Let's be real, it was only a matter of time until I formulated an idea on finally sitting down to build my own custom keyboard...in fact, I'm pretty sure I mentioned that growing desire in one of the previous posts; and, after giving it some though, I've settled on the beginning of that plan.
Normally, you can just buy full blown DIY kits that come with everything you need for the actual case, and then you just provide stabilizers, switches, and keycaps and then solder the switches into place. And this is all fine and dandy, and probably the ideal way to go. But I've decided that for my first build, I'm going to go a little bit of a different route.
First, the case. There are some really nice ones out there for purchase and I was tempted by a few of them; however, none of them felt quite right for me. So, knowing that my grandfather looks woodworking, I decided that I will be asking for his help in building a custom keyboard case out of wood. I'll buy what is needed, and then work with him to do everything that is required.
From here, I'll have sourced a PCB for my ideal keyboard layout (honestly, it's 65% at this point, I rely on arrow keys far too much to not have them) which is thankfully the most common and easily available PCB layout.
For switches, I'm still on the fence. I've got NK Creams on the way (eventually, depending on when the Kara ships out) and I've got Glorious Pandas in my GMMK Compact that I was using. I've also got a bag of Alpacas here that I've not modded, but have heard good things about. But I'm still waiting for restocking of Tangerines and, hopefully, Banana Switch switches since I want to try both. I've pretty much determined that silent switches aren't for me after using Gateron Black Ink Silent for a few weeks (what I'm using to type this).
Finally, keycaps. This one is rough, since there are so many nice sets out there. Black on White. Pulse. Dasher. Oblivion. There are just so many - and they get pricy. I'll probably end up throwing the MiTo MT3 Dasher set I bought on there, since I'm actually a fan of the MT3 profile and the color scheme is nice. Or I'll just throw this GMK Pulse set on there...there are so many sets I'd like to get, just a matter of money, time, and groupbuys.
So, for now, this is just an idea. I'm hoping to make it a reality this summer, so we'll see how that goes. Either way, there will be another entry to this adventure down the line.