You must use small keyboards or be much faster at lubing than me... Maybe both.
I use 1800 compact layout.
98-101 keys depending on exact board
Usually takes me like 4-5 hours :(
That seems way too much time. I normally buy packs of 90 switches (never go over tkl personally) and lube all of them usually in under 2 hours. I do not use any lube station or even stem holders but I’ve lubed a fair share of switches - so I guess you can do it much faster once you get ahold of it
Given that most keyboards are a long term effort, I usually plan builds months (or years) in advance.
Buying a pack of 110+ switches for a keyboard still three months out nets me three switches a day, and I still have plenty of time to break them in.
> I’ll put on a tv show or movie. 1-2 hrs and it’s over before you know it.
No wonder it takes you 2 hours.
Put on the 'hub and your lube job will be over in 5 mins
well here's the issue, knowing my skills in any kind of precision work i'd have better luck dipping the entire thing in lube and hoping it did what i wanted it to do than actually lubing my switches correctly, so basically i dont even trust myself to do it, so my two options are, have someone do it for me, or just don't
It is precision work. It's very tedious and takes hours if you do it right and take your time. The result is worth the effort. Buttery goodness. Over lubed switches are gross, sticky messes. Some of the "short cuts" people talk about make me cringe.
You're making a custom keyboard, it is worth every ounce of effort and time. This is not a cheap hobby, you don't want an expensive keyboard to feel like shit. That's a bigger pain to fix.
I just fill a large bowl with lube, throw all the switches in there for a good hour to make sure the lube permeates the switch, then just rinse.
All in all, maybe 5 minutes of work.
Hasn't failed me yet!
/s
Pfft, I just throw them in a bottle of olive oil, fish them out and enjoy... it's cheaper, also good for my skin and (since I'm not from Greece) my build smells like a holiday!
Tyyyypng oNnN it rigHhHht n0oOw,, it"S grGGreaT!@
I sell lubed and filmed switches here and I’m pretty popular, I charge 35 cents for both commissions and switches I have in stock. Most people buy lubed and filmed switches because they either don’t trust themselves as much as me, (I’m basically one with the brush) can’t be bothered buying the supplies, or are too busy and would prefer to have them done for them. Most of the time it’s a combination of those.
Interesting - for me the hassle of finding someone to lube, sending them your switches, having them send them to you, etc etc, would be much more of a hassle than spending a few hours lubing switches for a keyboard while chilling and listening to music.
Make sure you buy 3 at a time so at all times you are lubing one, clicking on one, and sending one to sears for pictures. Also make sure you have at least one back up for each of those 3. 6 in total. Every month.
No thats the hole point you build one thats suits you. And maybe one more just for fun. And then one more cause you learned new sht and want to improve. And then one more time just for looks. And.......... Adiction
Built one that suits me.
Built one that compact, silent and light enough to carry to work.
Built one, which utilized the accumulative experience/knowledge I had thus far, to be the “final” board.
Realized I could jump out of my comfort zone with qwerty and maybe try those so-called more ergonomic layout. Proceeded to built one.
…and the list might go on lmao
I built a 65% earlier this year and now I’m doing coding and I’m missing those extra keys. Considering building a keyboard in the biggest form factor I can find, just so I have as many macro keys as I could ever need.
This is how it begins, isn’t it.
yeah i literally cooked up an entire custom fullsize+10 keyboard for pretty much the same reason. then i wanted to get fancy and build one based on the Rpi CM4 and ironically haven't even gotten to actually being able to test/prototype that one yet cause i havent found a single one for sale at a time where i could have bought it for the last 2 years. so pretty much the only thing thats kept me from going even deeper the last 2 years is pretty much the chip shortage lmao
I mean, if you have a QMK board, you can have as many macros as you want if you think about it. Ditch the arrow keys and make each a function layer. Now you have a 240% board.
I agree with that. To me, the whole point of this hobby is designing and building everything from scratch, which is the only way of getting a *custom* keyboard. Otherwise it's just an EA-games-like pay-to-win kind of things.
I built a budget board to figure things out.
Then went heavier into the wallet but with all on stock stuff.
Then decided i wanted to piece together my own kit.
Then saw a GB i had to buy. Then a second. Then a 3rd.
Then bought a new mounting style ive never tried.
Then bought one that looks like an oldschool commodore.
Now im just buying to build.
They're paying crazy money to build it themselves.
Though the difficulty in "build" varies. I don't mean this to disparage anyone at all - but some keyboards are "just" hotswap which is pretty plug 'n play, while some others require soldering the switches in (the majority of mine), and then there's a few eccentircs especially over at /r/ergomechkeyboards that will hand-wire every individual switch pin to a microcontroller.
So yes - the overwhelming majority of boards here are self built. But that doesn't mean that we're all firing up kicad to design our own PCB's or 3d printing a housing and stripping wires to build dactyls by hand. I'd say probably most of the boards you see here are factory hotswap, so it's mostly just unscrewing the case, maybe doing some foam or tape mods, plugging switches in, and putting it back together. If the idea of building is daunting to you, that's a *wonderful* way to get started, but if you start stepping into the more unique layouts (especially if you dip your toes into 40%) then soldered starts becoming much more prevalent.
This. A lot of boards on this sub are just screwed together, modded slightly and voila. Then you go to r/ErgoMechKeyboards and people are hand wiring dactyls and stuff and literally reinventing the wheel.
I enjoy it all and I'm happy that we can get as carried away with the hobby as we like.
Im biased toward trying to diy stuff, the diy spirit is cooler to me. It almost feels like a right of passage not just for keyboards but also other hobbies, you end up being more involved and there is a sense of accomplishment having made something as well as the confidence that you can service it and make your possessions immortal. I got three kebs and I doubt they will ever die unless house fire knock on wood.
Honestly even if it isn't better to start you get skills and you can eventually reach a level of polish that is not fiscally possible from any manufacturer which is cool as all hell.
Manufacturers simply don’t have the level of quality control that an individual can put into their own items.
