Mechanical keyboards were once thought of as a thing of the past. Clicky keyboards, such as the old Model M produced by IBM back in the 1980s, were replaced by plastic membrane keyboards which were generally cheaper and easier to make.
In recent years, however, gamers and enthusiasts alike have been opting to use keyboards with actual mechanical switches for their quality, tactility, and premium feel—and some even choose to build their own.
In his post, Steve M. Potter shares how he created a fully functional wooden computer keyboard by taking the mechanical and electronic components of a donor keyboard and installing it into a wooden body.
Potter starts the build off by extracting the 'guts', as he says, of a donor keyboard—the key stalks, springs, and the circuit board.
He then gets a large, dense plank of wood, and planes it down to form a wedge. Potter also considers the ergonomics of the keyboard when shaping the wood down, including a 56mm hand rest and a gentle slope up to 47mm thick as indicated by his rough draft.
Holes are routed out for the keys, and the body is then finally shaped and sanded, making for a nice and smooth finish.
As for the keys, an old Scrabble game is dug up and the letters are reused. They are glued onto blank keys made from cutting and drilling maple dowels. These are then shaped and sanded down before gluing them once more to the key stalks. The function keys are dyed and they are finally given an epoxy finish.
It is then that finishing touches are made and the keyboard is finally assembled and tested to make sure that everything works.
Making your own custom keyboard is definitely a more arduous process than just buying one that’s readily available—but for Potter, it’s worth the trouble to make something you’ll really love.
Images: Instructables | Steve M. Potter
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