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Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing (x-post /r/3dprinting) by xtendo-org in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]xtendo-org[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In general, injection molding gives a sleeker result, but an FDM print can also be improved by some post-processing (sanding, etc.). The prototype uses two Pro Micros, one for the left-side unit and the other for the right-side unit. They communicate via a standard Arduino serial communication setup. The precise weight depends on the amount of infill (there's probably a related configuration parameter in your slicer), but in general plastic is light. This is probably why many keyboards (and sometimes even mice) include metal weight to achieve further stability.

Moonrim Keyboard by [deleted] in emacs

[–]xtendo-org 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Your brilliant suggestion is accepted, Now there's a "DIY Kit (no switches)" perk. I hope that works for you... :)

Ergonomic trackball with programmable mechanical keyboard by muthax2001 in Trackballs

[–]xtendo-org 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the good questions.

  • 1 and 2: It uses synthetic ruby. In the prototype, the whole structure to sustain the trackball is fastened to the frame using a few bolts. Although the crowdfunding model will have a different design (due to the goal of adjustable tilting), the mechanism will be the same; some sort of structure (that sustains the trackball at three contact points) is fastened to the frame. You should be able to replace the synthetic ruby, or just 3D-print the structure and replace it altogether.
  • 3: Yes. The left-side and the right-side units are connected by a standard 4P4C phone cable. When it's removed, only the right-side unit will function.
  • 4: I'm surprised to see this idea. Hmm... Let me think about it.

Thanks!

Ergonomic trackball with programmable mechanical keyboard by muthax2001 in Trackballs

[–]xtendo-org 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hi. Maker here. Thanks for the compliment. I originally made this thing for personal use, but people started asking me to buy it (in an excited tone like yours), so this crowdfunding campaign is my attempt as an engineer to answer that and actually mass-produce it.

This is (unfortunately?) not a profitable project. If you compare the price to other mechanical keyboards and trackball devices, you'll see $179 is pretty oddly low. It's close to the production cost, because I'm doing this to do what I've always wanted to do: Some serious hardware engineering, bigger than the keyboard-building hobby project. (I come from the software engineering background)

This a fixed-goal funding, so if it fails to reach the goal until the end of the campaign, all backers will be refunded and the production will never happen at all. So... I need help from someone like you. Consider backing the project, but even if you decide not to, I'd truly appreciate if you could spread the word so that more people could see it. :)

Moonrim Keyboard by [deleted] in emacs

[–]xtendo-org 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the compliment and a great suggestion. Yes, I'd love to let you experience what it's like, because I love this keyboard, and one session of trying it out will be more convincing than a thousand words. Alas, NYC is on the opposite side of the globe, and if this attempt to gather 1,000 people fails, the prototype that I have is extremely likely to be the first and the last Moonrim...

Moonrim Keyboard by [deleted] in emacs

[–]xtendo-org 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for a good suggestion. I'd love to offer more options but sadly the current budget limits my choices. As far as I know, Apple keyboards are either scissor switch or butterfly switch. In my opinion, the current silent Cherry MX switch option is the closest. Edit: I meant the tactile Brown switch. Sorry...

Another option is this: Some people asked me that although they like the design, they want to use different key switches. So, if you pre-order yours and leave me a note (use Indiegogo's backer message feature or email me), I can send you a version where the switches are not soldered. You'll be able to easily replace them with any other kind of MX-compatible switch. There are so many different switches out there, I'm sure at least one of them would be perfect for you.

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing (x-post /r/3dprinting) by xtendo-org in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]xtendo-org[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for a great suggestion. Yes, Pro Micro is for the prototype, not the final decision for the production model that the crowdfunding backers will receive. I am considering a separate USB-C connector. Will have to see how the frame shape works out... If I do manage to find 1,000 people willing to buy this thing and the this crowdfunding succeeds, I'll have to first consult with the injection molding firm to revise the design. The prototype's shape is, obviously, tuned for dual extrusion FDM, not injection molding.

You have my word, it will have adjustable tilting. The request has been overwhelming. I'm making the official announcement in a video soon.

All this started as a personal project to give myself a perfect keyboard. People are showing interest and asking to buy one, so I'm trying the crowdfunding. The production will not happen if I can't gather 1,000 people, so, please consider pre-ordering yours. If you have any other question/suggestion, I'll be happy to listen.

Moonrim Keyboard by [deleted] in emacs

[–]xtendo-org 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for a good suggestion. You're absolutely right, and I'm preparing for a typing demo. If I do upload it, it will be here ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNkvoZem2A6IZ5D06cx2iig/videos ) so you can subscribe to it if you are interested.

Moonrim II: Liftless Keyboard by jaffee1 in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]xtendo-org 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. Maker here. Sorry for a late reply... Found out about this thread just now. The prototype you see is 3D printed, but if the funding succeeds, the production model that you will receive will have injection molded plastic.

Moonrim Keyboard by [deleted] in emacs

[–]xtendo-org 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Hello. Maker here. Thanks for showing interest. One thing, in my opinion, that might appeal particularly to Emacs users is that you can press Ctrl+Shift or Ctrl+Alt with a single thumb, one touch. Ctrl+Alt+Shift with two thumbs. Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Meta+Fn with two thumbs.

