How I built my first mechanical keyboard [Tutorial] [Part 2]

#tutorial #productivity #keyboard

Hi there and welcome back 👋 to my series on building a mechanical keyboard! In the first part, we covered the core concepts of mechanical keyboards and explored the different layers and components you can find inside a mechanical keyboard. If you haven't had the chance to read it yet, please check it out here. It’s not strictly necessary to read it before going through this article, but it'll be helpful since you may come across some concepts.

Now, for this second part, I’ll show you how I built my custom mechanical keyboard, from choosing the right model to the assembling process. Are you ready to join me in this adventure and learn how you could build your own? Let's go! 😊

The chosen model ✨

Surprisingly, the hardest part of this whole process was not buying the pieces, let alone the assembling process. It was choosing the right model for me! Ergonomics are important to me (and if you are reading this article, I’m sure they are for you too), so I was determined to find a keyboard that allowed me to have my hands in a comfortable resting position. After days of searching all over the internet for different models, I finally found ✨ the one ✨: the Keebio Iris Rev.6. This model is a split, hot-swappable, backlit, ergonomic keyboard. Take a look at the next image to see what we’ll be building together 📷

Materials

For this specific keyboard model, you’ll need the following materials 👇

2 Keebio Iris Rev.6 Keyboard Hotswap Backlit PCBs (Left and Right half)
2 Keebio Iris White Acrylic Top Plates (Left and Right half)
2 Keebio Iris White Acrylic Bottom Plates (Left and Right half)
2 Keebio Iris Frosted Acrylic Middle Layers (Left and Right half) (optional)
2 pair of USB-C to USB-C cables
10 Silicone Rubber Keyboard Feet (optional)
12 PCB Silicone Bumpers
56 Cherry MX Brown Switches
56 ISA Keycaps
40 M2 6mm screws
20 M2 12mm standoffs
Screwdriver

Assembling the PCB and plates ⚒️

After gathering all materials, the first thing we want to do is to take the PCB and identify the upperside and bottomside. Here’s a hint: the bottomside is where we find the switch sockets 😉.

(Upperside)

(Bottomside)

Once we have identified the bottomside, the next thing we want to do is to place silicone bumpers there to prevent damage from switches being pressed down. Place at least 6 bumpers on each hotswap PCB to provide support.

(Silicone Bumpers)

While entirely optional, it is highly recommended to add silicone rubber feet to the underside of the bottom plate to keep the keyboard stable and prevent it from sliding.

(Silicone Rubber Feet)

After securing the silicone bumpers (and the silicone rubber feet if you had them), turn both PCBs over and add the keyboard plates. Make sure to align them properly: top plate, PCB, bottom plate as shown in the following picture 👇

If available, install the middle layer around the PCB, placing it between the bottom plate and the top plate, like this:

We then secure it all using standoffs and screws, tightening them with a screwdriver. To do this, take a standoff and place it between the plates, aligning it with a hole in the plates. If you installed the middle layer, pass it into its pre-drilled hole. Then, insert a screw through each hole in the top and bottom plates and tighten them. And keep going like this until all the holes are done.

Look at that, we already have the core part of the keyboard! 🥳
Only a few more things before we are done 😊

Placing keyboard switches

Take a look at the hole positions for switches on the PCB before installing them, make sure the switch pins are aligned properly . Then, gently push each switch into place until they're at the level of the top plate.

Note: Since this model is hot-swappable, soldering is not required.

Placing keycaps

Now, for the final step (and perhaps the most exciting 🤗), place carefully the keycaps onto the switches, ensuring each keycap symbol aligns with its corresponding switch. Gently press down on the keycap until you hear a distinct click, this means that the switch and the keycap have locked into place.

Connecting the Keyboard

Since we are building a split keyboard, not only do we need to link the keyboard to our PC but also we need to link each side of the keyboard.

Since our PCB features USB-C ports, let's connect the two sides of the split keyboard using a USB-C to USB-C cable. Then, connect the keyboard to your PC using a USB-C cable.

Note: You may need a USB-C to USB-A cable to connect the keyboard with your PC depending on the type of ports it has.

And we made it! Our your custom keyboard is now fully assembled and ready to use.

Here’s how it looks!! 😮

Congratulations, you've learned how to assemble a mechanical keyboard from scratch! 🥳⚒️

Thank you so much for reaching the end! If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section down below, I'll be happy to help. Until next time 👋