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void_switch
OpenSCAD2022–2026
riskable / void_switch

void_switch

3D printable magnetic separation contactless key switch and stabilizers (OpenSCAD files)

2Distinct people
9Mentions
1Explicit recommenders
841GitHub stars
REPOSITORY AT A GLANCE

What to know before exploring

What it is

3D printable magnetic separation contactless key switch and stabilizers (OpenSCAD files)

GitHub

Where it is used

No documented product use has been verified yet.

What people are saying

The only thing I don't like about this article is it didn't talk about the actuation tech. It basically only showed switches with springs. My Void Switch design doesn't have…

riskable used a recommendation phrase. One indexed comment matches. This is a phrase match, not a verdict.

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Also in these discussions

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This week on Hacker News

Nov 7–Nov 14 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/14/2026, 12:54:37 PM UTC.

No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.

Mentions over time

HN mentions by year9 dated mentions

Observed mentions: 2022-01-20 14:45:37 UTC to 2026-02-04 14:55:15 UTC.

02462022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC to 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC (exclusive): 6 mentions; 2 submissions, 4 comments20222023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC to 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC (exclusive): 1 mentions; 0 submissions, 1 comments2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC to 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC (exclusive): 0 mentions; 0 submissions, 0 comments20242025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC to 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC (exclusive): 0 mentions; 0 submissions, 0 comments2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC to 2027-01-01 00:00:00 UTC (exclusive): 2 mentions; 0 submissions, 2 comments. Incomplete calendar period.2026*

* An incomplete calendar period is marked with an outlined bar. Its count is not directly comparable with a full period.

Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.

View mention counts and date ranges
UTC ranges include their start and exclude their end. Select a period to filter the source evidence.
PeriodStart (UTC)End (exclusive, UTC)MentionsSubmissionsComments
20222022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC624
20232023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC101
20242024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC000
20252025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC000
2026 (partial)2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC2027-01-01 00:00:00 UTC202

What Hacker News says

9 sources
Optical switches are great but they suffer from one problem that will annoy anyone that spent a ton of money on one: They don't last forever. The reason is that the optical components are all plastic and that plastic degrades (yellows) over time due to exposure to UV light (which is all around us). They should last about 10 years in a normal office environment but I've heard reports that they're really only lasting about ~5 years. Admittedly, five to ten years is probably fine. Just the gunk buildup in a normal keyboard is enough that most people would rather just buy a new keyboard than deal with cleaning it out. Even if the switches are hot-swappable! It really is a tedious thing that requires a lot of time and special tools (to do it right). Some keyboards and switches can only be hot-swapped a few times before they start to beco
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me wobbly/loose anyway. I designed my Void Switches (https://github.com/riskable/void_switch) because I was sick of replacing keyboards so often (my fingers are like salt-water-drenched hammers, apparently). I also wanted a keyboard that was super easy to clean! Check it out: https://imgur.com/pqGf0se Every few weeks I take the top of my keyboard off and clean it out in sink with soap and water (and a scrub brush made for dishes). Been typing on this AHEK-95 for just over three years now so I've probably washed it at least 50 times and it's still working great! NOTE: This is NOT patented technology! Logitech, Wooting, and all other keyboard manufacturers: WTF are you even doing‽ Copy my design already! I'll even help you do it! Make a keyboard that lets end users 3D print replacement switches/parts and you'll OWN THE MARKET (until others hop on board). What are you waiting for‽
In Exploring Different Keyboard Sensing Technologies
riskable·Feb 4, 2026Recommendation phrase
The only thing I don't like about this article is it didn't talk about the actuation tech. It basically only showed switches with springs. My Void Switch design doesn't have springs at all! https://github.com/riskable/void_switch I'm typing on my AHEK-95 right now which has 95 Void Switches and a custom hall effect PCB (and custom firmware). It also has two custom analog rotary encoders (which is just a ring of six magnets over two hall effect sensors; the firmware is what figures out what direction the ring moved). I sent one of my AHEK-95 keyboards to Chyrosran22 (known for his brutal keyboard reviews) and he reviewed it: https://youtu.be/iv6Rh8UNWlI?si=9xGNm4jIDLFzx80c One other thing missing in the article: Hall Effect sensors are temperature sensitive! My AHEK-95 has a number of features in the firmware to work around this (cons
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tant re-calibration) but anyone with other Hall Effect keyboards might have experienced it: Some keys seem to stop responding reliably after a while (usually a week or two in winter). This is because the temperature changed (enough), causing sensor drift. The fix is to just reset the keyboard (<1 second) which forces a recalibration but it can be annoying (my father in law has a Wooting keyboard that suffers from this after a few weeks if there's big temperature fluctuations at his desk which is right next to an exterior door). Anyone with a 3D printer should print my Void Switches! It's a teeny tiny amount of filament (use PETG for best results) and only requires some 4x2mm magnets. I uploaded a model to Printables that has all the parts in one 3mf file: https://www.printables.com/model/233699-void-switch-fidget Aside: Last time I ordered 4x2mm magnets, I ordered six thousand from AliExpress. That was after my last order of five thousand that I blew through quite quickly :D. I highly recommend ordering them in bulk like this because they end up costing about a penny each and they're useful in so many 3D printed things.
In Exploring Different Keyboard Sensing Technologies
As far as I know the "other times this has been tried" all have had individual displays (and controllers) in each key. The difference being that here there is just one panel under the whole board with most of the parts above the display being transparent. This approach should be far less complicated to build, more robust and cheaper. Honestly, I don't think I need an LCD in my keyboard but I'd quite like to have a go on some mAgLeV hall effect switches! On that note, if you like magnets and/or keebs you might be interested in Void switches[0] -- 3D printable hall effect switches [0] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch
In Flux Keyboard
riskable·Dec 22, 2022Submission

