The Iris Ice Project
The Iris Ice Project is a build of the Iris keyboard with custom made case composed of a 3D printed switch top plate, a translucent laser cut acrylic middle plate and a brushed still bottom plate.
Backlight LEDs are mounted reversed to create a cold white underglow. The TRRS cable is also custom made to fit the right size. Keycaps are from the SA "Ice Cap" keyset from signature plastic.
Here is the result:
In this repository, you will find all the material needed to reproduce this build.
Build List
Here is the list of material you'll need for this build:
- The Iris PCB kit with LED support components (no LED strip underglow)
- 100 white LEDs (pay attention to the color select, default is orange)
- 2 Elite-C (or pro-micro)
- Peel-A-Way sockets (optional)
- SA "Ice Cap" keyset
- 68 switches of your choice (I used jailed, lubed MX blue)
- A black with sheath TRRS cable
- 2 TRRS plugs
- Sand paper (I use 120 and 220 grits)
- Primer spray
- Carbon black spray paint
- Matte finish spray
- M2 x 3mm insert nuts
- M2 x 8mm flat head cross countersunk screws
- 55% translucent acrylic sheet
This build also assume that you have:
- A solder iron
- A 3D printer (or a way to order printing jobs)
- A laser cutter (or a way to order a cutting job)
- The bottom metal plate is ordered on LaserBoost
Build Log
Top Layer
- Print the top-left.stl and top-right.stl.
- Sand each piece to remove the printing lines and get a smooth surface
- Apply 2โ3 layers of primer
- Apply 3 layers of paint
- Apply 2-3 layers of matte finish
- Using the pointy tip of a solder iron, insert 5 M2 inserts into the screw holes of each case
- Insert the switches
PCB Assembly
- Follow the Iris Build Guide
- [Optional] Use peel-a-way sockets to solder the controller
- When it comes to the LEDs, solder them on the bottom side of the PCB, before inserting the switches. It is better to fold the led 90ยฐ so it can fit better in the case. You may want to fold them on the opposite direction as on the picture below though
- Align the PCB with the top layer switches and solder
Middle Layer
Cut 2 pieces in the acrylic using middle.dxf. The kerf is assumed to be 0.09, make sure to edit it if your laser cutter requires a different setup.
Bottom Layer
Go on LaserBoost and upload the [bottom.dxf] file. Select "Stainless Steel", "304 Stainless Steel Shiny Finish", 3mm. In the "special request for this part" text area, write:
Please brush the edges. Add countersink to all the holes in order to hide a GB819-M2. Make the same piece twice but in mirror (countersinks on opposite side).
TRRS Cable (optional)
Cut the TRRS cable at the desired length, and solder the plugs.