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Is building a keyboard so expensive?

Shouldn't it be a PCB, switches, close-enough keycaps, and a tiny controller? I'm imagining a 3D printed case, with screw inserts and supports for the board on the bottom part. I never designed a keyboard though, but if it's prohibitively expensive, this throws a wrench on a bunch of retro keyboard projects I have.

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It depends on what you'd consider "expensive", for mine the keycaps were £25, plus the keyboard itself (Epomaker EP84) was £21 secondhand. I think you'd be starting at £150 if you were to design one from scratch, and that's at the low end.

That’s painful. Are there standard PCBs with placement for Cherry switches that cover the most common arrangements (such as 65%, TKL, and such)? From there it’d be just the board, the switches, and the controller, with case being 3D printed.

I guess I have to learn how to design keyboards and do something about this project.

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