Papyrus: the paper Atreus

[JianYang]

I had some spare parts left over (actually, I bought some of those <$2 for 10 gateron switches on aliexpress to see if they actually are gaterons) and had resolved to build a 50-key Atreus just for fun. So I decided to make a steel sandwich, but just never got all the drawings together to send to the laser cutters, I always wanted to tweak something. And then at last I thought I would just make it from cardboard - that would allow me to rapidly prototype it, as well as shape it as I make it. But off course, that also did not go the way I planned, and I eventually settled that I would just use lots of layers of 220gsm card stock, and laminate them with epoxy. I can tell you that it would have been smart to have the card stock laser cut!

Anyway, here are some pictures:

[chuckdee]

Is this handwired or are you using a PCB?

[kurplop]

Looks great. Do you have any pic's of the process?

[JianYang]

Is this handwired or are you using a PCB?

It is completely handwired. I knew that if I could not even get to having the plates laser cut, I would not get a PCB finished and would just shelve the project.
(I suspect I know the answer as to why you asked that question - pictures of the insides should reveal all.)

Looks great. Do you have any pic's of the process?

Thanks. Unfortunately I do not. The whole time making it I was thinking I will regret not taking pictures, but I was also quite skeptical as to whether it was going to be a success at the point when pictures made sense.
I can tell you that the lamination process is done in the same way as you would laminate carbon fiber with a vacuum bagging process. The original paper was cut about the same shape as an Atreus, and then I took to the belt grinder and removed all the parts that made it less attractive

Some more pictures - showing the ugliness within:

[kurplop]

I really like that you used unconventional methods to build it. So much of what we see is basically the same old thing in a different color with slight layout deviations. I’m sure you learned a lot through the process. I hope you don’t mind a few questions about the construction and end results.

Construction
Were you able to laminate all the layers in one step or did it require several?
Did you have to cut out the switch holes later or were they made before the glue up?
Are there nuts on the underside or do the screws “bite” into the lower shell?
How does the composite sand/grind/drill? Is it hard? Soft? Flakey? Gummy? Any challenges working it?

End results
How does the weight compare with a wood or acrylic Atreus?
Do the switches sound and feel any different in the Papyrus compared to other keyboards?
What do you like and dislike about the Papyrus, and in hindsight, what would you have done differently?

Thanks for sharing your project with us.

[JianYang]

I really like that you used unconventional methods to build it. So much of what we see is basically the same old thing in a different color with slight layout deviations. I’m sure you learned a lot through the process. I hope you don’t mind a few questions about the construction and end results.

Thanks! That was exactly my goal.

Construction
Were you able to laminate all the layers in one step or did it require several?

I was able to do everything in one bag, with the top and botton half next to each other. I used a coated ceramic tile (600x600mm) as the base, so it end up being perfectly flat on the faces.
I did it with a dry process, as opposed to a wet-layup. The epoxy does not permeate the paper very well, and to try and counter this somewhat, I placed a layer of fiber glass on the bottom. This did not help too much, and the center of the bottom two layers did not get any epoxy. I fixed this afterwards by adding some epoxy. Next time I will definately opt for a wet-layup. It is a lot more messy, but I think it will work better.

Did you have to cut out the switch holes later or were they made before the glue up?

I made the cutouts beforehand. I used a chisel that I made the same width as the hole so that I could cut one edge in one go. I used 6 layers for the switchplate part, with each layer 0.3mm. Then I cut the holes in the bottom layer a bit bigger so that I end up with 1.5mm for the switches to click in. The process had limited success for a couple of reasons. First was that the paper would move, despite me giving the layers tabs that I used to glue them together for this part of the process. That meant that the final sizes were not as exact as I had hoped for. The second reason is that the peel ply I used while laminating was not pliable enough, so some excess resin would end up in the cutouts and that meant I had to break it off and file the holes clean again.
(I don't think I would be able to make the holes afterwards the material is really tough.)

Are there nuts on the underside or do the screws “bite” into the lower shell?

I drilled them 1.6mm and tapped them M2, so 75% thread. I don't expect the thread to be very strong - a bit weaker than a tapped PCB would be, so fingertip torque only for tightening.

How does the composite sand/grind/drill? Is it hard? Soft? Flakey? Gummy? Any challenges working it?

Very much like fiberglass/g10. Which is to say it gums up the belt easily, and also burns/burnishes/discolor relatively easily. And it also is not at all lung friendly - so I wore a decent respirator.
So for the shaping I used a 80 grit belt at very low speed, going to 150 and finishing with 320.

End results
How does the weight compare with a wood or acrylic Atreus?

Well, it is surprizingly light, and sturdy. This was one of the design goals. Make it travel friendly. The case is about 155g in itself. Total coming in at 317g. This is my first Atreus, so I cannot really compare it, but since it does not have the top layer, and the material should be less dense than acrylic or plywood, I believe it is lighter and more sturdy.

