Keyboards
I like using small keyboards at my computer. These are typically called “40%” keyboards, referring to their size relative to the norm. They seem to be missing some important keys, but can do everything I need to type, design, and program. The basic principle is more actions less distance: everything I need is right under my fingertips, but I might need to use multiple fingers to do it. In the same way you type “@” by pressing shift + 2, I type “2” by pressing Num. Layer + S and “@” by pressing Num. Layer + W. I’ve put more of the “how” and what my keymap looks like at the bottom of this page.
As part of this fun, I’ve designed cases for pre-existing PCBs (I haven’t designed a PCB of my own yet).
Knuqull
This is a handled low-pro case for the QAZ PCB based on the existing Qull case for the QAZ and KnuckHull case for the minivan keyboard. I thought handles were fun, and wanted something small but hefty I could lug around.
I have a personal unit milled out of stainless steel, and a small run of aluminum knuqulls was produced and sold by Coffee Break Keyboards
This design is open-sourced on my github
Other designs
I won’t include a section for each of my designs, but I’ve also designed cases for minivan PCBs, infernum PCBs, and Bruce the Keyboard. All of these designs are also open-sourced, and have been printed/manufactured by myself and others in the community.
How do you use this?
We can look at Knuqull as an example. Custom keyboards can be programmed using QMK firmware, its fork Vial, or other firmwares such as ZMK or FAK. The image below shows how I have my Knuqull programmed:
The keys next to the two bars are my main keys for switching layers. By pressing the Nav. key with my left thumb, I have access to navigation keys under my left hand, and symnol keys under my right hand. By pressing the Num. key with my right thumb, I have access to the entire number row and their symbols without moving far from the home row.
I’m also a big user of combos or chords, functions access by pressing multiple keys at once. For example, my J+K combo lets me delete things without moving any fingers off the homerow.
This is far from the only way to do things, but it’s the way I’ve settled on after a few years of using boards like this. There are other layouts of keys (I’m particularly fond of katana stagger and columnar stagger), other layouts of letters besides QWERTY (sometimes I use the Workman layout), and even smaller boards that I’m not comfortable using. If you’re interested, search 40% keyboards on github for some designs, join the 40% keyboard discord, or reach out to me, I’m happy to ramble even further.