Hi, I have a question. I see the video is 3 years old, and I’m wondering if you think it’s possible to 3D print a fully plastic keyboard around 2 meters in size. My friend and I have an idea to build one and play 1-on-1 games with it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated since we’re not very experienced with 3D design.Of we wanna record a yt video :D
back in the 1940s (ish) there was a non solder connection called Wire Wrap. its finicky, but when you've learned to do it, the results can be surprisingly robust. I've worked on equipment that's 50-60 years old with the original wire wrappings still doing great. Edit: I totally just downloaded the hot swap sockets for my gamepad build so thanks!
I actually ordered that tool and built a keyboard with it here ruclips.net/video/2c5CeuCNbw8/видео.html the wire wrapping worked great but my switches were faulty maybe i will redo it at some point
- Some time line - .... - Now we have the cheapest, most replace, piece of keyboard equipment. The membrane - What if we go back to using mechanical keyboards ? - What if we buy custom pieces for our keyboards ? - What if we assembly our own keyboard ? - What if we take two macros switches and make one totally new ? - What if we make our own keyboards with available pieces ? - What if we make our own pieces ? - This video
Ordering a PCB is $15 for 5 copies, no hand-wiring needed, soldering can be performed using solder paste in 15 minutes, and it will all look perfect and will be reliable, as a bonus it will provide a high-quality mounting surface. Naked wires look like a nightmare and will definitely cause shorts and are a terrible to work with.
Great video! I was wondering about the rationale behind going with naked wire instead of insulated ones which wouldn't have the possibility of shorting out.
this adds some creative freedom as i can make connections at any point and also change these later on without leaving not used holes in the insulation. i am still experimenting with insulated wire for my next builds
not about this specific version yet but its very close to the previous one which you can see the assembly part here ruclips.net/video/v9r5DKZLz68/видео.html
Hello, very nice video, really inspiring! How did you assembly the two parts of the case ? I usually design it to be screw assembled, making the design complicated
i used 18 pins on a 13x5 matrix this includes the rx and tx pins on the top left of the pro micro. in the wiring this is more about using the matrix to its maximum and fitting the most keys on it instead of wiring it exactly how the columns and rows are aligned
Yes the though as the pi pico is a bit bigger it could cover more switches and make the wiring more complicated. But there are other rp2040 boards that have the same footprint as thee pro micro used here
I loved this project Jan, but I would like to do a different iteration, using a Pi Pico as a controller and doing conventional handwiring (soldering and unwiring cables and wires). Is it possible to modify your STL? I don't have much experience with Fusion360 (I barely use Thinkercad) and I don't know if by loading your STL I could make the necessary modifications that I mentioned. So far I have only made smaller Numpad or Macropad, this would be my first 60% project. Thank you very much for the help and guidance you could give me. Greetings from Chile
The main problem would be the microcontroller mount you could leave everything else just how it is. For that you would need to use fusion360 for proper dimensions and fitting but you could also just use a promicro compatible rp2040 like the 0xCB helios that will fit in this build fine. Though the usb port might be a bit tight fitted with usbc and some cleanups would be required on the print as this model has some tolerance issues.
@@JanLunge Thank very much Jan for your reply. What do you mean by tolerance problems? I have Fusion360 (although I don't use it regularly). Is it possible to directly enter the .STL and modify them or do I have to generate a new mesh? Thanks.
You would need to use the fusion360 file the stl doesn’t include changeable parameters. With tolerance i mean the pro micro usb port is top mounted and some rp2040 have the usb c port mounted at the center of its pcb. Sorry the notification for this was a buried a bit took me a while to find.
@@JanLunge I understand, at some point I used MeshMixer for minor modifications of stl files, but the problem is that "to the eye" the precision of the process is lost.
I created a keycap stl file with the letter as a separate body. Then i used the slic3r multimaterial option to first print the letter and then the keycap with a simple material change gcode as i only have one extruder
Hello, I am building the left backplate and the thin line that connects the little piece behind the spacebar to the rest of the piece is missing when I slice the model with CURA. I use a 0.04mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height. Does someone know how to fix this problem?
