The Geekhack Box of Faith - a community project

[BlueBär]

Almost everybody here experienced this: When you first hear about mechanical keyboards, you're overwhelmed with a flood of choices. You hear
about different switch types, different keycap options, different plastics and so on. And if you finally decide on a keyboard you already tasted blood
and you want more.

The entry into this hobby can be quite hard, especially for your wallet because you want to try out so many things. Now we, the Keepers of the Faith
have been thinking, how could we make this easier for newbies apart from providing information in the form of a Wiki? And this is what this project
is about.

We want to provide Newbies with some basic things a Geekhacker needs or should have. This could include for example:

• some common switches
• a keycap puller
• a variety of springs
• a selection of keycap types

Additionally we want to provide printed versions of the Simple Question, Simple Answers FAQ and the Modding Cookbook. There is also a GH
keycap exclusive to the boxes on order.

And here's where you come in.
We would like to give away more cool stuff, but we cannot provide everything on our own. We would like you to donate stuff for this good cause. It
doesn't have to be anything special, rare or expensive, just something that you wanted when you joined Geekhack. We are mainly looking for things
that you have leftover for example.

These boxes will be filled evenly (as much as possible) and sent out by us. The boxes themselves will get raffled, we currently plan one per month.
Any expenses on our side such as shipping will get covered by a small entry fee and any leftovers of that money (if there are any) will be invested in
future Keeper of the Faith projects or get donated to Geekhack.

I'm in the process of printing some boxes by hand and making some keycap pullers from wood and stainless steel wire. Here is the first box I made:



Our current plan is to get out one box per month for one year. Any expenses we already made (the boxes, the keycap pullers, the GH keycaps) are
not going to be financed by the entry fees and are paid by us.

This is a project we, the Keepers of the Faith have planned for a long time and it's exciting to get this finally going. Originally it was planned to
announce this at Keycon, but things didn't work out as planned. Amusingly Rowdy had pretty much the same idea just a few days ago and people
liked it - we hope you like our version of it too

If you have any ideas or suggestions for this project we would love to hear them!

If you want to donate things, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17Do3...
Please don't feel pressured by the load of categories, they're only for sorting things!

[isaske]

Wow, a very good idea for a project!
I myself am going to have some Plate mounted clears leftover after i get my keyboard modded.
So i would definitely like to contribute, even if just a little!

[BlueBär]

Even if it's just a few switches that's a great start!

[Sifo]

I don't tend to hoard things I have no use for, but I'll see what I can do help out.
 

If anything I don't mind buying some stuff shipped directly for the cause.

[Kraksx]

That is an amazing idea, as a noob to this community myself I can see this as being amazing. And maybe after a "noob" receives a box and gets an idea of what they like and don't like they can pass it on to a new person, like sharing old video games with friends.

[Frenir]

This is a really great idea, I'll see what I can do to help out.

[fohat.digs]

And maybe after a "noob" receives a box and gets an idea of what they like and don't like they can pass it on to a new person,

I think that this might be key (ha ha no pun intended).

Everybody needs a keycap puller, but after playing with a few switches a few times, they should have the concept down.

For example, I can make a little credit-card sized piece of board with a few odd switches, say, black and white Hi-Teks and an SMK switch, but I can't make dozens of them to pass out willy-nilly.

[Kraksx]

And maybe after a "noob" receives a box and gets an idea of what they like and don't like they can pass it on to a new person,

I think that this might be key (ha ha no pun intended).

Everybody needs a keycap puller, but after playing with a few switches a few times, they should have the concept down.

For example, I can make a little credit-card sized piece of board with a few odd switches, say, black and white Hi-Teks and an SMK switch, but I can't make dozens of them to pass out willy-nilly.

Exactly, once you've gotten a feel for all the switches you can just pass them on.

[BlueBär]

For example, I can make a little credit-card sized piece of board with a few odd switches, say, black and white Hi-Teks and an SMK switch, but I can't make dozens of them to pass out willy-nilly.

An idea that I had was that people should not sell stuff they receive in the boxes but give it away if they don't want it. Or just pass the box along, maybe take something out and put something in. As long as the contents don't get sold I'm happy (that includes the special GH keys for all you collectors ).

[FrostyToast]

This box project gave me an idea:
What if we got some of the vendors out there to work together so that we could make our own GeekHack loot crates where we pay a subscription to get a bunch of random goodies?
Almost like a crap bag subscription.

[CPTBadAss]

Bluebar, I've got switches I can donate to this.

