly know better now two and a half years on. The iso layout has the different 1u keys and positionings, thank you very much for clarifying that for everyone, I appreciate it! :)
The Board Podcast What language did you use to program this. "Code" I said is a file before you compiled. I want to learn algorithm, usb protocol and how to program a keyboard's firmware.
Hi Minh, I do not have the code you are looking for. Most of these customs are usually programmed using QMK/TMK, based on the Arduino ATMEGA chipset, so they have a matrix grid for the keymap, which then uses a .json to define the grid, which is then associated with a keymap that is compiled into a .hex file. All of this is beyond my level of knowledge and expertise, I use loaders like angustrau.me/kb/programming-your-keyboard/ to generate the .hex files, and then use xloader to load onto the micro-controller (pro-micro or PJRC Teensy). Sorry I couldn't help you with what you were after.
i absolutely just hate how america centric the whole custom keyboard stuff is. most keycaps are only ANSI US. and only the ugliest kaycaps sets even have the possibility of buying ISO nordic if i want to pay 300€ extra for few keycaps and wait 10 years for them because its a fucking group buy bullshit. and why would i spend a total of 400€ on white keycaps with black letters, if i wanted that i could go to the closest computer store and get them for 10€. i just wish that there was an european company that makes keycaps. because now my only options are to either have ugly keyboard, or suffer with cool keyboard that i can never use because the layout is absolutely horrible.
GMK is a European Keycap manufacturer, their retail shop is uniqey.net/ That said, set creation is primarily by designer, so what you really want are designers who are ISO Nordic creators whose base sets include your required keycaps. That is hard to get though since to reach MoQ for orders, catering to the international audience means unfortunately mostly ANSI layouts at a minimum.
My apologies. Geography definitely was not a strong subject of mine in school! I have always considered the UK to be a separate entity, being the motherland of Australia haha
Hey dude, awesome video! I am new to custom mechanical keyboards and got quickly overwhelmed by the inner workings & details of custom boards. I can't thank you enough for bringing to light these awesome resources that are kind of difficult to find and use on your own. I think DIY mechanical keyboards are about to blow up huge especially with the growing number of maker/ hacker spaces and the drive to create your own product solutions. Also the availability of custom manufacturing for custom & one off projects. Thanks for being a great ambassador for the community can't wait for your next video! ps. You should leave a link to your podcast website in the description
Hi Ghost, thank you for the feedback, the podcast link is in the About for the channel, which is sufficient haha, since they aren't fully reflective to each other, as the podcast direction has changed a lot these days, much more pondering than direct to keyboard specific. The keyboard space has 100% blown up in the last two years for sure :D
I spend far too long on KLE dreaming about custom caps that don't exist on boards I don't own: It's a lot of fun. I love that muted grey design of yours too. And congrats on the grab bag. I hope there are some you don't want since shipping shouldn't be too bad from Australia to Japan :)
We'll have to see once it comes in, I'm a chronic hoarder so who knows how many caps will ever leave my hands!
i dod that too but then i contacted signature plastics and they told me that for one set i would have to spend 940$. in order to lower the price to around 150$ i'd have to let them make 75 sets. so yeah, there goes my keycap design. because generally not many people will group buy a german layout...
3:42 Eyy i made it into the vid!
Hahaha ^_^
am i missing something??
please tell me
Just to let you know you can do light on dark with reverse dye sublimation, which also widens your color possibilities bc it's ink that colors it, not plastic
Hi Wesley, yes indeed, I certainly know that now (I've even done that using laser dye subbing myself, this video is certainly starting to get long in the tooth, so thank you for the comment for newcomers to see! :)
thank you so much for making these videos, dude! Just now getting into the scene and you are my go to guy. I trust you and you have great resources and don't rush any of it! Can't wait to build a 1 of 1 for myself!
Thank you for your kind words, I hope you continue to get as much as you need from our content, and of course ask questions as you need to :)
@@theboard is there anything like this for kailh choc?
@@nukert658 You can find footprints for choc switches now, and create your own PCBs in PCB design software like KiCAD, so yes, you can definitely make custom choc switch boards!
I wanted to make my own keyboard for an old retro machine and struggled to find ouw to do this - this video is awesome fior novices like myself! Many thanks
Its obviously a bit older now, the core concepts are the same, but if you have a look at the community right now, there is a bit of an implosion with group buys failing, vendors not fulfilling group buys, massive delays on production because of how many there are in the queue for keysets and so forth. You can still get stuff made as one-offs, but it just can be expensive. Best of luck!
