How to Make a Corne Split Keyboard // DIY
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- Опубліковано 27 тра 2024
- Go to www.natethemaker.co if you would like me to make you a custom keyboard!
In this episode, I want to show you how I assembled a Corne Split Keyboard. If you would like me to make you a board; please visit natethemaker.co/store for more details!
Now I didn't design this board but I have been using it everyday since I've made it. It's a nice split and ergonomically designed keyboard and its super comfortable to use!
Here's a link to everything you'll need to make one of these for yourself!
keyhive.xyz/shop/corne-v3
0:00 - Getting Started
0:10 - Starting with the diodes
1:30 - Key Switch Connectors
3:30 - Elite-C Installation
7:00 - Final Construction
10:56 - Show and Tell!
Watch how I build the studio:
• Converting My Old Bedr...
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Let me know any ideas/things you want to see me make in the comments! - Навчання та стиль
I just got my PCBs and after watching you soldering the elite c the wrong way, I will now pay extra attention to avoid that. Thanks for not removing it but teaching everyone a good lesson. Cheers.
Of course! One of my favorite parts of making is how many lessons we can learn from doing something ourselves or watching someone make. I’m glad this video was helpful for you! Happy making!
Hi! How much did you pay for the whole kit?
Why is a part of the video blurred?
A tip from someone who solders 0201 SMD components all day; only add solder to 1 pad & hold the component with tweezers and quickly flow the solder on one side. Then solder the second side. This allows you to ensure the component is flush & aligned perfectly, and the first termination will hold the component for you while you solder the second termination.
Second - invest in some no-clean flux (kester is good) & some 99% IPA, along with some acid brushes. Flux is literally magic when it comes to soldering. The alcohol will remove the residual flux when you're done, and it's perfectly safe for pcbas. (I realize the name is "no-clean" flux but as a general rule - you should never leave residue of any kind on your assembly.)
With such pretty keyboards, you should make sure your solder joints look pristine too!
What does "quickly flow the solder" and "component is flushed"? I'm new to this stuff and it terms.
And should I flux both sides or just one side?
@@ro_puente Sorry, just saw this!
Quickly flow the solder: I assume you have already added solder to one of two pads and there is no component on the pads. While holding the component in place on top of the pads, you will "flow" the solder by touching the pad AND the component at the same time with the iron. Once you see the solder "melt" you can remove the heat immediately. This is flowing the solder.
You can redo this process with flux at the end, to make the termination (connection between component and board) look "pretty". You can make it look EVEN better by scrubbing the area clean with an acid brush and alcohol.
When I say make sure the component is flush, I just mean make sure it is straight and level. If you do what I described above, you will have a much easier time making sure the component is flush. Good luck!
Hi Elias, thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's very helpful! Although, I have a couple of questions below:
When you said "redo this process with flux at the end", do you mean that after 1 pad of the component is soldered to the board, we should apply flux to that solder joint and reheat it for a better bond?
Also, do you recommend applying flux before adding solder to 1 pad of the board (for a good connection between the solder and the board pad). Then applying flux again to the solder joint then soldering the component to that pad (for a good connection between the component and the solder this time). Or would applying flux at the end and "re-flowing" it would make it so that the solder will have a good bond with both the board and component, and therefore we should only apply flux once?
Thank you so much for this tip... just soldering for the first time and this really helped me get my diodes on nice and neatly!
the diodes did look kinda crooked, good technique, thanks
Imagine following this guide step by step and then have to redo the soldering on elite piece
Makes you an elite soldering Chad
That’d be your own fault if you don’t watch a video first all the way through before just jumping to make it tbh.
I was so confused when you were soldering the elite c on the underside. Thank you for such a thorough and well paced guide!
Subscribed!
Thank you so much! And right? Sometimes you don’t notice until it’s too late 😂 just part of the process haha
It's easier to solder SMD components if you add the solder only to one pad and then soldering the other pads. So they will sit flush.
Oh that’s great advice! Will do next time 👍
One of the most helpful DIY keyboard videos I've seen
Thank you so much!!! Really glad you liked it 😊 more to come soon!
great video, i love your clear explanations and close-up visuals!
