Author Topic: Custom 60%?  (Read 2562 times)

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Offline KaminKevCrew

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  • Posts: 559
  • Location: Tacoma, Washington
Custom 60%?
« on: Thu, 13 August 2015, 21:57:31 »
Now, I'm not ready to order one yet, but if I wanted a custom 60% board, fully programmable, and everything, who would I go about contacting? I'd probably be looking to spend between $500 and $700 usd (obviously less is better, but that's beside the point...) I'd want a milled aluminum housing, and I'd like it anodized (but I guess I would be designing/getting it milled myself?) not really sure how this all works... Full assembly would be preferred...

Offline KHAANNN

  • Posts: 1660
Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 13 August 2015, 23:04:00 »
Get a TEX 60% Alu case, directly from tex, $130-ish at max, include the alu. feet (best 60% case out there in my opinion, you can't get close by custom-cnc'ing)

PCB from winkeyless.kr or GON (You can also get a plate from GON, and stabiliser parts) ($50-150)

Get switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com (<$50 - best switches out there IMO, these days there are bad switches too)

Assemble (maybe lube the switches and stuff)

------

I don't think $500/700 is enough for a true custom with a custom case like that, for $500, you can assemble something decent yourself (the parts above will probably become $400+ with itsy bitsy stuff)
Endgame | 1.25 Cmd for GMK Sets Please | Or Just 1.25 Blanks Like The Good Old Days

Offline KaminKevCrew

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 559
  • Location: Tacoma, Washington
Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 04:03:54 »
Get a TEX 60% Alu case, directly from tex, $130-ish at max, include the alu. feet (best 60% case out there in my opinion, you can't get close by custom-cnc'ing)

PCB from winkeyless.kr or GON (You can also get a plate from GON, and stabiliser parts) ($50-150)

Get switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com (<$50 - best switches out there IMO, these days there are bad switches too)

Assemble (maybe lube the switches and stuff)

------

I don't think $500/700 is enough for a true custom with a custom case like that, for $500, you can assemble something decent yourself (the parts above will probably become $400+ with itsy bitsy stuff)
Thanks for the suggestion! If $700 isn't enough, roughly how much would I need for a fully custom board?

Offline sth

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Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 04:10:06 »
i'm curious about the benefits you're after spending that kind of money on a cherry MX board.
11:48 -!- SmallFry [~SmallFry@unaffiliated/smallfry] has quit [Ping timeout: 245 seconds] ... rest in peace

Offline KHAANNN

  • Posts: 1660
Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 04:20:37 »
Get a TEX 60% Alu case, directly from tex, $130-ish at max, include the alu. feet (best 60% case out there in my opinion, you can't get close by custom-cnc'ing)

PCB from winkeyless.kr or GON (You can also get a plate from GON, and stabiliser parts) ($50-150)

Get switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com (<$50 - best switches out there IMO, these days there are bad switches too)

Assemble (maybe lube the switches and stuff)

------

I don't think $500/700 is enough for a true custom with a custom case like that, for $500, you can assemble something decent yourself (the parts above will probably become $400+ with itsy bitsy stuff)
Thanks for the suggestion! If $700 isn't enough, roughly how much would I need for a fully custom board?

Since you are vaguely looking for something that doesn't exist, $10.000 would get you what you want

But, as some concrete advice, if you are looking to get a decent keyboard built from existing but high-grade components, I suggest looking for someone to do the buying and building for you

The most important part is the switch lubrication, a person who lubricates switches well should be able to do the remaining things pretty well too, it all boils down to the lubrication

If regular cherry MX clears are 10X for example, a properly lubed cherry MX clear is easily 100X in terms of satisfaction

I suggest looking for someone to build your keyboard, and strucking a parts + labor kind of deal, this way you can have a clear say in the part selection, and pay $100-$500 labor depending on what kind of a person you are dealing with

This is one example of a keyboard laborer: https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/comments/3gitn2/uspah_keyboard_services_w_paypal/ (sorry off GH :)
Endgame | 1.25 Cmd for GMK Sets Please | Or Just 1.25 Blanks Like The Good Old Days

Offline sth

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Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 04:22:21 »
lubing cherry mx is like using hemorrhoid cream, sure it feels better but you still have a problem
11:48 -!- SmallFry [~SmallFry@unaffiliated/smallfry] has quit [Ping timeout: 245 seconds] ... rest in peace

