Making your own keyboard case

[yuktsi]

With the Jane's project coming to an end (60% shipped), I thought I may want share the drawings and experiences with case design/making/development. Making a keyboard can be expensive, more expensive if you need to shave your keycaps in order to have them fitted onto the board.

Jane is a rather simple and plain case, fits all A87u based PCB in the market, which make it perfect for anyone to use it as a base to their design, or simply just to take dimensions for clearance, fillet radius etc. etc.

I hope this thread will become a place for people to discuss/ask about design optimization, machining, finishing, material...

[yuktsi]

Solidworks files:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/imp7456qvod65pv/AACd2SLnyaQo5ZrJYCa3570Ba?dl=0

[romevi]

Curious about anodizing. I'll admit I have no idea what that means, let alone entails.
Mostly curious because the titanium gray color from the first round of Janes was not anywhere near the mockups, yet the final color was more preferable. You mentioned you can't replicate that color, and I'd like to know why.

[axtran]

This is awesome--we can continue to source plates and other components and build our own customs

I know one-offs are cost-prohibitive but you know, you gotta pay to play...

[ika]

This is awesome--we can continue to source plates and other components and build our own customs

I know one-offs are cost-prohibitive but you know, you gotta pay to play...

If anything he's letting people stand on his shoulders. Y'know how the saying goes and all. This means the next guy doesn't have to do all the boring stuff from scratch and spend a bunch of money making mistakes, and improvements can be stacked on top of this design.

[metalliqaz]

Where did you get it manufactured?  It's a complete mystery to me where people find companies willing to mill high quality,  low run products

[yuktsi]

download link added to the OP

[Photekq]

Which version of Solidworks are the files for?

[yuktsi]

2014

[Melvang]

Curious about anodizing. I'll admit I have no idea what that means, let alone entails.
Mostly curious because the titanium gray color from the first round of Janes was not anywhere near the mockups, yet the final color was more preferable. You mentioned you can't replicate that color, and I'd like to know why.

Aluminum anodizing is a chemical conversion process along with a step that dyes the outside coating.  First the aluminum is cleaned, almost to medical grade clean, then it goes through a series of baths along with an electric current.  The electric current along with the bath converts the aluminum at the surface into aluminum oxide.  Essentially controlled corrosion.  Though this outside surface has a very high surface hardness compared to the base material.  The aluminum oxide has a structure very similar to honeycomb.  The holes are then what accepts the dye during that process.  The depth of the oxide layer is controlled by a combination of time and amount of current in the baths.  This is what determines the difference between "soft" and "hard" anodizing.  The deeper the aluminum oxide layer, the harder it is.  The biggest benefit of anodizing vs other coatings, is it does not add anything to the thickness of parts, so the tolerances from machining are the same before and after anodizing.  Due to the nature of the baths, and the dye process, this is why it is very difficult to duplicate colors.  Colors can even shift a touch from the beginning to the end of larger batches.

Now for anodizing titanium, it is much simpler, though the physics of how it works is much more complicated.  It goes through much the same process, but with no dye.  The colors are achieved by using different voltages during that bath. 

[joey]

yuktsi: what's the license on the Jane files? Can I just take them and have them manufactured? Can I modify them and have them manufactured? Can I run a GB with the files?

[yuktsi]

yuktsi: what's the license on the Jane files? Can I just take them and have them manufactured? Can I modify them and have them manufactured? Can I run a GB with the files?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

It's just a board with no design. You can use it to do whatever you want.

[xondat]

Free bump to commend how helpful this was in order to get mine in the works. Even taking simple measurements that you just can't do any other way from this is great. I hope more people find this and make their own.

[alienman82]

removed.

[cribbit]

anyone have these files?

Would also be curious to get them.

Googling around can find some various case files too.

[xondat]

I have them but it looks like yuktsi took them down so I won't redistribute. If anyone needs help, I'm happy to.

[alienman82]

removed.

[buklaodee]

I have them but it looks like yuktsi took them down so I won't redistribute. If anyone needs help, I'm happy to.

i hope someone will give them to me it took me a while to even find this thread TT

It's hard to especially find case files that aren't the Tek-80 or a sandwich case.

Currently typing on a keyboard without a case....