Author Topic: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop  (Read 165945 times)

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Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #450 on: Mon, 10 October 2016, 12:14:04 »
Ooh, a different shade of shiny!  Looking good :thumb:
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Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #451 on: Fri, 14 October 2016, 00:08:35 »
Thought I'd better check in and bring you up to speed.

I mentioned earlier that I had to do some scratching and filling. Here's what that's all about.
 
Sometimes I get the lines a little heavy and they touch other traces. I found using a scalpel and scribe are the safest way to remove unwanted toner.
150432-0
Because of a bad spot on my laser printer, I will get a few areas that don't print. I've also had occasions where I did a poor job transferring a good print and some of the toner was left on the paper. That is when a felt pen comes to the rescue. The Sharpie is an effective mask to keep the ferric chloride from getting to the copper.
150434-1
I soldered in the switches the other day. I made the pads too big. I did it intentionally because the paper tends to shrink when I press it onto the PCB. I wanted to make sure the drilled holes were within the pads. I overdid it though and filling the pads with solder probably used 4 times as much as otherwise needed. Next time smaller traces and pads!
150436-2
I bolted the egg crates, keyring, and PCB's to the body and after some fiddling things fit well. I did have to enlarge a few holes to get things to line up though. Notice the missing solder in one of the switches?
150438-3
I made a new PCB for the ring. The old one in the picture had some problems. First , I transferred it backwards so my mouse switches weren't in the originally designed location. If that were all I would have left it but as I began soldering I noticed the pads weren't taking the solder well. From sitting around oxidizing, I think. Polishing solved the issue but then I wasn't happy with the way the 8 pin connector was fitting. The traces didn't burn very well either. With each issue I became less and less excited about using it so I committed to burning another. This PCB came out almost perfect. I'm glad I redid it. I decided to run 3 jumper wires so I didn't have to burn the 2nd side of the PCB. No worries about alignment and it went very quick. It's in the mill now waiting for me to drill the holes.

With the switches and caps mounted I got a chance to try it out. I was a bit disappointed because it felt pretty scratchy. I won't be applying the teflon until I CeraKote so no joy yet. The sandblasting roughened the egg crate sides and cap sides so I'm having to file them clean and to size to allow for the teflon strips.  The ones I had done and tested had virtually no friction or binding. Tedious work though.

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to lower the keyring caps a bit. That required me milling down the stems and sanding down the cap bottoms. I just have the sanding left to do.

CeraKote this weekend? Possibly but probably not.
 

Offline nhopubrid

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #452 on: Sat, 15 October 2016, 04:52:21 »
The inside of the keyboard looks tidy with all the components mounted. I'm trying to find the missing solder in the photo, but I can't find it.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #453 on: Sat, 15 October 2016, 06:24:15 »
The inside of the keyboard looks tidy with all the components mounted. I'm trying to find the missing solder in the photo, but I can't find it.

Dead center on the left side. It's funny how easy it is to not see things that aren't there. :)

One thing (of the hundreds) I didn't consider, was that as the egg crate, switches, and PCBs stack up, they converge together because of the tenting. It won't pose a problem as long as I the keyring PCB isn't at the same elevation as the alpha PCBs. You can see them overlapping in the picture above.

One thing that never fails to confuse me is trying to keep straight the proper orientation of the PCBs. My blunder this time was orienting the Teensy as if it would be mounted on the backside of the PCB. Fortunately, correcting the problem just involved scratching off a small section of a trace, a jumper wire, and remapping the firmware.
* teensy correction.pdf (121.5 kB - downloaded 191 times.)

Offline nhopubrid

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #454 on: Thu, 20 October 2016, 04:05:10 »
Dead center on the left side. It's funny how easy it is to not see things that aren't there. :)

One thing (of the hundreds) I didn't consider, was that as the egg crate, switches, and PCBs stack up, they converge together because of the tenting. It won't pose a problem as long as I the keyring PCB isn't at the same elevation as the alpha PCBs. You can see them overlapping in the picture above.

