[GB] Weight Insert for Octagon V2 - All Orders Shipped

[merlin64]

Who Am I?

I've been an avid member of geekhack for about a year now. I have quite a few trades under my belt and so far no one has complained. I'm in the second batch for Octagon V2 so I actually don't even have an Octagon V2 yet. However thanks to certain community members, duckness, Pemdas, and everyone who participated in the IC, I have been able to proceed to the GB stage =).

This is my very first GB and I am still very much a noob at all this, so please be patient with me. If any of you experienced GB leaders see me doing something wrong, please feel free to chime in and set me on the right path.

I am not known to steal money and I have no warrants out for my arrest. But like anything on the internet, BUYER BEWARE.

What?

This is a metal weight insert for Duck Octagon V2 keyboards ONLY. You will have the choice of either Brass or Stainless steel, with Duck Octagon engraved on it or a blank plate. All plates will come polished. This is only applicable for those who ordered the aluminum bottom. It will be made locally in the good old USA and each plate will weigh roughly 1 lb. The stainless steel will be a little less. Please note, this is not a reversible plate, the screws will not sit flush and possibly damage your PCB. The screws needed have already been provided by Duck with your Octagon V2.

The plate pictured is a prototype made out of scrap aluminum. It was made for test fitting purposes and testing of various finishes. For history in how this came to be, please refer to the IC https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=81978.0


Octagon V2 kindly provided by Pemdas as I have none



Who can order?

Open to anyone who wants one. You don't even need an Octagon V2 to enjoy its goodness.  . However, shipping will come in stages. CONUS first, then Canada, then International orders.

How much is it?

Blank plates are roughly $30 $40 while engraved plates will cost roughly $35 $45. That is for a total order of 40 units. Exact pricing may differ when the order is submitted so let's try and break 40 folks! I will ONLY take PayPal as it will give you 180 days to get your money back in case I decide to run away with your money. Hence, there will be PayPal fees involved. The first invoice sent will ONLY be for the cost of the unit. Another shipping invoice will be sent out once all items are at my doorstep.

Estimated USPS First Class Shipping costs for 1 plate
CONUS: $8 -12 USD
Canada: $12 - 15 CAD
International: $15 - 20 USD minimum. For exact costs, use the USPS website. It's 1 lb per plate.

If for some reason you are unable to pay, please contact me and we can work something out. Case by case basis of course. Make your case good! 

How long do I have to decide?

I would like to run this Group Buy for 2 weeks, closing on 6/21/16 9 pm PST. I'll start sending out invoices about a week in. If for some reason you missed this, you will be able to acquire these plates during the extras buying stage. It will be more expensive of course. It will take roughly 2-3 weeks of manufacturing if all goes well. July 4th is also in the middle of all that so there might be a delay here and there.

Can I have you put my own custom engraving on the plate?

That is a very cool idea, and I wish I could. If I were to do that, that would delay the manufacturing time by a lot, especially if everyone wants a custom design. My suggestion is to buy a blank plate and take it to a local engraver.

Sign me up!

Check your orders here ( I update this manually )
http://tinyurl.com/jbj9c8l

Status Updates
12/09/2016 - All Orders shipped
11/10/2016 - All US orders shipped. Invoicing/Shipping International orders.
11/07/2016 - US orders just about done, still waiting for 2 invoices to be paid. International invoicing/shipping to commence!
11/04/2016 - Brass Weights arrived, shipping out all US Single Engraved Brass units ONLY
09/12/2016 - Stainless Steel plates are done! Going to start shipping to those who ONLY ordered SS. Will have to wait for brass to finish up.
06/28/2016 - Everyone paid up, hurray! Order submitted to the manufacturer. I gotta do some paperwork, but manufacturing should start soon.
06/21/2016 - GB Closed, currently awaiting payments of open invoices. You have 7 days.
06/19/2016 - All 38 people currently involved in this GB have been invoiced. All new orders got until 06/21/16 9 PM PST.
06/18/2016 - Invoicing has begun!
06/16/2016 - Tracking List Added - Check your orders
06/14/2016 - Price adjustments - more expensive.
06/06/2016 - GB Submitted for moderator approval GB Live!!

