[IC] Stainless steel universal TKL plates (ANSI 125)

[strict]

The intro

I'm starting this thread to gauge interest in ANSI 125 stainless steel uTKL plates. I've been wanting one for my Filco for a while now but got tired of waiting so I went out and found a local metal fabrication shop with a 5KW laser cutter that is willing to cut the plates from 16 ga. 304 stainless steel.

The plate

For now, this is an interest check in ANSI 125 plates ONLY. I'm sure a lot of people are going to want other kinds of plates and if everything goes well enough with this initial GB I will likely do a second one and open it up to other plate designs.

This plate should fit TKL boards from Filco, QFR, Ducky, Phantom, PLU87, and possibly even a few others and will allow for switch top removal. Based on the CAD drawings (thanks jdcarpe!) I've sent them, the final product should look just like this.



The orders

There would be a MOQ of at least 36 plates. I'm still working on nailing down a final price but I was tentatively aiming for a flat cost of $40 out-the-door shipped anywhere in the CONUS.

At this point I'm mainly just trying to get shipping and handling costs figured out. This cost could potentially go up depending on final product weight/cost coupled with whatever material I end up using to ship with the plates to make sure they don't get damaged during shipping (fiberboard? cheap plywood? corrugated cardboard?). Current estimate for international shipping is + $25.

The fine print

I've never worked with this metal shop before so I can't even begin to estimate lead times before I have the plates in hand or final quality. However, they are a very big, very well-known metal fabrication business that even does work for the US military so I'm going to assume the final product will be of sufficient quality.

It's entirely possible this could go nowhere due to lack of interest or if something were to fall through on my end or the manufacturing end. For the time being, I'm not going to be doing anything other than taking preliminary order counts to see if we have enough interest to pull this off. If it seems like there is going to be enough interest for this to work, I will start a proper GB thread in the GB sub-section.

The list
Total: 24 plates
-----------
CONUS
strict: 2 plates
jdcarpe: 2 plates
CommonCurt: 1 plate (?)
JayKthnx: 1 plate
whiskytango: 1 plate
mark0331: 1 plate
DelKey: 2 plates
Flyersfan1: 1 plate
nickr: 1 plate
dorkvader: 1 plate (?)
Techno Trousers: 2 plates
badboybry9000: 1 plate
Ishamael: 1 plate
skcheng: 1 plate

International
LechnerDE: 2 plates
Elrick: 1 plate (?)
JaccoW: 1 plate (?)
HendyZone: 1 plate
n0rvig: 1 plate

[LechnerDE]

I guess this is the plate JDCarpe was talking about in his Teensy GB.

I am in for 2 plates! How much extra for international shippping? I just ordered 2 phantom PCBs from mechanicalkeyboards.com for only 10$, so I guess it should be about the same right?


Hopefully this run will be a succes and Round 2 will offer universal layouts, etc.

[Elrick]

I guess this is the plate JDCarpe was talking about in his Teensy GB.

I am in for 2 plates! How much extra for international shippping? I just ordered 2 phantom PCBs from mechanicalkeyboards.com for only 10$, so I guess it should be about the same right?


Hopefully this run will be a succes and Round 2 will offer universal layouts, etc.

If this is for Filco's then I'm in for some  .

[LechnerDE]

Well the OP says:

"This plate should fit TKL boards from Filco, QFR, Ducky, PLU87, and possibly even a few others and will allow for switch top removal."

So I guess you're good

[CommonCurt]

I will get at least one.  Maybe two

[JayKthnx]

I guarantee I will buy one

[Elrick]

Well the OP says:

"This plate should fit TKL boards from Filco, QFR, Ducky, PLU87, and possibly even a few others and will allow for switch top removal."

So I guess you're good

You do know that I'm slow, I tend to repeat myself over and over again.......  .

[whiskytango]

In for one

[strict]

I guess this is the plate JDCarpe was talking about in his Teensy GB.

I am in for 2 plates! How much extra for international shippping? I just ordered 2 phantom PCBs from mechanicalkeyboards.com for only 10$, so I guess it should be about the same right?


Hopefully this run will be a succes and Round 2 will offer universal layouts, etc.

I haven't gotten any shipping quotes yet for international orders. What method/carrier is usually the cheapest? My top choice for CONUS shipping right now is looking like USPS flat rate legal envelopes but according to the USPS site shipping to germany using one of those would cost roughly $25.

[JaccoW]

There is always the option to ship them international without insurance. Or at least give people the choice.
I would be in for at least one, maybe two.

The Netherlands btw.

[mark0331]

I'll definitely be in for one.