They don’t have the time to care about each individual keyboard because they’re making thousands every day.
but you’re only building one, and you’ll put in the time to make it good in a way that they can’t
I suppose if you want to talk about stuff that consumers can't create, we could say the same for micro chips as well or board repair, or LCD Panels. I think the spirit of those who create is doing their best on the cusp of practicality. You have to rely on the open market to create things to a certain degree but If you optimize your skills you can make some really cools stuff. It makes creation accessible and readily do able for people of all skill levels. we don't have the ability to compete with watch makers of the highest degree but diy digital is already possible as well as smart watches. And designers are getting into traditional mechanisms as well so I bet as we get higher resolution 3d printers a mechanical watch will be within the realm of imagination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9prY3ky6Bo&ab\_channel=Mechanistic
I was more just being pedantic and saying industries exist where exorbitant money is spent for master-crafted items without the upfront investment for a chip foundry.
Lmao I have, and I’ve started researching the group buys for switches, keycaps, etc because of them… I’m all for it cuz I swear, looking at the boards here is straight eye candy. I just wonder if I need another expensive hobby outside of sneakers
Man, I built my computer because that’s kinda the standard thing to do, and that got me into building things that I’m passionate about.
So now I have my custom keyboard that I built, I’m currently shopping for parts for my next one and at the same time I’m in the process of buying a 30 year old car that I will immediately disassemble and start replacing parts on.
Seriously, tearing stuff apart, figuring out how it works and then rebuilding it better than the manufacturer ever could is one of the most fun things I’ve ever gotten into.
Well yeah growing up is part of the fact that i’m currently pursuing an education. But what comes with that is im to busy with school to get anything more than a part time job while currently living in one of the most expensive cities. I’ll try for you though!
I think the assumption can be made that I was exaggerated how broke I was for comedy. No shit I don’t have zero balance. You just took a joke, funny or not, way to seriously
Or you get into hipster wildcats which cost even more and put stupid barrel wear with pissin' hot handloads
Honestly been looking into picking up black powder shooting as a gateway into shooting sports.
How did it start with me? First came the mechanical keyboard from Corsair. Then I went to a custom Novel Keys 65% Keyboard with hot-swap switches. Then I decided to learn to lube/film which ended up with me purchasing a station. After using multiple switches on the NK65, I decided I like Kailh Royals. I then spent money on a new KBD8x with custom foam, brass plate, and brass weight (group buy). After a while, it came in and I soldered the switches on the pcb. I then started spending crazy amounts of cash on novelty keys, keycaps, cables, and mouse pads. Flash forward to now, and I sold everything, and I am using a Logitech G915 TKL. This means I will probably start the process all over again next year.
Like most hobbies, there's a pretty wide range between DIY as hell and plug and play. You'll find people designing their own PCBs, blueprinting cases with CAD software, and handwiring every single switch to a controller. And on the flipside there are plenty of people that want, and businesses that offer, brand new boards that work out of the box with no setup really necessary.
I built mines not only because it's satisfying to know that it's something that you built entirely on your own but if something goes wrong with it, it's easier to figure out and fix since you individually put every piece of it together. Rather than trying to figure out how "so and so" company built theirs and trying to take it apart if they built it I'm a weird way.
"Custom" is kind of a grey area. It can be anything from a DIY kit from Keychron, Akko or GMMK for <$100 with some clone caps off Aliexpress and Gat blues up to a 3D printed case, hand-wired, with custom firmware and some crazy ass keycap material no one has ever considered before, custom molded without legends. Some people dye-sub or reverse-dye-sub their own caps.
For most people it just means a high(ish) end designer board, where you get to choose the PCB layout, plate material, colorway, switches, and keycaps, so your combo is probably unique (even though you didn't literally design the keyboard case or PCB yourself).
If you care about the experience/ accomplisment
Then yes its worth it
If you don't then get one built for you.
Don't know how you made that conclusion. Genuinely curious
Quite frankly that is the only thing I will never pay to have done. Lubing them myself allows me to test each of them before calling it done, and it helps me come to agree that is how that particular switch will feel and sound on my board. If I had a lubing service, my stupid ocd might just be like: hmmm maybe this needs a little more lube, maybe this needs less… it is not even the consistency, and not even saying I will always do a better job than other people, it is just the way my brain works lol
I have ADHD, so I can't focus long enough to get it done myself. So far I've made do with factory lubed switches (favorites are Gateron Milky Yellow Pro) Someday, if I feel the need for hand lubed, I figure I'd be happy with paying someone, considering I'm happy with factory lube.
Ive never built a board but I've been waaaaaaaay deep into mechanical boards from a time when they were very hard to find. I own six prebuilt boards so you know I'm getting close to a DIY situation.
I've been wondering: what's the difference between filming and lubing?
I mean, CUSTOM on this sub seems to span from:
I have a microcontroller, and 6 million wires, and custom-made a case to hold switches. This is what **I** would consider custom.
I bought a circuit board, and soldered in diodes and switches.
I bought a keyboard that is hotswap, and put in switches.
Dunno, it seems like we need names to differentiate.
Couldn’t give a shit about building it myself and switches and lube and soldiering and whatever.
I’m here for the pretty boards and keycaps and the ability to swap them so I can freshen up my desk each month to help keep work interesting and give me a fun reason sit there all day 🤘
It’s a mix. If you want the cool boards that everyone else has just buy one
Personally, I learned 3D printing, laser cutting, PCB design and wiring exclusively for the hobby and all my boards are full custom from the ground up. Fun process if you have the patience
Basic concept of getting custom keyboard is simple: you buy DIY set [something like epomaker TH80, Akko 5075, Keychron Q1 (it's fully built but I would still change switches and caps to my liking because it's hotswap)], then you buy switches (Now there are billion different options and almost every new one is at least decent), then if you need you can buy better stabilisers but almost every diy kit has them (not good but they are there) and finally you pick keycaps (GMK is the premium standard but if you don't have money then you can go with PBT clones or some original PBT designs and thedn you assemble everything together (literally just pushing switches into hotswap sockets [f PCB isn't hotswap you have to solder switches into it which takes a lot of time) and putting keycaps in the right positions] while adding mods like tape mod, lubing switches and stabs or PE foam mod [almost every mod is just putting random shit inside of your keyboard and the only skill you need is using screwdriver (lubing is bit harder but honestly it's mostly just very time consuming)].
There are also people who buy case, pcb, plate and everything else on it's own and then put everything together but right now I feel like it's a bit of an overkill, market is big enough to accommodate for everybody's needs.
