What’s the worst thing about split keyboards? If they have one general fault, it’s that almost none of them have a number pad. If you can fly on that thing, but struggle with using the top row numbers, you will miss the num pad terribly, trust us. So what’s the answer? Design your own keyboard, of course. [ToasterFuel] had enough bread lying around to cook up a little experiment for his first keyboard build, and we think the result is well done, which is kind of rare for first keebs.
This design is based on the Redox, itself a remix of the ErgoDox that aims to address the common complaints about the latter — it’s just too darn big, and the thumb clusters are almost unusable. We love how customized this layout is, with its sprinkling of F keys and Escape in the Caps Lock position. Under those keycaps you’ll find 100% Cherry MX greens, so [ToasterFuel] must have pretty strong fingers to pound those super clackers.
Everything else under the hood is pretty standard, with a pair of Arduino Pro Micros running the show. [ToasterFuel] had to wire up the whole thing by hand because of the num pad, and we’re impressed that he built this entire project in just three weeks. And that includes writing his own firmware!
Already found or built a split you love, but still miss the num pad? Why not build one to match your keyboard?
I found using mx clears vs browns to significantly reduce accidentally hitting 2 keys at once, So on a downsized ergodox, I could definitely see heaver sittings being a boon. Though, I am trying to work my wpm back up, as that took something of a hit
Nice keyboard, especially in that timeframe.
Stop trying to make “keeb” a thing. Ugh.
That one’s not mine, but “Bezos Barn” is. How do you feel about “Bezos Barn”? I’m completely serious here.
I like “Bezos Barn.” I also saw “Scamazon” on a post here recently, which made me smile, given Amazon’s shenanigans with dodgy reviews and bait-and-switch products. It probably wouldn’t be professional for a HaD writer to use words like “scamazon” though!
I don’t like “keeb” though. Every time I see an “Inputs Of Interest” post, I know that this non-word will be hiding in the article somewhere.
I second that.
Why do some HaD writers feel the need to keep using “keeb”?
To turn English even more into a context-only translatable language?
Just imagin they’d use every shorthand, abreviation and abomination like “keeb” from every professional group, scientific field, 4chan and what not + some street slang.
No one but the writer would understand anything.
I mean you (HaD writers) don’t write in some rural English dialect – so why keep pushing “a rural nerd sub groups” “keeb”?!
Is KBD too long?
I would need an Enter-button/row after the F9/F8 row. Using Finnish layout. How to do that or are there any other KBD projects that have more keys?
Why add extra hardware, taking up desk space, when you can just add a numpad layer in the home position of your right hand? J, K, and L become 4, 5, and 6. Another layer can put the navigation keys in the home position. U, I, and O become Insert, Home, and Page Up. Put the arrow keys on S, D, F, and E, and everything is right where your fingers already are.