Mechanical Keyboards

Hi. I have largely settled in on a pattern for making my boards, which I admit will always reveal their DIY nature when you look close, and sometimes even from afar, LOL!

1. Design layout at https://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/
2. Import that information into the swillkb or ai03 plate generators
3. Edit the outside profile of the plate manually in 2D CAD software, and usually use that to also make a baseplate
4. Only done this once, as I usually hand-wire, but here is where I'd design the PCB and send it off for manufacturing, at least in the before-times when this wasn't prohibitively expensive.
5. Import the plate into 3D CAD software and design a case around it. This is still a time-consuming undertaking for me, so a couple of times I've skipped it and just used standoffs to separate the switches and circuitry from the base plate.
6. 3D print the case and any other bits that need it, like feet or blockers or MCU shells.
7. Laser cut the plates from something that my cheap Diode engraver can get through, generally "Masonite" hardboard.
8. Install switches into the plate and solder it up; for handwires this takes an awhile.
9. Install and edit the firmware. So far, I've always used KMK, but at some point I'd like to move on to the more common QMK.
10. Assemble the rest of the keyboard.

I haven't sold any DIY boards yet, but for the right customer, someone who understands the aesthetic limitations but still wants to pay too much for my time and needs something unique, I'd certainly consider it. I'm under no illusions that this is a large market, LOL.

LOL, it works for me, but undoubtedly part of it that I'm not a proper touch typist at all.

A major design element here is that no key is more than 1.75 "units", meaning nothing needs stabilizer hardware. It's a cheat to improving sound and definitely one for easing construction on my very cheap laser cutter (really more of an engraver, but it can get through some things). The open spaces are also meant to evoke the "HHKB" and its retro inspirations like the original Macintosh keyboard, and honestly it hasn't been a problem. I have four "spacebars" of 1.25 u each, but two of them do something else when held down (Fn for one, Alt for the other).

The 3D-printed case could stand a little refinement, and if it ever actually cracks I'll replace it, but so far it's hanging in there, and I really like the typing feel.