Keyboard dream

[afton]

Dear fellow keyboard geeks,
I have a dream!

Here is the story: I have been trying various keyboards [up to 15 I think]
and none of them really satisfied what I want. So I think, what the heck, why I don't try make it myself?

What I need:
- Tenkeyless
- ergonomic split, ala MS Natural Keyboard
- Mechanical (probably buckling spring)
- Bluetooth
- Mac keys layout, because I like Mac OS X
- Ninja-style, ala Filco Ninja

Now I have never attempted to build my own things.
I have, however pried open various keyboards and understand roughly how they work.

Where do I start? Should I modify a current keyboard, or should I start all over from scratch?

Anyone here has attempted to do something like this?

[regicide]

Plenty of GHers have build a board 'from scratch', my project is currently frozen but check out the humble hacker thread.

[czarek]

Dear fellow keyboard geeks,
I have a dream!

Here is the story: I have been trying various keyboards [up to 15 I think]
and none of them really satisfied what I want. So I think, what the heck, why I don't try make it myself?

What I need:
- Tenkeyless
- ergonomic split, ala MS Natural Keyboard
- Mechanical (probably buckling spring)
- Bluetooth
- Mac keys layout, because I like Mac OS X
- Ninja-style, ala Filco Ninja

Now I have never attempted to build my own things.
I have, however pried open various keyboards and understand roughly how they work.

Where do I start? Should I modify a current keyboard, or should I start all over from scratch?

Anyone here has attempted to do something like this?

You can mod M15 to be such thing without much effort. It's BS, ergo, tenkeyless to start with. There are instructions on how to mod normal Model M to bluetooth on geek hack, modding M15 will be similar. Remapping keys for Mac is piece of cake as you know. Getting Ninja style keys may be a challenge but it should be doable, just contact Unicomp or Signature Plastics.
It will require a bit of skills (not much though) and money (quite a lot, M15 isn't cheap, keycaps may also cost a bit if you request only one production run).

[afton]

Check the mods subforum.  

May the force be with you.  Many a noob has tried.  Few have succeeded.
[video=youtube;R55e-uHQna0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0[/video]

LOL nice ad Ripster. Thanks for the suggestion, haven't visited geekhack
for a while, nice to know there's a dedicated modding subforum now!

[pitashen]

As far as i know... the most you can mod from the existing board (with much higher rate of success) is to get rid of the numpads from the full size ones. Splinting in the middle...i guess it is not impossible... but i say it is not quite worth it unless you are very skillful at both working with plastics and circuitry...and metals (if plate mounted...lol..)

[False_Dmitry_II]

Actually, I think for a BS, the easiest thing to do would be to simply get 2 model m's. Then follow the tenkeyless mod with one variation: make one a single piece that is one half of the keyboard, and the other keyboard be the other half. It would work, but you'd technically be plugging in two keyboards. But that's easier than trying to get the two halves to talk to each other. I suppose with the M though this would be somewhat of an increase in KRO... sorta.

[czarek]

Ever seen M15?
http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/categories.main/parentcat/12675