Building your own custom keyboard can appear daunting for newbies uncertain of where to start. Fortunately, the process is relatively simple. Nonetheless, acquainting oneself with the specific jargon, various components, and the procedural steps beforehand is advisable.
It may seem like a simple matter, but it's a good idea to have a clear clear thought beforehand about what you specifically want. This makes it easier to navigate through the wide range of products available. If you have experience building a computer, you know that individual components must be compatible to function as a whole. The same principle applies when building a mechanical keyboard. The great thing about keyboards (unlike computers) is that they have fewer parts, offering more possibilities than limitations.
Here's a list of decisions you'll want to make before you start looking for products:
A pre-built mechanical keyboard consists of the following components. To give you an idea of the price level, the estimated price for each component is set.
In addition, you often need:
Other items are usually sold separately, as accessories:
What about compatibility?
In theory, you could buy all the individual parts separately from different suppliers and online stores. But in practice that is a bad idea, as it is very likely that you'll run into compatability issues. The safest way is to buy components in kits. More on such kits in the next paragraph.
A rule of thumb is that the following components should be purchased together:
Barebone
The easiest way to get components is to buy a barebone version of a keyboard. In simple terms, this means that you buy a ready-made kit that contains the chassis/case, printed circuit board and a mounting plate if needed. In some cases, it may also include damping materials, cables and stabilizers. The barebone version typically includes a pre-assembled keyboard, excluding switches, keycaps, and lubrication tools.
Some websites offer configurators that can help you in the buying process. You will usually see a menu where you can select the desired components. Or you'll get a reminder if you forget to add a required component to your cart.
The building process
Watch our keyboard, Drekiskip, being built from the ground up:
Once you've acquired all the components for your keyboard, it's time to start the build process. Depending on the keyboard, there are different mounting solutions, but the process is generally similar step by step: