I used Draftsight and Inkscape (both free) to design the case taking a cardboard box I had around as reference. My main concern was about stabilizers costar seemed a good idea but in hindsight it was not. For the sake of this experiment I’ll do a pretty standard numpad but the same can be applied to any design. That should make the cutting session a little less tedious :) Please note that varnishing can be also done after you have cut the switch holes. When dried you should have a nice and robust sheet ready to be cut. Then give a second hand of glue, this time thicker though (2:1 or 3:1 ratio). Leave it to dry 2-3 hours under direct sun light. You can use standard white glue, wood glue or even wood varnish.ĭilute the glue with water (I’d say 1:1 ratio) and apply a first thin layer so the cardboard is well soaked in it.
To increase stability it is very important to reinforce the cardboard with some glue or varnish. The thickness should be around 1.5-2mm, you can of course also glue a couple of sheets together as long as the end result is stiff and solid. I actually got mine from an old shoes box. It must not be the corrugated fiberboard used as standard packaging material. You need solid, thick and dense cardboard.
Is it stiff enough? Do the switches fit nicely? Is the keyboard actually usable? Let’s go find out.įirst of all, pick the right cardboard. Trying to cut prototyping expenses I wanted to test the feasibility of a cardboard case. Building a prototype may end up in the $150-200 range, but big part of the budget goes into the case. Sometimes you just want to try an idea you have in your mind but you are not sure it is really going to work. There’s definitely a lot of interest around DIY keyboards and the main concerns are: 1) the technical/practical aspects, 2) costs.
That is one of the most common questions I’m asked.
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