[BlueBär]

This box project gave me an idea:
What if we got some of the vendors out there to work together so that we could make our own GeekHack loot crates where we pay a subscription to get a bunch of random goodies?
Almost like a crap bag subscription.

Most vendors don't make new products every month and I don't think it would really work out. Besides, please keep this on topic

[Sifo]

What I'm donating:

Extra costar stab and inserts because the inserts are pretty easy to lose, and costar seem to be popular in OEM boards
O-rings (not sure which, got from MAX)
Left over stickers that you guys could use, idk or let the winner try putting them on and seeing the (non existant) difference
Every spring that Sprit had to offer in his group buy
62g silver spring
***SIFO APPROVED 62G #LEGITBALLIN SPRING*** that I personally use in all my boards





(sorry for **** picture)

[BlueBär]

I've made a form where anybody can submit donations: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17Do3BvfNbhmlgZ5rDoFJnL1nsYMxlqF0-qUoqCHS48k/viewform?usp=send_form
Please don't feel pressured by the load of categories, they're only for sorting things!

What I'm donating:

Extra costar stab and inserts because the inserts are pretty easy to lose, and costar seem to be popular in OEM boards
O-rings (not sure which, got from MAX)
Left over stickers that you guys could use, idk or let the winner try putting them on and seeing the (non existant) difference
Every spring that Sprit had to offer in his group buy
62g silver spring
***SIFO APPROVED 62G #LEGITBALLIN SPRING*** that I personally use in all my boards

Sifo approved Box of Faith?

[paicrai]

include dong drawing   

[rowdy]

Excellent idea!

And I'm not just saying that because I thought of it too   Independently.  I do that sometimes, don't know how.

Do you reckon a keycap layout sheet would fit in there too?  Someone asking again where to get those triggered the idea in me.  It could be cut into two A5 halves and laminated - might fit in such a box as you have illustrated.

[BlueBär]

Do you reckon a keycap layout sheet would fit in there too?  Someone asking again where to get those triggered the idea in me.  It could be cut into two A5 halves and laminated - might fit in such a box as you have illustrated.

The box in the post above is not just a prototype, it is the first of the 12 boxes
The box is 170x130x45mm, so we could make one in two halves for the box. Alternatively we could just make one that has all the standard sizes (so 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x,...) just once so you can put your caps on it to see what size it is. It wouldn't be a full layout but it could be used for identification.

[Melvang]

(Attachment Link)

Almost everybody here experienced this: When you first hear about mechanical keyboards, you're overwhelmed with a flood of choices. You hear
about different switch types, different keycap options, different plastics and so on. And if you finally decide on a keyboard you already tasted blood
and you want more.

The entry into this hobby can be quite hard, especially for your wallet because you want to try out so many things. Now we, the Keepers of the Faith
have been thinking, how could we make this easier for newbies apart from providing information in the form of a Wiki? And this is what this project
is about.

We want to provide Newbies with some basic things a Geekhacker needs or should have. This could include for example:

• some common switches
• a keycap puller
• a variety of springs
• a selection of keycap types

Additionally we want to provide printed versions of the Simple Question, Simple Answers FAQ and the Modding Cookbook. There is also a GH
keycap exclusive to the boxes on order.

And here's where you come in.
We would like to give away more cool stuff, but we cannot provide everything on our own. We would like you to donate stuff for this good cause. It
doesn't have to be anything special, rare or expensive, just something that you wanted when you joined Geekhack. We are mainly looking for things
that you have leftover for example.

These boxes will be filled evenly (as much as possible) and sent out by us. The boxes themselves will get raffled, we currently plan one per month.
Any expenses on our side such as shipping will get covered by a small entry fee and any leftovers of that money (if there are any) will be invested in
future Keeper of the Faith projects or get donated to Geekhack.

I'm in the process of printing some boxes by hand and making some keycap pullers from wood and stainless steel wire. Here is the first box I made:

(Attachment Link)

Our current plan is to get out one box per month for one year. Any expenses we already made (the boxes, the keycap pullers, the GH keycaps) are
not going to be financed by the entry fees and are paid by us.

This is a project we, the Keepers of the Faith have planned for a long time and it's exciting to get this finally going. Originally it was planned to
announce this at Keycon, but things didn't work out as planned. Amusingly Rowdy had pretty much the same idea just a few days ago and people
liked it - we hope you like our version of it too

If you have any ideas or suggestions for this project we would love to hear them!

If you want to donate things, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17Do3...
Please don't feel pressured by the load of categories, they're only for sorting things!

Hi, my name is Melvang, and I approve this message.

All seriousness this is a fantastic idea.

[BlueBär]

What do you guys think about this as a mini keycap size identification sheet?



