Quefrency Ergonomic Bases w/ Palm Rest

This base set is for the Keebio 60%/65% mechanical keyboard kit: https://keeb.io/products/quefrency-60-65-split-staggered-keyboard?variant=16032980861022

7/10/20 Update: Added one piece bases so you can print the bases in one piece if your print bed can accommodate this vs bolting together. This would be the preferred method to print if you can.

There are two palm rest sets. The normal set which is lower and the 'tall' set which is 5mm taller. The black palm rests in the pics above are the 'tall' rests. I prefer the lower set as I rest my arms on my desk and palms on these surfaces and this allows my arm to contact the desk more vs make my wrist take the weight of my arm.

I wrapped my palm wrests with 3M Carbon Fiber vinyl wrap. Got off EBay for $7 or so for an 8in x 11in sheet shipped. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-Black-Carbon-Fiber-CF-Vinyl-Wrap-Sample-piece-8-x-11-inches-20cm-x-28cm/172810319316

I used the official Keebio middle layer files here for the location of the boards and designed the rest in Fusion360.

These angles are loosely derived from the Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard. I used that for about ten years and got the itch to try a mechanical keyboard and wanted to retain some of that geometry.

• 6º tent angle

• 3º forward tilt on keyboard and palm rest

• 35mm plate height in the middle back, right front corner of right plate is 11mm off the bottom of the case. This is 2mm lower than keebio middle plates.

• palm rests are 100mm deep

• bases cut into four pieces so you can print on smaller print areas (191mm is the longest length)

• all base pieces print without support

• palm rests should be printed upside down on the sloped surface as it's bottom with build surface supports only

• (12) M4 x 10mm screws required to screw mount tall palm rests. The normal palm rests require (10) M4 x 10 and (2) M4 x 6mm screws.

• (4) M4 x 14mm screws w/ washer and nut required to bolt base pieces together

• keyplates mount with M2 screws - self-tap in to holes - screws that come with the quefrency 65 plates work fine

• recessed rubber foot areas - 12mm x 2mm - this way if you want to add small rubber feet but not raise your keyboard much you can do so Other build points...

• put thin strips of electric tape on surfaces that keyplates/palm rests will contact. Tighten the screws until snug only... if I over tightened them it'd cause the plate to bow up between screws vs flat with full contact.

• Cut squares of neoprene mouse pad and put two layers in each base opening. This meant four pieces per side for the keyboard bases due to the middle bar. I mounted them with spray adhesive. This tightened up the sound quite a bit... now the large bottom surfaces don't behave like drums.

• rubber feet on the bottom helped keep these in place on my desk pad and put pressure on the large open areas as well to help minimize noise.

• a strip of electric or fabric tape on the base faces you bolt together will ensure there's no vibration sounds.

• palm rests will feel better with some sanding. Printing inverted on a 3d printer, a slightly rough printed surface is unavoidable. I plan to cover mine with faux carbon fiber car wrap after a thorough sanding for a clean surface. Also pondering wood pieces, like a dark walnut, as well for rests possibly down the road. The felt pieces I had put on the palm rests previously were way too insulating/warm... gross. :)

• I swapped out my M2 screws that came with my plates with M2 x 8mm hex bolts as I liked the look better.

  Print Settings

Rafts:

No

Supports:

Yes

.2

Infill:

15

Notes:

Supports only required on palm rest pieces. The remaining four base pieces don't require supports.