Salavat’s Hobbies

Atari Boy. Atari 800 Layout Keyboard

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I collect old computers, and there’s one I still haven’t managed to add to my collection: the Atari 800, a pretty iconic machine. I love how it looks: the industrial design, the color scheme, even the ads.

Since I’ve been building handwired keyboards for a while, I figured, why not make one that replicates the Atari 800’s keyboard? That way I could pair it with an emulator and at least partly recreate the original experience of using the computer.

Agar Mini

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I build and designed a custom 9° angle case for the Agar Mini keyboard.

Case

You can grab the print files from Printables. For the plate, I started from the one KBDfans® provides.

Bill of materials

Part	Count
Agar Mini Wired Hotswap PCB	1
3D printed case	1
M2 screws	13
MX switches (Akko Rosewood)	43 or 42
Keycaps (Agar Mini set)	43 or 42
3u stabilizers	2
or 6u stabilizer	1
Adhesive Bumper Pads (16mm)	4

Photos

Resources

Case print files on Printables
Firmware: vial.uf2
JSON: via.json

Track Boy. TKL layout keeb with trackball

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I went with a Tenkeyless (TKL) layout for this one, removed 6 keys from the right cluster, and added a trackball in their place. I’m left-handed, but I put the trackball on the right since the idea was to use it alongside my main mouse (which sits on the left). The click and scroll buttons sit to the left of the left arrow key, so they land comfortably under your thumb.

Small Boy. 51-key wireless keyboard

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My first wireless keyboard. The layout skips the number row and is built around MT3 Operator keycaps. The case has a 5° tilt.

Case

You can grab the print files from Printables, including the .STEP file.

Bill of materials

Part	Count
nice!nano (clone)	1
USB-C breakout board (pic)	1
USB-C male connector (pic)	1
503035 500mAh 3.7V battery	1
Mini Toggle Switch SS12F15 (pic)	1
3D printed case	1
M2 heat set inserts (OD 3.2mm)	3
M2 screws (10mm)	10
M2 screws (8mm)	3
M2 screws (4mm)	2
M2 screws (2mm)	2
MX switches (Gateron Pro Milky Red)	51
1N4148 diodes	51
Keycaps (MT3 Operator)	51
6.25u plate mount stabilizer	1
Adhesive Bumper Pads (16mm)	4
Wire (28AWG)

Build Log

Firmware

ZMK

I’m using ZMK for the firmware. Repo’s on GitHub. Pre-compiled firmware.

Tiny Boy. ScottoLong Inspired Keeb

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The layout is borrowed from the ScottoLong keyboard. The case design is based on the Cyberdeck Keyboard project. Added a strap, like on Wooting keyboards.

Case

You can grab the print files from Printables, including the .STEP file.

Long Boy. 64-key planck keyboard

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I used the Planck as a base, but added more keys per row to fit the full Cyrillic alphabet, plus a numpad. In this new iteration, I gave the case a 5° tilt and added two extra USB ports, like the old Apple keyboards.

Case

You can grab the print files from Printables, including the .STEP file.

Corne

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I couldn’t not build a Corne for my keyboard collection. So far, it’s the thinnest keyboard I own.

Bill of materials

Part	Count
Corne PCB	2
Pro Micro ATmega32U4	2
Switches (Kailh Choc Red Pro)	44
SMD Diodes	44
Choc Keycaps	44
Kailh Choc v1 hotswap sockets	44
TRRS Jack	2
TRS (3 or 4 pole) cable	1
Tact switch	2
M2 screws (4mm)	10
Adhesive Bumper Pads	10−12

Build Log

Resources

Case print files on Printables
Repo: GitHub

Cyberdeck Keyboard. 48-keys Ortholinear Handwired Keeb

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is my take on the Cyberdeck Keyboard project, which inspired me not just to build handwired keyboards, but to design them myself from scratch.

GMMK PRO

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

I used a Vortex POK3R RGB v2 for a while and realized I was missing arrow keys and QMK firmware for more flexible key configuration. So I settled on a 75% mechanical keyboard, the GMMK PRO from Glorious Gaming.

Reviews back then called it a game changer, since for a relatively low price it landed in the premium segment of mechanical keyboards. The case, CNC-machined from a single block of aluminum in the best Apple tradition, hinted at that.

GBA SP Slab

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The Game Boy Advance SP was released by Nintendo in 2003. It can run and play games from all previous Game Boy models. This model got a clamshell form factor and a backlit screen, while earlier models had no screen backlight at all.

Sweet 16 Macro Pad

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

After building the Sofle, I had leftover switches and keycaps I wanted to put to use somewhere. There weren’t enough for a full keyboard, so I decided to build a macro pad around the Sweet 16 PCB, which supports QMK firmware.

Version 1

Soldered a Pro Micro microcontroller, 16 diodes, and a reset button (needed to enter flashing mode) onto the board.

Sofle

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

From what I’ve seen, people who get into mechanical keyboards usually follow roughly the same path:

First, they just switch to mechanical switches, keeping the keyboard’s familiar size.
Then they start looking at more compact layouts: dropping the numpad and the F-key row.
Drop the arrow keys.
Switch to an ortholinear layout (where every key sits in a straight vertical column, instead of the row-to-row offset from typewriters).
Switch to a split (where the keyboard is divided into two halves).
The terminal stage: switching to ergonomic keyboards and changing layouts (say, from the familiar QWERTY to Dvorak, which is considered more efficient).

I jumped straight to the second-to-last step and started with an ortholinear split build. I settled on the Sofle PCB, which is based on split keyboards like Lily58, Corne, and Helix.

Game Boy Mods

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Game Boy is a line of handheld game consoles made by Nintendo.

The very first Game Boy came out back in 1989, and it’s still popular today among retro gaming and chiptune fans.

Even at launch, these handhelds were far from technically perfect. The screens have no backlight, for example, and playing on one today isn’t exactly comfortable. That’s why all sorts of mods exist now: better screens with backlight support, rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones, improved sound.