I did a handwired hotswap macropad with rgb per key lights, so key, but it would be quite a bit of effort to position the leds and in this case the wiring might be a bit too dense for that. eventhough there is a gap for the LED placement
Beautiful! I want to try solderless also for easy modifying. Have you thought about using a wire wrap tool? I know it goes against your buying extra stuff idea but would improve reliability.
the default is 6KRO but as it is using qmk you could enable USB-NKRO with the build flags from here beta.docs.qmk.fm/developing-qmk/qmk-reference/config_options#feature-options-id-feature-options but i have not tried this yet
Hey, thanks so much for all this info (an the fiules)! Coudl I find any where some intructions on how to use teh new style of hot swap sockets (with wings)? The ones in the macro pad video seem quite different. Thanks again!
The ones with wing are specifically built for this keyboard the w60, so the switches can easily be pulled out. The plate would need to have the standoffs for each key so the wing part can rest on these. For other builds just use the ones without wing (they are the same part just the wing removed)
@@JanLunge so the ones in the ma to pad video (where you show exactly how the wiring goes through them) are the same as the ones in this video, only lacking the wings? Cause they seemed different to me, but maybe I didn’t look careful enough. Thank you for answering!
@@zosterinski they are used the same way and have the wiring in the same place I just removed the clip mechanism so they are way simpler to print. (compact & with wing) I should add all this to the readme in there :)
Nice video, I'm excited to try the hotswap this week. I have one question in your previous video you showed mx and choc hotswap . The new version is called wHotswap-MX-v2.3mf is there a plan to create the choc as well?
Currently, I have not planned to update the choc sockets but the early versions worked very well compared to the mx versions so they should still be fine to use, just not with this case as the cutouts could have clearance issues (haven't tested this)
All of my keyboards are qmk based and you can configure the firmware with NKRO_ENABLE to enable n-key rollover. But i haven’t played around with that yet
Hey, So if I decide to use insulated wire. I do not need to worry about the insulated wire touching each other. If possible can you do a 65% keyboard especially with a exploded navigation cluster or something similar to the DROP alt high profile design.
with instulated wire you would just need to remove the insulation on every connection point otherwise yes you can then route the wires easier as the insulation can touch everything else. I still haven't decided what style i want the 65% build to be
not sure if this is enough for you i made a quick map here imgur.com/a/IT11z7j 18 pins are used in total which is the max for the pro micro the part that makes it work is the weird routing on the left side (when viewed from the bottom)
I currenlty dont have a setup to keep the livestreams just because of the overhead to process / upload these again even in compressed/lossy format one stream can be 10gb I'm still searching for a good solution for this
@@JanLunge no problem buddy. I'll keep watching the videos. I'm looking into doing me first keyboard myself. Hopefully resin printing the keycaps if I can.
Hi, I have a question. I see the video is 3 years old, and I’m wondering if you think it’s possible to 3D print a fully plastic keyboard around 2 meters in size. My friend and I have an idea to build one and play 1-on-1 games with it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated since we’re not very experienced with 3D design.Of we wanna record a yt video :D
The little head shake after the "nothing in stock" comment is my favorite.
back in the 1940s (ish) there was a non solder connection called Wire Wrap. its finicky, but when you've learned to do it, the results can be surprisingly robust. I've worked on equipment that's 50-60 years old with the original wire wrappings still doing great.
Edit: I totally just downloaded the hot swap sockets for my gamepad build so thanks!
I actually ordered that tool and built a keyboard with it here ruclips.net/video/2c5CeuCNbw8/видео.html the wire wrapping worked great but my switches were faulty maybe i will redo it at some point
It's an injustice that you have so few subscribers. This content is super high quality, keep up the good work!
It’s actually justice for doing such a nice build and NOT soldering
Subscribed!!!
Wow solderless! That looks great but gives me anxiety!
- Some time line
- ....
- Now we have the cheapest, most replace, piece of keyboard equipment. The membrane
- What if we go back to using mechanical keyboards ?
- What if we buy custom pieces for our keyboards ?
- What if we assembly our own keyboard ?
- What if we take two macros switches and make one totally new ?
- What if we make our own keyboards with available pieces ?
- What if we make our own pieces ?
- This video
Ordering a PCB is $15 for 5 copies, no hand-wiring needed, soldering can be performed using solder paste in 15 minutes, and it will all look perfect and will be reliable, as a bonus it will provide a high-quality mounting surface. Naked wires look like a nightmare and will definitely cause shorts and are a terrible to work with.
