this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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ErgoMechKeyboards

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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

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No need to bend the legs, no need to do wire stripping. I did this in 30 minutes casually... I guess the full halve will take around 1 hour

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What’s your approach to stripping the enamel from the wire?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

a soldering iron at 360 degree celcius

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The only case I’ve ever seen where they make sense!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Is that using magnet wire to run the matrix? That small of guage seems like it will potentially break with some shock force (dropping a keyboard from a few centimeters on a wooden desk or something). Or is there a backplate supporting it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

yeah, they are quite delicate. I wanted to use thicker ones but it is hard to get thick magnet wires. I never tried dropping them so idk, I guess making them less tensioned would help a bit

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It one does look thin. The smallest I’d go is 28awg.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Good to know, it looks very clean!

The diodes seem to be flying!

Practically, I guess assume you hold the diode to the pin, solder it, bring the wire to the diode and solder it. How do you hold the diode, the iron and the solder at the same time?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

My guess is you pre tin the switch pin, get a blob of solder on your iron and have the diode in tweezers at the ready then put it all together. It only needs a small bead of solder (and flux).

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

yes this is how I did it!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Right! I can see how it would be fast then. “Just” tin all the pins, and when all the pins are tinned have your solder in a fixed position and then move your iron from solder to pin, stick the diode, and repeat. Cool!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The real secret is flux. As usual. Flux will always help.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I soldered on things yesterday doing this, but not tinning the pins first. I fluxed them instead. Then I just picked up solder on the iron tip, used that.

I don't have much experience, so maybe this is too slobby, but for now, things are in place and connected.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

wondering if it is faster for you?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Good question!