This is most useful sir! Thanks for the great info!
Glad you found it useful!
Getting a keyboard using this website. So exited!
Hope you enjoy it!
THANK YOU!
You're welcome, I hope you managed to get something useful from it :)
Hey dude, awesome video! I am new to custom mechanical keyboards and got quickly overwhelmed by the inner workings & details of custom boards. I can't thank you enough for bringing to light these awesome resources that are kind of difficult to find and use on your own. I think DIY mechanical keyboards are about to blow up huge especially with the growing number of maker/ hacker spaces and the drive to create your own product solutions. Also the availability of custom manufacturing for custom & one off projects. Thanks for being a great ambassador for the community can't wait for your next video!
ps. You should leave a link to your podcast website in the description
Great video. Thanks
Its a bit old/dated now, but hopefully it helps understand some of the process :) Thank you for watching!
I need a site that can make a custom JIS Layout Alps Mount Keycap
whit the plate and case builder there is one problem, I can't type at the place its says: "keyboard layout here"
Hi Daan Bos, I just tried it at swillkb and it works fine, I have to click in the line space first before I can type. Perhaps try again or try a different browser.
Thank you for making this video! :)
Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you this helped a lot!
Glad you found it helpful :)
Thank you for the helpful video !
Glad you found it helpful! :) Thanks for watching :D
When is the next meet up in Sydney?
I'm not sure, no-one so far has officially put their hand up, however TaeKeyboards has apparently been talking, possibly to MWave at doing one at their warehouse! You'll have to keep an eye out on Reddit, Facebook, and the Aus MechKeys discord!
after u make the keycaps is there a way to get them.
Do you mean, after you do the KLE mock up? If you want production of the keycap set, you would need to reach out to a keycap manufacturer like GMK, or Signature Plastics to manufacture them for you.
what is the point of making a layout and then printing a case if you are going to have to make a PCB which is super hard, isn-t there a site that generates a pcb based on the layout_ otherwise it doesn-t make sense for 2 things to be super easy and then the other to need engineer skills.
Fair comment, however learning to create a PCB isn't hard at all. There is a number of guides out there that can teach you to do PCB design in open source software like KiCAD very quickly. You definitely do not need 'engineer' skills.
There is an alternative option which is the hand-wire pathway, which works just fine, and is commonly used for unusual layouts that people want to test before spending the time in doing a PCB, since one of the aspects of PCB manufacturing is the minimum order quantity and of course cost.
Having now created a number of PCBs, and also having handwired a few boards, yes, I have experience, but I would say to not be daunted by either of those pathways especially as you would be learning new skills in both.
@@theboard I saw that guide on your video and it was quite long. maybe hard wasn't the right word but it is at least time consuming.
_"since one of the aspects of PCB manufacturing is the minimum order quantity and of course cost"_
What do you mean by this? isn't there a company that prints custom PCBs for users? or this is just business oriented? I simply want to create a pcb for my layout, not a bunch of them.
Most PCB fabrication services will have a minimum order quantity of 5. They won't run 1 single PCB, its just not cost effective for them. If you have access to a lab or makerspace that has a PCB CNC, then that is a different story, so like a university mechatronics department or electrical engineering department might have that kind of kit. Regardless of the size of the PCB and what is on it, most will have some kind of MOQ which will be higher than 1.
In regards to time consuming, ok, that is a much more accurate representation of effort. You could always hand wire if you were after a one off, or, in the community, you could ask someone else to help you put it together, and some do this for a fee, others do it because they want practice, to help etc. Of course, the more you do, the faster you get at it since you know what you're doing and become experienced and skilled.
The other aspect is, if you wanted to create a layout for you, there may be others out there who want your layout too and either don't know, can't be bothered, or aren't aware how your layout might benefit them. By showing it off, and having the community see it, you might find others who might want to buy the other leftover MOQ boards!
Hand soldering bro.
How do you get someone to make this for you?
Make what exactly? A custom keyboard?
The Board Podcast No, just the keycap set
@@demi7416 Ah. So once you decide what kind of layout and colour choices you want in the set, you pretty much contact the manufacturer of choice (be it GMK, Signature Plastics, zFrontier, MaxKeys, etc), and get a quote from them for your set. They'll tell you minimum set quantities and price breakdowns, and well, gather up the cash (either through a group buy situation, or if you have cash reserves), pay, and then wait.
Its not complicated in the big picture situation, what is complicated is the money part normally.