Show HN: An analog keyboard with 3D printed switches

I made a 3D printed keyboard with 3D printed switches + stabilizers and sent it to Chyrosran22 for review. Longer story: Chyros suggested about 5 months ago that I make an "ultra bright" RGB LED keyboard that used my 3D printable Void Switch design (https://github.com/riskable/void_switch) so he could do a fun "RGB" video. I designed the PCB, the case, the top plate, switches, stabilizers, rotary encoders, etc from scratch and the keyboard in the video is the result. The keyboard hardware was actually done within the first 3 months but I needed some extra time to add lighting effects to the firmware to meet the "fancy RGB" requirement :) It's actually my 2nd normal-size analog keyboard design. The first being my Riskeyboard 70 which used a MAX7219 LED matrix display and regular (non-XL) ws2812b RGB LEDs: https://gfycat.com/firsthandunif
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ormeasteuropeanshepherd Not shown in his video: The top plates have no electronics in them which means they're completely waterproof and can be washed in a sink with soap & water: https://gfycat.com/unconsciousvigilantkinglet . Also, the incremental rotary encoder and absolute rotary encoder (aka "the selection knob") are analog as well (using a custom design). The keycaps were 3D printed as well and designed using my Keycap Playground: https://github.com/riskable/keycap_playground (I wrote a Python script to generate a full set; a similar script can be found in the `scripts` directory of the repo) Basically, other than the PCB & magnets (+hardware) the entire keyboard was 3D printed. I'd be happy to answer folks questions about it.
1 points · Open discussion
Haha... So I can use my awesome contactless magnetic separation+levitation 3D printable Void Switch design of course: https://github.com/riskable/void_switch ...and so I can do this: https://gfycat.com/costlyglaringhyracotherium ..and this: https://gfycat.com/unconsciousvigilantkinglet You can clean it in the sink with soap and water because there's no electrical contacts or components in the switches. ... But that's really just scratching the surface of what it can do.
In The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry
> "Instead of developing, manufacturing and keeping physical buttons in stock for years to come, car manufacturers are keen on integrating more functions into a digital screen which can be updated over time." That's lame. 3D printing buttons is a very quick and simple solution to that problem. They can even use my lasts-forever, contactless analog hall effect Void Switch design: https://github.com/riskable/void_switch Keeping buttons--something that's so quick and easy to 3D print--in stock seems like a huge waste of storage space.
In Physical buttons outperform touchscreens in new cars, test finds
> I wish the customization options and custom keycaps, etc. would trickle to down to the non-mechanical market. Just get a 3D printer and all your cheap, completely custom keycap desires will be answered... https://github.com/riskable/keycap_playground I'm typing on Keycap Playground keycaps right now: https://gfycat.com/costlyglaringhyracotherium Also, that gif is of my completely custom analog hall effect keyboard that uses 3D printed Void Switches which you can also customize to your heart's delight: https://github.com/riskable/void_switch (Make them feel however you like since the design is parametric and you can customize the feel by changing the total travel, distance between the magnets at rest, etc) For reference, I'm spending most of my time working on the firmware so that I can start selling some (though "the plan" is mostly su
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rrounding selling PCBs/kits and "print it your damned self!" hehe). Here's the numpad I've been working on lately (to develop the firmware): https://gfycat.com/softfixedfanworms
In Logitech MX Mechanical Keyboard
This is a big reason why I invented my own 3D printable key switches and keyboards that use magnets instead of springs! Check it out: https://github.com/riskable/void_switch In space, a spring could fly off who-knows-where and you can't change how strong it is--you need to use a different spring if you want that! With magnets, you can change how strongly they pull apart just by changing how far apart the magnets are at rest (aka "the void"). It's best not to rely on injection-moulded parts in space because it would be cost prohibitive to keep all those moulds on-hand on every ship/station. This is why 3D printable switches are ideal for use in space. 3D printers work great in zero G! Then there's the fact that traditional switches don't really last very long... Their mechanical contact plates wear out and can even create small sparks
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which is a major problem in space! With magnets and hall effect sensors the entire keyboard can be contactless and basically air, water, and dust tight. The keyboard I'm typing on right now has all these features and more and the entire top plate can be taken off (e.g. for cleaning or using different switches/layouts): https://gfycat.com/costlyglaringhyracotherium My contactless 3D printable Void Switches should last basically forever because rare earth magnets only lose 5% of their magnetism over the course of 100 years and if any switch wears out or gets damaged it's only a $0.01 3D print away to make a new one (you can re-use the $0.01/each magnets from the old switch).
In Down the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole

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