this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2025

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288

I 3d printed a custom sized keyboard using open source software and hardware designs. (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

75 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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[–] synapse3252 18 points 3 weeks 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 😂

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks 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.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago

Okay, Star Platinum.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Very cool! Can I crosspost to [email protected] ?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks 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

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks 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.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I love those keycaps 😍

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

https://www.printables.com/model/396950-xda-keycap-set

[–] Imgonnatrythis 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Super neat. What are those knobs for?

What kind of switches did you choose?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks 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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

sometimes mouse x and y

The anti-trackball.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

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

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[–] Fillicia 4 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Purple dactyl represents

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[–] beastlykings 4 points 3 weeks ago (4 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?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks 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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

I see you've played knifey spoony before

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago (3 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.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (7 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I normally use a Kinesis Advantage 2 (but in qwerty, unlike OP), and I can go back to a standard layout qwerty board with just a small adjustment period - I keep hitting "x" when I mean to hit "c", sort of thing. But it's an adjustment I can make "mid-stream" so to speak; I just use the board and get used to it again as I go.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (8 children)

AFAIK you shouldn't need wrist rests, dactyl should allow you to rest on table nicely!

(I have a Scylla)

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Very nice! That's a pretty big boy ;)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

I don't have particularly large hands, but they're not small either. Most peripherals appear to be made for short people, but we grow tall under the searing sun of the land downunder.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Way cool. That looks really professional, too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Thank you, if I have produced anything decent it is entirely owed to those who went before and were selfless enough to leave directions.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Pretty easy with that cosmos thing I linked. you can literally drag and drop buttons and shit. Pretty neat!

The most time consuming part was cleaning up the keycap prints as that involved removing support material and a brim for each. Soldering was around 4 hours work.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

What the hell is this madness?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Respect for your tism.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

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

How are your beavers doing? 😀

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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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