@@theboard Ok Thank you so much. This is defo the most in-depth and useful video I've watched on this ;)
@@demi7416 No worries, you can always go to /r/mechanicalkeyboards on reddit also for more help by the community.
Thank you so much for your video and now I’m designing my own keyboard case. I’m currently stuck at the mount hole and the kerf things in the sandwich build. I’m planning to use three 3mm acrylic mid layer, one 3mm bottom layer, and one 1.5mm brass plate as switch plate. Would like to ask for any recommendation for the mount hole diameter?
Hi Marcus, your mount hole diameter will depend on your personal preference and the attachments you use. Most people will use either M2 or M3 standoffs inside the layers, and a variety of bolts/screws that go into the standoffs. Commonly are Pan head or Hex head type, less countersunk since that would require countersinking the top layer so the bolt/screw sits flush.
For small boards/macropads, M2 is fine, but bigger ones that need more support, M3 is what people step up to. Once you move into M4+ sizes you really have to have quite wide bezels to fit the standoff holes.
The Board Podcast thanks for ur reply and it really helps! Just a simple question that there are so many types of m2 standoff that some have 4.5mm outer diameter while some have 3.2mm outer diameter. Which one is the m2 standoff you talked about 😅. Sorry I’m new to this.
@@marcusyungchong7944 There is no right or wrong one. Its 100% up to you which M2 standoff you're using which will dictate which diameter hole size you will incorporate in your plate files for cutting.
The designation M2 is M is metric diameter of the bolt/screw thread and 2 is the size, i.e. 2mm. The standoff can be as big or small so long as the internal thread hole that is tapped takes a 2mm threaded bolt/screw.
Some people will go bigger for look or strength (like hexagonal ones) others will go with smaller cylindrical standoffs etc.
It was mentioned that you can use the Plate & Case Builder CAD files to make a solid case. Is there any good resources and videos out there on how to do this?
There have been some streamers who have done streams on this, designing it from scratch, but I don't know specifically who, though they have been predominantly on Twitch however.
You can probably ask on Reddit and get some pointers to resources/videos there.
@@theboard Thanks for the reply. I though to look on r/mechanicalkeyboards but I'm gonna try looking on Twitch too
@@caseybartholomew9227 Good Luck, feel free to share back here if you do find good ones, so others looking can find it too!
any idea on how thick the open and closed layer be for there to be enough space for mx switches+wiring?
You're looking at 5mm from the top of the switch plate to the bottom of the housing, and then the space underneath the housing to fit a controller. Its not unusual to run about 12-15mm inside including the plate thickness.
You can always go deeper to give yourself more room (e.g. more closed layers), it just increases the overall height of the board by each layer you add.
Is there any way i can just buy the keycaps for myself?
You could possibly get some made via MechanicakKeyboards.com they do custom dyesub sets, but their profile choice is limited. I think they still offer that, you use their template and they can produce it, but its somewhat limited compared to a proper run with a manfacturer like GMK/SP.
WOW thank you!!
Hope you find it useful!
Thank you Sir
Good Luck if you're going to design your own board, hope to see it soon! :)
@@theboard Yes, i just started sketching a 60% KB And hopefully i can start the actual build in a few weeks and I might post it on Reddit
@@mincraftcreatore can't wait!
Do u guys have a link to a mechanical drawing of standard 60 percent keyboard case layouts
Do you mean like an exploded diagram, or do you mean the potential layouts? The physical form is the same as a standard unless you get into HHKB or Winkeyless style, they're the standard 3....
i have a bunch of questions, in the plate & case builder i don't think it provided the case cad files, just the plate. if you could hop on a video call with me that would be amazing.
Hi Ritam, the case builder produces plate/sandwich files as it is intended that you use them directly to cut laser cut sandwich case parts, or use the output (e.g. dxf file) to create your own 3D machinable case files to suit your own design.
@@theboard I'm new to this and I am having trouble understanding.
@@theboard For a keyboard, you need the case, then the PCB, then the plate, then the switches, then the keycaps. I don't understand what it means by the switch layer, open layer, etc.
@@theboard I want the CAD files for the plate and the case
@@ritamr2690 SwillKB/Ai03 plate generators will not give you a CAD file. Its as simple as that.
What they do is take the layout of your keyboard produced in Keyboard Layout Editor (KLE), and draw the plate and corresponding holes for the switches to sit in. This is the plate layer.
