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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/31175359
More pics: https://pixelfed.social/p/wjrii/838255973232132267
I messed up in a million ways, but I managed not to screw it up too badly to be happy with it. It used 35-year-old switches and keycaps. Case is dowel joints, an up-jumped rustic picture frame. This was also my first keyboard build with QMK firmware and then the VIAL config tool. Some lessons:
- ALPS stabilizers are a pain.
- Don't let sleepy English majors design PCBs after midnight. Seriously, the thing barely works for this layout, but should be slightly better for Cherry MX switches.
- One is strangely zen when one accidentally deletes all the PCB design files for such a flawed PCB. Still have the fabrication Gerber, but with half a dozen errors that's very near to useless.
- Don't be a coward with your woodworking. There is a bigger gap between case and keys than I'd like.
- On the other hand, don't be stupid. The pecan inlay on the back may be there to cover up where I sliced right into the dowels joining the frame together.
- Sandpaper and Danish Oil forgive many sins.
Love when wood and tech meet. There's a 10" rack craze going on right now, and I was debating on joining the fold as I've switched from my 1-server mentality to a cluster of micro-PCs. Instead I'm building a custom rack/enclosure out of a black alluminum extrusion frame and wood panel inlays. Not much woodworking to it, but it will match some of my other projects.