Custom case for keyboards?

[aarondelani]

Hey Guys,

Its my first post here, and I've been lurking for quite a bit. Many of the projects and reviews here have been really encouraging and I finally got out of my shell and want to contribute back into the community I've so happily lurked in for a month or so. My first projet is a keyboard case/frame. I want to build a case; simple enough, right?

My first question is, about materials. What material would you build your dream case out of?

Right now, for a prototype on sizing and form factor, I'm thinking about prototyping in cardboard, styrofoam, and styrene (more of a working prototype). Have any of you dealt with these materials?

If I can get this right, I have a contact that has a machine shop, I may be able to get a production quality CNC frame out of it. I'll post some sketches within the next few days (hopefully) on what the frame would look like.

[Muirium]

There's a fair bit of action in aluminium case designs, one example here. What have you got in mind? Different material entirely, different external design?

I'm a big fan of tiny compact keyboards, myself. But with the Poker etc. tackling that end of the spectrum for a while now, maybe there's room for new ideas up at the large footprint / comfort / ease of use range?

Then there's always the wild world of ergonomics.

[aarondelani]

@Muirium, just a simple one for now. I'm going to replace the case of the Noppoo Choc Mini... then after that, maybe the Filco Majestouch 2 TKL. I'm just thinking of a really minimalist/clean design and the ability to add a teensy board + removable USB cable. It'll be compact. So nothing really that complex.

My biggest hurdle is cost. I'm talking to one of my friends who works with wood as a profession. I'm trying to figure out what kind of wood would be the most rigid at .30cm. Wood would most likely be cheaper to produce as a DIY than aluminium. I'm not thinking of selling them, just thinking it might be a cool project to work on.

[Peter]

My first question is, about materials. What material would you build your dream case out of?

IBM already built it, 40 years ago :
http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8 ... t5301.html

That's what I dream about, just in a more modern size !

[Muirium]

My biggest hurdle is cost. I'm talking to one of my friends who works with wood as a profession. I'm trying to figure out what kind of wood would be the most rigid at .30cm. Wood would most likely be cheaper to produce as a DIY than aluminium. I'm not thinking of selling them, just thinking it might be a cool project to work on.

Wood certainly has character. When polished up, it can be quite spectacular. You're making me think of a truly Japanese looking HHKB now!

One of the benefits of custom metal cases over standard plastics is the added weight. Nothing like a bit of heft to keep a keyboard sitting still where you want it. Plus density basically = perception of quality when you lay your hands on something, and its heavier than you thought. Wood could work well that way.

[Findecanor]

While Wood is cheaper than aluminium, the cost of CNC'ing a case would still be high. If it is not CNC'd, then there would be a lot of manual labour for each case.
A wood case for a Poker, Pure or Nopoo Choc would be a bit simpler than a TLK, though. Mostly a frame and a bottom.

[aarondelani]

While Wood is cheaper than aluminium, the cost of CNC'ing a case would still be high. If it is not CNC'd, then there would be a lot of manual labour for each case.
A wood case for a Poker, Pure or Nopoo Choc would be a bit simpler than a TLK, though. Mostly a frame and a bottom.

You're right, I'm actually thinking about making just a bottom for the Noppoo Choc Mini keyboard. If I do wood, I might stick with just doing it by hand.

@Peter, what material is the frame made out of?!

@Muirium, yeah, I would love a little more weight and rigidity on this keyboard.

I'll try to get a sketch up on my idea tomorrow.

[photekq]

Sup. Just in case you didn't see Muirium's post earlier I've designed a case for the Phantom/Filco TKL that's designed to be made out of aluminium. My design is done and I'm hoping to get a prototype within the next few months. If you need help with any part of your project then please let me know.

For a case of that complexity (I have a mount for a USB breakout board, and multiple mounting options. Take a look at the later posts on the thread to get a better idea.) you're going to be looking at about £120 worth of metal. The cheapest quote I've got is between £225 and £325 for machining - this is for the one time prototype, and it will cost less when/if I decide to produce more. Also note that the place that quoted me is a university, and I'm a 15 year old student. They told me they were offering me lower prices than usual due to the fact that I'm a student. If you get it done at a business then it'll most likely cost you more.

Do you know how to use CAD? If not then it's the first thing I'd recommend. I didn't know how to before I started on the case and it only took me a day or two to learn the basics. It's very intuitive and it makes the design process fairly easy - if you have an idea then you can make it happen. Try out Solidworks - it's much more simple than AutoCad and it has everything you need to design a case.

[TDub]

If you are thinking about handmade wood cases you can check out the tread about my experiments with wood cases. I made some new ones last weekend but they are not quite finished yet. I will probably post them tomorrow or over the weekend. http://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=5169

[Peter]

@Peter, what material is the frame made out of?!

Honestly ? I don't know for certain !
But it looks AND FEELS very much like the same material my die-cast Corgi toy-cars where made from .
IIRC : It was called "LIGHT METAL ALLOY" back then ..