[jdcarpe]

I haven't gotten any shipping quotes yet for international orders. What method/carrier is usually the cheapest? My top choice for CONUS shipping right now is looking like USPS flat rate legal envelopes but according to the USPS site shipping to germany using one of those would cost roughly $25.

That's probably your best option. International shipping went up in the last year or so, and things are not cheap to send international anymore.

The reason MechanicalKeyboards.com can get away with only charging $10 for shipping a Phantom PCB is that the cost of CONUS shipping is baked into the price of the item, so that they can offer "free" shipping. Then the $10 international is additional onto what is baked into the cost of the item, so it seems like they are shipping things internationally for cheap.

[LechnerDE]

There is always the option to ship them international without insurance. Or at least give people the choice.
I would be in for at least one, maybe two.

The Netherlands btw.

Yeah, I am not expert in US shipping prices naturally, but my experience from past GBs is that anything "flatrate" is always more expensive than custom shipping rates according to actual weight and size.

I'd appreciate if you checked what the cheapest option would be. I think insurance is not really needed for an item under 100$ (buyers risk of course!).

I think a padded envelope is enough for something like steel plates. It's not like you are shipping sensitive microchips around the world

[HendyZone]

Put me in for one

[yasuo]

Put me in for one

mulai main solder neh omhen mulai mod ui

[CommonCurt]

Any chance of having the option to have them anodized?

[jdcarpe]

There is always the option to ship them international without insurance. Or at least give people the choice.
I would be in for at least one, maybe two.

The Netherlands btw.

Yeah, I am not expert in US shipping prices naturally, but my experience from past GBs is that anything "flatrate" is always more expensive than custom shipping rates according to actual weight and size.

I'd appreciate if you checked what the cheapest option would be. I think insurance is not really needed for an item under 100$ (buyers risk of course!).

I think a padded envelope is enough for something like steel plates. It's not like you are shipping sensitive microchips around the world

For one steel plate and a backing board, inside a large padded envelope, the price I'm getting from USPS for First Class is $20.45, not including the cost of the envelopes he will need to purchase. I would think at that price, the $25 Priority Mail flat rate shipping would be preferred.

Any chance of having the option to have them anodized?

Can't anodize steel.

[LechnerDE]

My top choice for CONUS shipping right now is looking like USPS flat rate legal envelopes but according to the USPS site shipping to germany using one of those would cost roughly $25.

Oh, you edited your post from 45$ to 25$.

That's way more reasonable I think 

[CommonCurt]

My mistake   

[strict]

My top choice for CONUS shipping right now is looking like USPS flat rate legal envelopes but according to the USPS site shipping to germany using one of those would cost roughly $25.

Oh, you edited your post from 45$ to 25$.

That's way more reasonable I think 

When I originally made that post I accidently chose Priority Mail Express instead of the normal Priority Mail.

[n0rvig]

Mark me down. I'll be in for 1 plate. International shipping to Canada.

[DelKey]

I'd be interested in 2 plates.

[Flyersfan1]

Definitely down for one, thank you so much for doing this!

[strict]

We're roughly half way there. If we can get to at least 32-33 orders I will go ahead and start the official GB thread and if needed I will buy a few extra plates for myself and sell them in the classifieds later.

[jdcarpe]

We're roughly half way there. If we can get to at least 32-33 orders I will go ahead and start the official GB thread and if needed I will buy a few extra plates for myself and sell them in the classifieds later.

Once you get about 50% of your MOQ committed to an interest check, it's pretty safe to go ahead and open a group buy. You will always pick up orders toward the end, and it gives a good idea of timeline for people.

FYI: on my recent Teensy GB, I was sitting at roughly 50-60 orders from the time I opened it until Josh at MechanicalKeyboards placed a large order to push us close to MOQ. I set a payment deadline, and kept collecting orders until the last day. I ended up with orders for 149 Teensys, not counting my own, and wouldn't have even needed the large order from MK if more people would have just jumped on from the beginning. But that's just the fact of group buys - people love to wait until the end to place their order.

[nickr]

Absolutely interested in one.  Been snooping around the board for a while waiting on something like this to pop up.

[strict]

We're roughly half way there. If we can get to at least 32-33 orders I will go ahead and start the official GB thread and if needed I will buy a few extra plates for myself and sell them in the classifieds later.

Once you get about 50% of your MOQ committed to an interest check, it's pretty safe to go ahead and open a group buy. You will always pick up orders toward the end, and it gives a good idea of timeline for people.

