AmigaLove

I have made many custom keyboards ground up from the PCB. I designed and manufactured two out of the three boards in this picture.

The Mechboard64 could be turned into an very inexpensive kit.

The PCB when ordered from JCLPCB (cheaper than PCBWay with faster shipping!) should be peanuts, like $7-9 each. Double it if you want them to solder on the 6 or so surface mount components.

The problem is the bent metal plate. This is extremely costly to have cut and bent in small batches.

Easiest thing to do would be order a flat plate from a service like SendCutSend and then use some kind of 3D printed mount on the inside of the case.

A flat metal plate with the cutout for the keys and stabilizers would probably run about $35-40.

All in all extremely doable.

I probably will do it, but I am working on two other custom keyboard related projects at the moment. This will come next.

I was putting in an order for some other PCBs and went ahead and ordered 5 mechboard PCBs.

I ordered them without the components soldered on, so the cost was truly trivial.

$2.96 per PCB

I did look at files and drawing for a plate is incomplete. I can try to quote it @ my work if I get all details.

AXm77 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:46 am

I did look at files and drawing for a plate is incomplete. I can try to quote it @ my work if I get all details.

What kind of file are you looking for?

There is an included Adobe Illustrator file that is accurate. Most places will cut the plate from the Illustrator file (or SVG) and then you would have to have it bent (looks like simple 90 degree bends with like 1mm radius or similar) somewhere.

Although the Illustrator file will need work if you want to send it an all online service like Big Blue Saw or Send Cut Send. The text will have to be removed and the cut lines should be blue, etc.

1.5mm steel or aluminum.

Better yet someone could turn this into a DXF.

DXF would be perfect. Thanks for tip about .ai file, but software I have only crashing when I try to open it.

If you missed out on one then check this out.

He is auctioning off his last 2 Mechboard64s.

I finally got around to assembling my DIY board with the long awaited Jim Drew keycap sets I ordered. Does anyone have a link/source for the springbar (or whatever it is technically called) and brackets used under the space bar?