Stages
Taking Group Buy Orders
Invoicing for items
Order Submitted/Manufacturing
Orders Done/Delivery to me
Quality Inspection + Photos
Invoicing for shipping
Shipping to CONUS Addresses
Shipping to Canada Addresses
Shipping to International Addresses
Extras Ordering
GB Done

[hkf]

What is international shipping cost? is it wrapped in the $35?

[Pemdas]

Form submitted 

Thanks again Merlin and good luck on the buy!

[tuco]

I'm in!

[merlin64]

What is international shipping cost? is it wrapped in the $35?

Updated the OP. Estimated shipping would be $15 to 20 USD for international shipping. I'll send invoices once I have the plates.

[hkf]

What is international shipping cost? is it wrapped in the $35?

Updated the OP. Estimated shipping would be $15 to 20 USD for international shipping. I'll send invoices once I have the plates.

Great. I filled in the form regardless! Much better than my quote of $80~USD + shipping.

[merlin64]

What is international shipping cost? is it wrapped in the $35?

Updated the OP. Estimated shipping would be $15 to 20 USD for international shipping. I'll send invoices once I have the plates.

Great. I filled in the form regardless! Much better than my quote of $80~USD + shipping.

Well if you are unsatisfied with my prices, I can match that other price no problem! 

[breitling]

In for one Polished Brass! But man Stainless would be cool too.. thinking maybe I should buy one of each.. damnit! If only there were no options...

[boo]

Hi Merlin,

Do you know if brass will corrode or deform over stainless steel? Thinking long term like 5 years

[ika]

Do you have a rough weight for the stainless steel plate?

Also that intl shipping seems low for the weight. I assume you're using First Class International?

[stillzman]

wish i had an octagon

[RichieRo]

Submitted, thanks!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RevoTeam]

wish i had an octagon v2

[merlin64]

Do you have a rough weight for the stainless steel plate?

Also that intl shipping seems low for the weight. I assume you're using First Class International?

Both plates are ~1 lb, with the stainless being a little less. I will be doing USPS First Class International for shipping. Cheapest I could find. Though if people want other forms of shipping and are willing to pay for it, I can do that too.

[merlin64]

Hi Merlin,

Do you know if brass will corrode or deform over stainless steel? Thinking long term like 5 years

It won't deform, but it will corrode if it's in plain air. I am no material scientist, so i can't say for sure how it will react sealed in your Octagon V2.

[ctrlX]

Thanks for doing this! Will put my order in as soon as I am on a more stable connection.

Edit:
Filled out form and submitted.

[E3E]

Awesome, good to see!

[nguyenkimtam]

i'm in
 

[Dreamre]

Is there any opportunity for getting matching screws for the brass plate? If not I'll go with the stainless steel option. Thanks.

[merlin64]

I've looked far and wide for these m2.5 hex screws in brass and haven't been successful. If someone can find me a source I'd be glad to throw them in. This will add to the cost though.

[Dreamre]

I've looked far and wide for these m2.5 hex screws in brass and haven't been successful. If someone can find me a source I'd be glad to throw them in. This will add to the cost though.

Thanks for providing this info! I've tried and no luck either...

[merlin64]

FYI 2nd batch of Octagon V2s now have tracking info!

[xondat]

Would these suit your screw needs? M2.5 4mm.

[merlin64]

Probably. Do they come in bras? Where can I get them?

[xondat]

Probably. Do they come in bras? Where can I get them?

Yeah brass, they're about $3.60 each so probably not too suited for your group buy. They're from a place in the UK.

[E3E]

I use brass screws with the copper weight I have in my Orion v2, and let me tell you, when it comes to those little screws, the weight is negligible vs. the stainless steel screws that came with Duck's boards.
 
Unless you demand the swag, you should be fine with stainless, and the contrast would probably make it look better, imo.

[xondat]

I use brass screws with the copper weight I have in my Orion v2, and let me tell you, when it comes to those little screws, the weight is negligible vs. the stainless steel screws that came with Duck's boards.
 
Unless you demand the swag, you should be fine with stainless, and the contrast would probably make it look better, imo.

I agree, personally I'd prefer the contrast but I think someone might want them to blend in or something. I never guessed it would be about weight though.

FYI I'm not in the buy because I don't have an Octagon but still want to help.

[E3E]

I agree, personally I'd prefer the contrast but I think someone might want them to blend in or something. I never guessed it would be about weight though.

FYI I'm not in the buy because I don't have an Octagon but still want to help.

