[IC] LeandreN GB | Planning round 2

[LeandreN]

I have decided to run a round 2, please will out this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vIAHkuyoQYYUnhIS2hlT0KI5_0TaCbMLpxGBnVFV45A/viewform

Let me know if you have any conserns.

This is an example on how it could look:

Anodised aluminium universal 60% (choose between red, white, blue):
Sold 40 MOQ 50
50: 40$, 70: 35$, 100: 30$

40% keyboard + sandwhich case:
Sold 24 MOQ 20
50: 45$ 70: 42$, 100: 38$

Full size sandblasted steel, multiple bottom row options:
Sold 18 MOQ 20
50: 30$, 70: 28$, 100: 23$

60% plate combatible with sandwhich case + sandwhich case in frosted acrylic(choose between ISO or ANSI:
Sold 30 MOQ 25
50: 50$, 70: 46$, 100: 44$

So as you might understand, i want more options and will only produce the plates that makes the MOQ

Designs may be taken from here and the IC form.

[lolpes]

Very interested especially because low shipping price to EU

[welsinki]

I havenīt yet filled in your survey but Iīve ordered a prototype plate from your store to give it a test with both MX and ALPS switches.

[Joey Quinn]

Why don't the plates have screw holes to mount them to a case?

[LeandreN]

I havenīt yet filled in your survey but Iīve ordered a prototype plate from your store to give it a test with both MX and ALPS switches.

Hello you. Thanks for your order I hope you get satisfied!

[LeandreN]

Very interested especially because low shipping price to EU

Gotta show EU some love

I will look at the results of the IC and check what is best to order and ill set up a groupbuy.

[LeandreN]

Why don't the plates have screw holes to mount them to a case?

The point is to make a cheap and simple plate. No mountholes this time:-/

Edit: someone changed my opinion.

[Joey Quinn]

Why don't the plates have screw holes to mount them to a case?

The point is to make a cheap and simple plate. No mountholes this time:-/

I personally won't be buying one but I think you'll get a lot more interest if you add the standard 60% mounting holes, a plate without any mounting holes whatsoever is mostly useless seeing as you can't use any sort of case.

[LeandreN]

Why don't the plates have screw holes to mount them to a case?

The point is to make a cheap and simple plate. No mountholes this time:-/

I personally won't be buying one but I think you'll get a lot more interest if you add the standard 60% mounting holes, a plate without any mounting holes whatsoever is mostly useless seeing as you can't use any sort of case.

Thanks for the idea, but I try to get a nice price point also. Sorry.

[Photekq]

What are the plates intended to be used with?

They have no holes to allow the PCB to be screwed down to a Poker-compatible casing.

They have no holes for the plate to be screwed down to a casing.

As far as I can tell, these plates are not usable with anything. You couldn't even design a custom casing around them because of their lack of any kind of screw holes.

(of course, correct me if I'm wrong)

[Joey Quinn]

^ That's what I was trying to tell him.

[Photekq]

Also, adding holes will not affect the cost whatsoever. It's just a tiny bit of extra laser cutting.

[Joey Quinn]

Based on his reddit post I think he used Swill's plate builder which may not allow you to add mounting holes. LeandrenN if this is the case I can help you with adding the holes.

Edit: I was wrong about the plate builder, it does allow you to add holes.

[LeandreN]

Yes, but this isn't the point. I'll will see if I can do it, but none of the 50 people that has filled out the form is particularly interested in it. It will be a lot more work. Thanks for the opportunity though. This is more of a "make your own case simple design. Or " add 4 feet's " open design.

[Photekq]

Yes, but this isn't the point. I'll will see if I can do it, but none of the 50 people that has filled out the form is particularly interested in it. It will be a lot more work. Thanks for the opportunity though. This is more of a "make your own case simple design. Or " add 4 feet's " open design.

I think the people that filled the form maybe didn't notice (or maybe don't understand) that this plate is almost useless as is.

You cannot easily design a case around it (trust me, I've designed plenty of cases), since there's no way to mount the plate or PCB to a case. If you were to design a case around it, it would be one where the PCB just sort of sits inside it. Neither the PCB or plate would really be 'mounted'.

The only real use I can see for it, which you mentioned, is adding 4 feet to the PCB and having it with no casing.

[LeandreN]

Yes, but this isn't the point. I'll will see if I can do it, but none of the 50 people that has filled out the form is particularly interested in it. It will be a lot more work. Thanks for the opportunity though. This is more of a "make your own case simple design. Or " add 4 feet's " open design.