One thing that never fails to confuse me is trying to keep straight the proper orientation of the PCBs. My blunder this time was orienting the Teensy as if it would be mounted on the backside of the PCB. Fortunately, correcting the problem just involved scratching off a small section of a trace, a jumper wire, and remapping the firmware.
(Attachment Link)

I would've checked in sooner, but I've been terribly busy. Now I see the missing solder. I don't think I would have thought something was wrong unless someone pointed it out. What's does the programming for the Teensy involve? Is it the entire controller for the keyboard or just for interfacing with the trackball?

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #455 on: Thu, 20 October 2016, 11:54:00 »
What's does the programming for the Teensy involve? Is it the entire controller for the keyboard or just for interfacing with the trackball?

Because I'm keeping all of the trackball's components intact, its firmware will operate independent of the keyboard's. Doing this necessitates having a USB hub in the keyboard so that only one cable is needed to connect to the computer. I believe the AVR firmware allows for mousing functions but it's beyond my understanding and it probably wouldn't support all of the Slimblade's functions.

Not much happening with P6 this week; mostly fitting, soldering diodes, and fiddling with the mechanics of the caps/switches to make sure everything works flawlessly. Most of the concerns that have to be addressed before spraying have been and I'm feeling pretty optimistic about how the finished product will work.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #456 on: Sat, 29 October 2016, 03:27:17 »
I sprayed and baked some keyboard parts last night. Here they are after two hours in the oven.
151476-0
I was surprised by how smooth the Cerakote feels. Very low friction. Except for an unusual flaw on the left side of the keyring top, I'm very happy with the finish. If the spot doesn't rub out I'll re-sandblast and re-shoot it.

In the back of my mind I was concerned that the thickness of the Cerakote would make a snug fit between the parts even tighter. It actually almost lubricates it. The egg crates and keyring slid in perfectly.


A close up of the caps.
151478-1
It is a relief getting to this point. I always stress over the finish, whether it's a house, cabinets, or keyboards. There is something almost irreversible about it. What did I forget to do that needed to be done before? Was the prep adequate? Is the finish going to go on right?

Seeing and touching this gives me a renewed excitement. I can't wait to get the caps fitted, the brass bushings and push rods installed in the ring keys, the electronics and all the rest. After over a year, I can't wait to type on it.

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #457 on: Sat, 29 October 2016, 11:48:52 »
That looks glorious.  Any idea how you ended up with that flaw, and if you'll be able to get rid of it?

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #458 on: Sat, 29 October 2016, 14:30:41 »
I'm not sure why that happened. I was baking a cake at the same time and some of the frosting may have touched it. The cake has a slight benzine/ketone aftertaste.   ;D

If I can't buff it out, I'll sandblast and re shoot when I spray the other parts. The application of the cerakote was pretty easy overall.

One of my key ring caps disappeared. I may have to make another. I think I'm going to reshape the tops to have a curve instead of the bevel and flat top. It will feel better because of the various angles they will be hit from.

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #459 on: Sun, 30 October 2016, 04:09:54 »
I was baking a cake at the same time … One of my key ring caps disappeared.

Did your cake have a hard, possibly uncooked, bit?

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #460 on: Sun, 30 October 2016, 06:03:27 »
I was baking a cake at the same time … One of my key ring caps disappeared.

Did your cake have a hard, possibly uncooked, bit?


Aha!


Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #461 on: Sun, 30 October 2016, 06:16:39 »
From shiny to stealthy - still looks great!

Here's hoping the cap is not in the cake :))
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Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #462 on: Sun, 30 October 2016, 06:58:54 »
 For anyone who may be uncertain about it—the cake is a myth. :)

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #463 on: Fri, 04 November 2016, 11:47:37 »
I was fitting things together before making final adjustments and decisions and thought I'd get a quick picture out to give you an idea how it will look before breaking it down for the last time (I hope). The ring caps will be changed but otherwise this is the general look.
152061-0
The alpha and keyring switches work better than I could have hoped. It will be a delight to use. The thumb keys seem just a little sluggish. I don't think it's the weight of the caps. More likely that they just seem that way because the others are very snappy.

