MX Carapace – Modular Adaptive Frame for Logitech MX Mechanical

MX Carapace – Modular Adaptive Frame for Logitech MX Mechanical

I wanted the keyboard and everything around it to behave like one object. MX Carapace is a frame the MX Mechanical drops into, with modules that slide onto its sides: wrist rest, mouse tray, phone stand, post-it holder, a cup for drinks or pens, and a carry handle. Everything stays where you put it, whether the setup is on a desk, on your lap, in bed or mounted on an arm next to a wheelchair.

WHO IT IS FOR

If you type one-handed or have limited reach, the mouse, phone and notes sit right next to the keyboard instead of somewhere across the desk. The handle and the mouse tray can be mirrored, so the setup works for left- and right-handed users.

If you have a tremor or limited motor control, nothing slides away or gets knocked off. The modules lock into the rails and the frame sits on TPU anti-slip feet.

If your grip is weak, you can use the handle and move it from the desk to your lap or a tray without holding the keyboard itself.

If your wrists hurt after long sessions, the wrist rest is fixed to the frame at the right height and has a soft TPU pad.

If you work from a wheelchair or a bed, the underside has VESA 75 and VESA 100 holes, so the frame can go on a monitor arm, a wheelchair mount or a bedside arm. It also works with RostaP's Multifunction Arm Mounting System here on Printables, through its VESA 75 holder.

HOW IT WORKS

The frame is built around Logitech's official MX Mechanical CAD dummy (full-size), with 0.5 mm clearance on each side. The keyboard just drops in: nothing clips onto the keys and nothing needs to be opened or drilled. The USB-C port and power switch stay accessible.

The Voronoi pattern keeps the frame light and stiff, and it prints with minimum supports. STEP files are included for every part if you want to adjust the clearance or design your own modules.

Everything was designed in Rhino and Grasshopper. The frame and the Voronoi structure come from a parametric definition driven by the keyboard's CAD model, which is what will let me adapt it to other keyboards.

PRINTED PARTS

01 Frame, PETG, (or 3 parts with 2 pegs)

02 Feet, TPU, x4

03 Wrist rest base, PETG

04 Wrist rest pad, TPU

05 Mouse pad base, PETG

06 Mouse pad surface, TPU

07 Phone stand, PETG

08 Post-it holder, PETG or PLA

09 Small tray, PETG or PLA

10 Mouse tray, PETG (mirror in the slicer for the other side)

11 Handle, PETG, (1 or 2) (mirror in the slicer for the other side)

12 Handle grip, TPU

13 Utility cup, PETG

14 Utility cup base, TPU

I'd print the PETG parts at 0.2 mm with 4 walls and 25% infill, no supports. For the TPU parts, 2 to 3 walls and 15 to 20% gyroid gives a nice soft feel.

HARDWARE

You only need hardware if you want to mount the frame on an arm:

4× M4 heat-set inserts

https://www.amazon.fr/HANGLIFE-Inserts-Composants-dImpression-Plastique/dp/B0CS6XGMFD/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=13P7YHY37ZI2I&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8ywcZGCngOGzgPjU1sPhDaA6P_tRa8W_R9zy0HBLsXk-F1QI6LgjZVJALq3o-kumDdFx5hFFP43-T6_najCyKja1_vwj4fbaMFSwLh9qM0kE_iI6Vbg7cDaaaM5EvkSoaomAww1N4CtSK2ZWdZsd_Y4uisD8yh5O0bDJkyZPsC_qvaYYF0PRgGRE0kufAHtwGvxzpeqQUuFRNxLwKNB1skQ7C5C0f09bIqOlx5sRrAENm285lT7r0UiS-6WLAI6LHYwLXf14PYWprrQmI0bL6FjdzN4yzRSuH9chuWFbsjc.Z8rdZEp1b_08WJDCKuMgGnMInsHguW8-eRLC66KfeEE&dib_tag=se&keywords=heat%2Binsert%2Bm4&qid=1792351403&sprefix=heat%2Binsert%2Bm4%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-2-spons&aref=P8Sp2yRX4B&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

4× M4 screws, length depending on your mount

For desk use, nothing extra is needed.

ASSEMBLY

1. Print the parts. Mirror the handle and the mouse tray in your slicer if you want them on the other side. If you printed the frame in segments, join them using the dove tail and add the pegs, (Glue optional)

2. Press the TPU feet into the recesses under the frame. (Glue optional)

3. Put the TPU pads and bases onto their PETG parts. (Glue Optional)

4. Drop the keyboard into the frame.

5. Slide in the wrist rest, the handle and whichever modules you want.

6. For mounting, press the M4 inserts into the VESA holes and screw the frame to your arm.

COMPATIBILITY

Made for the full-size MX Mechanical. My goal is to bring MX Carapace to the whole Logitech MX keyboard line, starting with the MX Mechanical Mini, MX Keys and Craft.

A NOTE BEFORE YOU PRINT

I checked everything against Logitech's CAD template and found no collisions, but I haven't printed it yet, (No printer at the moment) . If you make one, please post a photo and tell me how the fit was. I'll adjust the files based on your feedback.

Next on my list: a cradle module for the Logitech MX Ergo S trackball, a keyguard that clips onto the frame and also locks the keyboard in place, a mouth-stick dock and a lap base.