Assembly Service
3D-Printing, Wiring, and Programming your own keyboard is an extremely fulfilling experience, and I hope everyone gets to try it sometime! Nevertheless, it’s not for everyone. Most first-timers spend multiple weekends learning the required skills and assembling their keyboard, and the first prototype never goes as planned. If you can’t afford that time or want a higher-quality keyboard, you should consider commissioning someone experienced to manufacture your keyboard.
Plus, whenever you purchase a keyboard from one of the manufacturers listed in Cosmos, a portion of the revenue goes back to Cosmos, which helps pay for prototyping and development costs.
What it is: You can order a pre-assembled, pre-programmed keyboard directly from Cosmos. You do the designing, Cosmos will guide you through ensuring the keyboard is manufacturable, and one of our partners will do the rest.
What it’s not: This won’t be replacing any current functionality in Cosmos. We love making and open source, and DIY builds will still be the heart of the generator.
Who it is: Over the year and a half of running this generator, I’ve met a few enterprising users of the site from around the globe who love and sell custom keyboards. For now I’m currently partnering with TheBigSkree, who has been making custom keyboards for two years and has great communication with their customers. Over time, I’ll add more manufacturers around the globe.
FAQ
I’ll be answering these questions based off the current offerings from TheBigSkree. This section will be updated when I add more vendors.
What Kind of Quality Can I Expect?
The most visible part of the keyboard will be the 3D-printed body. TheBigSkree offers two options for this: FDM and Resin. FDM has more of that DIY look you’d get from 3D-printing the keyboard yourself, whereas Resin has a smoother (and better looking in my opinion) surface. As you go through pictures on the product page, you should be able to tell which is which.
What you won’t see are the electronics on the inside. Skree produces their own PCBs for this, which have been well tested both in the shop and in the field. The advantage of having your keyboard made by someone who’s been in the business for years is that all the fits and tolerances will be calibrated, so the keyboard will stay in one piece even when traveling.
Why Should I Trust TheBigSkree?
I’ve been working with Skree since not too long after I started Cosmos. Skree handles the assembly of the Plum Twist PCBs I sell and is probably more active than I am in the Cosmos Discord (under the username Alakuu). If third-party reviews are more your thing, you can read through the reviews on his Etsy page (the Shopify store at skree.us doesn’t have a review system).
How Long does it Take to Make My Keyboard?
Generally 1–2 weeks, but you should check with TheBigSkree (Alakuu in Discord) if you are in a hurry. 3D-Printing the keyboard case takes the longest time out of all tasks needed to make your keyboard, which means manufacturing time ultimately comes down to how many jobs are in the print queue.
Buying a Cosmos Keyboard vs. <Mass-Produced Keyboard>?
With Cosmos you get a keyboard that’s customized to your hand and how you use your computer. Because you are receiving a custom product, returns are generally not possible (Skree is happy to diagnose and fix issues).
If you are looking for a keyboard with the best ergonomics, Cosmos is for you. If you are unsure of what you need, I suggest you either try 3D-printing just the keyboard body from Cosmos to get a feel for what your keyboard would be like, or find a mass-produced keyboard with positive reviews from users with needs/jobs/hands similar to yours.
For Keyboard Builders
Do you own a business that builds keyboards? Or have a fleet of 3D Printers you’d like to put to use? I’m interested in hearing from you!
Feel free to shoot me an email (hello@ryanis.cool) or message me on Discord.