Thank you so much!!
Great vid! I'm going to use this when I get my parts in, hopefully next week.
Thank you! And have fun! Building keyboards is always a fun time
Thanks a lot for putting it so simply! I was starting to wonder if I'll somdays go from my Moonlander to a more customized dyi keyboard and your video just shows how easy it can be :-)
The hot swap connector was a fantastic idea. Thanks a LOT!
Glad I could help with your keyboard!
Hey man! Thanks a lot for the video, I have all the components to build my corne but it'll be my first build, so this video is definitely gonna help me out when I start the build! Thanks again :)
Awesome!! Glad this video can help you make your keyboard! Thanks for watching
Very clear steps and I can see very interesting content potential for the future, good luck!
Thank you!! I truly appreciate the support!
Great content mate. Excited to build mine.
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you enjoy making your keyboard!!
This was great. Definitely gonna want to make one of these types of keyboards myself. Thanks for the great video :)
Thank you so much!! Super happy you’re planning on making your own! That’s what these codes are all about 👍
I'm pretty interested in getting one of these kits after watching the vid. definitely a cool design
I am confident enough to make my own now. Thank you.
That’s awesome to hear!!! Have fun with the build 👍👍
How did it go?
Hey man! Thank you so much for this video.
No problem! Im glad you liked it!
Damn, man I love it!!
Thank you so much!! Glad you enjoyed the video 😁
awesome video :D
I am looking all over the place for keycaps like the ones in your video. Are they shine through? Can you share their name and where you got them? Thanks
Thank you for making this! Pretty much the only good video explanation of the process and you’ve made me confident to try it on my own. Subbed!
Also, any advice on the firmware side of things? There seems to be better documentation on that end, but it would be interesting to hear how the process was for hou
Love to get one of these at some point, is there a key that you press to switch to numeric input? Also I presume there's drivers somewhere for windows?
Glad you’re interested in getting a keyboard! Thanks to some open source software called QMK, we can program these keys to do almost anything! I like to take advantage of the keyboard layering; I have a default layer for letters, and a secondary layer for numbers and symbols. I’ve assigned one of the thumb keys to toggle between these layers when I tap and hold it. Here is the link to getting started with QMK: docs.qmk.fm/#/ And yes there are windows drivers available for download! Also if programming is not your thing, check out the QMK configurator tool online to make a keyboard layout with no programming necessary. This particular board is the crkbd.
Hey i have a question in regards to the elite c controller. After soldering one of my controllers not working anymore and i don't know how to remove it now. How did you remove the controller to switch sides? Thanks in adavance.
I would do what you did @7.45 and then place the key holders on and solder them that would ensure perfect alignment. Just a thought.
Thank you and best regards
Thanks for the guide. Also can you tell me which remix of Deadmau5's Brazil youre playing in the background?
Hi! I used ua-cam.com/video/ZOc84gXN-lg/v-deo.html a copyright-less track from the UA-cam Audio Library. But hey you're right, it does sound like Deadmau5's Brazil! Even the comments on the song agree too haha
I see the pcb has cutouts for the outer mod column. Can you actually break it so it becomes 3x5 like the minidox/centromere mini/gergoplex?
You totally can and it’s is completely possible! Although I have never tried it. Just have to be carefully to only snap off the parts you want to separate 👍
Thanks so much for this video - very helpful! I have a Corne that was already built, and the USB-C port just came out. There's nothing in this video about that. Should I just be able to unscrew the top and re-solder that back in? Same thing with lights - they just stopped working, and I'm hoping I just need to solder something back into place.
Oh no! Hopefully the Elite-C isn't broken, I've heard of them snapping. Worst case you will have to order one, remove the broken one, and resolder the new one to the board. Thanks for your kind words on my video and I hope your keyboard is back up and running soon! Let me know if you have any more questions!