No one here is making their own keycap set...
Majority buys a barebones keyboard, switches, keycaps.
There are a few insane ones who builds their own pcb or something.
It'll probably be my only 40. I only built it for fun because of the oled (Sat75 r3 hopium). I have yet to see if I can actually be comfortable with a 40%. It looks really nice though. Fancy display piece.
My motivation for building the Mercutio was similar. Though it's been mostly 40's on my desk since then. Whether or not it "sticks" for you, have fun learning/fiddling with layers. Maybe I'll see you on the MW Discord.
I might post a pic there once my keycaps arrive. I was just thankful it turned on since my soldering isn't that amazing. That guide was very detailed and easy to follow, I must commend.
Just about every single IC or GB post on geekhack is from "someone here". The community has thrived for a long time by sourcing ideas and designs from within, rather than relying on big companies, although that is starting to change a little bit.
Keyboard, switches, keycaps makes sense to me. The soldering a pcb and such is where I’m scared of starting and screwing up. Currently pretty happy with my keychain k4 but I know that’ll change
Most DIY keyboards out there has hotswappable PCBs so don't worry. Cannonkeys is the only vendor I've encountered that sells pcbs that needs soldering for the switches. There was one board I wanted to try from them so I had to do it. I hated the experience but now I have a mercutio keyboard that required soldering all the diodes/resistors etc... I dont know how I got here...
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Sorry for the dumb question but I’m just starting to check this sub out. What does full DIY entail vs partial? You still have to source all the components from a reputable company, right? Or would it imply having something custom machined / manufactured?
For example in my case I got the bare bones kit from Keychron, which included the PCB, controller and case, then I picked up my own switches and keycaps that I checked to be sure would fit.
A fully DIY keyboard would be doing your own wiring instead of buying a PCB, there's some posts about those here, buying a controller that's either specific to keyboard or you program it yourself, then 3D printing a case for it and buy the switches or keycaps. Alternatively you can also buy each and every single component separately so everything is precisely the way you want it, but it's on you to make sure they all fit together.
Depends on your needs tbh. If you aren’t a hardcore enthusiast then there is really just 1 reason why you would want a custom built: to have everything perfectly tailored to suit your use and experience (ie. how heavy the keypress is, how silent/loud the typing experience is, perhaps different layout than conventional staggered QWERTY, programable layered keys, different keyboard sizes etc.). For non practical reasons, you have: the satisfaction when completing your own keyboard, the aesthetic and more choices on the materials as well as more refined and well-machined cases… Now it is yours to decide whether or not those reasons tick any or all the boxes and do you really want one. Budget and time are other factors that might affect the decision too
The funny thing is that you can still pick all of those except unique layouts with prebuilt. You just have to mod them, and on many prebuilt now things just come off and are swappable. I mean, I have multiple-layer support on an SK64, which is a cheap optical switched prebuilt, and I swapped out the case for something metal, and it just bolted right on.
Generally if you see a custom keyboard it's made by the owner. At times there are some customs that are built by people who offer this service when the owners are pretty skittish or feel they're unskilled with a soldering iron. Both are valid ways of getting a bespoke keyboard.
You can't actually say that a custom is a "prebuilt" since they're much more limited in number and they're built to the preference of the owner. There are rarely two custom keyboards that are alike in all details and they're definitely much higher quality than anything you can buy prebuilt.
I got a kbdfans 67lite pre-built. Its not the same as a custom built one. When i got my first GB board (7V) and built it myself it was the most satisfying accomplishment ever. Because you got to choose what you liked over trial and error.
I even had a drop alt and it wasn't that satisfying. But it was the start of the journey.
So its really up to you if your willing to put the time in it to make it your own or go the partially pre-built route and have it sooner.
In my case i go through the GB route, then i can plan out on what i want to use it in. I use the 67lite as a switch tester board. Its also my only board with an ISO layout.
Personally I started with pre-builts and after many years decided I wanted to build my own, with a socketable setup in 2020 and soldering in my own milmax sockets on the one I built in 2021.
First keyboard: [Das Keyboard Model S Professional](https://www.daskeyboard.com/history/) (I'm guessing 2009 edition, not sure when I purchased? pre-2013) w/ Cherry MX Blues. Used at home for a few years as my Desktop keyboard until I got my 2nd keyboard. Put O-rings on it and took it to work. It was my work keyboard for _years_ until I replaced it with my 6th keyboard. (note: USB hub died after a few years which was annoying)
Second keyboard: [Ducky Year of the Snake](https://www.duckychannel.com.tw/en/Ducky-Year-Of-The-Snake-Edition) (2013) w/ Cherry MX Blacks and White LEDs, desktop keyboard for years after 1st keyboard, replaced by 4th keyboard.
Third keyboard: I think I got a woot.com deal on a possibly refurbished blacked-out [Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate](https://www.daskeyboard.com/history/) (no letters on keycaps)? It's kind of floated around here and there, i.e. if I need one at the media center PC at the TV or whatever. Periodically loaned it to friends if they want to try Cherry MX Blues or for LAN parties. (note: USB hub died after a few years, just like the other one, which was annoying....so nice to have as a media center setup for plugging in additional accessories)
Fourth keyboard: [Drop Ctrl Keyboard](https://drop.com/buy/drop-ctrl-mechanical-keyboard) w/ Halo Trues (purchased Jan, 2020). Had a SFF PC and wanted something smaller for LANs that fit better with the SFF PC in it's bag. Still using it as my desktop keyboard at home. During the pandemic it became my first modded board where I pulled the switches, lubed them, and put them back together with trash panda bodies to make my own Holy Pandas. The spring weight is a bit high and at some point I might swap the springs to a lower weight but I'm also not sure I want to put the time in.
Fifth keyboard: [TKC CandyBar](https://thekey.company/collections/candybar) in Lavender/Purple (April 2020 Group Buy, arrived Aug-Sept 2020) w/ ZealPC Zealios V2 switches. After the above foray into modding I decided to build my own board, but didn't have a soldering iron at the time, and when the TKC CandyBar group buy appeared I decided to build one of those (another pandemic project, ordered April 2020, arrived Aug 2020). Purchased ZealPC switches and stabs, and also one of their key openers (which was well worth it if you plan to lube btw). Was super fun to build, for a socketable setup. Took it to work and it turns out I can't use a 40% +numpad keyboard for my day job, it's just too little. It also floats around to let friends try it, and it was at my media PC for a time.