Do the switches sound and feel any different in the Papyrus compared to other keyboards?

This was also a surprize to me. They sound unlike anything I have ever heard. It is hard to explain. I would have to make a recording to illustrate. I also put double orings on the caps. Overall it feels tight - that is the best way I could describe it. Tight, but in a very pleasing sense. And the sound is a very high pitched click. About half-way between how a mounted blue switch sounds and how a bare blue switch sounds when you hold in in your hand.

What do you like and dislike about the Papyrus, and in hindsight, what would you have done differently?
Thanks for sharing your project with us.

I expected to make a "novelty" keyboard - something that would not get much use, but this is so pleasant to type on. It is my first board with blue switches, but from experiences with other blue swidch boards, I was not expecting to like it. So I am very happy. The process was much more time consuming than I had hoped, so the one thing I will change is to have the paper laser cut before lamination.
I do think I will do this again, and soon. Next up will be a split something. Something like a (modified) Redox or Minidox or split Atreus. It will have either 50 or 62 keys.

[invariance]

Great build!
Looks like you used enamel copper wire.
Is this correct and how did you go removing the enamel?


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[JianYang]

Great build!
Looks like you used enamel copper wire.
Is this correct and how did you go removing the enamel?

Thanks!
Yes indeed, I thought the enameled copper wire would be more pliable and hold their position better - I was right. I also thought it would be easier to strip them at intervals than insulated wire - I am not convinced I was right in this instance. In the end I resolved to using an oval needle file on all the joints, then rotating the wire about 45deg and doing it again. That is part of the reason why all the diodes are wrapped around the wire - to ensure I get to the exposed part.
I like the cleanliness of the enameled wire a bit more, it make it seem like a lot less wire and clutter.
With the small gauge I used on the USB connector I was able to simply heat it with the soldering iron and that would remove the enamel very neatly. That does not work with the thicker gauge, since it has a high quality polyurethane insulation that does not budge at 370degC.

[JianYang]

A few updates:
Added an extra-pointy trackpoint:

Etched and gun-blued the fasteners:

Ceramic balls for homing bumps:


I was quite surprised at the amount of software changes I had to make to get the trackpoint working like it should (at least according to me).
But in the end I am very happy with the result. The levered metal stick seems to give much more precise control compared to the rubber dome on standard thinkpads. I have added a middle button for scrolling, I will add the other two buttons if I can find space for them, I think I will have to cut the middle thumb switches to insert the tactile switches in them, there just is not enough clearance for a switch that has reasonable activation force.

[MajorclaM]

This is really neat. Have there been any group buys with micarta or other laminated sheet products. Aesthetically I find those much more attractive than acrylic sandwich cases.

[JianYang]

This is really neat. Have there been any group buys with micarta or other laminated sheet products. Aesthetically I find those much more attractive than acrylic sandwich cases.

Thanks.

I have not seen anything like this when I searched before starting to make it. I guess it is too time-intensive to make a keyboard out of micarta. And it would have to be milled, when I last checked, micarta cannot be water-jetted or laser cut, so that would make it prohibitively expensive.

[MajorclaM]

This is really neat. Have there been any group buys with micarta or other laminated sheet products. Aesthetically I find those much more attractive than acrylic sandwich cases.

Thanks.

I have not seen anything like this when I searched before starting to make it. I guess it is too time-intensive to make a keyboard out of micarta. And it would have to be milled, when I last checked, micarta cannot be water-jetted or laser cut, so that would make it prohibitively expensive.

Is the limitation with micarta because it can swell and burn? And how is your raw material different from commercial micarta?

[sublyme]

Cool design. I could not make out in the pic, Is that USB-C or micro?

[JianYang]

This is really neat. Have there been any group buys with micarta or other laminated sheet products. Aesthetically I find those much more attractive than acrylic sandwich cases.

Thanks.

I have not seen anything like this when I searched before starting to make it. I guess it is too time-intensive to make a keyboard out of micarta. And it would have to be milled, when I last checked, micarta cannot be water-jetted or laser cut, so that would make it prohibitively expensive.

Is the limitation with micarta because it can swell and burn? And how is your raw material different from commercial micarta?

I am not sure about paper 'micarta', but both G10 and cloth micarta delaminate when waterjetting, and make a very abrasive residue, so people don't like putting it in their machines. The laser might work on paper micarta, but in general the epoxy does not work well with heat.

The biggest difference with commercial micarta(aside from cutting the important shapes before laminating) is probably that I do not get the same resin fill. That is mostly due to the fact that I do not really know what I am doing and applied too much vacuum before the resin started to gel, and do not have a pressure pot.

Cool design. I could not make out in the pic, Is that USB-C or micro?

Thanks. It is a micro.