Offline S1llyC0ne

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #464 on: Fri, 04 November 2016, 12:23:55 »
Just "Woah !". Truly amazing finish ! 😍

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #465 on: Fri, 04 November 2016, 15:00:01 »
I was fitting things together before making final adjustments and decisions and thought I'd get a quick picture out to give you an idea how it will look before breaking it down for the last time (I hope). The ring caps will be changed but otherwise this is the general look.
(Attachment Link)
The alpha and keyring switches work better than I could have hoped. It will be a delight to use. The thumb keys seem just a little sluggish. I don't think it's the weight of the caps. More likely that they just seem that way because the others are very snappy.

So beautiful man!

Offline alienman82

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #466 on: Fri, 04 November 2016, 15:06:37 »
removed.
« Last Edit: Thu, 01 March 2018, 13:45:33 by alienman82 »

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #467 on: Sat, 05 November 2016, 03:11:15 »
That looks rubbish.  For starters, it's back to front.  Send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.  Will it blend?

I assume the scar in the cerakote came out, I don't see it in the photos.  What's with that totally flat ring cap, though?  Trying out new shapes?  To my eye they all look a bit high, I'd probably have gone for putting the start of the bevel flush with the case, but that all depends what you're going for with the new ring caps.  Something a little more "organic" might be more comfortable in the long run, maybe something like a slight dish with rounded over edges.  Would look less "industrial" though...

The palm rests look lush.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #468 on: Sat, 05 November 2016, 07:49:04 »
Thanks everybody (except tufty, of course), for the positive reviews. I'm happy with the look but even happier with the feel of the switch action.

I spent a lot of time trying to get the effect I was after. I was shooting for a fairly light feel with a very short throw (under 3mm) and a fast response. The alpha switches meet those requirements quite well and I haven't even applied the teflon strips yet. There is a very slight metallic sound that I think I like but will probably go away with the teflon. The Cerakote seemed to make the egg crate channels slippery, making the teflon unnecessary now but will eventually wear off. The teflon will also allow me to tune in the amount of "slop" in the caps. It's not bad but I think there is still room for improvement.

The keyring switches feel buttery smooth and are quiet. I added rubber o-rings to quiet the upstroke landing and to add length to the brass pushrod assembly (pictures to follow). The lubed brass tubing eliminated any sticking common to the ML's with off-center presses.

The thumb keys action feels slow by comparison. I may raise the keys 1/16" to 1/8" to improve clearance. When my palms are touching the rests, my thumbs just touch the keyboard body below the thumb key caps at the bottom of the down stroke. I'm not sure if I will be typing that way but I don't want to limit my options.

Ideally I would have wanted them all to feel the same but so it goes.

That looks rubbish.  For starters, it's back to front.  Send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.  Will it blend?

I assume the scar in the cerakote came out, I don't see it in the photos.  What's with that totally flat ring cap, though?  Trying out new shapes?  To my eye they all look a bit high, I'd probably have gone for putting the start of the bevel flush with the case, but that all depends what you're going for with the new ring caps.  Something a little more "organic" might be more comfortable in the long run, maybe something like a slight dish with rounded over edges.  Would look less "industrial" though...

The palm rests look lush.

Ahh! I knew something wasn't right. Next time I'll try typing with the palm rests in the front. The toe-in seemed all wrong that way.


Yes, the flaws came out but it took two more tries to do so. I think it was oil in the aluminum. The first time, I re-sandblasted then dipped in acetone for 30 minutes but neglected to bake it at 350º for 30 minutes to draw out any additional oils. I think that was the mistake because the re-spraying yielded even more blemishes. The third try (with baking) came out flawless. Any inconsistencies you see in the picture are from dust and smudges that I left on before photographing. I don't spend much time staging my pictures.

