Been a while, but here's a new board I just built

[clee]

So, I got in on the Pearl group buy, and my Pearl got delivered today. Obviously I had to build in it as soon as I could.

https://imgur.com/a/3gPui

These Kailih Box Navy switches from NovelKeys are my new favorite switches. (I am incredibly disappointed with the Hako True and Hako Clear switches, on the other hand.) My favorite switch of all time has always been the buckling spring from the Model M, my first keyboard and the gold standard as far as I'm concerned. Of course, one of the problems with buckling springs is that there isn't really any way to do full custom builds with them - something like the 60% hack Model M is about as far as you can go, nothing exotic like an Ergodox/Iris or as small as a 40%. Because I like experimenting, I've had to settle for Cherry and Alps switches for weird-layout custom boards, and until I tried the Navy Blues, the Zealio 67g tactile switches were my favorites by a mile. I had no patience for the weird wannabe "click" sounds from Blues or Greens.

The Navy Blues are the closest thing to buckling spring in a Cherry form factor I've ever felt. They aren't perfect; the feel is still a little off (sharper and less bouncy, to me), but holy crap it's so much closer than Cherry Greens or Clears. This thing is a pleasure to type on. It's my first 40-45% board, so I'm still adjusting to the smaller layout, but weirdly, typing on it feels kind of similar to my Iris, which is a totally split keyboard. I'm digging it. I reprogrammed it with QMK instead of the default BootMapper/ps2avrGB-based firmware, and created my own custom keymap/layout. I think this could become my main keyboard.

[mike-y]

Very Nice.  Mine comes in tomorrow, still not sure how or if I'm going to build it right away.  I've got about 2 other keyboard projects waiting to get completed, so I'll probably have to wait a bit to get to the pearl.

Anyway, I got a few box jades to try out, and my god, they are the most tactile/clicky modern switch I've ever felt.  I put 10 of them in a hot-swap board I have, and I don't think I could use them for long periods of time.  they are so clicky that I feel mini-shockwaves going up my fingers!  This board has a steel plate though, so I'm thinking that installing them in a board with an acrylic plate might feel better.  but I definitely use them for caps-lock and a few other modifiers.

[DALExSNAIL]

Really makes me want an experimental build for some box navys

[clee]

Very Nice.  Mine comes in tomorrow, still not sure how or if I'm going to build it right away.  I've got about 2 other keyboard projects waiting to get completed, so I'll probably have to wait a bit to get to the pearl.

What other keyboard projects are you working on?

Anyway, I got a few box jades to try out, and my god, they are the most tactile/clicky modern switch I've ever felt.  I put 10 of them in a hot-swap board I have, and I don't think I could use them for long periods of time.  they are so clicky that I feel mini-shockwaves going up my fingers!  This board has a steel plate though, so I'm thinking that installing them in a board with an acrylic plate might feel better.  but I definitely use them for caps-lock and a few other modifiers.

The Jades feel pretty great, too, but man... if you think they're too strong, you probably would not like the Navy Blues

[mike-y]

I've got a rev3 minivan that is unbuilt, and a redscarf II ver B that I need to desolder and rebuild with a different switch. 

[roosta]

Seeing your build makes me wish I went with the Pearl, but I found a R1 Minivan for cheap on /r/mechmarket and couldn't pass it up! How are you liking the blocked 40% layout?

[suicidal_orange]

Looking good

Sounds like I should get my fingers on some of these Box switches...

[dgneo]

Looking good

Sounds like I should get my fingers on some of these Box switches...

Would definitely recommend them. If you like linears the Blacks and Yellows (heavier) are both fantastic switches.

[floristfran]

just got mine in yesterday, trying to decide what to put them in....

[clee]

Seeing your build makes me wish I went with the Pearl, but I found a R1 Minivan for cheap on /r/mechmarket and couldn't pass it up! How are you liking the blocked 40% layout?

