New to All This -- Filco Minila -- Where to Start?

[buriedpaul]

I've just bought my first mechanical keyboard -- a Filco Majestouch Minila 60% bluetooth model with brown Cherry switches.  I use it mainly to write (in Ulysses) on my iPad.  I love it; where've these fancy keyboards been all my life?

I'd like to very slowly try my had at customizing it -- I don't know where to start, and I understand this keyboard's particularly difficult to do that sort of thing to because of its nonstandard layout (and tiny spacebar).  Unless there are full sets of keys to buy somewhere that I don't know about, I think I want to start by just replacing the WIN and two ALT keys, which have pretty ugly front-facing type in an outlined font.

How do I know what size these keys are -- how do I tell, I guess I'm asking, if they're standard keys.  I think I'd like to replace them with just black blanks -- where do I go to find them?

[azhdar]

here's the layout of the minila:
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/56829401869c36b2c5a11ca63e90e0c2

all I can say is good luck.

[tbc]

the minila DOES NOT use standard keys.  it has a completely unique layout to every other keyboard.  just fyi.

sure it uses mx keycaps, but the width of the keys is also important, as well as the combination of legend and specific width.

for example, the bottom left ctrl is a 1.75x key, whereas every other board uses 1.5x or 1.25x.


your best bet is to buy dsa blanks.

there are 4 factors to determine if a key can be 'replaced' by another key:  legend, width, row profile, and concave/convex.

blanks means that legends are not a factor. dsa keys all have the same row profile. dsa keys come in all widths.  the remaining problem are the 3 convex keys on the bottom row - there are no equivalents in DSA keysets.

[ianbullock]

The only replaced spacebar I've seen was from MOSFET on Deskthority (see http://deskthority.net/group-buys-f50/skull-squadron-dsa-set-aka-macross-t7402-60.html). I asked him about it and he said he used the following part: "DSA Inventory Item, 6 Digit Part Number: 204023 , Description: DSA - 3X - BRIGHT WHITE (WA) - Unit Price $1.00"

However, he said the functionality was not great - the stabilizers probably won't match up, fit wasn't exact, and thus a bit mushy overall. Maybe still usable if it's worth it to you.

Can still do some fun things with it, but full custom set is definitely not easy.

It is a fun keyboard! I love the quick access to arrow keys and home/end from a normal typing position (via fn layer).

[Sygaldry]

Full custom set is available with Granite DSA R2 and in the Skull Squadron set DSA, both by matt3o and they both look great on the minila!