Build your Dream Keyboard

[ShakeR]

The title says it all.

Go big or go home.

Form Factor:
Switch Type:
Frame Color / Build / Material:
Keycap plastic / color:
Key rollover:
Other features (as many as you want):

We also have 'Build a Practical Keyboard' thread.

[The_Beast]

Form Factor: 60%
Switch Type: Reds
Frame Color / Build / Material: 24k Gold
Keycap plastic / color: 24k Gold
Key rollover: All the rollovers
Other features (as many as you want): Diamond encrusted everything, no back-lighting because that would be over the top

[OrangeJewce]

Form Factor: 60%
Switch Type: Reds
Frame Color / Build / Material: 24k Gold
Keycap plastic / color: 24k Gold
Key rollover: All the rollovers
Other features (as many as you want): Diamond encrusted everything, no back-lighting because that would be over the top

Sorry, but you just diamond encrusted your keyboard and are saying led backlighting would then be over the top? Sounds pretty troll to me! :wink:

Mine:

Form Factor: TKL
Switch Type: Buckling Spring (Springs made out of pure aluminum)
FC/B/Mat : Industrial Grey, ROCK SOLID, Titanium
Keycap Material: Oxidized Platinum (Engraved)
Rollover: NKRO
Other features: Individually adjustable with dedicated ROM OLED backlighting; USB Port Hub (4x) made of 24k white gold with titanium cover; detachable USB 3.0 cable (with spare); Fully programmable with 6+ layers;

[ShakeR]

LMAO!  I can see where this thread is going.

How about one that carries a maximum price tag of $500 USD?

Edit: The two above are truly epic.  Let's keep this craziness going here and I'll start a third thread with the $500 cap.

[quanticle]

Sorry, but you just diamond encrusted your keyboard and are saying led backlighting would then be over the top? Sounds pretty troll to me! :wink:

Mine:

Form Factor: TKL
Switch Type: Buckling Spring (Springs made out of pure aluminum)
FC/B/Mat : Industrial Grey, ROCK SOLID, Titanium
Keycap Material: Oxidized Platinum (Engraved)
Rollover: NKRO
Other features: Individually adjustable with dedicated ROM OLED backlighting; USB Port Hub (4x) made of 24k white gold with titanium cover; detachable USB 3.0 cable (with spare); Fully programmable with 6+ layers;

I like it, but as far as keycaps go, I'd prefer double-shot molded with the outside being white gold and the inside being oxidized platinum (white-gold and yellow gold could be cool too). I would also have my LED windows be emeralds, for that additional burst of green on top of the LED's own coloring. I'd use a carbon fiber mounting plate, rather than titanium (CF is stiffer and lighter). Finally, instead of buckling springs (which, after all, still rely on physical contact, and therefore are still subject to wear and tear), I'd use Hall Effect sensors, which use magnetic forces to sense "contact", and therefore can be used potentially indefinitely. In addition, it's a lot easier to make Hall Effect switches dustproof and waterproof.

[The_Beast]

Sorry, but you just diamond encrusted your keyboard and are saying led backlighting would then be over the top? Sounds pretty troll to me! :wink:

24k gold is very soft, bend with your fingers soft, it would make a turrable keyboard. But you sure are a quick one aren't you? trololololo


What it semi-realistically would be:
Form Factor: TKL
Switch Type: Reds
Frame Color / Build / Material: High gloss burled walnut
Keycap plastic / color: Zinc/Aluminum/Titanium keycaps side engraved in a matte finish
Key rollover: NKRO
Other features (as many as you want): tri-color/color changeable led lighting w/ reflective PCB

[mashby]

New to the forums and just getting back into mechanical keyboards. Saw this thread and thought it was perfect.

As a Mac user, I've become partial to the layout of Apple's laptop / BT keyboard. Closest thing I've found thus far has been the Vortex Poker, which I hope to buy soon and customize. However, I'm a long time fan/user of the IBM Model M, so I'm partial to the Buckling Spring.

Form Factor: 60%
Switch Type: Buckling Spring
Frame Color / Build / Material: Anodized Aluminium
Keycap plastic / color: Side printed white and grey with green escape and enter key much lke Deskthority's HHKB header image
Key rollover: no preference (still learning)
Other features (as many as you want): green led backlight. Wireless (BT).

[metalliqaz]

Form Factor: TKL
Switch Type: ergo clear (or brown, clear, red)
Frame Color / Build / Material: aluminum
Keycap plastic / color: no keycaps
Key rollover: I don't care about that
Other features (as many as you want): solid as a rock

[esoomenona]

New to the forums and just getting back into mechanical keyboards. Saw this thread and thought it was perfect.

As a Mac user, I've become partial to the layout of Apple's laptop / BT keyboard. Closest thing I've found thus far has been the Vortex Poker, which I hope to buy soon and customize. However, I'm a long time fan/user of the IBM Model M, so I'm partial to the Buckling Spring.

Form Factor: 60%
Switch Type: Buckling Spring
Frame Color / Build / Material: Anodized Aluminium
Keycap plastic / color: Side printed white and grey with green escape and enter key much lke Deskthority's HHKB header image
Key rollover: no preference (still learning)
Other features (as many as you want): green led backlight. Wireless (BT).

HA! I would LOVE to see this. Now that is going places with dreams.

[Ragnorock]

Form Factor: TKL
Fully adjustable rear feet, allowing for unlimited customization of keyboard angle... well up to a reasonable amount.
Switch Type: MX Blue, RF 45g or Buckling Spring
Frame Color / Build / Material: Anodized Titanium Red or Blue
Keycap plastic / color: (Impossible) Black PBT with Red or blue dyesub legend
LED: Sure, with full spectrum customizable color, and the ability to turn it off.
Media etc hotkeys in the top row, fully customizable and without legends for them on the keys
Key rollover: Full NKRO via USB

[esoomenona]

^I wonder if it'd be possible to reverse dyesub something. Like, instead of dyesubbing the legend, dyesub everything else but the legend. I'm sure it's more expensive, but I think people would think it was worth the time and effort.