(PS: this is a downscaled version, the original one has the correct size and 300ppi)

[clacktalk]

Will you be accepting monetary donations to fund the boxes? I really like the idea and want to contribute, but I've just started myself and don't own any parts. I'd love to give a couple dollars every month for the cause if that does happen.

[BlueBär]

Will you be accepting monetary donations to fund the boxes? I really like the idea and want to contribute, but I've just started myself and don't own any parts. I'd love to give a couple dollars every month for the cause if that does happen.

Somebody else asked me, too if they could donate money to this. I'll see what I can do and if any more costs arise I'll contact you. Thank you for your offer!

[CPTBadAss]

What do you guys think about this as a mini keycap size identification sheet?

(Attachment Link)

(PS: this is a downscaled version, the original one has the correct size and 300ppi)

I'm into that.


Also BlueBär, you should take some money to cover your costs man. This was mainly BlueBär's baby and he's funded it himself.

[FrostyToast]

What do you guys think about this as a mini keycap size identification sheet?

(Attachment Link)

(PS: this is a downscaled version, the original one has the correct size and 300ppi)

If you could throw geekhack colours on there and put that on a mousemat, then that would make a sweet addition for the Box of Faith!

[mashby]

What do you guys think about this as a mini keycap size identification sheet?

(Attachment Link)

(PS: this is a downscaled version, the original one has the correct size and 300ppi)

I would include the size of the caps in the printout as well, e.g. 2x, 1.75x, etc.

[BlueBär]

Also BlueBär, you should take some money to cover your costs man. This was mainly BlueBär's baby and he's funded it himself.

Shush!

If you could throw geekhack colours on there and put that on a mousemat, then that would make a sweet addition for the Box of Faith!

A mouspad would not fit into the boxes size wise, but good idea!

I would include the size of the caps in the printout as well, e.g. 2x, 1.75x, etc.

Kind of a tight fit on some but I can do that. Or maybe only the sizes instead of the function/legend?

[Sifo]

What do you guys think about this as a mini keycap size identification sheet?

(Attachment Link)

(PS: this is a downscaled version, the original one has the correct size and 300ppi)

Isn't it redundant to have \| as well as Tab on the same sheet since they're both the same size and same profile?

[BlueBär]

Isn't it redundant to have \| as well as Tab on the same sheet since they're both the same size and same profile?

Yes. Deleting one of them would gain more space, but I have no use for more space unless there should be something additional on the sheet, that's why I went for displaying all modifiers (except for the bottom row).

[awong]

What do you guys think about this as a mini keycap size identification sheet?

(Attachment Link)

(PS: this is a downscaled version, the original one has the correct size and 300ppi)

Where is ISO shift?

[BlueBär]

Where is ISO shift?

Oh thanks, didn't notice that, will add it.

[Puddsy]

I've got some extra keycaps lying around

[Zeal]

Sounds like a great idea.

I'll cover a year's worth of GH cables. Maybe GH themed orange/black? 

[awong]

Where is ISO shift?

Oh thanks, didn't notice that, will add it.

Also shorter right shift is not there

[BlueBär]

I'll cover a year's worth of GH cables. Maybe GH themed orange/black? 

That would be awesome! I saw your question in the sheet, all at once would probably best. As I said if we get multiple donations of the same type they will get distributed evenly

Also shorter right shift is not there

Yes, noticed that already as well.

[Zeal]

Just wondering, will we be PM'ed prior to the first box going out? Or any estimates on when this'll start? 

[BlueBär]

Just wondering, will we be PM'ed prior to the first box going out? Or any estimates on when this'll start? 

Current plan:

• get the project known and make a list of people who want to donate <- we are here
• collect the donations
• distribute them onto the 12 boxes, finish the first ~3, announce the first drawing
• first drawing, winner will be publicly announced

I can't give dates yet as it depends on too many factors, the biggest one being how fast we get a decent amount of donations.

[FrostyToast]

I think we need some more things to encourage people to learn how to solder and stuff like that.
Maybe a helping hand or a spool of solder would be nice to give to a newbie!
Admittedly, I don't have any of this stuff myself  )

[V1ral]

If we have stuff we want to donate, but aren't sure of the exact count, should we still fill out the form and just make a note?

I have a bunch of novelty keys that I love, but never use, and would be willing to donate. Also some MX switches that are not blue, brown, black, or red. Also possibly a sleeved cable.

Edit: Oh, I have some extra soldering stuff too that I've been trying to decide what to do with! Granted, I'm still in the learning phase too, so I don't know if it's stuff we would want to give out, but everything is still new in their boxes!