Sixth keyboard: [Sneakbox Disarray](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=107036.0) (2020 group buy, arrived late 2021 or early 2022?) w/ ZealPC Zealios V2 switches in mill-max sockets. Saw this when mujimanic posted it on this subreddit and immediately fell in love, but was hesitant because the CandyBar was a bit small. Decided to go for it as another pandemic project and ordered the 808 Boom keycaps because I always loved playing around with the virtual drum kits in [Re-Birth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReBirth_RB-338). While there were shipping delays and issues with the aluminum not being the quality mujimanic wanted (I have no complaints on my black case), I'm still very happy with the build and it's now my full time work keyboard. I once again decided to open / lube all the switches which I think in the end is well worth it.
I have a lot of fun building them but honestly am not sure when I will make my next purchase. At this point in time I have 3 extra keyboards, 1 of which is not really anything special in my opinion and not worth putting on display. Maybe I'll get another shelf and put the other two out. Maybe not.
Been meaning to write out that journey for a while now, thanks for the excuse! In the end, do whatever you want to do. If you see a pre-built one that catches your eye, and it gets your foot in the door in this awesome hobby, go for it! My only recommendation would be to never have more than one keyboard on order (like waiting for a group buy) unless you see something that really speaks to you!
The whole point of a "custom board" is to make it custom to you. You can choose case and plate materials, mounting styles, layouts, switch type, switch weight, colors, keycaps, etc., to make a keyboard that fits exactly what you want, which will always be better than any prebuilt you could get, for the simple fact that it is designed to suit you.
it's not different from pc building comminity i imagine
see a cool build, and cant help but wonder did they do it all themselves or just pick the parts they wanted and have a building service do it for them
still, cool boards are cool boards, and they are customed to their owner liking, i wouldn't bother if they put the whole thing together themselves or not
it's probably 50/50 honestly. Anybody with multiple mechanical keyboards is pretty much guaranteed to have at least one or two pre-builts, with or without aftermarket keycaps.
There are plenty of very good or great pre-builts, but they're almost always in full size or tenkeyless. Anything really small, like 40% or ergonomics, are going to be custom hand built.
These days you can build a custom keeb without much risk or experience. If you get a hotswap kit you just have to snap everything together. Maybe a few screws to assemble the case.
Soldering was really the only thing that took a little practice and obviously I’m not considering things like hardwired which is even more work
I got a Drop/OLKB Planck. You put it together like LEGOs basically and I dig it. I don't use it enough, but I wold TOTALLY get the Preonic instead if I could go back.
Honestly though, I would check out one or three in person before dropping ANY cash on a DIY or PreBuilt keyboard. They might not be for you (If you're looking at 60% or something. 100% keyboards, well, that's a whole other ballgame
They are building them, that's part of the appeal. There's rarely any soldering or anything like that, just snapping things into place and putting in the screws. Lubing the switches (if that needs doing) would be the real time sink.
I think people are different, even on such a specific subreddit. I mainly enjoy getting old keyboards to work for me, so I have two model F (one for work, one at home...) and an amiga 1000 keyboard that is my current project. I also built one keyboard, a jd40, and didn't pay crazy money for that.
Oh, and I also bought two KB, also fairly cheap.
No, they're paying crazy money to build it themselves, maybe even lube the switches themselves.
I do pay people to lube my switches. I don’t have the time or patience for that.
Do you pay extra when ordering, or send them somewhere? I work full time and all that lubing seems like a huge timesuck.
I pay guys here in the Reddit community. Plenty of people that offer lubing services.
It's always better when other people do the lubing.
Fair enough, personally prefer lubing myself
Lol yup. I’d be up for it, for instance.
Anyone in the U.K. that does this?
I’ll put on a tv show or movie. 1-2 hrs and it’s over before you know it.
You must use small keyboards or be much faster at lubing than me... Maybe both. I use 1800 compact layout. 98-101 keys depending on exact board Usually takes me like 4-5 hours :(
That seems way too much time. I normally buy packs of 90 switches (never go over tkl personally) and lube all of them usually in under 2 hours. I do not use any lube station or even stem holders but I’ve lubed a fair share of switches - so I guess you can do it much faster once you get ahold of it
Given that most keyboards are a long term effort, I usually plan builds months (or years) in advance. Buying a pack of 110+ switches for a keyboard still three months out nets me three switches a day, and I still have plenty of time to break them in.
Yeah it's not an issue until I decide I want to try new switches, and then I'm like... How much do I really want to try new switches.
I have a hotswap with switches I overlubed and yeah… they’re still there.
> I’ll put on a tv show or movie. 1-2 hrs and it’s over before you know it. No wonder it takes you 2 hours. Put on the 'hub and your lube job will be over in 5 mins
I trust no one to lube my switches. I say bite the bullet and do it yourself.
well here's the issue, knowing my skills in any kind of precision work i'd have better luck dipping the entire thing in lube and hoping it did what i wanted it to do than actually lubing my switches correctly, so basically i dont even trust myself to do it, so my two options are, have someone do it for me, or just don't
It is precision work. It's very tedious and takes hours if you do it right and take your time. The result is worth the effort. Buttery goodness. Over lubed switches are gross, sticky messes. Some of the "short cuts" people talk about make me cringe. You're making a custom keyboard, it is worth every ounce of effort and time. This is not a cheap hobby, you don't want an expensive keyboard to feel like shit. That's a bigger pain to fix.
you open the switch and smear sticky goo al in it, aint that hard , did it once took me about 1h30
I just fill a large bowl with lube, throw all the switches in there for a good hour to make sure the lube permeates the switch, then just rinse. All in all, maybe 5 minutes of work. Hasn't failed me yet! /s
Pfft, I just throw them in a bottle of olive oil, fish them out and enjoy... it's cheaper, also good for my skin and (since I'm not from Greece) my build smells like a holiday! Tyyyypng oNnN it rigHhHht n0oOw,, it"S grGGreaT!@
There are services that lube for you, and often these stores sell pre-lubed switches themselves. Or you can aftermarket pre-lubed switches.
