Building a Q-Series 60% with a twist

[pdc]

I have a set of Q-Series caps on order from Mechsupply, so I better come up with a keyboard to put under them. So I am working on my first hand-build keyboard, which I will call X1 until I think of a better name. I have put some posts about the process so far on my blog:

• Thinking about Building a Keyboard
• Keyboard goals
• Plate plotting

Current status:

It seems a shame to waste the ISO Return key, so I have been trying to come up with a Mac-friendly ISO format with arrow keys that will fit a 60% case. Here’s what I have come up with so far:

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The split space bar is oddly labelled ENTER/SHIFT because it is made from the available key caps of size 2.25u and 2.75u: the ANSI Enter key and the right shift key. As it happens, these are the keys that Devlin can’t manage in Q-Series so will be in the slightly sloped QS series. Which might work out nicely.

I can’t quite manage to create a T-shaped cursor block without removing the right shift key altogether so I have compromised with an upside-down L. The gaps between the arrow keys are supposed to help with navigation.

Next step is I need to work out how to make the plate. My local Hackspace can laser-cut wood and acrylic but I don’t know whether they are strong enough to use for this sort of thing. Failing that I have to find out good options for getting a custom plate cut in the UK. And be really sure I know what layout I want!

[Findecanor]

Most 60% cases are made for Poker, which has PCB-mounted switches and the cases therefore have specific standoffs to that PCB.

For the plate, 1.5mm acrylic could work if you have a PCB and if you are careful. Otherwise you could use 3mm+ acrylic and force-fit/glue switches, or two layers of 1.5 mm acrylic glued together with the switches snapping only to the upper layer and the lower layer having notches for the snaps to work.
If the latter, then you would want to use opaque acrylic (or choose to paint) and not remove all protective film until after they have been glued. I would also sand the pieces and use epoxy, making sure to wash away excess that would get into the mounting holes. Superglue fumes make clear plastic foggy and does not allow for any error in alignment.

[pdc]

Thanks for the info Creating a 3mm plate by gluing 2 layers together sounds doable. I will think about how I can prototype this at small scale first.

Sounds like by the time I have worked out how to cut a plate, i might as well be building my own sandwich case because it will have more margin for error than trying to match an off-the-shelf Poker-style case. In which case I have some scope for rethinking the layout

[GEIST]

The holes in the bottom row don't quite convince me.

[pdc]

Not completely sure about the gaps in the bottom row either. The obvious alternative is a ½-unit gap and a contiguous L-shaped navigation. My thinking was that the little gap would make fumbling for the L-shaped cursor keys by touch less random—but until I have something to play with I don't know whether I'll like it or hate it! Maybe I can try some kind of throwaway prototypes in plywood or something to see how they feel in practice.

Funny thing about the layout is that I started with something more different from standard and as I fiddle with it and think about the details it has changed little by little to be more like the standard Apple-flavoured ISO-like layout. Much like last time I tried designing a crazy new 65% layout and after a few iterations I discovered I had reinvented the True Fox.

[pdc]

Current status: Visited Oxford hackspace to look in to using their CNC mill and laser cutter to mangle bits of acrylic (or similar—I wonder if a wooden case is plausible) in to the weird shapes I want for this project. They also have an electronics workroom with solder station which is obviously also applicable to my master plan.

[pdc]

This week I have mostly been drawing holes. Here's the SVG version of the top plate:



Apologies for not leaving gaps for opening the switches; for this build at least is is simpler to use standard square holes. I have intentionally bought Costar stabilisers for the same reason!

Here is what I think the supporting plate underneath needs to look like.



The extra cutouts are intended to allow the switches to clip on.

You will have noticed the screw holes are too near the keys—if they have standard 1.7mm tall heads on they will interfere with the corners of the caps as they descend. I need to increase the padding around the layout to allow for this.

I've assumed the location of the stabilizers for the Enter key means the switch goes in sideways.

[duynguyenle]

Why would you add those extra cutouts? Those will explicitly STOP the switches from clipping in... You need a straight edge where the clips are. Your first plate would've worked fine the way it is...

Edit: whoop posted without reading properly *facepalm*, you're doing two layers

[pdc]

I know what you mean though -- the "under" plate looks like the exact opposite of what it should look like...

[pdc]

Today’s lesson is about tolerance. Specifically, that the tolerances on sheet acrylic are less stringent than the tolerances on Cherry MX switch and Co-Star stabiliser clips.

I have cut a test piece with the assist of Jared at Oxford Hackspace:

I made a thing!

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The idea here was to make lots of different-sized holes and choose the ones that fit best:

Trying out with some switches

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Turns out I can jam the switch in and have it held by friction but it does not click in to place and the stabiliser holder is slightly twisted, making the stabilised key bind most of the time. The plate is just a smidgen thicker than the 1.5mm. I think the difference in thickness is tiny—less than a quarter of a millimetre by eye—but it makes enough of a difference.

I think the obvious things to consider next are (a) find out whether it will be possible to machine down parts of the plate to closer to the exact thickness, pretty much following the pattern of my ‘under plate’, or (b) revert to a thicker single piece and just jam the switches in and glue them in place. With option (b) I am not sure how I would get the stabiliser clips to sit nicely though.

[pdc]

Here is an approach to thick acrylic backplates that turned up on Reddit using the laser cutter to engrave the shapes rather than a router to rout them.

[GEIST]

Is this keyboard still a thing for you, so do you plan on buying the set? It would be a shame to let this custom project die if not.

[pdc]

The group buy was cancelled but I'm still planning on buying the SKIDATA set once it is on sale. I reckon an experimental first keyboard is best made with an experimental first keyset.

After measuring he test piece every way I could think of and adjusting the kerf parameters accordingly I have cut the top and under plate cut. A little delicate filing is still required, as it turns out I needed to allow a little more space in the under plate for the clips of the stabilisers. Apart from that the next step is (re)learning to solder so I can start on the wiring …

[pdc]

Looks much more real with the top 2 layers bolted together and the switches inserted!

Looks a bit insane but it is a start

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Started soldering the diodes to the switches—first time with a soldering iron since I was a child—but the ease with which I am popping switches out makes me think I need to consider gluing them in after all.

[pdc]

After several sessions in the Hackspace tronics room I have soldered on the diodes, row and column rails.

Lots of wires

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There is still the small matter of wiring these to the micro controller and programming it. Also the case needs some sides and a bottom—for which I need to work out how to have the right-sized niches in the case sides to support the controller board and USB plug.

[pdc]

The keycaps from Devlin via UKKeycaps arrived this week.

Caps off

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After much fiddling with fiddly stabilisers I have populated my key switches and can pretend to type on my poor brainless keyboard.

Caps on

IMG_1466.jpg (1.2 MiB) Viewed 4544 times

Next task: make it a brain.

[pdc]

With wires

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After procrastinating for a while I have soldered wires on to my Teensy LC board which I plan to solder to the rest of the keyboard next.

The combination of controller and wires is not as flat as I would like and so far it does not look like it will fit in the height of the case I had planned. Luckily I have not built that case yet so there will be time to change this if necessary, though I would like to keep the profile as low as possible.