A sandwich case is like as it sounds, it is a number of layers like a sandwich, made of thin pieces of material. From a Top Down perspective side on, it would look like this:
Top Plate (mostly decorative)
Switch Plate (switches sit in this)
Open Plate (its called open so there is cutout for USB port to poke through)
Closed Plate (closed because no cutout for USB)
Bottom Plate (the base of the sandwich case).
Example of this is one by Qlavier: pbs.twimg.com/media/ENGlZsqXYAEKELJ?format=jpg&name=4096x4096
You can see all the layers built up inside, with a total of what looks like 7 layers, which includes Top, Switch, Open, Closed, and Base.
Hope this helps understand what a sandwich case is.
The other output from a KLE through SwillKB/Aio3 generator is that the digital format (.dxf, .eps, .svg) can be loaded into CAD software as a drawing/wireframe and then you would apply CAD design skills to build a case yourself around it.
Great video. One big question wasn't answered though. How to bring the design to reality? I mean, who can manufacture all-custom pieces (Especially the keycaps).
Hi Hamid,
There are a lot of different fabrication businesses involved in the process. For PCB, its really your preferred PCB manufacturer. I for example use AllPCB, while others use JLCPCB, or OSHPARK etc.
For keycaps, you're a little more limited, but still a large number of different vendors out there like Signature Plastics (aka Pimp My Keyboards), GMK, or going through the Chinese supply chain like to EnjoyPBT, Taihao, or unknown makers through vendors like KBDFans etc.
For cases like acrylic cut, you have options like Ponoko, Laserboost, or local laser cutter services to you, for aluminium, you need to find and get quotes from CNC places, which are plenty abound, its just cost/location/capability to your needs.
Hope that gives you a sense of the situation.
@@theboard Thanks. Many vendors that I was not aware of.
@@HamidBazargani No worries! If you're not on Discord, there is also the mechanical keyboard discord, there is reddit and geekhack, and a whole bunch of other sites for more support too!
I really love rhis but I want to make 1 with a custom profile like dsa but noone make them only chrry mx's
Not sure what you mean by a custom profile, as in keycap profile, e.g. DSA, SA, XDA? Cherry MX is the switch type that has the + stem that the keycaps sit on.
@@theboard Sorry I just wanted a dsa xda and sa profile for some of mx style switches so i xan use the same color palet but with the profile fitting me
@@zhaiketoledo3658 You can buy blank DSA from a few vendors so can easily pick your own colours. XDA might be a little more challenging. SA you can also get coloured blanks from Signature Plastics.
@@theboard Thx appreciate it now if there is any 3rd party will do it in the future i will buy it since my aim with stickers hasnt been so great
@@theboard Thx a lot again for the info
So if you create your own using this approach, you send it to someone who renders it? and by render you mean they create it? and ship it to you? Sorry I am confused on the whole thing.
There are a bunch of different ways to do it. Renders are digital visuals that give you picture of what the end result. You can use the files that are created from SwillKB/Ai03/Keebio Plate generators to create 3D CAD files for a manufacturer to mill, or laser cut into a sandwich case.
Trying to fully explain it in comments is a little difficult unfortunately.
@@theboard I understand fully. I am at the 54 minute mark in the video. It seems like a comment would definitely not suffice even the background information required to understand the simple trivialities of how to go about completing a keycap...
how do i make the plate top mounted
You need to have a top case part designed so that the screw holes in your plate line up with the holes in the top case.
Then you need holes in your case bottom, to match other holes in the case top.
KLE/SwillKB does not generate top mount plates/cases unfortunately, you will have to do this using other 3D modelling design software.
@@theboard ok
hey is there a way i can contact you this tutorial was amazing by the way!
Its a bit outdated now since its a number of years old, but the basics are still quite applicable. You can reach me by emailing theboardpodcast at gmail dot com if you like :)
Now, more than a year and a half from the publishing of this tutorial, will you do something different?
Thanks for your work, I've just ordered the switches and soon will begin the design :D
Hi M1008. What different things would you like to see? Through the rest of the channel, I've been working with and prototyping various layouts and PCBs, from my own, and others. The only thing that I really haven't done is made keysets because to get through through a successful group buy is quite challenging.
If you'd like to give me more feedback on the things you'd like to see/hear about that is different, please let me know! :)
Is there a set of names for the different type of keycap legends?
I thoroughly hate the keycap legend style everyone seems to be using where for example the right most key beside the right shift key is labeled "/ ?" compared to the old style where the same key has the "?" in the upper left and the "/" in the lower right. I really love the 'Black Pudding" style keycap but as far as I can find is only available in the new style which as I said, I hate!!
