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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: vaskoiii on Fri, 27 April 2018, 19:05:19

Title: Manufacturer for Custom Scissor Switch Keyboards?
Post by: vaskoiii on Fri, 27 April 2018, 19:05:19

Does anyone have experience manufacturing or working with with a manufacturer on something like this?

A non-mechanical button interface (plastic keys/scissor switches, plastic substrate, and silver printing) seems so much cheaper and less bulky than a mechanical design.

Title: Re: Manufacturer for Custom Scissor Switch Keyboards?
Post by: vaskoiii on Tue, 01 May 2018, 22:20:03

Nobody works with scissor switches?  :(

I have tried creating a design of my own by laminating copper tape and using scissor keys from another keyboard. This method actually works but is unreliable and requires adjusting/tuning the keys on a daily basis.

Title: Re: Manufacturer for Custom Scissor Switch Keyboards?
Post by: hanya on Wed, 02 May 2018, 00:43:53

How many units do you need? You need to pay for metal mold for base plate manufactured by a press. It'll be expensive for custom layout.
You can find manufacturer of laptop keyboard easily if you need such a thing.

Kailh PG1442 is indipendent scissor switch for keyboards. It might be better for you because of cost reason.

Title: Re: Manufacturer for Custom Scissor Switch Keyboards?
Post by: vaskoiii on Wed, 02 May 2018, 04:00:27

Is it possible to get only the silver printed laminate part?  The scissor switches I have (sourced from a gmyle keyboard) simply overlay whatever laminate is being used, and are held in place with GE silicon.

I am assuming "expensive" means more than $1,000, and I am only looking at making a few boards.

Thanks for referencing Kailh PG1442. I will look more later:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/kaihua-low-profile-switches-teardown-1232-1350-1442,35946.html