I never found the missing ring cap. I had that one laying around from earlier experiments. The caps are just slightly pushed into the rods; that explains the extra height. They hold so well I was afraid to push them down all the way yet, knowing I'd be disassembling soon for final detailing. Funny thing is, the flat cap feels better than the others in operation! I think I will make new ones with a very slight dome shape in the top. I could easily modify the existing ones but I'd have to make a new one from scratch anyways and a new set would guarantee uniformity. I agree with the industrial look; I wish I could keep the shape but it doesn't feel as good when pressed from the variety of angles and digits I intend to employ.

The palm rests: The walnut looks pretty good but I was out shopping for alternatives and came home with some bocote and cocobolo to try out. They are both interesting looking pieces. The bocote has an almost black summer growth ring pattern which would play off the black keyboard well The cocobolo more nearly resembles the walnut but has finer grain and a slightly better color. As a plus, it would be a delight to tell people "...and of course the rests are made out of cocobolo, anything less wouldn't do".

Mistakes that ended in improvements: The redesign of the alpha clusters as well as the keyring ended up not just working better but created a look that is better than the original design. The fitted egg crates and keyring give a subtle but more detailed look to the case with the slightly raised bevels.







 

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #469 on: Sat, 05 November 2016, 10:00:59 »
Thanks everybody (except tufty, of course)
:thumb:

Yes, the flaws came out but it took two more tries to do so. I think it was oil in the aluminum. The first time, I re-sandblasted then dipped in acetone for 30 minutes but neglected to bake it at 350º for 30 minutes to draw out any additional oils. I think that was the mistake because the re-spraying yielded even more blemishes. The third try (with baking) came out flawless.
I wondered if you'd re-done it.  Should have guessed it was twice.

The caps are just slightly pushed into the rods; that explains the extra height. They hold so well I was afraid to push them down all the way yet, knowing I'd be disassembling soon for final detailing. Funny thing is, the flat cap feels better than the others in operation! I think I will make new ones with a very slight dome shape in the top. I could easily modify the existing ones but I'd have to make a new one from scratch anyways and a new set would guarantee uniformity. I agree with the industrial look; I wish I could keep the shape but it doesn't feel as good when pressed from the variety of angles and digits I intend to employ.
Ah, right, that explains the fact they aren't all at the same height, too.  And don;t get me wrong, I don't think a more organic look would look wrong, just - different.  I like the industrial touch they give, but it's a functional piece above all, right?

You'll hate me for this, but *ahem* given that you're gonna remake them anyway, have you considered a hardwood for the ring caps?  Might give a pleasing symmetry with the palm rests...

I'll get my coat.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #470 on: Sat, 05 November 2016, 10:20:04 »
There you go. Reading my mind again. I thought I might try the ring caps matching the palm rests. What do you think?
« Last Edit: Sat, 05 November 2016, 13:38:58 by kurplop »

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #471 on: Sat, 05 November 2016, 14:43:16 »
I think you should probably make it "finished" at some point.

Yeah, matching the palm rests would be lovely.

Offline math0ne

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #472 on: Mon, 07 November 2016, 22:22:57 »
I just wanted to say how inspiring all your work is, amazing stuff man!

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #473 on: Fri, 18 November 2016, 22:11:25 »
I think you should probably make it "finished" at some point.

I know. It's probably seems as if I don't want to finish it, but that's not true. Without a deadline, my procrastinating combined with my indecisiveness tend to get the better of me.

I just wanted to say how inspiring all your work is, amazing stuff man!

Thanks and welcome to Geekhack. That means a lot to me.


A lot of the tedious stuff

The missing ring cap that never reappeared made me go back and make a whole new set so that they would all match. It probably didn't take much longer to make 12 than replicate the one. It still involves the same number of tool changes and steps. The actual cutting is only about one fourth of the time spent. Because I changed the profile to a subtle dome, I did grind a tool to the right profile. A little sanding cleaned them up and they were ready to spray.

153220-0
As you can see, I made them just over half the height of the earlier caps. That cut down the weight and allowed them to not have to ride as high while still allowing full travel. I also remade the brass stems and bushings to better position things.
* revised keyring switch details Image.pdf (184.23 kB - downloaded 168 times.)
The o-rings soften the return of the switch and add length to the bushing. I thought it critical to maximize the diameter to length ratio to reduce the risk of off-center presses sticking.

