ErgoMechKeyboards

I'm typing this with my new ergo keeb right now. Holy fuck it is hard. I cannot seem to be able to hack my brain, I've spent 2 WEEKS desperately trying to learn the first SIX MOST FUCKIN COMMON LETTERS and I'm still completely unable to use them even remotely quickly or reliably. I am completely unable to even break the 70% confidence line on keybr on I,E,S and R despite hours of efforts. Worse, now my accuracy goes steadily down the toilet even if I slow down to a grind in an attempt to improve it.

I fuckin suck at this. It is despair and rage inducing. How the fuck do you manage to even learn new layouts?

I spent almost an hour typing this fuckin message.

But hey at least my keyboard looks awesome.

Edit: it seems using keybr is actually damaging my progress instead of helping. I'm switching to another tool.

Edit2: after a few days on monkeytype I'm up to 17 WPM and 91% accuracy in french, up from 4 WPM and almost negative accuracy. Not great BUT it's still a big win for me. I mostly know my layout now, except for the dev layer. I can only progress from now.

This is the story of my involvement with ergo-mech keyboards, describing how I set up my first split ergo, the Keebio FoldKB.

Hopefully this will be the first of a series.

Hey everyone,

My weekly collection of cool DIY keyboard projects is out! Plus some original content like interviews with Morgan (Svalboard) and Gleb (Deathpad), the Ergohaven Planeta review, etc.:

https://kbd.news/

And here is my latest editorial write-up with even more goodies:

https://kbd.news/Behind-the-scenes-2023-34-2100.html

We've got some new fun colors for our resin case prints and builds at Wylderbuilds.

A deep and mysterious translucent red:

and a bright and happy mint green!

They print beautifully, as you can see.

You can now find examples of all our available resin colors here: https://wylderbuilds.com/colors-resin

Our Back-To-School sale is still happening, folks! From now until the end of August, you can get 10% off all orders over $50 with code ERGONOMICS-101 at checkout!

Come pick snag an itsy 3x5 Manuform or go whole hog with one of our massive 6x7 Polydactyl Rex models!

Full Builds https://wylderbuilds.com/shop/p/dactyl-manuform-build

Resin Case Prints https://wylderbuilds.com/shop/p/dactyl-manuform-resin-print

Cheers!

Andy @ Wylderbuilds

The two are pretty similar, but to me red pro is just about the point where I can hold the key without thinking about it, which is a good trait for modifier keys.

Originally I used numpad as a navigation block, but I've since figured out that setting right thumb row to [MO(2)←→↑↓] / [▿Home End PageUp PageDown] works well for my purposes, so now it's just chillin'.

Assembled (complete with the pleasantly smooth photopolymer SLA case) by a local company (splitted_space on Telegram), originally with brown switches.

I've posted a couple times about Cut Slope, but one last post to announce that I've released the source code today.

I've got a couple of the prototypes left if you're interested in getting one without getting a whole order fabbed.

The pcb is an edit of MangoIV's le_chiff_ble drop-in replacement courtesy of dreipunkteinsvier (unpublished as of now).

[Edit: It's obviously running ZMK firmware. Edit2: Tried fixing images by reuploading... ]

Case is Bubbleology's fantastic 3dp design (closed source).

Alphas are MT3 (2048 Katakana), thumbs 3dp DES by Pseudoku (mjf print from jlc).

I really enjoy the board, but the thumbs are waaaay too tucky for me 😅 I basically can't reach the 1.25u ones without significant discomfort / moving my entire hand. Good thing it's got a few too many keys for my taste so i can just ignore those thumbs :D

Peek inside:

I played around with a Huntsman Mini a bit in my local Micro Center and loved how smooth the linear optical reds felt. They had just the right amount of resistance too. The choc reds I'm using in my sofle right now feel too heavy and cumbersome to me at 50g. I want a switch that feels smoother and is slightly easier to depress. Got myself a switch tester from aliexpress but I'm still having a hard time deciding. The only two switches that I don't have in my tester are the Purpz and the Sunsets. Not really interested in tactile though and I'm pretty sure the Purpz would be too light for my liking.

On paper I'd think the silvers would be fairly close but in reality, it doesn't feel that much lighter than the reds, even though it's 10g lighter. Plus, I know the tester can only get me so far and that a whole board of switches is going to feel vastly different than a single switch. Thoughts, advice? Thanks!

Check out the blogpost here: https://tarneo.fr/posts/split_keyboard/

A simple little travel case for the piantor inspired by the following post from compression keyboards. Printables as different sizes for those with tall keycaps.

Mind the gap.