@@NatetheMaker These PCB's still have the Pro micros. So maybe I should just go ahead and remove them and upgrade to Elite C's. Thanks again!
man you make it looks so simple,
i wonder if i can do assemble this keyboard if i haven't touch solder before
Ah thank you!! I’m sure you can! There are some great solder tutorials on UA-cam and I’m sure you can pick it up quickly 😀
Hey Nate! Nice video and really useful. I soldered my Elite-C on the wrong set of pin holes 🤦🏽♂️ how did you managed to desolder yours when you soldered it on the wrong side? Thanks in advance!
Hi! First off thank you! To de-solder the pins I heated the solder back up and then used a solder sucker to quickly suck up all of the solder, one pin at a time. You could also use a braided solder wick to pull away the solder once it’s hot! Let me know if you have any more questions!!
Hey can you link where you bought the keycaps pls, I love that model
Hi! The original site is here: novelkeys.xyz/products/gmk-dots-gb Unfortunately, the group buy is over and you will have to find these on eBay or something.
in terms of stock,we have no stock but i think you can buy fakes
I can't seem to see a huge difference between using this Elite-C controller vs Pro micro, could you explain what the differences are? It certainly doesnt look a while lot thinner in profile..
Hi! The main two differences for me in choosing the Pro Micro or the Elite-C was the USB connector. The Pro Micro uses a micro USB connector while the Elite-C uses USB C. Also the Pro Micro has a history of a weak USB mount where you could break the connector off if you were careful. Let me know if you have any more questions!
I also soldered my pro micro on the wrong side of the board, but for the life of me I can't desolder it completely. Theres no visible solder on any of the pins but it's still stuck. How did you do it?
Same. Couldn't get it unsoldered either. Ended up costing me ~$30 - ~$10 for a new pro micro, ~$10 for a new PCB, and ~$10 in shipping.
To answer your question, I would bet that he used a heat gun. If by chance you only soldered the pin headers in without soldering the pro micro, one thing you could try is soldering all the pins together with one giant line of solder, so you can heat them all up at the same time while trying to pull out the header. If your pro micro is already soldered on, you're probably screwed.
As far as I'm concerned, Nate owes us and should reupload the video with a cut to him explaning that he's soldering on the wrong side of the board.
Great video man! I'm about to buy the Corne pcb but I don't know which one should I choose (hotswap choc, hotwswap mx or through hole) which one you used? ¿Whats the difference? They all look the same to me
First off, thank you! For this video I used the hot swap MX, as this is the style that would work with the switches I purchased. There is a slight difference between the cho and the MX in the arrangement of the pins on the switch itself. The through hole set wont come with the hot swap components and you will solder directly to the board. Check your key switches to see if they are choc or MX before buying the PCB. In my case the Purple Zealios V2 Switches I have are MX! Let me know if you have any more questions!
Thanks for the quick response, it's been really helpfull!
Hi, did you bought it as a kit? Where? I would like to by everything in one shot, but I cannot find any place, thanks!
Hi! Yes the entire set is a kit. I purchased mine from: keyhive.xyz/shop/hotswap-corne-helidox You will still need the micros, diodes, and trrs cables (from keyhive), and key switches and key caps from other website. I got my switches from zealpc.net/products/zealio and I got my key caps from novelkeys.xyz but those can be found from other places as well. Optionally you can get LEDs and or a case for your new keyboard. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Just curious - what's the temperature you're running your soldering iron? I'm just getting into this and have done a good bit fixing stuff like my Raspberry Pi and the port on my corne controller, but it seems like your iron is super hot, because everything happens so quickly.
Hi! Not entirely sure, the dial on the iron is set to 4/5. Don't know what the translates too but you're probably right I should turn that down!
hi Nate, where do you buy those keycaps? thanks for the video
They are GMK dots! I got them from NovelKeys but I believe they are sold out now. You might be able to find a set on eBay!
Hello, id like to ask if i can use nice!Nano instead of elite c? and do i need 2 batteries for both ?
Hello, great question! Honestly, I'm not sure 😅 it looks like in theory it should work. I haven't spend a lot of time with the nice!Nano but it looks interesting. Just ordered myself one and will do some research!
i have an update about this question. it worked
Hello, will I need a keyboard set with a split spacebar for this?