Yeah, my first thought for using brass screws with my copper plate was contrast, but I did wonder if there'd be any significant difference with weight. Nah, should have figured.
 
Yep, no Octagon v2 here either. Sold the slot I bought off of you to another! Still, it's awesome seeing plates that are more or less Korean exclusive being made for us over here.

[merlin64]

Looks like my Octagon V2 is in San Francisco! I wasn't expecting this until mid to late July!

I am tempted to close the GB a bit earlier so as to get the orders in and get this show on the road haha.

Plus, when I get that plate in, I'll be able to look into making those removable switch top plates too.

Hurray for cheap American copies.

[airs]

Filled out the form, thanks for running this GB. Really excited to hear you're trying to do one for an Octagon v2 plate too!

[gaiden]

What would be some key differences between a stainless steel plate and brass plate? Weight? Hardness? Does it require maintenance over time? Would like to know ppl opinions on which to get for a Silver top/bottom case? Thanks guys

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[aaron6301]

What would be some key differences between a stainless steel plate and brass plate? Weight? Hardness? Does it require maintenance over time? Would like to know ppl opinions on which to get for a Silver top/bottom case? Thanks guys

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Can't address your questions regarding the key differences but I can provide me opinion on what might look better. In the original thread, https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=81978.0, the picture in the first column, third row is likely going to represent how it will look on a silver base/case. I for one thing that brass might compliment the silver a little better due to the contrast.

[merlin64]

I think I will let Wikipedia speak for me about the differences between the materials. As specified earlier, brass will be heavier but at these quantities, it won't be much. Think 1 lb for brass vs 0.98 for stainless steel. You won't feel the difference. Material selection was chosen primarily for color.

Brass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass
Stainless Steel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel

[merlin64]

What would be some key differences between a stainless steel plate and brass plate? Weight? Hardness? Does it require maintenance over time? Would like to know ppl opinions on which to get for a Silver top/bottom case? Thanks guys

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Can't address your questions regarding the key differences but I can provide me opinion on what might look better. In the original thread, https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=81978.0, the picture in the first column, third row is likely going to represent how it will look on a silver base/case. I for one thing that brass might compliment the silver a little better due to the contrast.

Aaron are my photos in the OP not showing? The photos you referenced should be the same as the one in the OP.

[aaron6301]

What would be some key differences between a stainless steel plate and brass plate? Weight? Hardness? Does it require maintenance over time? Would like to know ppl opinions on which to get for a Silver top/bottom case? Thanks guys

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Can't address your questions regarding the key differences but I can provide me opinion on what might look better. In the original thread, https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=81978.0, the picture in the first column, third row is likely going to represent how it will look on a silver base/case. I for one thing that brass might compliment the silver a little better due to the contrast.

Aaron are my photos in the OP not showing? The photos you referenced should be the same as the one in the OP.

My apologies, I was jumping around both thread. You are correct, I should have just referenced the OP.

[merlin64]

For those concerned about brass corroding....

Funny how you forget things, but I did some furniture work in the past and we protected brass handles and hardware by putting lacquer on them. I believe you can also use tung oil and wax. That was well over 10 years ago, so they may actually have better stuff now, but lacquer is cool!

As mentioned previously, because you won't be coming in contact with this on a day to day basis, it will most likely be protected from corrosion.

I know lacquer can catch fire, but I really doubt our keyboards get that hot. If people want, I can lacquer it up for a small price. It should only take a thin coat.

[gaiden]

I think I will let Wikipedia speak for me about the differences between the materials. As specified earlier, brass will be heavier but at these quantities, it won't be much. Think 1 lb for brass vs 0.98 for stainless steel. You won't feel the difference. Material selection was chosen primarily for color.

Brass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass
Stainless Steel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel

Thanks for info, if I changed my mind on the material can I change my order later? Also will there be a Google Doc on how many ppl signed up for what plate along with their Octagon case color? Public opinion matters to me and possibly others because it helps me make better decisions

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[merlin64]

If I'm not mistaken, you can just re-submit the form. However once I've sent out the invoice, you're probably gonna have to PM me and let me know.

That excel sheet sounds like a good idea, however I unfortunately didn't put metrics up for bottom and top plate color. I suppose I cold manually compare Elton's and my google docs and work on it. I'll look into doing that this weekend.