(I had to cut here to make the usb connector fit. It's been adjusted correctly in the final revision)

Gallery, https://imgur.com/a/FQHuL9l

I’ve been working on a design for a split keyboard that is a hybrid between a Corne and a Sofle.

So fair the electrical and software aspects work, I still need to sort out the chassis.

Some features:

• Efficient backlight circuit (at 100% it uses 20mA)
• Custom MBK Choc caps from fkcaps.com (the glow is awesome)
• ~250mAh battery (still low profile as there’s a hole in the PCB for the battery)
• Dual EVQ encoders
• Fully wireless using Nice Nanos
• The layout has MacOS and Windows modes
• Choc spacing

Once I’ve got the chassis done and I’ve cleaned everything up a bit I’ll open source it.

Here’s a preview of the chassis design so far:

So, after some playing around trying to figure out a preferred physical layout, I decided a Hillside 46 splayed keyboard would be about right. Thanks to Leo at Beekeeb for answering all my questions before ordering and during the build! Surface mount soldering was tricky, but everything works on the first try! I finally can use Dvorak with keycaps in the right place. Keymapping is a work in progress as I am getting used to this, and I am still trying to figure out how to get my Unicode characters to display in Linux (though for the Mac they show up fine). Now for lots of practice to build up new muscle memory, and develop a lighter touch so I don't keep inputting command characters unintentionally.

Based on this video which reviewed a bunch of different ergonomic mechanical keyboards I kinda have my eyes set on the Glove80.

However my main gripe with looking at it, is that it only offers soldered switches (either pre-soldered or DIY).

This combined with the fact that there are no Cherry MX Speed like switches available for it (I have grown very accustomed to them on my Corsair K95 RGB Platinum) makes me question whether I'm willing to risk the near 400€ investment just to potentially end up with a keyboard whose switches are not too my liking.

And while I could probably resolder different switches onto it, I'd rather have a keyboard where changing switches doesn't require me grabbing my soldering iron.

Looking around so far however, I haven't found a keyboard similar in design to the Glove80 that does feature hot-swappable switches.

As such any recommendations would be welcome <3

Another happy Svalboard user is crushing it on day 1! I'm really amazed at how quickly most folks are adapting, users of split ergo boards seem to be getting the hang in a week or so, and transitioning to full-time use after 2-3 weeks!

Took me way longer twenty years ago on Datahand, but I had atrocious touch-typing form ;P

Context: Svalboard is my evolution of Datahand and lalboard into a production device. I build them myself here in Pacifica, CA.

It surrounds the fingers with magnetically actuated keys in 5 directions, with total anatomical customizability through novel fitment mechanisms that can suit any hand size and finger anatomy.

20g force is standard, and the profile is insanely tactile/clicky, with instant actuation and very fast breakaway of forces (1/x^2).

It runs QMK-Vial, and is totally modular. Replacement parts can be printed on a Prusa MK3S or equivalent.

Lots more detail at https://www.svalboard.com

Come join the Discord, it's pretty lively and I post lots of the day-to-day design and fabrication experiments as I evolve things! :D

https://discord.gg/DnGcHM4Rg8

Hey everyone, it's been a long time since my last post here. Nevertheless, I'm still collecting awesome DIY keyboard projects at:

https://kbd.news/

And here is my latest weekly summary and editorial write-up with even more goodies:

https://kbd.news/Behind-the-scenes-2023-33-2088.html

Feel free to ping me about your projects.

No need to bend the legs, no need to do wire stripping. I did this in 30 minutes casually... I guess the full halve will take around 1 hour

I tried to distill my favorite features of weteor's magnificent Kong for this layout. I loved the thumb cluster but wanted a split 36 key layout. Designed for a pair of socketed purple Pi Picos I had from a previous build. Built with Outemu Cream Yellows.

Disclaimer

This is a review of the services offered by FK custom. I was not gifted a set nor paid to say anything positive. I paid for a custom set with my own money. I’m writing this review mainly due the lack of reviews on it and the lack of pictures that weren’t taken with a potato camera (no offense).

Background

I love the simplicity of blank keycaps especially for choc boards. But ever since I saw pictures of the MBK Legend Keycaps with Hiragana legends I’ve felt the urge to get me a set with non-latin legends just for the cool look. Unfortunately, the MBK Legend Keycaps were sold as a group buy which I missed out on.

Ever since then I was on the lookout for extras but haven’t had any luck so I decided to give FK custom a shot and get myself some MBK keycaps with customized legends.

Ordering

The ordering process is fairly straight forward. You choose your preferred material option and base color, then add the number of keycaps you’d like to customize. Finally, you can go ahead and put your custom legends or icons on the keycap. The web tool offers different font options right out of the box but also makes it easy for you to upload your own font and even vector graphics. It also lets you create templates to apply a setting to other keycaps.