Adding self adhesive teflon tape to the keycap sides was a tedious process. It required filing the sides of the caps to get just the right amount of clearance between the egg crate sides and the caps. The tape is .006" thick and should provide not only reduced friction travel but it also quiets the metallic sound and should provide enough clearance to keep the Cerakote from wearing through the cap sides.
153223-2

I still need to solder in the SMD diodes for the switches and run a few more cables but it is almost wired. I added solderless connectors so I could remove components as needed without to much trouble.
153225-3

After lubing all of the movable parts, the switches feel and sound much more similar than before. The thumb keys responded especially well to the lube.

I hope to have more to show soon.


Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #474 on: Sat, 19 November 2016, 09:19:33 »
The new ring caps look the business!  Got any photos of them mounted?

Mods to the mounting all sound sensible, as expected.  Nearly there...

Offline Photekq

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #475 on: Sun, 20 November 2016, 09:33:28 »
I can't believe I'm only seeing this now. Absolutely incredible work!
https://kbdarchive.org/
github
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Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #476 on: Tue, 22 November 2016, 18:32:12 »
That is some thin tape - is .006" even visible?!  Sounds like it does the job.

Looks like you'll be needing some firmware - see the readme for how to use EasyAVR with a Mac.  Run and close it then copy the attached to /home/username/.EasyAVR (I think it's the same on Mac? you'll find it...) and when you run it again the Planet 6 will be in the list.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this finished!
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Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #477 on: Tue, 22 November 2016, 23:47:29 »
I can't believe that it's almost done!

It's all wired, tapped, adjusted and now it's time to attach and finish the wrist rests.
153562-0

After hot glueing the walnut rests in place, I did a little sanding and then applied several coats of finish. I applied clear strapping tape to protect the Cerakote from the sanding.
153564-1

While the finish was drying between coats, I finished up the base. I made it out of walnut and thought it would be the bottom but when I changed the switches it became necessary to fatten it up because the PCB's were too low.
153566-2
I had to cut out sections for clearance, so I epoxied a piece of 1/4" aluminum to the underside. It will end up being better this way because, being mounted to a tray arm, the heavy aluminum will be more durable than wood.

I still need to cut down screws to size so I can mount the bottom but this is pretty close to the finished product. I also need
to change the resistors for the LED indicator lights; they are blinding now. I'm hoping to install the firmware soon and by the end of the week it will be mounted to my desk.
153568-3

I'll post more pictures after I clean up all of the lint and smudges. Funny how you don't notice them until you blow up the pictures

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #478 on: Wed, 23 November 2016, 00:50:23 »
I can't believe that it's almost done!

It's all wired, tapped, adjusted and now it's time to attach and finish the wrist rests.
(Attachment Link)

After hot glueing the walnut rests in place, I did a little sanding and then applied several coats of finish. I applied clear strapping tape to protect the Cerakote from the sanding.
(Attachment Link)

While the finish was drying between coats, I finished up the base. I made it out of walnut and thought it would be the bottom but when I changed the switches it became necessary to fatten it up because the PCB's were too low.
(Attachment Link)
I had to cut out sections for clearance, so I epoxied a piece of 1/4" aluminum to the underside. It will end up being better this way because, being mounted to a tray arm, the heavy aluminum will be more durable than wood.

I still need to cut down screws to size so I can mount the bottom but this is pretty close to the finished product. I also need
to change the resistors for the LED indicator lights; they are blinding now. I'm hoping to install the firmware soon and by the end of the week it will be mounted to my desk.
(Attachment Link)

I'll post more pictures after I clean up all of the lint and smudges. Funny how you don't notice them until you blow up the pictures

It's absolutely gorgeous man! This is one of the few boards I'd love to see in person!

Offline TomBodet

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #479 on: Wed, 23 November 2016, 19:51:48 »
 :eek:

Damn that's beautiful.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #480 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 01:50:22 »
Tomorrow morning, one year, one month, one week, and one day after my first post in this thread, Planet 6 will be done. Ic07 is coming over to help me install the firmware that suicidal orange prepared for me. I'm sure there will be little things to deal with but I think this project is pretty much in the can. If it works as well as the AlumaPlop has, I will be quite happy.