I think the people that filled the form maybe didn't notice (or maybe don't understand) that this plate is almost useless as is.

You cannot easily design a case around it (trust me, I've designed plenty of cases), since there's no way to mount the plate or PCB to a case. If you were to design a case around it, it would be one where the PCB just sort of sits inside it. Neither the PCB or plate would really be 'mounted'.

The only real use I can see for it, which you mentioned, is adding 4 feet to the PCB and having it with no casing.

OK then. Will the poker 60% cutouts work with standard cases then?

[Photekq]

OK then. Will the poker 60% cutouts work with standard cases then?

Yes. All 60% cases that use PCB-mounting use those standoff positions.

[LeandreN]

OK then. Will the poker 60% cutouts work with standard cases then?

Yes. All 60% cases that use PCB-mounting use those standoff positions.

Ok thanks for your help. I will see what I can do.

[LeandreN]

OK then. Will the poker 60% cutouts work with standard cases then?

Yes. All 60% cases that use PCB-mounting use those standoff positions.

Need some help. First, the top looks horribly wrong, so i will cut it down in FreeCad. Second, the "mount holes" hit the switch itself, both on ANSI and ISO. Is it okay?

[Giorgio]

I don't understand why you started with the simplest conceivable plate. In ISO (well that's the only positive for me). No cutouts, no cherry stabilizers, no mounting holes... Nothing but the switches... Why did you rush it?

[VinnyCordeiro]

OK then. Will the poker 60% cutouts work with standard cases then?

Yes. All 60% cases that use PCB-mounting use those standoff positions.

Show Image

Need some help. First, the top looks horribly wrong, so i will cut it down in FreeCad. Second, the "mount holes" hit the switch itself, both on ANSI and ISO. Is it okay?

As you are using swill's plate builder, that's a common problem you are doing at the Keyboard Layout Editor. You are simply deleting the keys, like that:


You also need to reposition the keys, just like that:


Just after that you may use the plate builder correctly.

[quochung1989]

Filled

[LeandreN]

OK then. Will the poker 60% cutouts work with standard cases then?

Yes. All 60% cases that use PCB-mounting use those standoff positions.

Show Image

Need some help. First, the top looks horribly wrong, so i will cut it down in FreeCad. Second, the "mount holes" hit the switch itself, both on ANSI and ISO. Is it okay?

As you are using swill's plate builder, that's a common problem you are doing at the Keyboard Layout Editor. You are simply deleting the keys, like that:
(Attachment Link)

You also need to reposition the keys, just like that:
(Attachment Link)

Just after that you may use the plate builder correctly.

Of course. Super thanks!

[Melvang]

I just want to say if you are going to order this and try and drill holes yourself, please know what you are doing with stainless before ordering a plate. 

Stainless is very difficult to work with in a home/home shop environment.  I work with it on occasion at work and I still burned up a pair of drill bits on one hole, and I still had to open the hole up big enough with a file.

[LeandreN]

I just want to say if you are going to order this and try and drill holes yourself, please know what you are doing with stainless before ordering a plate. 

Stainless is very difficult to work with in a home/home shop environment.  I work with it on occasion at work and I still burned up a pair of drill bits on one hole, and I still had to open the hole up big enough with a file.

I am not gonna drill holes myself. I know what I am doing

[Dihedral]

I won't be partaking in this but am interested to see how it turns out as I expect to do something similar in my D-79 project.  Good Luck!

[LeandreN]

I won't be partaking in this but am interested to see how it turns out as I expect to do something similar in my D-79 project.  Good Luck!

Thanks!

[quochung1989]

I read this IC super fast & filled form. Hope you 'll drill 5 mounting holes.
If not, I have to give up this IC.

[LeandreN]

I read this IC super fast & filled form. Hope you 'll drill 5 mounting holes.
If not, I have to give up this IC.

I will try to get standard mounting holes.

[LeandreN]

OK then. Will the poker 60% cutouts work with standard cases then?

Yes. All 60% cases that use PCB-mounting use those standoff positions.

Show Image

Need some help. First, the top looks horribly wrong, so i will cut it down in FreeCad. Second, the "mount holes" hit the switch itself, both on ANSI and ISO. Is it okay?

As you are using swill's plate builder, that's a common problem you are doing at the Keyboard Layout Editor. You are simply deleting the keys, like that:
(Attachment Link)

You also need to reposition the keys, just like that:
(Attachment Link)

Just after that you may use the plate builder correctly.

Thanks! Does this look right to you?