[Ragnorock]

The main issue with that would be finding a way to print it, since the way they do it now they run a machine over one side of the key. Covering all of the key would require an entirely different process. It'd be awesome if it ended up being feasible.

Failing the anodized titanium, tungsten carbide would be sooo sweet. The keyboard would weigh like 20 pounds lol.

[alaricljs]

Imsto has done this or something like it.  Full wrap-around spongebob caps, also he took a yellow PBT, dyed it red and lasered the red off to make a Chinese flag.  At least I think it was him

[TheRavenDog]

Form Factor: 132 key standard layout plus extensions!



Switch Type: Buckling Spring w/ integrated diodes and PWM (pulse-width modulated) white-light LEDs (for back-lit keys)
Frame Color / Build / Material: IBM Pearl
Keycap plastic / color: PBT Pearl and Peable
Key rollover: NKRO w/ PS/2 interface 6KRO w/ USB
Other features (as many as you want):

USB disk mode where the keyboard appears as a USB disk with a simple xml file that can change the keyboard layout to scancode mapping. Delete the file to restore to factory defaults. Switch between configurations with a simple rename.

Steel back-plate. Titanium barrel assembly. Bolts connecting the two.

Adjustable weights can be added.

Each keycap is encoded (via I2C or the like) with the UTF-16 unicode character represented on the key. Remapping your keyboard (or added additional foreign language keys or symbols) becomes as simple as moving or adding a keycap.

I'm determined to build it... but I don't know how...

[Burz]

Form Factor:
~75%, ergonomic split matrix, with extra thumb keys or a split spacebar (like TrulyErgonomic)

Switch Type:
Matias Quiet

Frame Color / Build / Material:
Beige thick plastic, with a nice border esp. at the back (same idea as AT101)

Keycap plastic / color:
Thick, lower-profile PBT, 2-tone beige/khaki or similar

Key rollover:
NKRO (but 6 is acceptable)

Other features (as many as you want):
Built-in key reprogramming function, a function to switch layout between Colemak and Qwerty, height adjustments for both the front and the back

[FoxWolf1]

My latest:

[metalliqaz]

Dayum Fox

[Niomosy]

MS Ergo Media keyboard layout with all the media keys.

MX Red switches.

MS Ergo 4000 features added: Zoom toggle (changed to zoom but configurable), forward/back keys for thumbs, apps launcher for calculator, extra calc keys ()= and backspace.

I'm good at that.

[damorgue]

Form Factor: ~70%
Switch Type: Any Cherry MX, although Alps would probably be ok too
Other features (as many as you want): ISO SE layout

Yeah, I'll keep dreaming

[rootwyrm]

I like keeping things relatively simple.

105 key layout in a compact bottom frame with a 'pencil shelf' top. (You know the style.)
PBT keycaps with side printing. Has to be PBT.
Available in beige and black with PS/2 and USB.
LAYERS. Programmable freaking layers. Give me a Function key in the left WinKey position and let me freaking program the layer myself.

[Findecanor]

Form Factor:  Split in two halves. Each half is slightly curved and dished, yet row-staggered keys reminiscent of a QWERTY keyboard, but both halves are symmetrical and quite low. Modifiers on thumb keys.

Switch Type:  Light and with click feel (like Cherry MX blue) except steeper resistance after actuation (like Cherry MX Clear). No click sound. Quiet on bottoming out and on upstroke (like Matias Quiet). Smooth on off-centre key presses (like Topre).

Frame Color / Build / Material:  Hardwood, stained black or white.

Keycap plastic / color:  Plastic? Ack, pfft!  Sandblasted, anodized aluminium (aluma). Keys on the middle finger are straight, keys to the left and right lean somewhat inwards. (dished key wells that don't disallow the fingers to move between columns)

Key rollover: Full.

Other features (as many as you want): Leather wrist rest. Programmable layout and function layer. Programming in a GUI utility, but stored on keyboard.
Integrated Leap Motion-like device detects gestures in air above keyboard, emulates mouse and touchpad gestures, activated when wrist rest is pressed and all fingers are high enough above keyboard.

[S2000Gan]

Form Factor: Ten Keyless like the Ducky DK9087 Shine II TKL
Switch Type:  Personal Preference: MW Brown (maybe Clear) (Ideally available in every Switch type)
Other features (as many as you want):
Variety of LED Back light options Personal Preference: Red LEDs
Ability to make custom light profiles like the Ducky DK9087 Shine II TKL
Phantom plate design (Ability to custom swap Switch types)

[nsrexler]

(I originally put this in the "Practical" thread by mistake)

Form Factor: Full-size layout
Switch Type: Dampened Buckling Springs (a la Floss Mod, but done precisely so that there's no variation in key feel)
Frame Color / Build / Material: Not too picky about material or color, but the build should be sleek and modern like the recent Filco, Leopold, Ducky cases
Keycap plastic / color: PBT, dyesub or doubleshot, and any color that matches the case. A font that isn't hideous. Preferably no backlighting, but maybe have it as an option since I know some people like that.
Your sales price: Under $200 would be awesome, but under $300 would still be good
Key rollover: As many as possible, but realistically 6KRO for USB would be just fine
Other features (as many as you want): Mac layout as an option

Maybe I'm asking for too much, but I would be incredibly happy if you could deliver something like this.