Custom build 60% keyboard with Zealio V1 switches and a wodden case. Build started in 2015 with a Satan 60 PCB and aluminium backplate and evolved in 2019 to the current state.

Facts⌗

Model no.1976 Custom Sixty
ManufacturerCustom
Manufacture Date2017 - 2019
CaseCNC milled walnut
PlateCNC milled 2mm brass
SwitchesZealio V2 65 gram
KeycapsSA 1976
Dimensions300 × 115 × 30 mm
Weight1100 gram
PCB/SoftwareDZ60 + QMK

Highlights⌗

In 2015 the Ducky YotH was my daily driver. After switching from MX Browns to MX Blues I still was not very happy with the weight of the switches and decided to build my custom keyboard. I wanted to keep the 60% form factor I really enjoyed but wanted to find more heavy tactile switches (I don’t like the high pitched click of the cherries and wanted to be able to use the keyboard in an office environment).

I bought Zealios V1 65g which seemed like a good tactile switch and combined it with a Satan 60, a wodden casing and a black aluminium backplate. I re-used the black and white keycaps from my Filco Majestouch. To improve the weight of the keyboard I added an additional 2mm steel backplate inside the wodden case.

In 2016 I replaced the keycaps with SA 1976 which are still my favourite keycap set.

In 2019 I updated the keyboard with a DZ60 PCB, Zealios V2 65g and a brass switch plate.

Layouts⌗

Qwertz layer⌗

ESC
! 1
" 2
§ 3
$ 4
% 5
& 6
/ 7
( 8
) 9
= 0
? ß
` ´
BACKSPACE
Tab
Q
W
E
R
T
Z
U
I
O
P
Ü
* +
RETURN
FN
A
S
D
F
G
H
J
K
L
Ö
Ä
' #
SHIFT
< >
Y
X
C
V
B
N
M
; ,
: .
_ -
SHIFT
CTRL
SUPER
ALT
META
SUPER
FN
CTRL

The layout is a modified 60% german-ISO layout. The function layer key is mapped to the Caps Lock key.

Function layer⌗

~ `
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
F7
F8
F9
F10
F11
F12
DEL
^←
↑
^→
print
scroll lock
^1
page up
←
↓
→
menu
ins
page down
home
end
play
vol down
vol up

The function layer is inspired by the Ducky YotH layout. Some keys on the right side are moved one key to the right. ctrl-1, a shotcut I use frequently in my IDE is in a very convenient place.

Alt-Gr layer⌗

²
³
{
[
]
}
\
@
€
(
)
{
}
|
[
]

Lately I added a custom Alt-Gr layer to access different type of brackets more easily. This is inispired by the layout of my OLKB Planck.

Firmware⌗

I am using QMK with this config.

Images⌗

Foto of the initial build back in 2015.