Offline KaminKevCrew

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 559
  • Location: Tacoma, Washington
Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 04:23:15 »
Get a TEX 60% Alu case, directly from tex, $130-ish at max, include the alu. feet (best 60% case out there in my opinion, you can't get close by custom-cnc'ing)

PCB from winkeyless.kr or GON (You can also get a plate from GON, and stabiliser parts) ($50-150)

Get switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com (<$50 - best switches out there IMO, these days there are bad switches too)

Assemble (maybe lube the switches and stuff)

------

I don't think $500/700 is enough for a true custom with a custom case like that, for $500, you can assemble something decent yourself (the parts above will probably become $400+ with itsy bitsy stuff)
Thanks for the suggestion! If $700 isn't enough, roughly how much would I need for a fully custom board?

Since you are vaguely looking for something that doesn't exist, $10.000 would get you what you want

But, as some concrete advice, if you are looking to get a decent keyboard built from existing but high-grade components, I suggest looking for someone to do the buying and building for you

The most important part is the switch lubrication, a person who lubricates switches well should be able to do the remaining things pretty well too, it all boils down to the lubrication

If regular cherry MX clears are 10X for example, a properly lubed cherry MX clear is easily 100X in terms of satisfaction

I suggest looking for someone to build your keyboard, and strucking a parts + labor kind of deal, this way you can have a clear say in the part selection, and pay $100-$500 labor depending on what kind of a person you are dealing with

This is one example of a keyboard laborer: https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/comments/3gitn2/uspah_keyboard_services_w_paypal/ (sorry off GH :)
No worries about it being off GH! Thanks for the advise, I'll definitely look into it!

Offline KHAANNN

  • Posts: 1660
Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 04:47:33 »
lubing cherry mx is like using hemorrhoid cream, sure it feels better but you still have a problem

how so?

In this scenario with cherry mx you get infinite a**holes (one is not working well? replace.)

And they all seem to work consistently well when lubed, without any issues

Tho, let me suggest a HHKB to the OP on behalf of you: https://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhkbpro2&pid=pdkb400b
Endgame | 1.25 Cmd for GMK Sets Please | Or Just 1.25 Blanks Like The Good Old Days

Offline sth

  • 2 girls 1 cuprubber
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Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 04:48:51 »
Tho, let me suggest a HHKB to the OP on behalf of you: https://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhkbpro2&pid=pdkb400b

good thinking - almost everybody else did (in conjunction with hasu's TMK board) in this user's other 60% post :)
11:48 -!- SmallFry [~SmallFry@unaffiliated/smallfry] has quit [Ping timeout: 245 seconds] ... rest in peace

Offline MAR82

  • Posts: 494
  • Location: It says I'm in France
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Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 05:08:09 »
Tho, let me suggest a HHKB to the OP on behalf of you: https://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhkbpro2&pid=pdkb400b

good thinking - almost everybody else did (in conjunction with hasu's TMK board) in this user's other 60% post :)

No HHKB for me! If they made a normal 60% (or an even better 65%) with 55g domes, I'd be all over it!
As of now, I would only pay money for a Leopold fc660c

Also the HHKB feels light and cheap (I'm not saying it is)  :(

Offline Defect

  • Posts: 670
  • I collect keyboards and keyboard accessories
Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 08:05:53 »
Sprit Face-W is a good PCB as well.  Massdrop sells various 60% cases of various quality and price ranges.

For the MX argument: yes, MX is flawed, but so is every other switch.

Not pictured: KeyCool 84 [MX Red] | Focus 2001 [Complicated White Alps]
Endgame Board | Defect's Watermelon Board Build Doc

Offline sth

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Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 08:06:58 »
Sprit Face-W is a good PCB as well.  Massdrop sells various 60% cases of various quality and price ranges.

For the MX argument: yes, MX is flawed, but so is every other switch.

fite me irl
11:48 -!- SmallFry [~SmallFry@unaffiliated/smallfry] has quit [Ping timeout: 245 seconds] ... rest in peace

Offline mashby

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    • Mashby
Re: Custom 60%?
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 14 August 2015, 11:54:25 »
Sprit Face-W is a good PCB as well.  Massdrop sells various 60% cases of various quality and price ranges.

For the MX argument: yes, MX is flawed, but so is every other switch.

+1