The Minivan is so gorgeous! I went back and forth a LOT before I committed to the Pearl. The Pearl's more limited availability, and my absolute conviction that I would regret it if I passed it up, were enough to tilt me toward the Pearl, at least for my first 40% build.

But now that I'm starting to really get the hang of the 40% size, and coming up with a layout for myself that lets me still manage to type at a decent rate while also still being able to program? I think a few more 40/45s are in my future for sure. Maybe the next one will be a Minivan!

To answer your question, though: I *love* the blocked layout on the Pearl. Before dipping my toes into the 40% water with this build, I spent a few months building custom HHKB-style boards, and I really dig the whole corner-blocked-out look and feel. This does present a little bit of a problem for me if I want to keep building 40% boards, because now... if I want to go 40%, what blocked cases are even generally available? (Is there a corner-blocked JD40 or JD45 case? I don't think the Minivan is available with blockers, is it? Etc)

[clee]

just got mine in yesterday, trying to decide what to put them in....

[clee]

I've got a rev3 minivan that is unbuilt, and a redscarf II ver B that I need to desolder and rebuild with a different switch. 

What color Minivan? At least that one should be relatively quick, right? (Working on 40% boards has totally warped my perspective; 60% boards feel huge to type on now, but also, they take so much longer to solder...)

Also, what switches are you going from/to in the redscarf?

[emenelopee]

Looking good

Sounds like I should get my fingers on some of these Box switches...

Do it! I swapped out the browns from my sacrificial Anne and it's totally transformed the keyboard. Jades btw. My go-to is Reds so no way was I going for the Navies with all that heft.

[mike-y]

What color Minivan? At least that one should be relatively quick, right? (Working on 40% boards has totally warped my perspective; 60% boards feel huge to type on now, but also, they take so much longer to solder...)

Also, what switches are you going from/to in the redscarf?

it's a silver minivan with the matching road kit.  I already built the road kit, and had a wooden plate made for it that came out really nice, so I'm going to do the same thing for the minivan.  Still working on the CAD file for the plates (making a few due to the size of the media you have to buy for each cut).

I started the redscarf last weekend and de-soldered all the existing switches and LED's.  I have the new KBD Aliaz silent switches that will be going in that one, probably mixed with some box orange on the Function keys.  I'll probably start soldering it tonight.

40% keyboards are still somewhat a novelty for me, but they look so sexay!  I can use a 40% at home when I'm not gaming, but I do need something with numbers for work to be productive.  Right now I'm using a PrimeL as my work board.

[roosta]

Seeing your build makes me wish I went with the Pearl, but I found a R1 Minivan for cheap on /r/mechmarket and couldn't pass it up! How are you liking the blocked 40% layout?

The Minivan is so gorgeous! I went back and forth a LOT before I committed to the Pearl. The Pearl's more limited availability, and my absolute conviction that I would regret it if I passed it up, were enough to tilt me toward the Pearl, at least for my first 40% build.

But now that I'm starting to really get the hang of the 40% size, and coming up with a layout for myself that lets me still manage to type at a decent rate while also still being able to program? I think a few more 40/45s are in my future for sure. Maybe the next one will be a Minivan!

To answer your question, though: I *love* the blocked layout on the Pearl. Before dipping my toes into the 40% water with this build, I spent a few months building custom HHKB-style boards, and I really dig the whole corner-blocked-out look and feel. This does present a little bit of a problem for me if I want to keep building 40% boards, because now... if I want to go 40%, what blocked cases are even generally available? (Is there a corner-blocked JD40 or JD45 case? I don't think the Minivan is available with blockers, is it? Etc)

Actually yes there is a blocked case for the JD45! However, I've only ever seen it sold with kits. Other than the JD45 and Pearl, I think the blocked case market is a rather niche one, nested in the niche market of 40%, nested in the niche market of mechanical keebs, so naturally they're expensive and hard to find. 

I'm so used to my control key being where it is so I'm not quite sure it would be an easy transition for me personally, but I do enjoy my Minivan.