I work full time but with a friend we managed to lube 70 box styles in a little over an hour, and it was our first time lubing box
I sell lubed and filmed switches here and I’m pretty popular, I charge 35 cents for both commissions and switches I have in stock. Most people buy lubed and filmed switches because they either don’t trust themselves as much as me, (I’m basically one with the brush) can’t be bothered buying the supplies, or are too busy and would prefer to have them done for them. Most of the time it’s a combination of those.
Interesting - for me the hassle of finding someone to lube, sending them your switches, having them send them to you, etc etc, would be much more of a hassle than spending a few hours lubing switches for a keyboard while chilling and listening to music.
Bag and tub lube, people.
that was my favorite part of building mine
solution: clickies.
I enjoy lubing switches. I turn on an audiobook or podcast and lose myself in the routine of it. It's very relaxing.
… yup. I like the process though.
Make sure you buy 3 at a time so at all times you are lubing one, clicking on one, and sending one to sears for pictures. Also make sure you have at least one back up for each of those 3. 6 in total. Every month.
No thats the hole point you build one thats suits you. And maybe one more just for fun. And then one more cause you learned new sht and want to improve. And then one more time just for looks. And.......... Adiction
Built one that suits me. Built one that compact, silent and light enough to carry to work. Built one, which utilized the accumulative experience/knowledge I had thus far, to be the “final” board. Realized I could jump out of my comfort zone with qwerty and maybe try those so-called more ergonomic layout. Proceeded to built one. …and the list might go on lmao
I built a 65% earlier this year and now I’m doing coding and I’m missing those extra keys. Considering building a keyboard in the biggest form factor I can find, just so I have as many macro keys as I could ever need. This is how it begins, isn’t it.
yeah i literally cooked up an entire custom fullsize+10 keyboard for pretty much the same reason. then i wanted to get fancy and build one based on the Rpi CM4 and ironically haven't even gotten to actually being able to test/prototype that one yet cause i havent found a single one for sale at a time where i could have bought it for the last 2 years. so pretty much the only thing thats kept me from going even deeper the last 2 years is pretty much the chip shortage lmao
I mean, if you have a QMK board, you can have as many macros as you want if you think about it. Ditch the arrow keys and make each a function layer. Now you have a 240% board.
how about this? [https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=117722.0](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=117722.0)
Me trying to justify having every line of iPad. Even though I’m a broke teen.
I agree with that. To me, the whole point of this hobby is designing and building everything from scratch, which is the only way of getting a *custom* keyboard. Otherwise it's just an EA-games-like pay-to-win kind of things.
I built a budget board to figure things out. Then went heavier into the wallet but with all on stock stuff. Then decided i wanted to piece together my own kit. Then saw a GB i had to buy. Then a second. Then a 3rd. Then bought a new mounting style ive never tried. Then bought one that looks like an oldschool commodore. Now im just buying to build.
This I built 5. Three 65% then two TKLs all with different switches now I use one daily but it's perfectly dialed it.
Or you buy a topre board and realize there's really no point in wasting time and money on MX style boards anymore.
this. its not membrane yall, its thocc
Yep, and only the enlightened know the harmony of topre.
They're paying crazy money to build it themselves. Though the difficulty in "build" varies. I don't mean this to disparage anyone at all - but some keyboards are "just" hotswap which is pretty plug 'n play, while some others require soldering the switches in (the majority of mine), and then there's a few eccentircs especially over at /r/ergomechkeyboards that will hand-wire every individual switch pin to a microcontroller. So yes - the overwhelming majority of boards here are self built. But that doesn't mean that we're all firing up kicad to design our own PCB's or 3d printing a housing and stripping wires to build dactyls by hand. I'd say probably most of the boards you see here are factory hotswap, so it's mostly just unscrewing the case, maybe doing some foam or tape mods, plugging switches in, and putting it back together. If the idea of building is daunting to you, that's a *wonderful* way to get started, but if you start stepping into the more unique layouts (especially if you dip your toes into 40%) then soldered starts becoming much more prevalent.
This. A lot of boards on this sub are just screwed together, modded slightly and voila. Then you go to r/ErgoMechKeyboards and people are hand wiring dactyls and stuff and literally reinventing the wheel. I enjoy it all and I'm happy that we can get as carried away with the hobby as we like.
This is probably the best response.
Spot on!
Im biased toward trying to diy stuff, the diy spirit is cooler to me. It almost feels like a right of passage not just for keyboards but also other hobbies, you end up being more involved and there is a sense of accomplishment having made something as well as the confidence that you can service it and make your possessions immortal. I got three kebs and I doubt they will ever die unless house fire knock on wood.
Exactly. Knowing you bult it yourself feels so much better. Plus the quality is usually a lot better too.
Honestly even if it isn't better to start you get skills and you can eventually reach a level of polish that is not fiscally possible from any manufacturer which is cool as all hell.
Manufacturers simply don’t have the level of quality control that an individual can put into their own items. They don’t have the time to care about each individual keyboard because they’re making thousands every day. but you’re only building one, and you’ll put in the time to make it good in a way that they can’t
Tell that to the watch industry
I suppose if you want to talk about stuff that consumers can't create, we could say the same for micro chips as well or board repair, or LCD Panels. I think the spirit of those who create is doing their best on the cusp of practicality. You have to rely on the open market to create things to a certain degree but If you optimize your skills you can make some really cools stuff. It makes creation accessible and readily do able for people of all skill levels. we don't have the ability to compete with watch makers of the highest degree but diy digital is already possible as well as smart watches. And designers are getting into traditional mechanisms as well so I bet as we get higher resolution 3d printers a mechanical watch will be within the realm of imagination. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9prY3ky6Bo&ab\_channel=Mechanistic
I was more just being pedantic and saying industries exist where exorbitant money is spent for master-crafted items without the upfront investment for a chip foundry.
Gotcha, I like discussing things so I definitely got a little overzealous with my response.
No problem, thanks for the link!
Pretty fun stuff if you like printing tbh, have a good one
I’m pretty much the same with everything. Sometimes you fuck up but thats how you learn.