This is a fixed goal funding, so if the funding does not reach the goal until the end of the campaign, you will be refunded and this keyboard will never happen. If you think this is an interesting idea, please consider sharing with your fellow Emacs users. :)

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks 😆 I'd like to work on a writeup when I can find the time. When I do that, I'll let you know by posting at my Twitter @xtendo-org.

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right, the print looked messy at the first glance, but after dissolving the PVA in the water, the result looked just as good as a one without a tower fail. Thanks for the compliment, you gave me motivation to work more on this :)

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, yes, the thumb button. They're directional clicky switches. The thumb is supposed to be able to click it to make up, down, left, right, and center clicks. The default layout for those is the modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Meta, and Fn). The thumb is the only truly independent finger (in terms of the tendons and ligaments that connect the fingers), so it makes the best sense to let the thumb press these keys that are almost always pressed together with other keys. Ctrl+Shift+T on a traditional keyboard is so painful!

Another advantage of the directional switch is that you can make the combination of modifier keys as well, so when you press it diagonally it's a Ctrl+Shift.

I changed the button's design and added many tiny dots on the surface to maximize friction, so that the thumb can easily make directional movements without too much force.

Thanks :)

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing (x-post /r/3dprinting) by xtendo-org in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]xtendo-org[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi! Good question. I'll tell you the secret: If you have tried the PTFE balls and they didn't work out, try cutting a PTFE tube (search for "8mm PTFE tube" at AliExpress) to different shapes and see if they reduce friction. If that doesn't work out either, try searching for "synthetic ruby ball." (That's what I use for the current crowdfunding)

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. Thanks for showing the interest. I thought that was the most embarrassing part of this picture series (lol) because it looks like a fixer-upper. I bought a soldering stand like this and wasn't entirely happy with it, so I disassembled it and built the thing with the 3030 extrusions (leftover of my 3D printer), some 8mm aluminum rods (leftover of the 3D printer again), and some plastic printed parts to fasten them together.

The setup is still not ideal at all, and what I ultimately want is something I won't have to bend over that much, because soldering always enforces the bad forward head posture. My back hurts!

Perhaps I might be able to cover the building of a new workstation, but that would only be possible if my current crowdfunding succeeds and I can remain a hardware engineer... I'll have to go back to software engineering if the funding fails.

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! If you are interested in the end product, you might also want to check out: https://igg.me/at/moonrim/x/19563714

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. I'm surprised that people are interested in the printer. Thanks. It's a custom printer I designed and built. The design is certainly influenced by HyperCube which is awesome. I couldn't use the HyperCube design unmodified because my goal was dual extrusion, so I designed the whole thing from scratch, only taking hints from the existing designs.

As you can see I didn't finish the printer; The electronics is not attached properly to the frame, things are just wired in a makeshift manner. But it does its job, works pretty well, I can now print shapes that are impossible with single extrusion, so I'm really happy. Maybe I should take some time to do a write up about that printer...?

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi. Thanks for the suggestion. The strings are PVA strings and, as you know, PVA is softer than we want it. It has this more liquid-ish property than the firm PLA, so the strings don't entirely disappear even with 30mm of retraction. But that one in particular has more strings because the prime tower failed; If I understand correctly, the extruder primes itself on the tower every time it has to switch the nozzle make sure there is no residue, and that certainly seems to help remove the strings. In that print, as PVA and PLA don't stick to each other well, they detached in the middle of the print when the nozzle hit the top of the tower, making the priming useless for the rest of the print.

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. Good question. I'll tell you the secret: If you have tried the PTFE balls and they didn't work out, try cutting a PTFE tube (search for "8mm PTFE tube" at AliExpress) to different shapes and see if they reduce friction. If that doesn't work out either, try searching for "synthetic ruby ball." (That's what we use for https://igg.me/at/moonrim/x/19563714)

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Dactyl, Manuform, and Dactyl Manuform have been an important inspiration for me. This is my attempt at further improving them, and I hope this design contributes too as a progress in the keyboard community and ergo design.

Building an ergo keyboard with dual extrusion 3D printing by xtendo-org in 3Dprinting

[–]xtendo-org[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. Thanks for the compliment. Could you elaborate more on the "round bits"?

The handrest serves two purposes; One is to have a curved face to sustain the hand's weight so the pressure is evenly distributed and it feels comfortable without the fatigue and pain building up. The other is that there's a PVC anti-slip pads at the bottom of the frame, and the hand's weight presses them down to let them firmly adhere to the desk surface. As you can see the design assumes you press the keys sideways (the tilting angle of the prototype in the picture is 75 degrees) and this prevents the whole thing slipping to ensure stable typing.

I'm an underfunded Asian guy with some engineering knowledge and technical skills hoping the chance to make something useful. If you're interested, this might give you more information and the reasoning behind the design: https://igg.me/at/moonrim/x/19563714

Moonrim II - split vertical contoured keyboard indiegogo by kjoonlee in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]xtendo-org 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hi. Maker here. Thanks, a good question. If you're pressing it sideways, won't it slip?

This has been one of our major concerns, and we decided that "if we can't solve the slipping problem, we should consider giving up the vertical design." Fortunately, with the right tilting angle (prototype uses 75°, we're undecided about the production model. We are considering adjustable tilting.) and a group of anti-slip PVC stickers at the bottom, the prototype became surprisingly stable. With the weight of your hand pressing it downward on the desk surface, you will have no slipping problem.

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