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Machined Parts on a Custom Keyboard

A board is a set of parts that are cut by different machines, finished by different processes and sometimes made by different shops. Here is each part, what it is usually made from and the one callout that decides whether it comes back right.

We are a matching service, not a machine shop. Send the whole set or one part, and we match it with up to 3 shops that make that kind of part.

Parts at a glance

Typical materials, processes and finishes. The callout column is the dimension or decision a quote is most sensitive to.

PartTypical materialsProcessFinishesThe callout that matters
Top and bottom case6061-T6, 6063-T5, 7075-T6 aluminium3 or 5 axis milling, bead blastType II anodising, e-coat, cerakoteGasket shelf depth, plate pocket, colour match between halves
PlateAluminium, brass, POM, PC, FR4, carbon fibre, titaniumMilling, routing or waterjetAnodising, bare, clear coatFlatness and switch cutout position
WeightBrass C360, copper C110, 304 or 316 stainless3 axis milling, polish or blastPVD, mirror polish, brushed, clear coatFit in the coated pocket, mass
Rotary knobAluminium, brass, stainlessCNC turning, knurling, milled flatsAnodising, PVD, polishBore to the encoder shaft, grip texture
Wrist restAluminium, brass, hardwood, resinMilling, large face finishing passesAnodising, oil or lacquer on woodFlatness, matching the case colour
Badge and feetBrass, aluminium, stainless, titaniumSmall part milling, sometimes turningPVD, polish, anodising, enamel fillCosmetic standard at arm's length
Artisan items and keycapsAluminium, brass, titanium, resinSmall part milling and turningAnodising, PVD, polishStem fit, small batch finishing

Stock standards for each alloy are on the materials and finishes index. How each process works is on the processes page.

Each part in turn

  • CasesThe part that sets the price and the schedule. A top and bottom case in 6061 or 6063 billet carries most of the cycle time and all of the colour risk, because the two halves are judged side by side. Unibody and top mount cases put the whole outside on one cosmetic surface. Gasket mount cases add shelves whose depth changes the typing sound.
  • PlatesThin, flat and unforgiving. Switch cutouts for MX style switches are 14.0 mm square and their position decides whether a PCB lines up. Aluminium and brass plates are milled. POM and PC are milled with sharp tools at low heat. FR4 and carbon fibre are routed or waterjet cut with dust extraction, and some cosmetic shops will not run them.
  • WeightsBrass, copper or stainless blocks that sit in a pocket in the bottom case. They add mass and a second finish, often PVD or a mirror polish. Most weight problems are fit problems: the pocket is anodised, the weight is coated, and nobody sized the slip fit after both.
  • KnobsRotary encoder knobs are turned parts. The bore has to grip the encoder shaft, often a 6 mm D shaft or knurled shaft, without wobble. Knurling, grooves and a set screw or press fit are all decided on the drawing. A knob is a small part with a high cosmetic bar.
  • Wrist restsMachined aluminium or brass wrist rests are large flat parts that show every tool mark. They are expensive in material and finishing time for their function. Wood and resin rests are cut on the same machines, but by different shops than the ones that run cosmetic aluminium.
  • Badges and feetSmall parts with the highest cosmetic standard on the board, because a buyer holds them close. Brass and titanium badges are milled then polished or PVD coated. Feet are often the same colour as the case and should run in its finishing load.
  • Artisan itemsMachined keycaps, artisan caps and accessories in small runs. The cutting is quick and the finishing is the job. Stem fit to the switch is the one dimension that has to be right on every piece.

More on weights: brass keyboard weights.

Planning a set of parts

The machining of each part is rarely the problem. The joins between parts are: the plate in the case, the weight in the pocket, the colour of one half next to the other.

  • One drawing setSend every part, plus the PCB outline, in one package. Fits between parts can only be checked when the shop sees both sides.
  • Fits after finishingState whether dimensions apply before or after coating on every mating pair.
  • One colour referenceOne golden sample for every part in the case colour, even if two shops make them.
  • Spares in the first runExtra bottoms, weights and plates cost far less in the first finishing load than as a repeat run that has to match it.

Questions about parts

Can one shop make every part on my board?

Sometimes, but rarely all of them well. A shop that machines and anodises aluminium cases may not polish brass weights, run carbon fibre plates or turn knobs. We match each part, or the whole set, with shops that already make that kind of part, and say plainly when one shop will not cover everything.

Which parts should share a finishing load?

Anything that meets at a visible seam or sits next to another part in the same colour: top and bottom case, feet and badges in the case colour, and spare bottoms ordered later. Separate loads drift in colour even with the same dye and the same anodiser.

Do knobs and keycaps need a different shop from cases?

Often. They are turned or small milled parts, and a shop set up for small turned work runs them faster and cheaper than a shop set up for large billet cases. The finish can still be matched if both send parts to the same finisher or work from one golden sample.

Guides by part

Files ready for one part or the whole board?

Use the RFQ template so a shop can quote without a second email. Background on the grip texture used on knobs: knurling on Wikipedia.

Send your files