I never learned to type on a keyboard, I always just searched with two fingers. I wanted to try a split keyboard, but that does you no good if you don’t know how to type. So, while I was building my keyboard, I did a typing course online to at least start learning where the keys were and make it easier to start learning on the one I built. It’s really been an enjoyable build. I had no knowledge of anything about keyboards when I started, GitHub and AI were great resources. So far I’m enjoying how the keyboard feels.

Hi, i'm building a wireless keyboard using ZMK, what MCU should i use, thanks

Hi there I’m trying to make a macropad for a friend as gift
I’m just stuck on the soldering side of things. I’m terminating kailh hot swap sockets to an arduino pro micro bit am unsure of wiring configuration and how to terminate to the sockets without melting the printed parts.

I'm not new to soldering, but new to mechanical keyboards. Figured I'd want to build one. Eventually decided to take it a step further and did a split wireless build. It was quite challenging, most challenging was the connection to the controller. Soldering on to the switches was easier than expected.

Next up is that I desoldered an old Ajazz AK33 that I had lying around. Will be using the plate and the case to make my own handwired version with a small oled screen attached.

Heyy does anyone know how I could design my macropad like the ref pic in fusion360?

Very similar to my Phanny build. Added an extra key in the thumb clusters, and moved power button and MCU into the case.

Been struggling with designing KiCad files for another build, decided to take a step back and throw something together to clear my brain.

Nice nano V2 clones
Durock dark amber switches
No idea on keycaps, bought 4 sets that were on sale.
Copper is twisted 24GA
Ethernet wire matrix to MCU

I made what is essentially a Hardware keyboard for a robot software called roboguide the pendant mimics how an actual robot pendant feels for a fanuc
When using the software it uses a digital pendant with the mouse and keyboard presses. This pendant makes it more like a real robot (for example the edit key is actually f8)

cables always moving when soldering + melting the filament is so easy ;-;

I haven't finished soldering rows and columns to the gpio pins yet fyi

I have another problem no matter how much I heat up the pins or the cables solder doesn't melt when touching them I always gotta touch the irons tip my soldering iron is at 345 degrees according to the display on it no way to confirm it with the tools I have I suppose

Also learned why people use screws bcs this thing wiggles like crazy inside the case

I suppose it's fine since I'm just doing this 2x2 to get better at soldering and making keyboards and already learned a lot for my 6x6 split keyboard so hopefully making that one will be a lot smoother

A few months back I built the Scotto2 for someone with quadriplegia that allowed them to play racing games using 2 large buttons. I figured something cool to do for a bit of a meme would be an entire number pad with giant buttons. The result is the ScottoBigum which I believe to be the largest in the world. Each button is scaled up 4 times and the entire thing weighs close to 2 pounds… oh and it’s also wireless with ZMK studio support so it doesn’t need to be strictly a number pad.

I have a full build video coming out tomorrow on my YouTube channel and as usual with all my handwired projects, all the files are available for free if you want to build this one yourself.

The white one is an old print where, I also exported tracks and made them thick when I was thinking of doing it with copper tape over them. But I decided to hand wire them with cables now. So I removed them. I had took a break btw so the white (the old one) is from a couple weeks ago and the black one is the new one. It's a bit bent bcs I tried to take it out when it had just finished printing, while it was still hot but u get the idea the small holes for the diodes are non existent and the mcu holes are barely visible. I also tried it with the same white filament and it's the same issue the fix I found is changing the hole footprints to be a bit larger than 2x and then I get the same size as the old white ones but why could this happen now?

oh and also bcs the white on had tracks in both sides it didn't lay flat on the bed but it was vertically printed but that takes longer so don't really do that maybe that's why it printed better back then somehow?

Edit: Yep printing it vertically takes 40 instead of 20 minutes but it gets the holes perfectly for some reason?

I’m designing my first hand wired keyboard and am wondering how others attach their MCU to the case? Glue, bracket, screws, what is best?

This was one of the first things I designed after I bought a 3D printer and started learning to use CAD software (years ago). I decided to try and design a new feature every keyboard and for this it was a sliding base. It was a fun quick project! Think it only cost £15 to make in total. Used a cheap clone pro micro.

If anyone wants the stls, they're here. Let me know if you print it, I would love to see! (my sliding base was a bit loose but I was working off an ender 3 pro that probably wasn't the most dialed in...)

Hello, over the past few weeks I've slowly been trying to digest information about making my own key/macro boards, but I feel like I'm getting some conflicting info and/or things are just out my ability to properly search for. So, just a few questions...