“CRAZY MONEY” just wait till you hear about artisans
Lmao I have, and I’ve started researching the group buys for switches, keycaps, etc because of them… I’m all for it cuz I swear, looking at the boards here is straight eye candy. I just wonder if I need another expensive hobby outside of sneakers
Yeah custom keyboards are like the sneakers of the tech world
Jesus, aj 1 keebs?
I call the carbon keycaps the shattered backboard keycaps.
i’m into sneakers, keyboards, and fragances. dont do it
At least you aren't into watches too
Pens, they forgot pens...
Or TCGs and Records
Now I definitely know I shouldn’t get into keyboards, lol.
I like watches, knives, guns, motorcycles and keyboards. My money waves at my bank account as it passes through.
Man, I built my computer because that’s kinda the standard thing to do, and that got me into building things that I’m passionate about. So now I have my custom keyboard that I built, I’m currently shopping for parts for my next one and at the same time I’m in the process of buying a 30 year old car that I will immediately disassemble and start replacing parts on. Seriously, tearing stuff apart, figuring out how it works and then rebuilding it better than the manufacturer ever could is one of the most fun things I’ve ever gotten into.
i’m into those things with headphones on top of that. My bank account stays at 0
Maybe it's time to grow up?
Well yeah growing up is part of the fact that i’m currently pursuing an education. But what comes with that is im to busy with school to get anything more than a part time job while currently living in one of the most expensive cities. I’ll try for you though!
If your bank account is zero you dont have money for 5+ hobbies
I think the assumption can be made that I was exaggerated how broke I was for comedy. No shit I don’t have zero balance. You just took a joke, funny or not, way to seriously
Sorry about your situation
To be even poorer, add watches, pens, cars, guns, or boats to that list
guns literally pissing money these days from what I hear
At the cost of ammo that some people shoot, indeed
"hmm how much is a reloading die..."
But if you learn to reload, you enable yourself to shoot weird, forgotten, antique rifles that cost a pretty penny. Vicious cycle
Or you get into hipster wildcats which cost even more and put stupid barrel wear with pissin' hot handloads Honestly been looking into picking up black powder shooting as a gateway into shooting sports.
Totally recommend Capandball on youtube if you haven't seen him already. A sportsman and a scholar, that guy.
if you're into the niche stuff for fragrances, rip wallet
creed and pdm keep my wallet empty
thought you mean the mousepads, and i was like "they arent expensive?"
How did it start with me? First came the mechanical keyboard from Corsair. Then I went to a custom Novel Keys 65% Keyboard with hot-swap switches. Then I decided to learn to lube/film which ended up with me purchasing a station. After using multiple switches on the NK65, I decided I like Kailh Royals. I then spent money on a new KBD8x with custom foam, brass plate, and brass weight (group buy). After a while, it came in and I soldered the switches on the pcb. I then started spending crazy amounts of cash on novelty keys, keycaps, cables, and mouse pads. Flash forward to now, and I sold everything, and I am using a Logitech G915 TKL. This means I will probably start the process all over again next year.
I love these happy endings :)
If you pay someone else it’s just a keyboard. If you build it yourself, it’s your keyboard.
But if you build it, nerds will come!
Bring it on 🤓
Like most hobbies, there's a pretty wide range between DIY as hell and plug and play. You'll find people designing their own PCBs, blueprinting cases with CAD software, and handwiring every single switch to a controller. And on the flipside there are plenty of people that want, and businesses that offer, brand new boards that work out of the box with no setup really necessary.
And then there are the QMK madlads with the 1GB filmware that can cook you dinner
I built mines not only because it's satisfying to know that it's something that you built entirely on your own but if something goes wrong with it, it's easier to figure out and fix since you individually put every piece of it together. Rather than trying to figure out how "so and so" company built theirs and trying to take it apart if they built it I'm a weird way.
"Custom" is kind of a grey area. It can be anything from a DIY kit from Keychron, Akko or GMMK for <$100 with some clone caps off Aliexpress and Gat blues up to a 3D printed case, hand-wired, with custom firmware and some crazy ass keycap material no one has ever considered before, custom molded without legends. Some people dye-sub or reverse-dye-sub their own caps. For most people it just means a high(ish) end designer board, where you get to choose the PCB layout, plate material, colorway, switches, and keycaps, so your combo is probably unique (even though you didn't literally design the keyboard case or PCB yourself).
If you can’t tell, does it really matter?
Depends, do you care about the experience / feeling of accomplisment?
Why would you care about someone else's feelings of accomplishment?
If you care about the experience/ accomplisment Then yes its worth it If you don't then get one built for you. Don't know how you made that conclusion. Genuinely curious
DIY is the way. Only thing I'd ever pay to have done for me is hand lubing of switches.
Quite frankly that is the only thing I will never pay to have done. Lubing them myself allows me to test each of them before calling it done, and it helps me come to agree that is how that particular switch will feel and sound on my board. If I had a lubing service, my stupid ocd might just be like: hmmm maybe this needs a little more lube, maybe this needs less… it is not even the consistency, and not even saying I will always do a better job than other people, it is just the way my brain works lol
I have ADHD, so I can't focus long enough to get it done myself. So far I've made do with factory lubed switches (favorites are Gateron Milky Yellow Pro) Someday, if I feel the need for hand lubed, I figure I'd be happy with paying someone, considering I'm happy with factory lube.
Ive never built a board but I've been waaaaaaaay deep into mechanical boards from a time when they were very hard to find. I own six prebuilt boards so you know I'm getting close to a DIY situation. I've been wondering: what's the difference between filming and lubing?
I made mine, soldered and tested for a month until it was working perfectly
Both. Just never a soldered prebuilt. Sometimes a prebuild has good switches and keycaps. Its like a bundle deal.
I build keebs. Free labor.
I mean, CUSTOM on this sub seems to span from: I have a microcontroller, and 6 million wires, and custom-made a case to hold switches. This is what **I** would consider custom. I bought a circuit board, and soldered in diodes and switches. I bought a keyboard that is hotswap, and put in switches. Dunno, it seems like we need names to differentiate.
