This article will show you how to build your custom keyboard that looks, feels, and sounds amazing.
My experience with building keyboards enables me to share some tips & tricks that make this process more efficient and enjoyable.
Build this mechanical keyboard and check all the keyboard keys on the website https://keyboardtester.net so you can make the perfect mechanical keyboard.
First of all, you should check out our 100% Free Custom Builds Checklist Good! You can take a printout/screenshot of it if you want, as it is easy to keep nearby.
Here are the various tools and equipment you'll need to build a keyboard:
Mandatory "must-have" tools:
Here are more tools that aren’t mandatory, but chances are high you’ll need these (depending on your build):
As you go throughout the sections below, try to figure out if you want to
Most of the “non-mandatory” equipment listed above relates to those three activities!
First, you’ll need to do research and decide what type of keyboard you want to have!
Here are the top considerations when choosing what keyboard to build:
How big of a keyboard do you want?
Here are the most common sizes
They make smaller keyboards (such as the 40%), but it will be more difficult to find components for these, and possibly more expensive.
Do you want your keyboard to put on a little light show every time you type?
Do your research to see what kind of backlighting you would like!
Most keyboards have RGB, And you can generally customize the different colors and effects to your liking.
Not all keyboards come with Bluetooth capabilities, so you’ll need to decide on what you want or need.
There are even a few keyboards that come with a 2.4 gigahertz dongle, though I don’t prefer these. Bluetooth usually works better.
Also, you can grab customized coiled USB cables in a variety of styles and colors!
USB Ports: Do you need additional USB ports on the back of the keyboard itself? They make those!
Do you want to create custom macros or edit keybinds? Check to see if your keyboard company has their software, or supports popular firmware like QMK (or Via).
If you have picked out the size and features of your custom keyboard, you’re ready to shop for the different components.
Here is a breakdown of each piece of the mechanical keyboard puzzle:
Where can I purchase parts for a custom keyboard?
There are a few things to consider when purchasing the outer part of your keyboard (that everything sits in):
Case Materials
There are a few materials to choose from when it comes to the case of your keyboard:
Case mounting style
How your PCB attaches to the case varies from keyboard to keyboard.
If your case doesn’t say gasket mounted, it’s most likely a tray mount.
A PCB (printed circuit board) is the computery-looking motherboard of your keyboard. Your USB cable will plug into this, and your switches will attach to the top.
Choosing a PCB is straightforward, but there are important things to consider:
Compatibility
First, make sure that your PCB will fit inside your case. You can’t put a 75% PCB into a 60% case.
You’ll also want to check your mounting style to make sure your PCB will correctly screw into the case.
If this is your first custom keyboard, we recommend paying a little extra (often only $10-15 extra) to get a hot-swappable PCB. They’re easier to work with and far more flexible.
RBG Backlighting, USB ports, and firmware support
You’ll want to check PCBs for the feature you want! These are usually listed on the product pages.
For most mechanical keyboards (but not all), there’s a stiff plate that sits on top of the PCB, which the switches will sit on top of.
These come in loads of different materials, like
This isn’t a big decision for beginners, so make sure you’re getting a plate that works with your case & PCB.
Look on the sales pages of these items and they’ll tell you which components match the plate/PCB/case.
The larger keys on your keyboard require additional support beyond a single switch, called stabilizers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilizer.
You can purchase stabilizers in little packs based on the size of your keyboard (different layouts have different stabilizer needs).
The most important factor should be making sure your “stabs” are compatible with your PCB/plate. But, there are different mounting options:
Compatibility is key here! If you’re going the hot-swappable route, most of those PCBs require plate-mounted stabs.
Mechanical keyboard switches are where your new keyboard starts to get customized.
There are a TON of different switches across the mech communities, and if you’d like to go deeper into switch options, check out our comprehensive switch guide here.
Click here to check out our complete deep-dive on keyboard switches!
There are three broad categories of switches:
There are thousands of switches out there, and it can be overwhelming to sort through as a beginner.
Here are some tried and tested brand names to look for
If you’re not sure and don’t care, we recommend starting with a tactile switch, probably brown!
There’s seriously no wrong answer here though. Feel and sound come down to personal preference.
Keycaps are plastic parts you touch of course, and are the easiest way to modify the look of your board!
Not all keycaps were created equally though. You should choose keycaps based on.
Though you can find keycaps in weird materials (like wood or metal), you’ll see these two types of plastic:
If you’re new, stick to either one of these materials! They’re both solid.
The next tech would technically be “wait for your custom keyboard to arrive,” as shipping can often take a hot minute?
When your components arrive, go ahead and find a nice workspace (this process could take longer than a day, FYI!).
Then plugin your PCB and test it.
PCB pads = the two diagonal holes that your switch pins would go into!
Your PCB might look different than mine! (In fact, it likely will. Just do your best!)
Test each key. If everything is good to go, it’s time to build your keyboard!