I posted a video/slideshow on YouTube showing highlights of the process. I'd be honored to have you check it out, but go easy on me. This video/slideshow/YouTube stuff is all new to me   


I think I will wait a few months before posting it in use. I know I will like using it but it takes me a quite a bit of time to get use to anything new and I don't want to document my clumsy and awkward technique and misrepresent how well it will work one day.

Offline S1llyC0ne

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #481 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 02:29:10 »
Congratulations, kurplop ! \o/

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Offline iamtootallforthis

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #482 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 09:55:50 »
Tomorrow morning, one year, one month, one week, and one day after my first post in this thread, Planet 6 will be done. Ic07 is coming over to help me install the firmware that suicidal orange prepared for me. I'm sure there will be little things to deal with but I think this project is pretty much in the can. If it works as well as the AlumaPlop has, I will be quite happy.

I posted a video/slideshow on YouTube showing highlights of the process. I'd be honored to have you check it out, but go easy on me. This video/slideshow/YouTube stuff is all new to me   


I think I will wait a few months before posting it in use. I know I will like using it but it takes me a quite a bit of time to get use to anything new and I don't want to document my clumsy and awkward technique and misrepresent how well it will work one day.

Thanks for the build video! I've loved watching this board come to fruition.

Offline Badwrench

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #483 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 10:41:50 »
What a great build buddy!  Thank you for the video of the work, it really brings it all together.

How is it to use after all this time?  It looks very comfortable. 
wut. i'd buy a ****ty IBM board for that green V2

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #484 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 11:05:25 »
Aw, man, that looks awful!

Oh.

Hang on.

Awesome.  That's it.  All kinds of awesome.

Quite probably the best looking keyboard I've ever seen, and given the work put into the designing and redesigning and reredesigning, I'm sure it feels just as good as it looks.  Not that you should be allowed to sully it by using it to "type" on.

Well done.  Really, really, well done.

Offline Ramage

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #485 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 13:18:16 »
Awesome job on the build Kurplop! It's been fun following this project for the last year!

Offline Phenix

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #486 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 13:37:03 »
Really congrats!
you did an stunning job by creating it!!
Winter is coming.

Offline davkol

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #487 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 15:34:59 »
Amazeballs.

BTW nominated for Deskthority Awards 2016.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #488 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 22:02:24 »
Thanks everybody for the kind words. Half of the fun of doing this board is the joy of learning, solving problems, dreaming, and having a great keyboard at the end of it. The other half is being able to share it with others who have the same love for things like this. I'm not going to show false modesty and say something like, "Ah gosh, it's not that good". The truth is, it is that good. Maybe not for everybody or even for more than a few, but it works perfectly for this arthritic sexagenarian with worn out hands.


It's absolutely gorgeous man! This is one of the few boards I'd love to see in person!
And I'd love to show it to you. Maybe I'll fly out to the next big east coast keyboard event and you can try it out.

What a great build buddy!  Thank you for the video of the work, it really brings it all together.

How is it to use after all this time?  It looks very comfortable. 

It was fun putting the video together. It brought back a lot of memories. Remember when I brought the shell to the Huntington Beach event? Seems like ages ago.
It will take some trial and error to decide some of the final keyring switch assignments but it feels great and the switches work surprisingly well for a prototype with so many untested features.

I'm sure it feels just as good as it looks.  Not that you should be allowed to sully it by using it to "type" on.
Well done.  Really, really, well done.

Ha. You know better than that. As soon as the good pictures are taken, I'm going to have it covered with dust and grime in no time.

Awesome job on the build Kurplop! It's been fun following this project for the last year!

I was hoping people would enjoy the thread as the board took shape. Thanks.

Amazeballs.

BTW nominated for Deskthority Awards 2016.

Wow. I feel like the belle of the ball. Which is more than kind of strange for a dude! Thanks davkol.