ANSI


ISO



Thanks for all the help and recomandations!

[quochung1989]

Capslock support both center & center off position?

[LeandreN]

I won't be partaking in this but am interested to see how it turns out as I expect to do something similar in my D-79 project.  Good Luck!

Tell me about your D-79 project

[LeandreN]

Capslock support both center & center off position?

Standard positioning. Can you explain further?

[Dihedral]

I won't be partaking in this but am interested to see how it turns out as I expect to do something similar in my D-79 project.  Good Luck!

Tell me about your D-79 project

It's an 80 percent style board with a merged num pad and no function row. I would like it as my endgame board and would like to run a small GB for plates later in the year if there is interest. Click the middle picture in my signature for more info

[LeandreN]

I won't be partaking in this but am interested to see how it turns out as I expect to do something similar in my D-79 project.  Good Luck!

Tell me about your D-79 project

It's an 80 percent style board with a merged num pad and no function row. I would like it as my endgame board and would like to run a small GB for plates later in the year if there is interest. Click the middle picture in my signature for more info

Cool!

[quochung1989]

Top is center off position. Bottom is center position.



You said standard position is center? True?

[LeandreN]

Top is center off position. Bottom is center position.

Show Image

You said standard position is center? True?

It will only work with centred caps lock. :-/

[quochung1989]

Top is center off position. Bottom is center position.

Show Image

You said standard position is center? True?

It will only work with centred caps lock. :-/

Oops ! Almost korean pcb like 38GT; FaceU... supported two type, even more people like center off than center especially who love cherry.
So I hope you think more about this.

[LeandreN]

Top is center off position. Bottom is center position.

Show Image

You said standard position is center? True?

It will only work with centred caps lock. :-/

Oops ! Almost korean pcb like 38GT; FaceU... supported two type, even more people like center off than center especially who love cherry.
So I hope you think more about this.

I will think about it, but probably not. Thanks for ideas!

[LeandreN]

Updates
04.12.2015 - sent over drawings for 4 different plates, ISO plain, ISO advanced, ANSI plane and ANSI advanced. Will get quotes and decide a MOQ and set up the group buy.

[welsinki]

 

[LeandreN]

I applaud LeandreN for taking the initiative to try and make a board available to people in the EU that costs as much as shipping alone would cost for one from the US. Itīs his first prototype so of course not everything will be perfect. I noticed the holes being absent but didnīt think it was a big deal at this price.

For anyone who is getting one, here are some videos of how to drill through stainless steel without destroying your drill bits:

How to Drill Through Stainless Steel

How to drill Stainless Steel w/ cheap tools and minimal supplies

Thanks for the tools! Yeah, trying to make it affordable to Europe.

The prototypes i have now works fine, but no mountholes. My plan is to make 4 different plates and have some MOQ. The reason for not having on the first one was because it was not meant to be placed in a case like that, i made some myself that worked.

2 of the new plates will have mountholes

Thanks again.

[Asininity]

Very interested. Inexpensive plates would be a wonder. I have a bunch of Gateron switches and I wouldn't mind making a board with one of these. Looking forward to the GB.

[LeandreN]

Very interested. Inexpensive plates would be a wonder. I have a bunch of Gateron switches and I wouldn't mind making a board with one of these. Looking forward to the GB.

Happy to hear that

[LeandreN]

Feel free to check out the GB on my site. Some more info can be found there. Still open for suggestions.
Edit, site: http://leandre.webs.com/groupbuys

[Giorgio]

I hope that your prices will be around $10 like all the other group buys.

[LeandreN]

I hope that your prices will be around $10 like all the other group buys.

It depends on how may that buys. 10$ sounds a little low, but not impossible.

[Asininity]

I hope that your prices will be around $10 like all the other group buys.

It depends on how may that buys. 10$ sounds a little low, but not impossible.

Personally, if each plate was $10 I would buy three. If enough people behaved similarly I could easily foresee large quantity orders.

[Dihedral]

Bear in mind that I only managed to reach the price point of Ģ10 for my steel switch display. Although it had a bend, it only had four holes but still cost more than 10 dollars. Even at larger quantities you would do very well to hit 10 dollars. Good luck htough!

[LeandreN]

Bear in mind that I only managed to reach the price point of Ģ10 for my steel switch display. Although it had a bend, it only had four holes but still cost more than 10 dollars. Even at larger quantities you would do very well to hit 10 dollars. Good luck htough!

My last ones were about 20 a piece so it isn't impossible, but like you say, difficult.