I plan to replicate this with my own 3d printer and supplies! Thank you very much - especially for having all the details/files available. LOVE IT
Do you have some tutorial on how to wiring the switches and the diodes ?
Great video! I was wondering about the rationale behind going with naked wire instead of insulated ones which wouldn't have the possibility of shorting out.
this adds some creative freedom as i can make connections at any point and also change these later on without leaving not used holes in the insulation. i am still experimenting with insulated wire for my next builds
awesome!, love this channel
I wish a more focused video in that hotswap prototype. Nice job!
Really interesting idea. Do you have instructions for wiring the sockets somewhere? I can't quite figure out how to do it.
not about this specific version yet but its very close to the previous one which you can see the assembly part here ruclips.net/video/v9r5DKZLz68/видео.html
Can you tell us which yellow paint you used?
you need subs
Hello, very nice video, really inspiring! How did you assembly the two parts of the case ? I usually design it to be screw assembled, making the design complicated
Great Video! how did you get 19 pins off the pro micro? I'm kind of confused.
i used 18 pins on a 13x5 matrix this includes the rx and tx pins on the top left of the pro micro. in the wiring this is more about using the matrix to its maximum and fitting the most keys on it instead of wiring it exactly how the columns and rows are aligned
Love the design of the keyboard, but I'd love to know whether u can fit a hotswap pcb in?
Thank you, it could fit a hotswap pcb if you modify it enough :P but it would require some work as the usb cutout is in the wrong spot etc
what a madlad
So unlike your macropad video I can use any mechanical switch to make this?
Both mx and choc switches have hotswap sockets available in my git repo so yes unless they are some fancy old switch they will work
y'know like... fuck soldering, but this... this makes hand soldering look like a breeze by comparison.
This is as you might say. Poggers
Very much so
How could I modify this build to use a Raspberry Pico?
Yes the though as the pi pico is a bit bigger it could cover more switches and make the wiring more complicated. But there are other rp2040 boards that have the same footprint as thee pro micro used here
I loved this project Jan, but I would like to do a different iteration, using a Pi Pico as a controller and doing conventional handwiring (soldering and unwiring cables and wires).
Is it possible to modify your STL? I don't have much experience with Fusion360 (I barely use Thinkercad) and I don't know if by loading your STL I could make the necessary modifications that I mentioned.
So far I have only made smaller Numpad or Macropad, this would be my first 60% project.
Thank you very much for the help and guidance you could give me.
Greetings from Chile
The main problem would be the microcontroller mount you could leave everything else just how it is. For that you would need to use fusion360 for proper dimensions and fitting but you could also just use a promicro compatible rp2040 like the 0xCB helios that will fit in this build fine. Though the usb port might be a bit tight fitted with usbc and some cleanups would be required on the print as this model has some tolerance issues.
@@JanLunge Thank very much Jan for your reply.
What do you mean by tolerance problems? I have Fusion360 (although I don't use it regularly). Is it possible to directly enter the .STL and modify them or do I have to generate a new mesh?
Thanks.
You would need to use the fusion360 file the stl doesn’t include changeable parameters. With tolerance i mean the pro micro usb port is top mounted and some rp2040 have the usb c port mounted at the center of its pcb. Sorry the notification for this was a buried a bit took me a while to find.
@@JanLunge I understand, at some point I used MeshMixer for minor modifications of stl files, but the problem is that "to the eye" the precision of the process is lost.
Now tape mod it 😈
Great video, how did you print letters on the keycaps?
I created a keycap stl file with the letter as a separate body. Then i used the slic3r multimaterial option to first print the letter and then the keycap with a simple material change gcode as i only have one extruder
3:43 any reason not to use insulated wires to make things easier?
This was mostly just to make it difficult 😄 but cutting the insulation pieces correctly would also be some effort
Hello, I am building the left backplate and the thin line that connects the little piece behind the spacebar to the rest of the piece is missing when I slice the model with CURA. I use a 0.04mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height. Does someone know how to fix this problem?
Man this is what I had in my mind for ages but never figured how to do it. This is a really cool and amazing!
yes it's finally!
Can you make a version for ALPS styled switches
This is pretty cool. Bravo!
Hi, is it possible to add rgb lights to it?
