Author Topic: Looking for suggestion for caps and switches which pack tighter than standard MX  (Read 1813 times)

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Offline OldDataHands

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  • Posts: 280
  • Location: Michigan
Anybody have a suggestion for caps and tactile, or clicky switches which could pack together 10-15% tighter than typical Cherry MX spacing?
I'd like to build a somewhat scaled-down 10-keyless for my mom who has small hands and is starting to have more trouble with arthritis...


Offline fpazos

  • Posts: 166
Kailh chocs has 18x17mm units. This isn't too small.

Using custom 3d printed keycaps, plate and handwire you could create a keyboard that has units of 16x16 mm for example. As MX switches only use 14mm cutout. This could be quite expensive. The gap between switches in the plate will be only 2mm limiting a lot your options.

Another solution could be using an ortho 40% as the OLKB Planck or a Corne. This saves a lot of finger movement but needs some learning.

PS: Also I remember seing a micro keyboard but couldn't find it. It used microswitches.
« Last Edit: Fri, 11 June 2021, 01:22:45 by fpazos »
 

Offline Findecanor

  • Posts: 5035
  • Location: Koriko
Kailh chocs has 18x17mm units. This isn't too small.
Just to clarify: Kailh's keycaps for Kailh Choc has those units. Mass-produced keyboards with those switches have keys that are standard 3/4" (19.05mm) square. Keyboards that fit both Kailh and Cherry MX also have standard units.

When designing for Kailh's keycaps, you must also know that they are nonstandard in another way: They were made for 0.5 unit uniform stagger, so some keys are in non-standard number of units wide. For instance, Caps Lock and Enter are  2u instead of 1.75u and 2.25u, and both Shift keys are 2.5u instead of 2.25u and 2.75u.
Of course, Kailh Choc will also need special stabilizers, but those are available.

Offline fpazos

  • Posts: 166


Just to clarify: Kailh's keycaps for Kailh Choc has those units. Mass-produced keyboards with those switches have keys that are standard 3/4" (19.05mm) square. Keyboards that fit both Kailh and Cherry MX also have standard units.

When designing for Kailh's keycaps, you must also know that they are nonstandard in another way: They were made for 0.5 unit uniform stagger, so some keys are in non-standard number of units wide. For instance, Caps Lock and Enter are  2u instead of 1.75u and 2.25u, and both Shift keys are 2.5u instead of 2.25u and 2.75u.
Of course, Kailh Choc will also need special stabilizers, but those are available.

Good point. Thanks!