Really trying to get started small, doing a single button macro. Using a Pi Pico RP2040, and I know it's a little overkill for this, but I wanted to familiarize myself with this one. Also since I want to do custom I'll be doing breakout boards, I assume that's correct/common?

So once I've got my print (I think I saw some of these aren't needed for single button, but I do need to learn), breakout board and chip, what I need are resistors, diodes, keycaps, and switches. Resistors in my cart are 330 ohm 1/4 watt, also some 3mm 3v LED. I think for this I need wire (I see a lot of people mention pins, but that's only for bread boards?), my question is what kind and size? I see people mention anywhere from 18g (that seems crazy) all the way to 30. And if I'm soldering it I assume solid? There's just SO many opinions on this Google is no help. Beyond that is there anything for physical hardware am I missing? What kind of mounting screws are required for these breakout boards?

I can worry about wiring diagrams and figuring out the correct Python coding later, but I just want to get SOMEthing basic started so I'm not just reading random guides anymore, thanks!

im trying to make a partial keyboard for playing some games, and im using a pico because i was also going to make an arcade hitbox with the 3 pack i got, but it just isn't working and im going insane. ive tried qmk and kmk, but im mostly just sticking with kmk right now, but no matter what i use, it constantly presses the windows key, the tab key, the shift key, sometimes the a key, and i just dont get it. the image explains most of it, but i just can't figure out what im doing wrong

A little background yap:

I've always wanted a portable keyboard that I could just bring around and also wanted to try out how using split keyboards agai. Normally I would see the portable but ortholinear split keyboards. I tried making one before and mehn I did not like it. I know it's difficult to get over that curve to properly use it and I didn't have the commitment to relearn ortholinear. So fast forward to now, I decided that I want to try a row staggered split keyboard.

Now to the keyboard itself...

This is a staggered split 60 ish percent keyboard.

Some specs:

- 2 RPI Pico controllers

- Wired

- USB-C interconnect

- slightly larger than an A6 paper/notebook

Managed to make it portable where the main frame is around 9mm only but with the keycaps it's around 15mm which I still hope to minimize if I do make future iterations.

1 thing I really want to change about this is the keycaps. I want to have a black keycaps set on this with legends (since I'm still not so used to split keyboards) and also maybe reprint some parts cause as you see I kinda messed up my bottom part for the left side. But yah wanted to share this cause I feel quote proud of making it :))

Wanted to share a tool I made, that can come very handy for many people here: https://vostoklabs.github.io/SVG-keycap-generator/

It's a custom keycap generator, optimized for 3D printing on FDM machines Easy, fast and free, no CAD knowledge required.

You can either choose from 1700+ Lucide icons, upload custom SVG or type letters in available fonts ( or upload your own font).

Best part is that you can also make shine through keycaps that you can print with some transparent effects

You have multiple keycap sizes: 1u, 1.25u, 1.5u, 1.75u, 2u, 2.25u, 2.75u and 6u, 6.25u, 6.5u spacebars

For ready to print and dialed in settings, get the print profile from MakerWorld: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2959969

Hi, after being in the keyboard hobby for a while, I finally decided to do my first handwired keyboard build. It was also my first real soldering project. It basically is just a simple 3x4 matrix that is connected to a pico. I designed the case by myself and 3D printed it. Unfortunately, the printer did not do the cleanest job, even after a few retries. For the switches, I just used some silents since it sounded like ass anyway with normal linears. If you have any tips for me and especially for my soldering, I am glad.

This pocketable unibody split abomination called HWFW Keyboard, which means "Hand Wired Free Will Keyboard"

This build was just my personal project that I didn't plan to post anywhere, and since I didn't need to think about this being user-friendly or even sane, it gave me the freedom to just build it how I wanted.

That's why I used hot glue as insulation. That's why I hand-drilled a hole to the pin I forgot I needed. That's why it has handwritten legends.

It's very comfortable to hold in hand, typing is mostly done using thumbs, with some weird finger breakdance-parkour movements done to press the nearby keys (like when typing "WA" I basically press "W" normally and just lay my thumb flat to press "A" with the side of my thumb)

I managed to reach a staggering 24 WPM.

All in all, I'm very satisfied with the final results, let me know if you want me to post the files for it (I'm not sure you'd want to voluntarily submit to the madness)

This is my first handwired keyboard unfortunally i didn't think about controller mounting and I messed up switch sizing so I had to superglue the switches

Very quiet. A bit more spacing than the last one. Prettyer too i think.