Hello people!
This is my second post on custom keyboards and I will be explaining what parts you need to make your very own custom keyboard. Lets get started!
Keyboards have different sound signatures, if it has a deep sound signature, it is commonly referred to as “thoccy,” if it has a higher sound signature it is commonly known as “clacky.” I personally prefer more thoccier keyboards because I prefer a lower sound signature.
The first component you will need for a custom keyboard is a case. The case is what holds the keyboard together, and without it, the keyboard will fall apart. The usual material for a case is acrylic, aluminum, plastic and polycarbonate. The casing material can also change the sound signature of the keyboard. There are different types of keyboard sizes varying from 100%, which had all the keys, to 60%, which no longer has the F key, number pad and arrow keys. A good starting case is the Idobao 67 which has a 65% layout.
The PCB is basically the motherboard, it, makes the keyboard work and allow you to type. You connect the switches using a soldering iron to the PCB so that it can register the keystrokes. Some PCBs come with extra functions such as hotswap and RGB. Hotswap makes it so you do not have to solder the PCB and automatically connects to the switches. RGB is the lighting underneath the keyboard. I do not have a specific recommendation because most PCBs come with the case.
The plate is a piece of material that lies on top of the PCB and switches and helps hold them together. Like the casing, the most common material uses acrylic, aluminum, plastic and polycarbonate. You can create a custom keyboard without using a plate, but the switches won’t stay in place that well. Like the PCB, I do not recommend any plates because they usually come with the case.
The next item you will need is keycaps. Keycaps is the illustrated button that lies on top of the switch. You can customize the keycaps to have different fonts or colors. 2 good keycap brands I suggest is GMK and Akko (no specific key cap set).
After getting those items, stabilizers are the item you need to have. Stabilizers stop the bigger keys (space, enter, etc) from wobbling and falling off. They do not necessarily need to be bought because they come with the casing, however, the stabilizers that come with the Idobao 67 is quite rattly so I would probably change it to Durock v2s.
The last item on the list is switches. Switches are mechanisms under the key caps that actuate when being pressed down. It connects to the PCB and makes the keyboard work. The switches are the main source of the different sound signatures.
Most of these products can be find inside Amazon, KBD fans and Idobao. Keep in mind, to make a custom keyboard be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars.
Thanks for reading my 2nd blog on keyboards!
-Chris