BootyShorts Ergonomic Mechanical keyboard by MrJeff01

Last crawled date: 3 years, 4 months ago

After months in the making, here it is.. The BootyShorts Ergonomic keyboard. (The non-extended version reminded me of that so the name stuck)
The Dark-Blue and Green ones in the pictures are the latest version. The Black one is the first one and has had many improvements since but is shown for the backlighing.
NOTE - THIS IS OFFERED AS-IS. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER IF WIRED INCORRECTLY
Please read about hand-wiring keyboard before attempting this build.
This can be printed with or without the number pad based on preference.
There are no PCBs available so it must be hand-wired
Keycaps must be purchased separately. Designed for 3U space bar (Left) and 2.5U space bar (Right). I used the extra space and numberpad 0 as space bars because I have not found a good inexpensive keycap set with the right sized space bars. If you know where I can get these, please comment!
Printing:
You will need supports.
I have had best results with PLA or PLA+. I printed one with PETG and its slightly warped and not as stiff.
For a smoother print of the keyboard slope, Left and Right sides can be printed at the same time if printed vertically with the middle down on the print bed. I used Cura slicer and Tree Supports. Be careful when inserting switches not to crack the grid if printed vertically. (A hot air soldering iron can fix cracks by remelting it together)
For a stronger print, print left and right sides flat separately (Recommended if you don't have a hot-air soldering iron if you might need to repair the grid)
There is no PCB for this so keys must be hand-wired. I used a Teensy LC controller in most of them and a Teensy 3.2 controller in the other since it has more pins. Other controllers can be used, please research this before building.
All STL files are included. The Fusion 360 Design file is also included in case you want to modify it for your own needs. - I wouldn't mind seeing pictures :-)
I learned Fusion 360 making this keyboard and am not a professional CAD designer. There are probably a lot of things I could have done better/more efficiently but here it is.
Designed to use small hot-melt inserts for M2 screws. The opening for the inserts is 3mm
Additional parts needed:
Keycaps set. Ones shown are the inexpensive mixable OEM keycaps from flashquark.com
5x 2U Stabilizers for keyboard only. 8x 2u Stabilizers for extended version. (MUST be "Plate Mount", Cherry compatible)
2mm Hot-Melt screw mounts (I used these - https://flashquark.com/product/m2-standoffs-5mm-20-pack/ )
M2 screws to hold the back covers on
Cherry compatible Mechanical switches - 83x for main keyboard, 100 if making the extended keyboard.
1N4148 or similar diodes. Usually sold in 100 pack
Arduino micro controller. I used Teensy LC or Teensy 3.2 in my designs. Make sure your controller is compatible with QMK or TMK to ensure it will work.
Micro-USB cable
Wire - I used solid (not stranded) CAT5 cable in these since its fairly easy to work with and I had a bunch of it.
Tools Needed:
Soldering iron and solder
Wire cutters
Screwdriver
Credits and special thanks:
Matt3o Blog on hand-wiring and QMK basics - This got me interested in making my own keyboard - https://matt3o.com/hand-wiring-a-custom-keyboard/
Lars Christensen - HUGE THANK YOU for his excellent Fusion 360 tutorial videos. Start here if interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5bc9c3S12g
flashquark.com for having most of the parts I needed in stock! (No, I didn't get a special deal from them)
QMK for their firmware - without this, it would be useless... https://qmk.fm/