This concern for things that you won't see on a daily basis is quite intriguing. It reminds me of the Steve Jobs biography in which I learned that he insisted that the PCBs be beautiful even when no one would see it.

[gaiden]

It's not about what you can see, its about what you know is there thanks for giving the effort for doing the spreadsheet, kudos!

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[merlin64]

Just got my Octagon V2, looking at the switch plate, it seems that if I were to do switch top removal mod, the switches on the right and left sides would make the frame really thin. I wonder if that's going to be bad for mechanical support.

[E3E]

Just got my Octagon V2, looking at the switch plate, it seems that if I were to do switch top removal mod, the switches on the right and left sides would make the frame really thin. I wonder if that's going to be bad for mechanical support.

Were you going to notch the switch plate or have a new plate made entirely for switch top removal? I'm curious.
 
If the switches are PCB-mount, you should have no issues, I'd say.

[merlin64]

New plate made from scratch. =). Notching the plate with hand tools would probably destroy any aesthetic appeal the plate has.

[merlin64]

Got my Octagon V2, so put up one more pic with it!

[merlin64]

Regrettable news guys. Please don't get too mad at me, but I am perfectly willing to accept any reprimands/chastising/order withdrawals.

TL;DR: Price has to increase to $40 for blanks and $45 for engraved. This is for one single unit.

As long as you use your same name, you should be able to resubmit the form reflecting any order changes. If not, please PM me directly. If I don't get any communication from you, I will assume you are accepting of the new price and the upcoming invoices will be adjusted accordingly.

This also means that weights sold after the GB has ended will also be more expensive. So don't wait!

Price Increase Reason:
The engraving and most especially the finishing process is quite intense for a run of this size. We are at roughly 47 units 1 week in the GB stage. From the looks of it we aren't going to get any price breaks unless we hit double that. I might even get less than that if people pull out due to the new pricing.

What I've Been Doing:
Last week, I've personally sent out an email to everyone (who didn't fill out an order form yet) on elton's Octagon V2 thread who has purchased an Octagon V2 with aluminum bottom. There are still about 15 who haven't replied so I really don't think we're going to hit a price break unless those 15 people all reply and choose to buy 2-3 units.

Consolation:
This is still far below the cost of weights from Korea. Good news, is that I haven't invoiced at all, so no one has given me money. So, no one has lost money. The only thing lost is some of my confidence running my very first GB. But we will make this happen.

Things Learned:
I should have put a buffer zone for the initial estimate. I had no idea the engraving and finishing would add $10 more. I'll be more accurate when it comes time to other weights/plates for other future GBs.

[roostrc0gburn]

$50-60 is still within the expected price range for something like this. i knew it would not be easy finishing and engraving these. Paid nearly $400 for the keyboard, $50 is not going to deter me. I do hope this is the end of unforseen costs, though.

[hkf]

That's quite a large jump, can you give some justification for this? Initially your pricing included a difference for engraving and unified finish, so I am really surprised by the 25~% increase.

[Dreamre]

No worries, it's understandable. Thanks for the update!

[merlin64]

That's quite a large jump, can you give some justification for this? Initially your pricing included a difference for engraving and unified finish, so I am really surprised by the 25~% increase.

I didn't do my due diligence to check back with my manufacturer after he actually made the units to see what it would take. I made the incorrect assumption that the original estimate still stood. I understand that this is unfavorable for all of us and probably more so for international customers. Looking back on it now, $30-$35 for a finished and engraved plate made in the USA really is quite a steal and I should have taken precautions for potential price hikes. 

If you choose to withdraw your order, I won't feel offended.

[hkf]

That's quite a large jump, can you give some justification for this? Initially your pricing included a difference for engraving and unified finish, so I am really surprised by the 25~% increase.

I didn't do my due diligence to check back with my manufacturer after he actually made the units to see what it would take. I made the incorrect assumption that the original estimate still stood. I understand that this is unfavorable for all of us and probably more so for international customers. Looking back on it now, $30-$35 for a finished and engraved plate made in the USA really is quite a steal and I should have taken precautions for potential price hikes. 

If you choose to withdraw your order, I won't feel offended.

Oh, ok. So the initial price is an estimate.

I'll hop out for the meanwhile. I'll put in a new form in if my situation changes

[breitling]

Still a good deal. I'm still in.