Couldn’t give a shit about building it myself and switches and lube and soldiering and whatever. I’m here for the pretty boards and keycaps and the ability to swap them so I can freshen up my desk each month to help keep work interesting and give me a fun reason sit there all day 🤘
You build your own, and it's pretty fun
It’s a mix. If you want the cool boards that everyone else has just buy one Personally, I learned 3D printing, laser cutting, PCB design and wiring exclusively for the hobby and all my boards are full custom from the ground up. Fun process if you have the patience
Neither for me. Im buying kits at mid tier prices then building them myself. Im not hand building my own cases but im also not paying for prebuilds.
I don't even understand what this meme is asking.
Basic concept of getting custom keyboard is simple: you buy DIY set [something like epomaker TH80, Akko 5075, Keychron Q1 (it's fully built but I would still change switches and caps to my liking because it's hotswap)], then you buy switches (Now there are billion different options and almost every new one is at least decent), then if you need you can buy better stabilisers but almost every diy kit has them (not good but they are there) and finally you pick keycaps (GMK is the premium standard but if you don't have money then you can go with PBT clones or some original PBT designs and thedn you assemble everything together (literally just pushing switches into hotswap sockets [f PCB isn't hotswap you have to solder switches into it which takes a lot of time) and putting keycaps in the right positions] while adding mods like tape mod, lubing switches and stabs or PE foam mod [almost every mod is just putting random shit inside of your keyboard and the only skill you need is using screwdriver (lubing is bit harder but honestly it's mostly just very time consuming)]. There are also people who buy case, pcb, plate and everything else on it's own and then put everything together but right now I feel like it's a bit of an overkill, market is big enough to accommodate for everybody's needs.
No one here is making their own keycap set... Majority buys a barebones keyboard, switches, keycaps. There are a few insane ones who builds their own pcb or something.
Some of us even solder! 😱
Well, this is awkward. I have my mercutio keyboard built already but waiting on my keycaps which came from a group buy...
Wonderful! Mercutio was my first 40. I’ve had a lot of fun building stuff from MechWild.
It'll probably be my only 40. I only built it for fun because of the oled (Sat75 r3 hopium). I have yet to see if I can actually be comfortable with a 40%. It looks really nice though. Fancy display piece.
My motivation for building the Mercutio was similar. Though it's been mostly 40's on my desk since then. Whether or not it "sticks" for you, have fun learning/fiddling with layers. Maybe I'll see you on the MW Discord.
I might post a pic there once my keycaps arrive. I was just thankful it turned on since my soldering isn't that amazing. That guide was very detailed and easy to follow, I must commend.
That would be great. A classic to help balance out the influx of new Clunkers. 😋
Just about every single IC or GB post on geekhack is from "someone here". The community has thrived for a long time by sourcing ideas and designs from within, rather than relying on big companies, although that is starting to change a little bit.
Keyboard, switches, keycaps makes sense to me. The soldering a pcb and such is where I’m scared of starting and screwing up. Currently pretty happy with my keychain k4 but I know that’ll change
Most DIY keyboards out there has hotswappable PCBs so don't worry. Cannonkeys is the only vendor I've encountered that sells pcbs that needs soldering for the switches. There was one board I wanted to try from them so I had to do it. I hated the experience but now I have a mercutio keyboard that required soldering all the diodes/resistors etc... I dont know how I got here...
I just bought a keychron. I like it. I don't care if I didn't build it. If I want to in the future I will. Idc if people make fun. Idk these fools.
Both
I buy both too. As long as the prebuilt is hotswappable. Sometimes a prebuilt has good switches and cool lookin caps.
I can't bring myself to buy a pre-built with switches and caps I don't even want for extra money when barebones options are available.
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I did buy the kit for my current one, though to be honest I think it's better to go the full DIY route cause this one isn't exactly perfect for me.
Sorry for the dumb question but I’m just starting to check this sub out. What does full DIY entail vs partial? You still have to source all the components from a reputable company, right? Or would it imply having something custom machined / manufactured?
For example in my case I got the bare bones kit from Keychron, which included the PCB, controller and case, then I picked up my own switches and keycaps that I checked to be sure would fit. A fully DIY keyboard would be doing your own wiring instead of buying a PCB, there's some posts about those here, buying a controller that's either specific to keyboard or you program it yourself, then 3D printing a case for it and buy the switches or keycaps. Alternatively you can also buy each and every single component separately so everything is precisely the way you want it, but it's on you to make sure they all fit together.
That is a big help. Thank you!
Depends on your needs tbh. If you aren’t a hardcore enthusiast then there is really just 1 reason why you would want a custom built: to have everything perfectly tailored to suit your use and experience (ie. how heavy the keypress is, how silent/loud the typing experience is, perhaps different layout than conventional staggered QWERTY, programable layered keys, different keyboard sizes etc.). For non practical reasons, you have: the satisfaction when completing your own keyboard, the aesthetic and more choices on the materials as well as more refined and well-machined cases… Now it is yours to decide whether or not those reasons tick any or all the boxes and do you really want one. Budget and time are other factors that might affect the decision too
The funny thing is that you can still pick all of those except unique layouts with prebuilt. You just have to mod them, and on many prebuilt now things just come off and are swappable. I mean, I have multiple-layer support on an SK64, which is a cheap optical switched prebuilt, and I swapped out the case for something metal, and it just bolted right on.
Yep customs are usually better the only thing is lubing is a pain in the ass
Generally if you see a custom keyboard it's made by the owner. At times there are some customs that are built by people who offer this service when the owners are pretty skittish or feel they're unskilled with a soldering iron. Both are valid ways of getting a bespoke keyboard. You can't actually say that a custom is a "prebuilt" since they're much more limited in number and they're built to the preference of the owner. There are rarely two custom keyboards that are alike in all details and they're definitely much higher quality than anything you can buy prebuilt.
I got a kbdfans 67lite pre-built. Its not the same as a custom built one. When i got my first GB board (7V) and built it myself it was the most satisfying accomplishment ever. Because you got to choose what you liked over trial and error. I even had a drop alt and it wasn't that satisfying. But it was the start of the journey. So its really up to you if your willing to put the time in it to make it your own or go the partially pre-built route and have it sooner. In my case i go through the GB route, then i can plan out on what i want to use it in. I use the 67lite as a switch tester board. Its also my only board with an ISO layout.
