Sandwich-style hand-wired keyboard, how much space between plates?

[LifeIsOnTheWire]

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?

[Fictiouz]

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.

[IBNobody]

10 is pushing it. The switches hang down 8.3mm into the case. I would go at least 12.

[xondat]

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.

[MajorKoos]

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...

[DavidNZ]

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.

[baetheus]

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. 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.

[MajorKoos]

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. 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

[trebbu]

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://github.com/trebb/iso50

[baetheus]

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. 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 if you want.

[MajorKoos]

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. 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 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?

[Charger]

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.

[LifeIsOnTheWire]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.  Its good to know that 10mm is not entirely impossible, just tight.