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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: fuzewall on Wed, 21 October 2020, 12:54:33
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So I like to make things, and the pursuit of making something superior to mass production, and the keyboard scene has grabbed my attention for the past year or so. Problem is I don't know how to make keyboards with a reason outside of "wanting to". Seems like everyone that wants custom keyboards is interested in building it themselves, whereas making knives, and mead, and kombucha I can sell them to make back what I spent producing them. So, I am curious, how do you all justify the cost of building keyboards? Do you resell, make videos of and post on youtube? Or is it most common to make keyboards and keep them?
Thanks
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So, I am curious, how do you all justify the cost of building keyboards? Do you resell, make videos of and post on youtube? Or is it most common to make keyboards and keep them?
Its a hobby we don't need reasons to justify buying keyboards and building them. Its all for fun or collecting :). People usually make custom keyboards so they fit the user more like custom switches with custom springs and lube to your liking what a OEM board can't offer.
I use a keyboard everyday so i don't mind spending a premium to have a great typing experience every day.
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For me it's another avenue for me to channel my energy of building, working, and fixing things. I get a sense of satisfaction and calming from soldering and repairing things, which is why I used to work as a automotive tech for 15 yrs before changing to the IT field. Also I have a habit of getting into the more challenging and fun versions of a hobby - much like my obsession of watercooling and case modding PC's along with modding and performance modding vehicles. As I see it I have a habit of falling in the rabbit hole do to the want of more knowledge as a whole.
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For me it is because I like keyboards
But
Now I'm just lubing switches to make money
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"For me it's another avenue for me to channel my energy of building, working, and fixing things."...
"Also I have a habit of getting into the more challenging and fun versions of a hobby"...."As I see it I have a habit of falling in the rabbit hole do to the want of more knowledge as a whole."
i feel like the way you worded it hit the nail on the head for me too.
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Its a hobby we don't need reasons to justify buying keyboards and building them. Its all for fun or collecting :). People usually make custom keyboards so they fit the user more like custom switches with custom springs and lube to your liking what a OEM board can't offer.
I use a keyboard everyday so i don't mind spending a premium to have a great typing experience every day.
I don't mean justify in a purely a financial way. For fun and collection is just as good a reason as any to justify it to yourself.
I use a keyboard everyday too and that is basically what got me into being interested in a better and better keyboard until I got into customs, as well. Problem for me is that when I get into a hobby, I get REALLY into a hobby, and can end up spending a small fortune on it. Which financially is a bit of a problem for me, unless I can figure out a way to play with making keyboards as well as offload them and make that money back to keep at it.
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For me it is because I like keyboards
But
Now I'm just lubing switches to make money
Haha, very nice.
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For me it's another avenue for me to channel my energy of building, working, and fixing things. I get a sense of satisfaction and calming from soldering and repairing things, which is why I used to work as a automotive tech for 15 yrs before changing to the IT field. Also I have a habit of getting into the more challenging and fun versions of a hobby - much like my obsession of watercooling and case modding PC's along with modding and performance modding vehicles. As I see it I have a habit of falling in the rabbit hole do to the want of more knowledge as a whole.
Same here, i like to build and i like it even more if it is to give to others, but just building is nice, and the deeper i can drown myself the better, and overall keyboards are pretty easy to build and have a ton of use later so it is a win-win and they are much cheaper than computers, so modding and failing is less punishing.
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Something new to figure out and try. It's a hobby. Something to exercise that need to get my hands on something and exercise my brain.
But like every hobby I encounter and burn through. I'll build a few and get them just how I like for my needs... and I'll move onto another hobby.
However, with Christmas coming up, you could consider building them as gifts for people. People spend an aweful lot of time on their keyboards. It's worth it to have a little energy put into them. With all the options available and how complicated it can be, you might struggle to figure out what to build for someone else. Without asking them a lot of questions or having them try out a switch tester. Just go with the tried and true. Maybe error on the quiet side. And build for friends and family. After that, perhaps you'll get bored of the hobby and move onto the next thing.