Interesting Idea...

[rich1051414]

So today I was hooking up a microswitch to toggle the thermostat of my AC unit on and off(external microcontroller to add some intelligent power savings), and I realized the red and black leaf spring omron microswitches actually feel REALLY good when you use one in a push button assembly. Like next level good.

Having ordered 20 of them since I couldn't just buy a single switch, I realized there is enough room, if you stagger them, to actually make a keyboard out of them, however, the fabrication of the slider would be a problem. Has anyone done this before? A quick google search returned no results of anyone crazy enough to attempt such a thing.

[SamirD]

I thought someone at one point did make a keyboard out of microswitches, but I can't remember where I read about it.

[rich1051414]

Well, if someone did do it, it would make a model M feel like a children's toy. I am not sure if that amount of click clacking is even remotely reasonable, but man do I want to try it


AH... i found something.

http://timtyler.org/keyboard/microswitch/

This Tim guy actually did it... with the same form factor of microswitches I am talking about, only his aren't the ultra satisfying clicky type. That keyboard looks every bit as ridiculous as I thought it would

[_rubik]

Well, if someone did do it, it would make a model M feel like a children's toy. I am not sure if that amount of click clacking is even remotely reasonable, but man do I want to try it


AH... i found something.

http://timtyler.org/keyboard/microswitch/

This Tim guy actually did it... with the same form factor of microswitches I am talking about, only his aren't the ultra satisfying clicky type. That keyboard looks every bit as ridiculous as I thought it would

... that looks more like an organ than a keyboard.

[SamirD]

I'm wondering if that was the guy that I saw before or someone else.  I somehow recall the site/keyboard I saw had the black omron tackle microswitches. 

[jcoffin1981]

Looks pretty impossible to type on.

[SamirD]

Looks pretty impossible to type on.

I typed on two vintage typewriters today that were not power assisted--these switches would be prefect for those that typed on those machines--the throw is so long!

[juryduty]

How about using a microswitch that would fit into a 14mm square plate hole... seems like that could make it less bleacher seating and more keyboard.

like these, almost same operating force as the Saia-Burgess ones:  https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Honeywell/11SM1

[SamirD]

I think the problem is that he left the levers in to actuate the switches vs directly connect the key to them.