Alright, so I finally took the plunge and built my own keyboard from a DIY kit. It was a bit of a journey, let me tell you, but totally worth it in the end. Here’s how it all went down.
First off, I did a bunch of research. I mean, a lot. I watched YouTube videos, read forums, and generally tried to soak up as much info as possible before even ordering anything. I wanted to know the different types of switches, keycaps, layouts, everything. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I eventually narrowed down what I wanted.
Then came the fun part: picking the kit. I went with a 65% layout – seemed like a good balance between size and functionality. The kit I chose had a barebones aluminum case, a PCB that supported hot-swappable switches (more on that later), and a plate.
Once the kit arrived, I unboxed everything and laid it all out. The case was surprisingly heavy and felt really solid. The PCB looked a bit intimidating, but the instructions were pretty clear. This is when the real work started.
First thing’s first: the switches. I opted for some tactile switches – I like that little bump you feel when you press them. The hot-swappable PCB made this part super easy. I just had to align the pins and press them in. No soldering required! That was a huge relief.
Next up was the stabilizers. These go under the larger keys (like the spacebar, shift, and enter keys) to prevent them from wobbling. This part was a little tricky. I had to clip, lube, and generally mess with them to get them feeling smooth and quiet. It took a bit of trial and error, but I eventually got them sorted.
After the stabilizers were in place, I mounted the PCB and plate assembly into the case. This was pretty straightforward – just a few screws. Then I started popping on the keycaps. I went with a clean, minimalist design. This part was so satisfying – watching the keyboard slowly come together.
Finally, the moment of truth: plugging it in. I connected it to my computer, and… it worked! All the keys registered, the lighting looked great. I was so stoked. I typed out a few paragraphs just to test it out, and it felt amazing. So much better than my old membrane keyboard.
But, of course, it wasn’t perfect right away. There was a slight pinging sound coming from the case, which was annoying. I ended up adding some foam inside the case to dampen the sound, which helped a lot.
And you know what? That’s the best part about DIY – you can keep tweaking and modifying it until it’s exactly how you want it. I’m already thinking about what I want to change next – maybe try different switches or keycaps. This is definitely a new hobby for me.
So, yeah, building my own keyboard was a blast. It took some time and effort, but it was totally worth it. If you’re thinking about trying it, I say go for it!