Offline iamtootallforthis

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #489 on: Fri, 25 November 2016, 22:12:15 »
I'd love to try it out! I'll have to keep track of all the meet ups and even the odd chance that I travel to anywhere near you.

Looking forward to the typing video though, I really want to hear this in action.

Offline AMongoose

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #490 on: Sat, 26 November 2016, 07:56:16 »
Absolutely stunning.
This project is so inspirational, it just makes me want to build something.

Offline menuhin

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #491 on: Sat, 26 November 2016, 08:26:55 »
Even tailored the key mechanism, a journey towards perfection and perseverance to complete a project like this. Splendid! Hats off to you, it's a project at a totally different level.

Please post some keyboard typing, or CAD session video.
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Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #492 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 02:55:25 »
As soon as the good pictures are taken, I'm going to have it covered with dust and grime in no time.
Now you've finished making the prototype, you should send it to me like I agreed, and get on with making the real one.  Slacker!

How does it work with your "modified" hand?
« Last Edit: Sun, 27 November 2016, 03:01:37 by tufty »

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #493 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 09:41:44 »
As I said earlier, I want to wait on the demo for a little while but I may do a quick test video so you can hear it and see the action. Unfortunately, I've developed some bad habits with my left hand that I need to break. I'm not using my middle and ring finger yet, part out of habit and part because of the sensory feedback. I made molds for a silicone finger extension but haven't finished it. That could be interesting.


This project is so inspirational, it just makes me want to build something.

That's part of the reason I documented the process.

As soon as the good pictures are taken, I'm going to have it covered with dust and grime in no time.
Now you've finished making the prototype, you should send it to me like I agreed, and get on with making the real one.  Slacker!

I think I'll hang on to it until I make the "improved" model. That may take some time though. I'm ready to jump into it but I have to sell the idea to my wife first. I know I said I'd give it to you for free but I haven't received the $10,000 shipping and handling fee from you yet. (The costs for transporting goods across the Atlantic via camel are ridiculous. :eek:)

Again, thanks everybody for the cheers and encouragement.

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #494 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 10:40:32 »
Like I said, I'll send you the cheque when Mr Soludo Charles from Nigeria manages to get my funds out of their currently blocked state. Who'd ever have thought it could be such a long and expensive process?

Still, if he can't do it, there's always Barrister David Baloyi, apparently he has EIGHT MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS for me, I could probably convince him to send them to you instead.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #495 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 10:49:35 »
I have a legal team that specialize in international affairs. Would it help if I give them a call?

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #496 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 11:17:52 »
Tufty, I'm going to miss your comebacks when this thread dies. I'm going to have to start a new keyboard just to keep the relationship alive.

Offline tufty

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #497 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 11:39:39 »
I'll miss making them.  Nearly as much as I miss checking for updates on this thread.  But I'm sure you'll find *something* to machine.

Here's something for you to try.

« Last Edit: Sun, 27 November 2016, 11:54:39 by tufty »

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #498 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 13:50:53 »
I'll miss making them.  Nearly as much as I miss checking for updates on this thread.  But I'm sure you'll find *something* to machine.

Here's something for you to try.

Show Image


@tufty that requires Electric Discharge Machining which is it's own machine and really expensive since it is so precise.

Offline kurplop

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Re: Planet 6 - The start of a new keyboard by kurplop
« Reply #499 on: Sun, 27 November 2016, 14:18:00 »
I'll miss making them.  Nearly as much as I miss checking for updates on this thread.  But I'm sure you'll find *something* to machine.

Here's something for you to try.

Show Image


@tufty that requires Electric Discharge Machining which is it's own machine and really expensive since it is so precise.
I figured that's how it was done. A friend of mine owned a metal stamping company and their tool room used an edm machine to cut their dies. Pretty impressive. I wonder if they used two separate pieces to make it because I don't think the edm wire would be that fine.

When I see something like that,I realize that there's a big difference between a tinkerer like me and a real machinist. Thanks for sharing.
« Last Edit: Sun, 27 November 2016, 14:19:36 by kurplop »