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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: LifeIsOnTheWire on Tue, 20 September 2016, 13:29:14

Title: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: LifeIsOnTheWire on Tue, 20 September 2016, 13:29:14
Hey everyone, I'm getting some plates laser cut, and I'm going to hand wire it all up to a Teensy 2.0

I've been thinking of using 10mm copper standoffs, but I'm wondering how hard its going to be to assemble with that amount of room.

I've read a few people recommending 15mm of space.  Does it get really difficult to build them thinner than that?
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: Fictiouz on Tue, 20 September 2016, 13:40:44
Yes, it is harder because the teensy is going to interfere with the switches it is below. Even that size seems too thin to me but I could be wrong. The size of the old handwired plank kits was perfect. Try touching base with Jack Humber of OLKB on reddit or his website.
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: IBNobody on Tue, 20 September 2016, 13:59:44
10 is pushing it. The switches hang down 8.3mm into the case. I would go at least 12.
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: xondat on Tue, 20 September 2016, 15:27:08
10 is pushing it. The switches hang down 8.3mm into the case. I would go at least 12.
12 is plenty when you're using a PCB, for what it's worth.

People will rather just go with the safer option, which would be 15mm. Smaller is probably possible but I haven't personally done a handwired build.
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: MajorKoos on Tue, 20 September 2016, 16:22:45
The $64 question is whether you're hardwiring or using a PCB and how much clearance those components need either underneath or between the keys.
PCB's are 1.6mm thick plus components.
This should help somewhat...
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: DavidNZ on Tue, 20 September 2016, 16:29:23
I have 3 x 3mm acrylic plates between my top and bottom plate. It is tight but I managed to handwire it all and also fit in RGB lighting strips on the bottom plate.
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: baetheus on Tue, 20 September 2016, 18:13:43
I've handwired six keyboards over the last year, most of them plancks. I've found that if you plan a bit ahead and do clean work then 10mm is plenty of room for the teensy 2.0 to fit in. Here is some proof (http://imgur.com/a/wsdkf). That said, the smallest gap I've been able to manage is 7mm, but it required clipping down the stabs on some switches, some creative routing, and taking a file to the leads underneath the teensy after they've been soldered.
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: MajorKoos on Tue, 20 September 2016, 22:43:17
I've handwired six keyboards over the last year, most of them plancks. I've found that if you plan a bit ahead and do clean work then 10mm is plenty of room for the teensy 2.0 to fit in. Here is some proof (http://imgur.com/a/wsdkf). That said, the smallest gap I've been able to manage is 7mm, but it required clipping down the stabs on some switches, some creative routing, and taking a file to the leads underneath the teensy after they've been soldered.

I was admiring this keyboard just the other day.
Really neat work you did wiring up the matrix there.

Where did you get the case cut?
I've got a spare Planck PCB that needs a new house :)
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: trebbu on Wed, 21 September 2016, 03:54:58
I've recently hand-wired two boards that use 6.3 mm standoffs:
https://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/iso50-a-hand-wired-iso-inspired-50-keyboard-t14538.html (https://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/iso50-a-hand-wired-iso-inspired-50-keyboard-t14538.html)
https://github.com/trebb/iso50 (https://github.com/trebb/iso50)
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: baetheus on Wed, 21 September 2016, 14:30:24
I've handwired six keyboards over the last year, most of them plancks. I've found that if you plan a bit ahead and do clean work then 10mm is plenty of room for the teensy 2.0 to fit in. Here is some proof (http://imgur.com/a/wsdkf). That said, the smallest gap I've been able to manage is 7mm, but it required clipping down the stabs on some switches, some creative routing, and taking a file to the leads underneath the teensy after they've been soldered.

I was admiring this keyboard just the other day.
Really neat work you did wiring up the matrix there.

Where did you get the case cut?
I've got a spare Planck PCB that needs a new house :)

Thanks. Those plates were cut by someone on reddit, I think he only did 6 or so. If you have a top plate for your planck then I'm running a milled wood bottom group buy right now. You could snag a case from there (https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/comments/53e611/gb_planck_compatible_birdseye_maple_cases/) if you want.
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: MajorKoos on Wed, 21 September 2016, 17:32:11
I've handwired six keyboards over the last year, most of them plancks. I've found that if you plan a bit ahead and do clean work then 10mm is plenty of room for the teensy 2.0 to fit in. Here is some proof (http://imgur.com/a/wsdkf). That said, the smallest gap I've been able to manage is 7mm, but it required clipping down the stabs on some switches, some creative routing, and taking a file to the leads underneath the teensy after they've been soldered.

I was admiring this keyboard just the other day.
Really neat work you did wiring up the matrix there.

Where did you get the case cut?
I've got a spare Planck PCB that needs a new house :)

Thanks. Those plates were cut by someone on reddit, I think he only did 6 or so. If you have a top plate for your planck then I'm running a milled wood bottom group buy right now. You could snag a case from there (https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/comments/53e611/gb_planck_compatible_birdseye_maple_cases/) if you want.

Yeah, we keep running across each other it seems.
Wood isn't my thing, but I'm in your original GB for one of the clear acrylic cases :)

While I have a captive audience though...
Would you consider making me one a milled acrylic bottom for my Atomic keyboard?
 - https://github.com/jackhumbert/olkb/tree/master/atomic/bottoms
Post processing is entirely optional, and I'm definitely willing to pay more than you're paying yourself on that GB.
PM me?
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: Charger on Wed, 21 September 2016, 22:33:08
I have my 40% at about 7.5mm and wires but its a bit tight and I have a pro micro under where the space bar is.
Title: Re: Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?
Post by: LifeIsOnTheWire on Sun, 25 September 2016, 12:28:23
Thanks for all the replies everyone.  Its good to know that 10mm is not entirely impossible, just tight.