I just purchased a Logitech K845 with MX Blues before I noticed that it was in this new Style.
Hi Evil Dave of Canada, You're looking for offset legends. It really comes down to the company making them and their moulds. GMK for example is one company that is very popular in the community, and their offset legends are top left/bottom left, where as Signature Plastics, another company, have their legends centered but in still two rows instead of the same row.
GMK/SP are two main makers from the custom community, but there are others out there, so its a matter of either finding a company that has chosen top left/bottom right legends placement, or running a custom set to produce them in that position.
@@theboard Thank you..
I didn't know the proper terms to use.
@@EvilDaveCanada No worries, you can go with custom dyesubbing too if you find someone who can do it for you.
If I want to make a custom plate, how should I make sure that the plate has holes that line up for the PCB mounting screws? Thinking specifically about a Tada68...
You would need the schematic diagram of the tada68 mount holes and then edit the plate files from swillkb in something like inkscape/illustrator so they match.
You might be able to get schematics from like GeekHack or asking people who have a Tada68 PCB to measure for you.
Saw this in Discord - www.laserboost.com/plates-tada68
@Somali Navy Quite possibly, you'd just have to be able to import the footprints and you'd be ready to go.
Hi, is possible to export switch layer into the Sketchup ? I need to print switch layer on my 3D printer. And can you show how to programe firmware for Teensy ?
You can save the .svg file, and then open it in Inkscape. Once in inkscape, you can export it into a file format that Sketchup will accept. Alternatively, if you have Sketchup Pro, you can import using EPS. What kind of 3D printer file do you take? If its a STL, I could possibly help you with a model file. If you would like to send a KLE layout link to theboardpodcast@gmail I can give it a try in converting it for you (you'd have to give me thickness as well).
In regards to programming firmware for uploading using a Teensy, I am unable to help you there, I have never programmed using TMK or QMK, but in my Ergodox Video, I use the Teensy loader to flash the hex file onto the Ergodox which was very simple. You may get better assistance on Reddit for the programming.
Well.... I tried it, but no succes :/
Please get in touch with me via email? I would love to be able to help you out! I have converted and printed a switch plate on my own printer from KLE output, so..... no pressure, but if you want to, I'm here :)
Nice video, but essentially it's impossible to create a pcb as an electronic engineer, there must be a simpler way.
It's incredible that no company has made a step by step procedure to create it, with the right infrastructure creating customs pcbs and keycaps is not a drama.
I need a custom keyboard shorter than 24 cm with mine keycaps etc. But also with this awesome guide this seems out of my range
Its not impossible at all to create a PCB. Considering if you look through the rest of the videos on this channel, you will see so many videos of builds (including my own) where people have created their own PCBs for their own custom layouts.
If you need help in making a custom keyboard shorter than 24cm, create the layout in Keyboard Layout Editor, ask the community in /r/mechanicalkeyboards on reddit, and someone there can help you make it happen.
Admitting that it could be possible and that I have created my own layout with my own pcb.
But still I can't find a place where to make my own keycaps and I can't even imaging where to print the pcb, too.
So you can print the PCB with a number of manufacturers. AllPCB, PCBWay, PCBQuick, WellPCB, JLPCB, a lot of PCB manufacturers. You just need your PCB to be in an acceptable gerber file format for them to be able to manufacture. You can either solder on components yourself, or if you want assembly service, you just need to forward the components to them.
In regards to custom keycaps, I'm not 100% sure what you mean about what you want to make, but you can buy your own colours/sizes depending on your profile from various vendors like Signature Plastics (pimpmykeyboard.com), or asian vendors like KBDFans, or on Aliexpress/Taobao too. If you need custom printed or colours, both Signature Plastics and GMK will do them, but they generally have minimum order quantities of 100+ sets.
So to have my custom keycaps (custom color and legend, no strange shapes) I have to convince 100 people to follow me on my custom pcb and for you this is not impossible. It's faster to build up a company of keycaps production :/
I thought that paying more there exists in the world a company producing custom color/legend keycaps not asking you for 100 orders.
You can always go for handwire one. Those two tools brought me in the hobby years ago. And they are still serving me well :) Plenty of how to's on the web and QMK will do rest :)
Where to save cad output :(
If you're talking about SwillKB, it will only produce flatfiles for laser cutting or further work into a 3D package.
If you save the dxf, you should be able to import the dxf into something like Fusion to create a 3D extrusion version of the flat files.
