Keyhive is running a group buy for the UT47.2 keyboard, featuring a 40% layout, hotswap, USB C, RGB underglow and an onboard MCU. You can still get in until February the 28th 2019. With the features it has, it’s available for a very affordable price: $38 excluding shipping.

With the group buy, you can also choose to purchase one of several 3D printed cases. I had the opportunity to provide Keyhive with one of the available designs, which is now almost ready.

A front view of the case. It features a slot at the bottom for the underglow to peek through, casting a cool yet subtle glow onto your desk.

This case I made is high profile, meaning that the switches are concealed behind the walls of the case, which are rising above the plate.

A side view of the case. The edges are slightly recessed at a sharp angle, providing some contrast to the smooth curve at the back.

The case is tilted 5°, which is common for many TKL keyboards. It provides a comfortable typing angle, suited for desktop use.

The plate is 4.5mm thick, with recessed notches for switches to clip into. The plate and PCB can be lowered into the case, and then screwed into countersunk brass heat inserts to secure the assembly into the case.

A rear view. The rear curves into the bottom smoothly, while a cutout that runs all the way to the bottom provides easy access to the USB-C port.

The back wall of the case is thicker than the front to provide some heft. The back wall flows into the bottom of the cave with a smooth curve. Since the back wall is thicker, the cutout for the USB port is slightly larger to provide for more comfortable access.

Side view of the prototype case, printed in white PLA.

Keyhive printed a prototype version of the case, which is quite close to the final iteration – only the insides will change a little to accomodate for the mounting hardware.

The underglow shines through the walls of the case, providing a subtle glow at the outer edges. If you go with a colour other than white, this side glow might not show as well as it does with white. That’s down to personal preference.

Looking at the edge of the case with some keycaps installed.



A mounting post has an incorrect clearance in this prototype version, in the final version there won’t be a vertical gap between the edge of the keycaps and the outer wall.

I plan to sand and paint my case when I get it delivered (my 3D printer is slightly too small to print a case of this size). It’ll get a smooth finish and the side glow won’t show that way.

Top view of the prototype version.



The slot at the bottom is quite effective at casting a glow onto the desk. I bet it’ll look even better with a nice keyset installed!

The group buy for the UT47.2 runs until February the 28th 2019. You can also opt in to buy a 3D printed case. There’ll be more choices available before the end, among which will also be a low profile case. You’ll get a mail when all the designs are locked in so you’ll be able to get what you want, even when a new design is added after you’ve made a choice.