this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2025
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I 3d printed a custom sized keyboard using open source software and hardware designs. (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 3 days ago by naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/3dprinting@lemmy.world
64 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/45765963

The design is based on the excellent Dactyl keyboard, generated with https://ryanis.cool/cosmos/ and it runs the excellent qmk firmware. It is handwired:

and I have also made a palm support using inkscape and openscad

All printed on a reprap prusa i3 derivative.

This helps me use my computer with less pain, so I want to call out all the wonderful projects and people who contribute to them which made it possible.

Total cost? $60 aud, amortised filament ~15 bucks worth maybe? and a lot of my time haha.

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[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Man, 3d printing is punk as fuck, I love when people post bespoke shit.

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Tinkering with electronics alone indoors is like the opposite of punk.

[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

Don't tell me that you're one of those people that think punk is all about attitude and loud music. DIY and community building is punk af.

[–] Dogiedog64@lemmy.world 11 points 3 days ago

Okay, Star Platinum.

[–] Fillicia@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Purple dactyl represents

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

How is trackball? I wasn't sure how easily layering would work giving up easy access to half the thumb cluster.

[–] Fillicia@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Sadly I couldn't get a bearing/ball mix that wouldn't feel "gritty".

Otherwise the hand position is nice and layering is easy to use even with the ball. Overall nice to use and great setup for CAD software.

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

Tried ball transfer units?

I've found Ruby balls ok sometimes but BTUs are where it's at. Expensive though.

[–] synapse3252@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I will always upvote split ergo (column staggered) keyboards. Nice stuff, looks much much cleaner than the one i made and threw out 😂

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 days ago

I have improvements I will make on my portable keyboard for lappy, but I'm never going back.

They're a lot more comfortable.

[–] Blaze@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Very cool! Can I crosspost to !mechanical_keyboards@programming.dev ?

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nobody needs permission to post a link to something somewhere. What horror happened to you?

[–] Blaze@piefed.social 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Oh, I've seen it happen before, such as here: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/45667427?scrollToComments=true

Thanks anyway, I'll post right away

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 days ago

There are always lunatics, you'd go mad trying to please everyone. It's one thing to not promote harassment. But if you put something into the stormwater drain of the information superhighway it's flowing everywhere with the rest or the shit.

You'd get further cursing the rain for falling on you.

[–] TwoBeeSan@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Respect for your tism.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 3 points 3 days ago

What the hell is this madness?

[–] sirico@feddit.uk 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Dactyl! I've really wanted to build one and embrace the Coleman. How was the build?

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 days ago

I strongly recommend checking verticle clearance for the microcontroller if you angle it.

I also strongly recommend living somewhere where asking for enameled wire with an enamel that can be burned off with solder doesn't get you blank stares.

If you can't do the latter Livingston sells scapels which work well to remove insulation in the middle of wires.

[–] beastlykings@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Very cool!

Honest question, does using a keyboard like this make you forget how to use a standard one?

I know op did it for the pain, so it's a moot point. But if I did it just because it's cool, and to avoid injury in the future, would I mess up my normal keyboard abilities?

[–] gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As someone who runs an ergodox ez with a custom key layout and who goes in to work from time to time using normal QWERTY keyboards (both English and German configuration), you do not lose anything. It's incredibly easy to switch between every config you have.

I also think most people would appreciate a split keyboard setup because it's so much better for posture and health and comfortability. Would highly recommend.

[–] beastlykings@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Oh now this is different than I've heard, some others have had issues switching back and forth. So maybe I will give it a try, once I've got qwerty up to a decent speed and I feel comfortable with it.

Right now it's a problem because if I'm in a hurry, I'm tempted to type the old way, or a broken mixture of the two that messes with what I've learned. Not good. Gotta slow down and do it right, bah..

Thanks for the recommendations, I'm gonna put a 3d printed split board on my list of things I'll definitely get to some day and totally won't get pushed off the back of the furthest back burner lol

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I also switched to colemakdh with a series of layers and qmk tricks. My typing is quite slow so far, around 30 wpm, I was never an amazing typist but I haven't noticed difficulty with standard qwerty layouts.

It's not like you get confused between a harp and a guitar, or a spoon and a knife.

[–] lando55@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

I see you've played knifey spoony before

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

for me, switching to dvorak about 10 years ago has made me absolutely useless at typing qwerty… i get used to it after 5min, but much slower than i used to be and wow is it paiiiiiin (both literally in my wrists - the reason i switched, and figuratively in that i feel like im fighting the keyboard for every word)

… or perhaps you mean the differences in physical layout

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 days ago

I haven't noticed difficulty. Maybe because the layout is so different, maybe I will with time, or maybe I'm just ~~better than you~~ lucky :p

[–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I use Colemak on phone and Qwerty on desktop, and never think about it.

[–] beastlykings@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Interesting 🤔 why? Just curious

[–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I tried other layouts because it's easy with an on-screen phone keyboard, just an oftion in the app menu, and Colemak felt the most intuitive to use. I didn't have to get used to it, it felt natural from the start.

It's not as easy to switch with a physical keyboard, with so many games having movement and other functions tied to specific keys that assume a qwerty layout, so I kept using what I was used to in that circumstance. I don't even think about it.

One of these days, I'll probably buy/set up a physical Colemak keyboard, and see how that is with games.

[–] TheKingBee@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

reminds me of naked lunch

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Super neat. What are those knobs for?

What kind of switches did you choose?

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Knobs are for knobby things. QMK is extremely configurable. Sometimes they are volume, sometimes seeking, sometimes mouse x and y, sometimes scroll wheel, sometimes keyboard arrows, mostly decorative.

MX browns. I am distinctly not obsessed with keyboards. I just like being able to use computers in postures that don't hurt.

[–] shnizmuffin@lemmy.inbutts.lol 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

sometimes mouse x and y

The anti-trackball.

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 days ago

I have a trackball, but for pixel perfect placement etc. The knobs help me draw badly with more precision.

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[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Looks so good. One day I will build a Dactyl as well, one day.

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[–] gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I moved to Germany and had to sell my 3d printer for the move, but when I pick up a new one finalizing a custom dactyl keyboard will be one of my first projects. I use an ergodox ez right now (they're amazing do check them out if you want a pre built solution), but I want as many thumb keys as I can possibly handle so I want to upgrade to a custom solution.

This is really cool to see, thanks for sharing!

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Way cool. That looks really professional, too.

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[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I love those keycaps 😍

[–] N0x0n@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

On another note cause there are already a lot a good responses here and there :p.

How are your beavers doing? 😀

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Never ask a lady about her beaver(s).

My beavers have wet fur, and a variety of things to play on.

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