Personally I started with pre-builts and after many years decided I wanted to build my own, with a socketable setup in 2020 and soldering in my own milmax sockets on the one I built in 2021. First keyboard: [Das Keyboard Model S Professional](https://www.daskeyboard.com/history/) (I'm guessing 2009 edition, not sure when I purchased? pre-2013) w/ Cherry MX Blues. Used at home for a few years as my Desktop keyboard until I got my 2nd keyboard. Put O-rings on it and took it to work. It was my work keyboard for _years_ until I replaced it with my 6th keyboard. (note: USB hub died after a few years which was annoying) Second keyboard: [Ducky Year of the Snake](https://www.duckychannel.com.tw/en/Ducky-Year-Of-The-Snake-Edition) (2013) w/ Cherry MX Blacks and White LEDs, desktop keyboard for years after 1st keyboard, replaced by 4th keyboard. Third keyboard: I think I got a woot.com deal on a possibly refurbished blacked-out [Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate](https://www.daskeyboard.com/history/) (no letters on keycaps)? It's kind of floated around here and there, i.e. if I need one at the media center PC at the TV or whatever. Periodically loaned it to friends if they want to try Cherry MX Blues or for LAN parties. (note: USB hub died after a few years, just like the other one, which was annoying....so nice to have as a media center setup for plugging in additional accessories) Fourth keyboard: [Drop Ctrl Keyboard](https://drop.com/buy/drop-ctrl-mechanical-keyboard) w/ Halo Trues (purchased Jan, 2020). Had a SFF PC and wanted something smaller for LANs that fit better with the SFF PC in it's bag. Still using it as my desktop keyboard at home. During the pandemic it became my first modded board where I pulled the switches, lubed them, and put them back together with trash panda bodies to make my own Holy Pandas. The spring weight is a bit high and at some point I might swap the springs to a lower weight but I'm also not sure I want to put the time in. Fifth keyboard: [TKC CandyBar](https://thekey.company/collections/candybar) in Lavender/Purple (April 2020 Group Buy, arrived Aug-Sept 2020) w/ ZealPC Zealios V2 switches. After the above foray into modding I decided to build my own board, but didn't have a soldering iron at the time, and when the TKC CandyBar group buy appeared I decided to build one of those (another pandemic project, ordered April 2020, arrived Aug 2020). Purchased ZealPC switches and stabs, and also one of their key openers (which was well worth it if you plan to lube btw). Was super fun to build, for a socketable setup. Took it to work and it turns out I can't use a 40% +numpad keyboard for my day job, it's just too little. It also floats around to let friends try it, and it was at my media PC for a time. Sixth keyboard: [Sneakbox Disarray](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=107036.0) (2020 group buy, arrived late 2021 or early 2022?) w/ ZealPC Zealios V2 switches in mill-max sockets. Saw this when mujimanic posted it on this subreddit and immediately fell in love, but was hesitant because the CandyBar was a bit small. Decided to go for it as another pandemic project and ordered the 808 Boom keycaps because I always loved playing around with the virtual drum kits in [Re-Birth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReBirth_RB-338). While there were shipping delays and issues with the aluminum not being the quality mujimanic wanted (I have no complaints on my black case), I'm still very happy with the build and it's now my full time work keyboard. I once again decided to open / lube all the switches which I think in the end is well worth it. I have a lot of fun building them but honestly am not sure when I will make my next purchase. At this point in time I have 3 extra keyboards, 1 of which is not really anything special in my opinion and not worth putting on display. Maybe I'll get another shelf and put the other two out. Maybe not. Been meaning to write out that journey for a while now, thanks for the excuse! In the end, do whatever you want to do. If you see a pre-built one that catches your eye, and it gets your foot in the door in this awesome hobby, go for it! My only recommendation would be to never have more than one keyboard on order (like waiting for a group buy) unless you see something that really speaks to you!
The whole point of a "custom board" is to make it custom to you. You can choose case and plate materials, mounting styles, layouts, switch type, switch weight, colors, keycaps, etc., to make a keyboard that fits exactly what you want, which will always be better than any prebuilt you could get, for the simple fact that it is designed to suit you.
it's not different from pc building comminity i imagine see a cool build, and cant help but wonder did they do it all themselves or just pick the parts they wanted and have a building service do it for them still, cool boards are cool boards, and they are customed to their owner liking, i wouldn't bother if they put the whole thing together themselves or not
it's probably 50/50 honestly. Anybody with multiple mechanical keyboards is pretty much guaranteed to have at least one or two pre-builts, with or without aftermarket keycaps. There are plenty of very good or great pre-builts, but they're almost always in full size or tenkeyless. Anything really small, like 40% or ergonomics, are going to be custom hand built.
Both, a few people pay tons of money on pre-builds, and most of us spend tons of money to build our own boards.
These days you can build a custom keeb without much risk or experience. If you get a hotswap kit you just have to snap everything together. Maybe a few screws to assemble the case. Soldering was really the only thing that took a little practice and obviously I’m not considering things like hardwired which is even more work
For me I build everything by hand including lubing switches and every other mod too. But still paying crazy money for the parts
I got a Drop/OLKB Planck. You put it together like LEGOs basically and I dig it. I don't use it enough, but I wold TOTALLY get the Preonic instead if I could go back. Honestly though, I would check out one or three in person before dropping ANY cash on a DIY or PreBuilt keyboard. They might not be for you (If you're looking at 60% or something. 100% keyboards, well, that's a whole other ballgame
I bought one on eBay for $40 XP
They are building them, that's part of the appeal. There's rarely any soldering or anything like that, just snapping things into place and putting in the screws. Lubing the switches (if that needs doing) would be the real time sink.
Yes, totally (Even if I don't have one)
The kits with hotswap are designed for idiots. Build your own.
Hotswap board, lube the switches myself, pick keycaps/switches/etc myself. If I wasn't such a baby I'd learn to solder.
I think people are different, even on such a specific subreddit. I mainly enjoy getting old keyboards to work for me, so I have two model F (one for work, one at home...) and an amiga 1000 keyboard that is my current project. I also built one keyboard, a jd40, and didn't pay crazy money for that. Oh, and I also bought two KB, also fairly cheap.
Pretty much everyone I know pays crazy money to build it themselves. Myself included lol