I loved to fiddle around and try different font styles and font placements. I think I've spent too much time on creating weird sets that I will never purchase - but it was fun nevertheless to play around and pretend to be a keycap designer.

Delivery

After giving up the order I was shortly contacted by FK customs who wanted to make sure I put up the right order and informed me that it might take a bit longer to deliver than usual due to the summer break. I appreciated the open communication and I frankly do not expect a delivery in couple of days or even weeks due to the nature of this commission.

After 3 weeks the package safely arrived. Being in the keyboard hobby you’ll learn to be patient and always expect a late delivery so I was fairly surprised by the swiftness of it.

Packaging

The keycaps came in a simple box.

And the keycaps were neatly vacuum-packed.

I definitely prefer this sort of packaging instead of having loose keycaps in a plastic bag which could rub on each other during transport and potentially damage the coating or the keycaps.

Keycaps

I ordered a set of MBK PBT+PU keycaps which are made of PBT and have a PU coating on it similar to MBK Glow (according to the website). The base material is white and then colored in your chosen color.

I was very surprised at the crispness of the lasered legend and am very happy with the result.

I wasn’t sure that I would like the light grey colored legend on a black keycap, which I assume is the result of the lasering process, but seeing it in person made me actually love them. It isn’t too contrasty and gives it a bit more of a stealthy look.

The coating also makes the MBK keycap feel smoother than the normal MBK blanks but it still has some subtle texture to it. I however do not mind it at all and it is as comfortable to type on as on normal blank ones.

Final words

So, all in all I’m happy with my purchase and time will tell how well the lasered keycaps will hold up. I hope this review was of some help to some of you.

You may of course ask questions and I’ll try to answer them to the best of my abilities but do note that I’m just a customer myself and questions regarding the service or product are best answered by the vendor.

Introducing Heron, a Dactyl-inspired columnar keyboard with each column mounted on a laser-cut acrylic scaffold.

With this keeb, I wanted to get as far away as possible from the "big plastic brick" look of the Dactyl. I was inspired by the Glove80's sleek look and in particular by its "hey, just bend the FR4!" construction, but I wanted staggered columns and a more "weightless" look and I was sick of flat thumb clusters slowing me down.

The columns are 0.8mm FR4 PCBs screwed into 8mm acrylic; FFC ribbons run down the back legs, and diodes are on the mainboard.

Column positioning is essentially stolen from a Dactyl, with an extra partial row at the top so that I could use the same 4x1 PCB for each column. (It's a 3x6 at heart.) I'm quite proud of the thumb clusters, though, which are inspired by the DataHand: wrapping around the thumb, with a heel-toe motion for the middle, makes it quick and easy to press virtually any combination of keys, and thumb travel is so much less than the flat Manuform cluster.

More pics at https://postimg.cc/gallery/Vwfqb1Q

Video of the thumb cluster in use at https://youtube.com/shorts/eb4dZot1eeI

Everything's open source, because why not, but the files are in a moderately execrable state right now (particularly the main case, which I designed while [and, honestly, before] learning FreeCAD). Repo at https://github.com/Sneftel/heron .

Learned a lot, not completely satisfied with the turnout, but I'll have more ammo for the next build.

Nice!Nano V2 using ZMK firmware, BLE, and custom PCB made with ergogen, kicad, and purchased thru JLPCB. Going to print a case and learn the keyboard layout.

Hi, I'm looking for flexible PCBs compatible with the 5x7 Dactyl Manuform (Carbonfet variant). Does anyone know if any are available online? Thanks!

I have do some research about doing dactyl manuform, and I see people mostly solder directly diodes and copper wire to the switch. So i want to know that if i build dactyl manuform with hotswap function, will there have some problems which can kill my board? And when comparing handwired and hotswap. which is easier to do if i'm a beginner? And another question: is reset buttons neccessary for this build? (because i saw many guides are always including this component)

I'm currently designing a hot-swap hub+spoke keyboard, and I'm thinking a little ahead about the gaming keyboard module. I'm considering using a thumbstick instead of what would be the WASD cluster, alongside ample surrounding keys for RTS and other such games that have big hotkey configs.

Has anyone done this, and what has been your experience? Is it worthwhile pursuing? I've seen trackpoints for mice, but I'm not aiming [heh] to replace my mouse - only the WASD cluster. A trackpoint also seems like it could be a poor fit for movement controls.

My main concern is the height of the thumbstick: I'm probably looking at a significant height difference between the keys and the thumbstick (which I picture being pretty bad for ergonomics). Any suggestions for that would be appreciated.

Thanks!