Few years ago we run the wonderful SA Retro keycap set, it was quite a small group buy but a few vintage computing addicts were able to grab what it is now a very unique and rare set. I used the keycaps on a 60% keyboards for a long time but I knew they deserved a better home so I designed a Commodore 64 case I could easily 3D print.

It’s a long time I wanted to release a fully open source keycap profile that is easy to customize and pleasing to the eye. It’s relatively easy to create a keycap with a parametric CAD software like Fusion 360 or Solidworks but this solution has some limitations. These software are generally expensive, some can be used only on Windows and often you don’t actually own your designs as they are stored on the cloud and the companies can alter their end user agreement at any time limiting or even denying access to your work.

By now you know that I’m a 3D printing freak. The evolution of resin 3D printers in these last few years has been exponential, not only from a technological point of view but also for accessibility and resin quality/range.

I’m being using 3D printing for prototyping since some time and with the right resin you can actually print fully functional keycaps you can use day to day and in any size you need. The only issue is the legends. How can you have doubleshot-like keycaps with 3D printing?

I like compact keyboards layouts but I need my arrow cluster, that’s why I never adventured in sub 65%… until now. I tried to find a PCB that supported all the features that I wanted but couldn’t find one, so had to resort –once again– to hand wiring.

How much does a custom keyboard cost?

That is one of the most common questions I’m asked. There’s definitely a lot of interest around DIY keyboards and the main concerns are: 1) the technical/practical aspects, 2) costs.

Sometimes you just want to try an idea you have in your mind but you are not sure it is really going to work. Building a prototype may end up in the $150-200 range, but big part of the budget goes into the case.

Trying to cut prototyping expenses I wanted to test the feasibility of a cardboard case. Is it stiff enough? Do the switches fit nicely? Is the keyboard actually usable? Let’s go find out.

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