[Badwrench]

What do you guys think about this as a mini keycap size identification sheet?

(Attachment Link)

(PS: this is a downscaled version, the original one has the correct size and 300ppi)

In the center, you should have a profile view of the common cap types (DCS, cherry, oem, DSA, SA).

Also, I have an AT101 that has a bad switch that I would be willing to donate if someone wants to pull the switches (I already sold the caps - sorry). 

[BlueBär]

If we have stuff we want to donate, but aren't sure of the exact count, should we still fill out the form and just make a note?

Yes please! An approximate amount would be nice if you can provide that?

In the center, you should have a profile view of the common cap types (DCS, cherry, oem, DSA, SA).

Also, I have an AT101 that has a bad switch that I would be willing to donate if someone wants to pull the switches (I already sold the caps - sorry).

I have thought about that but the problem is that I would have to shrink it lower than real life size or I can't include all rows, and I'm not sure if that's missing the point

I could desolder them myself but shipping would be too high. We might use an US proxy to collect the donations which could help us out - thank you for the offer!

[Badwrench]

If we have stuff we want to donate, but aren't sure of the exact count, should we still fill out the form and just make a note?

Yes please! An approximate amount would be nice if you can provide that?

In the center, you should have a profile view of the common cap types (DCS, cherry, oem, DSA, SA).

Also, I have an AT101 that has a bad switch that I would be willing to donate if someone wants to pull the switches (I already sold the caps - sorry).

I have thought about that but the problem is that I would have to shrink it lower than real life size or I can't include all rows, and I'm not sure if that's missing the point

I could desolder them myself but shipping would be too high. We might use an US proxy to collect the donations which could help us out - thank you for the offer!

How about double sided print on card stock? Laminated for durability?

[Zeal]

How about rolling it up? Length shouldn't be a problem then!

[BlueBär]

How about rolling it up? It length shouldn't be a problem then!

Laminated paper is hard to roll up. Double sided printing as Badwrench suggested should do the trick

[FrostyToast]

Sounds like a great idea.

I'll cover a year's worth of GH cables. Maybe GH themed orange/black? 

Will there be bulges in the Boxes of Faith? 

[Melvang]

If we have stuff we want to donate, but aren't sure of the exact count, should we still fill out the form and just make a note?

I have a bunch of novelty keys that I love, but never use, and would be willing to donate. Also some MX switches that are not blue, brown, black, or red. Also possibly a sleeved cable.

Edit: Oh, I have some extra soldering stuff too that I've been trying to decide what to do with! Granted, I'm still in the learning phase too, so I don't know if it's stuff we would want to give out, but everything is still new in their boxes!

I would actually vote against the Helping Hands.  About the only thing I find mine useful for is either tinning very small wires or soldering very small wires together.  Both of which can be done with much better tools that are available.

[FrostyToast]

Maybe we can toss in some of those ravello business cards that Techkeys showed us once they are released.
They seem like inexpensive, simple, and fun kits that everyone could use!
Not to mention the fact that there is a lot of coding that could be done for the LED matrix.

[rowdy]

If we have stuff we want to donate, but aren't sure of the exact count, should we still fill out the form and just make a note?

I have a bunch of novelty keys that I love, but never use, and would be willing to donate. Also some MX switches that are not blue, brown, black, or red. Also possibly a sleeved cable.

Edit: Oh, I have some extra soldering stuff too that I've been trying to decide what to do with! Granted, I'm still in the learning phase too, so I don't know if it's stuff we would want to give out, but everything is still new in their boxes!

I would actually vote against the Helping Hands.  About the only thing I find mine useful for is either tinning very small wires or soldering very small wires together.  Both of which can be done with much better tools that are available.

They are also quite heavy (at least mine is) and could significantly increase shipping costs.

[Zeal]

Sounds like a great idea.

I'll cover a year's worth of GH cables. Maybe GH themed orange/black? 

Will there be bulges in the Boxes of Faith? 

No. Yours will probably be the last. 

[Quardah]

Hey there.

In my opinion, the biggest part in the mechanical world is to determine what switch is your cup of tea. What i personnaly did was purchase one of each Common MX (Red, Black, Blue, Brown, Green, White, Clear, Grey, Dark Grey) and got my friends to test them out before buying.

They manage to determine what feel they like before purchasing an 100$+ board. They are forever thanksful for the 20$ i spent to assemble such a great tool.