As we’ve mentioned, stabilizers exist to support the larger keys (space bar, shift key, etc), and the size/layout of your keyboard will determine how many stabilizers you ordered (and what size).
Most stabilizers have a few different parts.
On some keyboards, the stabilizers will “bottom out,” i.e. go all the way down, and hit the PCB!
The “band-aid” mod adds some small adhesive material to the exact spots where the stabilizers would hit the PCB, dampening the sound.
Note: Not all keyboards need this mod! The band-aid mod doesn’t make that much of a difference (just my personal opinion!).
You should check your setup to see if the stabilizers hit the PCB. If they don’t, you can likely skip this mod)
The process:
On your stabilizer inserts, there are a few parts that don’t NEED to be attached, and usually cause wobble and shaking.
But you can clip these off! It’s not difficult, but be careful that you don’t accidentally cut off the wrong part of the stabilizer!
Refer to the video above to see this in more detail.
This will generally make all the mechanical things function more smoothly, and yield a better feel and sound.
Lubing switches and stabilizers is an optional step, but it is highly recommended!
Here’s the lubing process for stabilizers:
Again, check the video above for more details.
At this point (whether you clipped your stabs and/or added some band-aids to the PCB), you’re ready to install your stabilizers!
This step will be different depending on your mounting setup!
We suggest referring to the documentation that came with your stabs (probably on their website somewhere). Else you can probably head to YouTube and find a tutorial specific for YOUR stabilizers.
So screw (or snap) them onto your PCB/plate, and you’re ready to move on to the next step!
Time to move on to switches.
Before we talk about installing switches, let’s review the two important mods:
These are both optional (and if you have a hot-swappable PCB, you could easily remove the switches later on and mod them! No need to do it now).
Similar to lubing stabilizers, the goal is to lubricate the different parts of the switch that will rub against each other.
Reducing friction will make typing feel way smoother (and it also generally yields a better sound, though it’s a small difference for most switches).
What’s you’ll need:
Here’s an overview of the switch lubing process:
A switch film is a tiny piece of plastic-y material that you insert between the top and bottom housing of a switch, to reduce wobble!
If you have a non-hot-swappable PCB, it’s time to connect the following components:
The first step is lining things up:
Once all of your switches are installed and all three components are lined up and stable, it’s time to solder.
Here are my tips:
When there is “dead space” air inside of your keyboard, there will be echoes, making it sound more hollow.
You can add foam to your case to reduce the reverberation and make it sound better.
Many people recommend Sorbothane foam, but neoprene foam is a bit cheaper.
Pay attention to the vertical space you need to fill up in your keyboard–don’t buy super thick foam, or else your PCB won’t fit in.
If you’ve got foam installed and the rest of the “internal” parts of your keyboard ready–it’s time to reassemble the case!
This step will look different depending on your setup, but it generally involves:
Follow your keyboard’s specific instructions, and this should be simple.
Next, you’ll simply press your keycaps onto the switches!
Unless you have all the key placements memorized (it can be surprisingly tough to figure out if you haven’t studied keyboard layouts), you’ll need a reference.
I usually head to the keyboard (or keycap) manufacturer’s website and find pictures of their completed boards (to see exactly what keys are where).
Make sure the keycaps are pressed down onto the switch stem! You don’t want any extra wobble or scratchiness just because the keycap wasn’t pressed down hard enough.
Woohoo! Your custom keyboard is likely done! (especially if you double-checked that the PCB worked properly and made sure your switch pins were installed without bending).
Plug your keyboard in via the USB cord and fire up keyboardtester.net/ and make sure all keys are working.
If all keys are firing, you’re done! Enjoy your new mechanical keyboard!!
You’ll probably want to customize the way your RGB backlighting looks & behaves.
There are generally two ways to do this:
If your keyboard supports specific software from the company, use that as you please!
Oftentimes, there will be shortcuts on your keyboard to program:
Again, check your keyboard’s specific instructions.
Customizing Macros, Keystrokes, Layers, and More Software Options
This is more advanced, but there is also 3rd software like QMK (and Via, an app that controls QMK coding more easily).
Even outside of the mechanical keyboard community, there are other apps (that you can use regardless of the keyboard) like Keyboard Maestro (Mac only) or AutoHotKey (Windows).
Custom mechanical keyboards often yield a better typing experience and can turn into a fun (and addicting) hobby!
You can customize the look, feel, and sound of any mechanical keyboard, and the result is rewarding.
Yes! You can order all the keyboard components separately (Keyboard case, PCB, plate, switches, keycaps, USB cord) and assemble them.
Doing this opens up limitless options for customizing the size, design, sound, and feel of a keyboard!
You can also build your keyboard kit–meaning you’ll buy a DIY bundle that includes pre-matched individual components (so you can rest assured that the different pieces will be compatible with one another).
Enjoy typing on it, of course!
If you ever feel the itch to get back into the process of building custom keyboards, here are some easy (and more affordable) next steps:
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