FYI: on my recent Teensy GB, I was sitting at roughly 50-60 orders from the time I opened it until Josh at MechanicalKeyboards placed a large order to push us close to MOQ. I set a payment deadline, and kept collecting orders until the last day. I ended up with orders for 149 Teensys, not counting my own, and wouldn't have even needed the large order from MK if more people would have just jumped on from the beginning. But that's just the fact of group buys - people love to wait until the end to place their order.

Thats very good information to know, I've never run a GB before so advice like this is very welcome. I'll probably give this thread another couple days and then start the official GB thread. It seems like one of the more popular options for tracking GB info is google spreadsheets so I'll have to take some time to get familiar with it and get an order form ready.

I've been debating contacting some vendors and seeing if they have any interest in picking up a few of these plates. If they are interested Im sure their orders would be very helpful in meeting MOQ.

[Elrick]

Thats very good information to know, I've never run a GB before so advice like this is very welcome. I'll probably give this thread another couple days and then start the official GB thread. It seems like one of the more popular options for tracking GB info is google spreadsheets so I'll have to take some time to get familiar with it and get an order form ready.

Take you time because you want your Group Buy to work reliably.  Unlike some other Manufacturer here on GH that can't be bothered to fix their shipping section when people want to buy any of their key-sets (SP is woefully messed up here).

Thus far anyone here running a Group Buy has managed to successfully handle all shipping with ease and little fuss.  I hope yours joins that elite group of organizers here at Geekhack.

[dorkvader]

Can you add a hole for cherry spacebar offset compatability? I want to use POM spacebars with this plate.

Just wonder'n, since there's the extra stabilizer holes.

Either way, I would be interested in one (perhaps two).

[jdcarpe]

Can you add a hole for cherry spacebar offset compatability? I want to use POM spacebars with this plate.

Just wonder'n, since there's the extra stabilizer holes.

Either way, I would be interested in one (perhaps two).

Sure, that's no problem. I thought I had done that already, but I've been working on so many plate designs lately, it was probably a GH60 plate. I'll make the change and get the new drawing sent tomorrow.

[Techno Trousers]

I'll take two off your hands, most definitely. I'm in CONUS.

[badboybry9000]

$40 sounds good. I'm interested in one.

[Ishamael]

I believe I would be interested in one.

[skcheng]

I'm in for one board please.   Thx.

[Dreamre]

Any luck for cheaper shipping to your Canadian neighbour ?

[strict]

Any luck for cheaper shipping to your Canadian neighbour ?

I should have more information on shipping later today. Im going to stop by the post office with the plate I just received from Techpriest as a template. I have an order form ready and as soon as I get more concrete shipping costs I will start the official GB thread.

[jdcarpe]

Any luck for cheaper shipping to your Canadian neighbour ?

I should have more information on shipping later today. Im going to stop by the post office with the plate I just received from Techpriest as a template. I have an order form ready and as soon as I get more concrete shipping costs I will start the official GB thread.

Those were aluminum, right? Steel will be heavier.

[strict]

Any luck for cheaper shipping to your Canadian neighbour ?

I should have more information on shipping later today. Im going to stop by the post office with the plate I just received from Techpriest as a template. I have an order form ready and as soon as I get more concrete shipping costs I will start the official GB thread.

Those were aluminum, right? Steel will be heavier.

You're correct, they are aluminum. According to the USPS site, weight doesnt matter when shipping domestically using a flat rate envelope. However, I suspect for international shipping, weight will be noticeable factor in final cost. I was planning on estimating the weight of the steel plate at double the weight of the aluminum one.

[jdcarpe]

Any luck for cheaper shipping to your Canadian neighbour ?

I should have more information on shipping later today. Im going to stop by the post office with the plate I just received from Techpriest as a template. I have an order form ready and as soon as I get more concrete shipping costs I will start the official GB thread.

Those were aluminum, right? Steel will be heavier.

You're correct, they are aluminum. According to the USPS site, weight doesnt matter when shipping domestically using a flat rate envelope. However, I suspect for international shipping, weight will be noticeable factor in final cost. I was planning on estimating the weight of the steel plate at double the weight of the aluminum one.

Yeah, I still think the legal flat rate envelope will be your cheapest option to ship to Canada. I never recommend first class shipping for international, unless it's for a keycap or something small and of low value, that can fit inside a small bubble mailer. Anything large or fragile should be sent priority mail, or I can almost guarantee it will get lost or bent/crushed.

[do_Og@n]

Put me down for one plate.

[strict]

Alright, I've got a GB thread posted in the GB sub section. Just waiting on it to be approved ...

[jdcarpe]

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=55555.0

Lucky 5's!