deskthority

Wow, lots of great news here !

If you need some small design to try your devices, I still have mine (two halves mirrored) but I really need to test an option in the design with a modular plate to be sure so it should start with an acrylic plate.

CNC is in da house!

Nice! How big of a machine is it (weight and space wise)? Not really sure what a CNC mill would look like, but I assume its about the size of a small appliance? Since its from a local place as you say, did they deliver it themselves, or did you have to pick it up?

it's about 25kg, it's the size of a small bench machine (It's a router not a mill). I'll post some pictures later, now I have to test it.

I had to change supplier at the last minute because they were delaying again and I was fed up. Anyway, I got it at the end. Have to make a gazillion tests

Sounds great! Good luck!

I suspect, once you've got the hang of it, this will turn out to be a little awesome factory. Topre stem adapters? Custom caps? And PCBs, of course, speaking of which I'd better tell Peter!

unboxing



assembling



first test pattern... huge success!



I love this thing but I need a lot of time to set it up correctly.

The caterpillar track reminds me of this little guy…



How appropriate!

Looking well!

The CNC looks great! I'd love to get hold of something like that.

Muirium wrote: The caterpillar track reminds me of this little guy…

Spoiler:

How appropriate!

Ha ha! it reminded me of this:



EDIT:

Matt3o, what cnc have you bought? And from? Thinking of looking into a cnc for my own.

beltet wrote: Matt3o, what cnc have you bought? And from? Thinking of looking into a cnc for my own.

I had to change supplier 100 times, at the end I had to take a Chinese CNC, although pretty good quality (PM me if you want details)

thickness of layers 6mm is enough?
1,5mm plate
3mm-----
3mm-----
2mm base

ماء wrote: thickness of layers 6mm is enough?
1,5mm plate
3mm-----
3mm-----
2mm base

8mm is safer

I'm sorry this took so much, the CNC absorbed all my spare time.

Anyway, I want to assure you that the project is not dead. Massdrop is willing to produce my 65% keyboard early next year. This means that the keyboard will have a professionally printed PCB, case and everything. It will probably be alps and mx compatible, too.

I will try to find a way to get some samples directly in Europe to save in taxes and shipping, I'll keep you updated.

What are the constraints? 65% like 16 columns * 5 rows, but pick whatever layouts inside that we like? What stabs are you arranging for Alps?

Muirium wrote: What are the constraints? 65% like 16 columns * 5 rows, but pick whatever layouts inside that we like? What stabs are you arranging for Alps?

16*5 layout with as many options as physically possible. I'll post some pictures.

Stabs will be probably costar+cherry. I have to check if we can physically fit "traditional" alps stabs as well.

Nice. What's the controller?

not sure yet. AVR or ARM based, depends on pricing and availability.

Obviously it won't have an iso option, right?

of course it will

Mx alps ansi iso 65%?
[emoji33] [emoji15] there's something wrong here
It can't happen here!

Ooh nice. We need some pics. I believe that ARMs are littlebit cheapers at the monen than AVR atmegas.

Any chance of us seeing a revised Bianca on Massdrop anytime soon? After having a few months to reflect, I think Bianca wound up being my favorite of these boards. I just love the split up spacebars/lack of stabs.

it's such an hardcore board that it wouldn't get that much love I think

personally, I love it

let's get back to work

I made some more tests. It seems it would be possible to make a "tray" design with bent plates. The end result is not perfectly seamless, but quite good.

This would be a very quick render, don't mind the Victorian decorations too much, we could actually have anything lasered.





I would do the tray in steel, and the plate in aluminum. This would be extremely cheap.

Wait, what, you said the magic word!

Muirium wrote: Wait, what, you said the magic word!

cheapcheapcheapcheapcheapcheapcheap

Great! I've got switches, caps and diodes at the ready.

Got a PCB in mind? One of 7bit's?

this one in particular is a 16x5, but once the design is ready you can make it work for anything.

This time I've been able to include the panel mounted USB port, it is expensive, but I believe it's that small detail that brings you from "nice" to "pro".