I did a handwired hotswap macropad with rgb per key lights, so key, but it would be quite a bit of effort to position the leds and in this case the wiring might be a bit too dense for that. eventhough there is a gap for the LED placement
Nice
Incredible job!
Great!
e
Beautiful! I want to try solderless also for easy modifying. Have you thought about using a wire wrap tool? I know it goes against your buying extra stuff idea but would improve reliability.
is that a promicro?
yes it is
Really interesting, really interesting.
How do you wire the switches to the arduino? Can I get a sketch, i really want to build sth similar
Hey I have a diagram for the matrix here imgur.com/a/IT11z7j it's not important which pins you use on the microcontroller as long as it is a data-pin
What is the rollover on it?
the default is 6KRO but as it is using qmk you could enable USB-NKRO with the build flags from here beta.docs.qmk.fm/developing-qmk/qmk-reference/config_options#feature-options-id-feature-options but i have not tried this yet
@@JanLunge wow, i thought i couldn't be more than 2. Your projects are amazing btw, i would love to try making a split keyboard in the future!
Is it possible to add any Koran of foam on the bottom to maybe stop the empty noise from the keyboard
yes there is some space for 2mm of foam which could be added to the backplate
Gotta get that typing test my dude
Does it matter what kind of wire you use to connect the diodes across?
Nope not really, as long as it’s conducive it should be fine
Hey, thanks so much for all this info (an the fiules)! Coudl I find any where some intructions on how to use teh new style of hot swap sockets (with wings)? The ones in the macro pad video seem quite different. Thanks again!
The ones with wing are specifically built for this keyboard the w60, so the switches can easily be pulled out. The plate would need to have the standoffs for each key so the wing part can rest on these. For other builds just use the ones without wing (they are the same part just the wing removed)
@@JanLunge so the ones in the ma to pad video (where you show exactly how the wiring goes through them) are the same as the ones in this video, only lacking the wings? Cause they seemed different to me, but maybe I didn’t look careful enough. Thank you for answering!
@@zosterinski they are used the same way and have the wiring in the same place I just removed the clip mechanism so they are way simpler to print. (compact & with wing) I should add all this to the readme in there :)
Nice video, I'm excited to try the hotswap this week. I have one question in your previous video you showed mx and choc hotswap . The new version is called wHotswap-MX-v2.3mf is there a plan to create the choc as well?
Currently, I have not planned to update the choc sockets but the early versions worked very well compared to the mx versions so they should still be fine to use, just not with this case as the cutouts could have clearance issues (haven't tested this)
@@JanLunge Thank you very much, I'll try the old version
Is your 3d printed keyboard n-key rollover?
All of my keyboards are qmk based and you can configure the firmware with NKRO_ENABLE to enable n-key rollover. But i haven’t played around with that yet
No sound test??????
Hey,
So if I decide to use insulated wire. I do not need to worry about the insulated wire touching each other.
If possible can you do a 65% keyboard especially with a exploded navigation cluster or something similar to the DROP alt high profile design.
with instulated wire you would just need to remove the insulation on every connection point otherwise yes you can then route the wires easier as the insulation can touch everything else.
I still haven't decided what style i want the 65% build to be
Thanks mate 👍
I imagine, enameled wire would be a very good fit to make this easier. It's insulated with a very thin coating that you can solder through.
this is so cool
great video and nice build!, btw can you show me the wiring diagram pls?, because im still confused about on how to wire a 60% to a pro micro
not sure if this is enough for you i made a quick map here imgur.com/a/IT11z7j 18 pins are used in total which is the max for the pro micro the part that makes it work is the weird routing on the left side (when viewed from the bottom)
@@JanLunge well that was quick reply but, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Impressive!
hi do you have this stream saved at all as i can't view it anymore.
I currenlty dont have a setup to keep the livestreams just because of the overhead to process / upload these again even in compressed/lossy format one stream can be 10gb I'm still searching for a good solution for this
@@JanLunge no problem buddy. I'll keep watching the videos. I'm looking into doing me first keyboard myself. Hopefully resin printing the keycaps if I can.
No sound test??
Next board will get lubed switches and a sound test, feedback was clear 😄
@@JanLunge awesome!
so what's the pcb board you were using?
the only pcb in this project is the pro micro microcontroller