Author Topic: [BUILD] DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"  (Read 2762 times)

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Offline wjrii

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[BUILD] DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« on: Sun, 26 November 2023, 23:58:02 »
EDIT: pretty much done.

Next handwire project is coalescing.  The idea this time is a little more off the beaten path, and I'm exploring a few new skills:

  • Layout: FRL 1800 but with no separation on the arrows, so a "96%" that's way less than 96%.
  • No stabilizers.  Longest key is 1.75u.
  • Split space is a must.  Layout will be one 1.5u and 3 1.25u
  • Row stagger is altered only on numrow, which is shifted 0.25u to right.
  • Only uses the keycap sizes on a standard 104-key ANSI layout, so if you didn't care about legends, you could use any non-sculpted keycap set.
  • I do care about legends, though.  Keycaps are two-tone gray DSA blanks from YMDK, but I will use a low-powered laser pass over some Cricut "infusible ink" to do DIY dye-sub legends. Early results are promising, though the process is going to be tedious.  This will be ameliorated a bit by using my own amateurish but adequate keycap design that only uses three glyphs in various rotations for all modifiers and nav keys.  I will need to be careful to get my jig centered so that rotating the keycaps will look acceptable.  I don't quite trust myself not to have compounding error if I make a multi-key jig, so the plan for this board is one at a time, about 3 minutes of actual laser time per keycap.
  • Case will be a simple sandwich, laser cut from tempered hardboard, with the top plate painted.
  • Switches will be Gateron Green, handwired to an RP2040 running KMK.

As always, budget is a priority.  Current out of pocket outlay for parts specific to the board are about $40 for keycaps, switches, and hardboard stock.  Still have enough wire, diodes, bumpers, etc. without a new purchase.
« Last Edit: Sun, 17 December 2023, 10:20:46 by wjrii »

Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 06 December 2023, 20:41:06 »
Plate generated (thanks again, swill!) and cut on my little Comgrow Z1.  If you look close, in one pic you can see the very bottom of my "just brute force it!" laser air assist, and in the other my initial zap-list for the laser dye-sub keycaps to come later.

This hardboard is interesting stuff.  With the linseed oil tempering, it should wear fairly well for everyday use, and that top surface is the smoothest material available on the big box plywood aisle, but it's not made to handle significant edge impacts or much torsion, and when it goes, it's DONE.  It crumples and tears like a wet Amazon box. The switch plate ought to be rigid enough that it'll hold up well, and the laser-burned sides should help a tiny bit, but this is a material I'd only recommend for prototypes and those determined to cut SOMETHING with a 5w laser ( I understand thin and dark acrylic cuts okay with the 10w).  Now that said, this particular piece cut beautifully, but I think I'm going to solder to hotswap sockets so I'll be able to re-use the wiring if the plate doesn't hold up. I have a batch scavenged from a PCB with a torn pad on the spacebar.
« Last Edit: Wed, 06 December 2023, 21:06:13 by wjrii »

Offline LASERman Projects

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 07 December 2023, 08:22:52 »
Nice job, kudos for bespoke layout!

And here is (for comparison) my ideal layout: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/f74cd6d01f917ac2d7bcc1442604e5a1
And execution:


Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 07 December 2023, 11:01:31 »
I love that layout.  Perfect for data entry, Unicode characters, etc.  The build quality is also very nice, certainly a step (or ten) above what I've done.

For mine, I was noodling around with what you could pull off without stabilizers, and I thought the results still looked pretty usable.  Time will tell, I suppose.  I doubt I will ever build it, but in a similar vein of treating keyboards as puzzles, I came up with what I think would be a non-insane 65% for someone who had an unneeded set of Ergodox keycaps.
« Last Edit: Thu, 07 December 2023, 12:13:17 by wjrii »

Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 10 December 2023, 00:07:33 »
Matrix is wired and bottom plate is cut.  I need to fine tune the dimensions on the sandwich plates, and probably get some longer screws.  You can also see a little internal wire management and MCU mounting courtesy of Gorilla Glue Hot Glue.  Nothing but the best here!


Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 13 December 2023, 11:27:59 »
Matrix tested, only two bad joints (for now), so they were repaired and six 3d-printed cylinders (slapped together in my shiny new 20-Euro copy of "BeckerCAD 3D Pro 14") screwed on as temporary feet.  Preliminary keymap seems top be working well, but I've been putting off the keycaps and I need to get some more and longer screws to bind the case layers together.  I lasered out some "Popsicle sticks" that would serve, but I don't like the log cabin look enough to install them, so this may be on the plastic feet for a bit.

Would welcome some thoughts on what to do with three extra unmapped "spacebars."  The 1.5u one will stay as space, and I may also keep the one to the left of it that way as well.  Was thinking about moving Del and Bksp to the two outside ones, and promoting Page up and Page down out of my Fn layer.

Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 13 December 2023, 21:26:14 »
Progress on the keycaps!  All mods, navigation, and numpad operation keys are done.  I'm using a zero degree keyboard (a handwired "Planck+3" with an extra column) as a jig, and manually aiming the laser onto the cross stem of the underlying MX switch.  It's slow and still only going "okay."  As a proof of concept and DIY project, I freaking love this, and it's extremely satisfying when the 100% acetone instantly obliterates every bit of the infusible ink except where I shot it with a frickin' laser beam.  If I were a customer though, I'd be livid.  Everything is a mm off here, a mm off there.   

That big oval on caps lock is definitely a design choice meant to be bold while still round and minimal. It's certainly not a cover-up tattoo on my only dark gray 1.5u, necessitated by my attempt to laser a keycap without a stable jig.  Is this how novelty keycaps were born?  Who can say? 

Soon I tackle the alphas and numbers... 

Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 15 December 2023, 16:46:02 »
I assembled the case and painted the top plate. PURPLE!  We'll see if this spray lacquer plays nice with the spray paint, but if not, oh well, slap another dollar of masonite on the laser.  Bumpers have been added, and rear riser feet 3D printed.  I also went HAM with the bench grinder on the screws and nuts on the bottom to make sure they didn't extend past the front bumpers, and I have the blister on my finger to prove it.  Science is real, folks, and heat will conduct up to the top of a 1" machine screw VERY easily. 

Next step is to experiment on my spare keycaps and see if batching them out is more practical than I first thought.  Not looking forward to 50+ one-offs, but I'll do it if batching seems impractical.

« Last Edit: Fri, 15 December 2023, 16:48:30 by wjrii »

Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 16 December 2023, 07:55:38 »
Well, batching out 9 at a time seems no worse than 1 at a time.  Hoping to finish it up this weekend.  Plenty of lessons to take away if I were to redo this one in more premium materials, but it's coming together pretty well.


Offline wjrii

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Re: [BUILD] in-progress DIY Handwired No-stabs FRL "96%"
« Reply #9 on: Sun, 17 December 2023, 09:20:01 »
So, basically done here.  Alignment on the keycaps is a little bit all over the place, but only a single batch of nine truly got away from me (YUIOPASDF).  Still, the quality of the laser transfer itself is good enough (so far) that I'm encouraged enough to look into making a proper jig.  I will probably test that by remaking the worst keys from this batch, yet overall the board is very usable.  It's a bit of a chonk compared to what I usually like, but that was expected with the materials chosen.  Overall, for dedicated purchases for this board specifically, I'm in for about $16 on switches, $18 on keycaps, $8 for the hardboard, $5 (shipped) for the MCU, and $2 for the screws.  Everything else was kind of already around as part of my supplies inventory.

The low-end materials show, no two ways about it, as does my inexperience with my laser, but this has come together in a very promising way, and I'm not disappointed in the looks, to be honest.  In particular, I like the feel of the  layout.  It's kind of like having the keyboard from a 15" gaming laptop, but full travel and mechanical.  I was lucky enough to notice that my keycap set came with three dished indicator keys before lasering, so F, J, and numpad 5 are all appropriate, if you care about such things; I also added a tiny drop of Bondic UV-curing resin to the down arrow after I took the pictures.   

So, I may update this thread with revised keycaps when I ge the improved jig put together, but calling this one complete.

« Last Edit: Sun, 17 December 2023, 10:19:56 by wjrii »