I believe people entering the mechanical world would go MX (If you do not already own a board (that could be ALPS or BS or Topre or whatever), most mechanical boards are MX, therefore very easy access and not too expensive at entry level) and so i believe this box should contain maybe a little PCB with the 9 switches soldered on them with a little info chart stating both the weight (45cn to 105cn) and the type (linear, tactile or clicky) with a summary explaining these little concepts (aka the entry theory), as well as 9 keycaps to cover these switches.

A little like a small & cheap common switches tester. Also a summary comparing Full-size, TKL, 60% and custom boards could be nice. A referal card that has the geekhack link on it would also be nice to have in there, because once you have a mech, here is the place to talk about / ask for help.

Other things like key sizes or o-rings or lube or keycap profils are in my opinion not mandatory in these boxes, for these concepts are intermediate knowledge that requires a little experience to understand/apply-to-your-advantage.


Also, boxes doesn't have to be given to someone forever. You could ask the people that gets these boxes to either pay the fee to assemble a new one (which could contain a good 15$ worth of stock) or pass it forward to the next in-developpement-geek.

The way of the geek, cult of geekness, must be foretold to further generations.
I support this project.

[BlueBär]

Maybe we can toss in some of those ravello business cards that Techkeys showed us once they are released.
They seem like inexpensive, simple, and fun kits that everyone could use!
Not to mention the fact that there is a lot of coding that could be done for the LED matrix.

Won't the new cards cost 30$ or am I mixing things up? 30$x12 is not really inexpensive. I have an idea though and contacted i3oilermaker.

They are also quite heavy (at least mine is) and could significantly increase shipping costs.

This. Because of their weight the might also damage other items inside the box etc. Not sure what solder accessories would go nice with the box.

I'll have to split this one up:

In my opinion, the biggest part in the mechanical world is to determine what switch is your cup of tea. What i personnaly did was purchase one of each Common MX (Red, Black, Blue, Brown, Green, White, Clear, Grey, Dark Grey) and got my friends to test them out before buying.

Good news: Brown, Black and Blue are most likely all covered already. I would like to get some Reds in each box too but I bet we can find somebody who has some leftover. The other ones are not as important, not because they're worse (they aren't!) but because they're less likely to be found in a stock keyboard.

I believe people entering the mechanical world would go MX (If you do not already own a board (that could be ALPS or BS or Topre or whatever), most mechanical boards are MX, therefore very easy access and not too expensive at entry level) and so i believe this box should contain maybe a little PCB with the 9 switches soldered on them with a little info chart stating both the weight (45cn to 105cn) and the type (linear, tactile or clicky) with a summary explaining these little concepts (aka the entry theory), as well as 9 keycaps to cover these switches.

I have more than enough white Alps, each box will have one of those - can't hurt. Topre and Buckling spring won't work as they need some sort of housing.
A special PCB for this won't be necessary. Instead, the switches will get mounted on a cardboard plate. It's very easy and cheap to do, and I have made a switch tester for a friend of mine from cardboard before, it worked quite well.

A referal card that has the geekhack link on it would also be nice to have in there, because once you have a mech, here is the place to talk about / ask for help.

The box get's raffled on Geekhack to Geekhack users and has Geekhack written in captial letters on top of it. Do you really think that is necessary? )

Other things like key sizes or o-rings or lube or keycap profils are in my opinion not mandatory in these boxes, for these concepts are intermediate knowledge that requires a little experience to understand/apply-to-your-advantage.

I disagree. Keycap sizes are weird because they are measured in comparison to each other, with the base unit being a 1x1 keycap. Having a sheet will help understand this and help understand what people talk about when they say something like "a 1.75 right shift". Keycap profiles would be nice because often enough people ask what OEM profile means or what the difference of the profiles is. Both of those are not "intermediate knowledge" in my opinion.
O-rings are not hard to install and just including a few can help people decide if they would like them or not. Not a hard mod to do either.
Lube is different and rather not for a beginner, I agree with that point.

Also, boxes doesn't have to be given to someone forever. You could ask the people that gets these boxes to either pay the fee to assemble a new one (which could contain a good 15$ worth of stock) or pass it forward to the next in-developpement-geek.

I don't want them just to be "assembled", I want them to include donations from the community to a new member. They should not only contain things you can buy online, they should contain a sense of community, the faith
Passing it on is as I said above a good idea thoug, but in the end it's the choice of the person who wins one. I don't want and I can't force somebody to give something he won away to somebody else.

[tp4tissue]

Wouldn't it be more efficient and cost effective (time + material)

if we did a "directed" send of a switch-tester-keyboard along with a crowd funded giftcard to mechkb.com..


I realize this current box idea be "from the heart"... but... well.. hmm.... if we wanted to accomplish the gospel task more efficiently...