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In progress build: DIY layout from KLE, Laser-cut plate using files from swillkb.com, DIY laser-dye-sub DSA using a few Glyphs I did in Inkscape.
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this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
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Mechanical Keyboards
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What is swill
Sorry, that's the Plate and Case Builder put together by a Geekhack user nicknamed swill. You pop in the raw data from Keyboard Layout Editor and tweak some parameters, and out pops a set of vector files suitable for Laser Cutting, 3D-printing (after extruding in CAD), etc. You can make the switch plate, plus enough other files to build a sandwich-style case.
My last two boards are built around aluminum plates I sent out to Xometry, but this one is completely home-manufactured using a pretty low-end laser. It can get through 3mm hardboard or plywood and can engrave a ton of stuff, but it has trouble cutting many other materials, and even 4mm plywood.
What laser are you using?
Comgrow Z1 with the 5w module. I've powered through 4mm plywood with enough passes, but it has a lot of materials it would prefer only to etch. TBF, it has handled everything it was marketed to do.