For this set I used GMK 1 and 1.5 length cap widths. It would totally fit with a DSA cap set too! But a full length space bar will be too long for this board
Hey, Nate where did u got the middle and back plate from?
Got all my parts including the back plates from keyhive.xyz/shop/corne-acrylic-plates
Any idea on when your purple pcbs will be in stock?
Hi! Also wondering in the same boat as you, I’m not connected to keyhive in anyway, just a fan 😁
hey i have a question about this. do you need to add any code or program anything for the pro micro to work?
Yeah! I use QMK to program my boards, here's a quick starter guide from them! beta.docs.qmk.fm/tutorial/newbs
Where can I buy that keycaps??? :0
Does this work with only half of it? I wanted to make a shortcut pad to use with a drawing tablet, and wondering if I could create macro keys on this.
You can use half! I know if you connect the USB to the computer you could get away with using half. Be careful with programming and key assigning you will have to make sure you’re programming the correct half.
Is the soldering really hard or not?
Also, how many elite c’s do you need?
The soldering is not bad at all! It is easy once you get the hang of it. And I believe you will need 2 Elite Cs to build your board!
wehre can I order this parts?
Do you find that there is a lot of rattle with the hot swaps?
There really isn’t! I was expecting the same thing but I don’t notice any extra clicks that aren’t from the key switches
to others watching; DONT add solder first.
Beginners should ALWAYS place component first, THEN solder.
You have no idea how much easier that will be on you.
how did you remove elite c, did you desolder it
Yeah that seemed to be the only way. I had to remove the solder from each pad individually with my iron and a solder sucker.
why did you blur out the elite c install?
hello im buiding one but i have problems with the micro, how do you do it??
Hi! Happy to help! Which part of the micro do you need help with? Installation, programming, or something else?
The corne keyboard is not orhtolinear, it's columnar (or column staggered). Switches are only aligned on the y axis. Ortholinear are both x/y axis aligned.
Do u have to clean and run the tip of the soldering iron after every solder?
You should clean the tip after every couple of joints to make the tip last longer; although if you see a large build up of solder you can clean whenever!
@@NatetheMaker thanks for the quick reply! Also what do u use to clean the tip?
I use a wet sponge (which has a disadvantage of changing the tip’s temperature); but you can also use brass or stainless steel wool to wipe away solder. You should be able to find the wool where you would buy solder!
@@NatetheMaker ok thanks! thats great, will help me making my reviung 41 build!
Awesome! Happy making!
Do you actually need the cover? I'm asking because the shipping costs are super high to my country. I'm considering 3D printing.
You could totally 3D print! There are tons of models and designs for free online. I like thingiverse.com just search for corne keyboard 👍
@@NatetheMaker This is what I was looking for, thanks!!
I actually wonder how you managed to unsolder the micro controller. I damaged mine during soldering and had to replace it. But I could not get it off again, no matter what I tried. I ended up saying fair well to the entire PCB. It's funny, cause it's true.
so how practical is using this as daily driver as they say?
I find it extremely helpful to use everyday! My favorite part is the ortholinear layout, as it helps a lot with my typing speed. Additionally, with the custom layers I can have a layout for different parts things such as: typing, editing, gaming, etc.
Where did you get the screens?
Hi! Sorry for the late reply 😅 but I got these screens from little keyboards! www.littlekeyboards.com/collections/oled-screens/products/oled-screen
your solder is so goddamn precise.
My solder formed huge drops.
and then pulling the iron off of the solder formed small spikes each time.
Are you still using this? I was thinking of getting one, but I want to know if this is the best diy split option.
I do! I switch between this and a ergodox ez depending on where I am, but this is a great cost effective split board!
@@NatetheMaker Do you have a case for it yet?
Not yet, although I do have one designed and ready to be made. There will be a video on my process too!
@@NatetheMaker Awesome. I can't wait to build mine. I'm waiting on all the stuff.
Nice!! I hope it turns out great!