Hey I am new to this. I made some changes to your function layer and I downloaded the Zip file. How to I install these changes on the vortex vibe?
At the moment, as far as I am aware of, you are not able to put custom QMK firmware onto the Vortext Vibe. It is something in-work, as the Vortex boards use a different micro-controller unit.
This Github repository lists what they have got up to so far- github.com/pok3r-custom/qmk_pok3r
You will need to have a good foundation and understanding of the QMK build through the toolkit backend (e.g. C+/bash) though to compile, but as the Vibe is currently not supported, you might have to wait a while unfortunately.
I like them big. I like them chunky. I like them plumpy. I like them round. I like them moving funky.
Dude, "big ass enter" doesn't mean europe or uk layout. What you showed is still a variant of ansi. Europe and uk use iso layout.
Hi Demon0no, yes, you are right, I certainly know better now two and a half years on. The iso layout has the different 1u keys and positionings, thank you very much for clarifying that for everyone, I appreciate it! :)
hi. I'm doing a DIY-MechKey. Can you give me a source code for a keyboard or an example's code,please? Thanks you for reading my cmt
Hi Minh,
Can you elaborate what you mean by 'source code'? Are you referring to the json? hex? something else?
The Board Podcast What language did you use to program this. "Code" I said is a file before you compiled. I want to learn algorithm, usb protocol and how to program a keyboard's firmware.
Hi Minh,
I do not have the code you are looking for. Most of these customs are usually programmed using QMK/TMK, based on the Arduino ATMEGA chipset, so they have a matrix grid for the keymap, which then uses a .json to define the grid, which is then associated with a keymap that is compiled into a .hex file.
All of this is beyond my level of knowledge and expertise, I use loaders like angustrau.me/kb/programming-your-keyboard/ to generate the .hex files, and then use xloader to load onto the micro-controller (pro-micro or PJRC Teensy).
Sorry I couldn't help you with what you were after.
my oversized layout with an integrated macro pad and 100+ Function keys could become a reality
So there is the ScrabblePad which is 255 switches in it... and the Monster Split keyboard which is 181... so yes, your dream could be reality!
@@theboard where can you find the layouts?
@@flamestoyershadowkill For which? scrabblepad?
www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/8917oq/ic_scrabblepad_pcb/
Monster Split?
www.reddit.com/r/olkb/comments/eeeiu2/meet_the_monstasplit_v10_an_165_split_ortholinear/
Is this danger dolan
No, unfortunately I don't know who danger dolan is. Or what.
i absolutely just hate how america centric the whole custom keyboard stuff is.
most keycaps are only ANSI US. and only the ugliest kaycaps sets even have the possibility of buying ISO nordic if i want to pay 300€ extra for few keycaps and wait 10 years for them because its a fucking group buy bullshit. and why would i spend a total of 400€ on white keycaps with black letters, if i wanted that i could go to the closest computer store and get them for 10€.
i just wish that there was an european company that makes keycaps. because now my only options are to either have ugly keyboard, or suffer with cool keyboard that i can never use because the layout is absolutely horrible.
GMK is a European Keycap manufacturer, their retail shop is uniqey.net/
That said, set creation is primarily by designer, so what you really want are designers who are ISO Nordic creators whose base sets include your required keycaps. That is hard to get though since to reach MoQ for orders, catering to the international audience means unfortunately mostly ANSI layouts at a minimum.
@@theboard which basically means im never gonna have cool keyboard.
:P Just need to win a lottery or something or start a Nordic keyboard movement :D
Algorithm comment
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"If you're over in Europe or the UK".... UK is in Europe!
My apologies. Geography definitely was not a strong subject of mine in school! I have always considered the UK to be a separate entity, being the motherland of Australia haha
Hey dude, awesome video! I am new to custom mechanical keyboards and got quickly overwhelmed by the inner workings & details of custom boards. I can't thank you enough for bringing to light these awesome resources that are kind of difficult to find and use on your own. I think DIY mechanical keyboards are about to blow up huge especially with the growing number of maker/ hacker spaces and the drive to create your own product solutions. Also the availability of custom manufacturing for custom & one off projects. Thanks for being a great ambassador for the community can't wait for your next video!
ps. You should leave a link to your podcast website in the description
Hi Ghost, thank you for the feedback, the podcast link is in the About for the channel, which is sufficient haha, since they aren't fully reflective to each other, as the podcast direction has changed a lot these days, much more pondering than direct to keyboard specific.
The keyboard space has 100% blown up in the last two years for sure :D