That's a sweet keyboard. Needs cases badly though. : )
Thank you!! And you’re totally right they do need cases!! New cases video coming soon 👀
@@NatetheMaker would be great!
great video aside from the REDACTED part lol. One BURNING question i've ALWAYS wondered is how hard/easy/comfortable is it to learn how to use the thumb modifying keys?
can i have the link of the smd rgb leds?
Here’s the link for the LEDs: keyhive.xyz/shop/cornehelidox-rgb-leds and here’s the link for the smd diodes for the PCB: keyhive.xyz/shop/diodes
@@NatetheMaker tnx super
why blur the video at 4:20?
Your soldering could use some work lol, those joints are gnarly
The link to keyhive doesnt work anymore :(
Great catch! Just updated 👍
bro the way you solder is terrifyng!!
is this good for plover?
If you want to type in Plover on a corne keyboard that should be good, but I don’t have any experience with Plover, so can’t 100% confirm.
@@NatetheMaker as long as it has nkey rollover and you can map the thumb clusters it should be okay, does it allow for that?
Yeah! QMK supports nkey rollover and the thumb clusters are all programmable 👍
@@NatetheMaker that is good to know, I might look into it in the future, thanks for that mate, have a good arvo or morning or whatever time it is for you
what about a normal people that cannot build or spent time to build a keyboard can u share a direct to buy a splite corn keyboard ?
Can't you just enter "buy corne keyboard pre assembled" into google yourself? Or is that too advanced for a normal person?
@@1Caja i am not stupid to not think using google, my question is for reason to access to real e-boutique not resellers, so before asking stupid question take moment read comments then u can post own
@@kamalkamals What do you even mean with reseller? It's an open source keyboard anyone can produce. Many places sell them assembled or as kits.
There is no original to resell.
Why are you watching this video then lol
@@lennyescott even if that is not your business, the answer is very easy because i am looking to buy a split keyboard that s why
the name is from the Cornet bread, because thats what it looks like. ;) In the japanese spelling the t goes away, but it's pronouned (kind of) like the french word cornet.
Oh that’s great to know!!!
subbed want to see the case
On its way!! 👀👀
no flux?
3:38 why censored?
5:04 describes my life
I just imagine, why not to put some Teflon mouse feet, a sensor and use your Corne also as a mouse.
Oooo now that would be really cool! Back to the drawing board…
Can you please update us on your opinions
Hi! If your wondering if I still like the keyboard it’s yes! Use it practically everyday and it’s a great lil DIY board that keeps on giving
@@NatetheMaker Thank you so much for replying. I've been wondering if it holds up. Glad to hear it does. :)
Of course! Let me know if you have any more questions 👍
0:35 "because diodes only work in ... .........?"
Ok but wait, how to program it?
Hi! I use QMK to program my keyboards, here is a links to the docs to get you started! beta.docs.qmk.fm/tutorial Let me know if you have any more questions!
@@NatetheMaker awesome, thanks 👍 I've been looking into QMK trying to learn about it as much as I can. Linda stuck on how to get the small led screens working though, is there a direct tutorial on how to set those up?
you covered all the branding, makes me think that you did the whole thing upside down ... to what's the deal.
Unintentional on the branding haha but I did put the Elite C on backward so watch out for that if you make your own board!
bro tip:
solder paste.
eaaa
Very unclear soldering iron in toaster
😂😂😂
Please next time just coment on soldering, because of not seeing everything I soldered the wrong size my pcbs, now I wasted two pro micros
I'm sorry that happened to you! I am going to add an alert to the video right now. Hopefully that will be enough to catch people in the future. Again my apologies, and in the next one I'll make sure to have proper instructions 👍
Corn…
You should erase your video, and recorder and upload correctly because i had the same mistake.
Why wouldn't you edit the mistake out!? Leaving it in means more people might do the same thing. Also - you didn't solder the pads for the OLED screens to be connected.
Hi Daniel! I left the mistake in just to show what happened to me and for transparency. You’re right however! I could have brought this to the attention of the viewer faster. And oops looks like I did leave the OLED screen soldering out 🤦♂️ clearly I made another mistake 😅.
cool, can i have it for free, u pay porto ??
No tilt = 0 ergonomics. Next!
Sorry, your soldering is just lame :P