QFR in Filco aluminum case

[admiralvorian]

Will this case http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=280 fit on this keyboardhttp://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=37?

[Photekq]

Yes, although you need to do a slight cable mod. Pic below is from the user Mashby.
 

Cooler Master Storm Quickfire by Michael Ashby, on Flickr

[clakdale661]

It actually fits several keyboards.

[nubbinator]

Isn't that the case that several people in here said they were completely unimpressed with the quality of?  It should work with the QFR, but if it's the case I'm thinking of, it isn't really worth it.

[Photekq]

Isn't that the case that several people in here said they were completely unimpressed with the quality of?  It should work with the QFR, but if it's the case I'm thinking of, it isn't really worth it.

Yup. The quality of the Vortex case is so **** it made me design my own.

[CPTBadAss]

Isn't that the case that several people in here said they were completely unimpressed with the quality of?  It should work with the QFR, but if it's the case I'm thinking of, it isn't really worth it.

It will fit but the quality is atrocious. I was there when mashby took that picture. And its literally painted metal to hide the scars. And the paint job is horrible

[aggiejy]

FWIW, I thought my Vortex quality was okay.  Not like my KMAC, but no major problems.

Edit: Mine was the first batch too. I guess I got lucky.

[esoomenona]

You do get what you pay for, mostly. Now do you see why other aluminum cases are $300+?

[Leslieann]

I can assure you, mine was not painted, it was anodized.
They cast, then mill, however sometimes they don't quite mill enough , which is why they like the blasted finish. It hides imperfections.

The first batch was pathetic. Lots of problems and it seems they sold some prototypes as production models.

The second batch was better, mine centers the keys as good or better than the stock case, however top and bottom alignment could be a bit better. It's enough to feel, but not see. When I went to paint it, I ground it all down to be flat. Both the first and second batch were missing feet, however original buyers can ask for them and get them if they didn't receive them. Unfortunately, they didn't send the rubber pads and more that one person didn't get screws, another got the wrong size.

The third batch is even better, and should be a decent case by now, though it shouldn't take three revisions to get it to be decent. That should have been done prior to release. It's not like it's complicated.

It will fit the CM connector with some creative trimming on the connector, and possibly the case if you want a better fit. At worst, splice the wires and remove the connector. I put in a USB connector on my Filco and Vortex.

Are they worth the money?
Well considering it's pretty much the ONLY option... That's hard to say. You can find MKC cases used, which are good, but by the time you buy one, and ship it, and put a Filco in it, you could buy a Kmac. So if you WANT an aluminum case for a CM or Filco, it's the best option, but that doesn't mean it's worth it. 

Would I buy another?
Since I have one, I would rather wait and put my money on someone from the community working on one, there are a few in development, however there's no telling how long it could be, or how much money they will charge. It's also possible they too will have some flaws. There has also been lots of promises of them coming, and then sputter. This is a bit more complicated than group buy of keycaps, so you can't really count on it happening. If I didn't already have one, and had no time frame of a community one, yeah, I would probably consider another.

[Leslieann]

You do get what you pay for, mostly. Now do you see why other aluminum cases are $300+?

Which is true, the problem is that you can't buy another for $300, and it's highway robbery.

MKC is putting together an entire keyboard with an aluminum case for $250 and you can get another for $350.

[esoomenona]

The MKC board seems to be of much cheaper quality, or just uglier.

[Photekq]

Any pictures of the MKC keyboard? Even a name?

[esoomenona]

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40031.0

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39592.0

[CPTBadAss]

Leslieann, how'd you know it was media blasted? The one I saw I swore I felt/saw uneven paint. Need some knowledge . And thanks for chiming in because I had never seen such a detailed review on a Vortex case until now.

[WhiteFireDragon]

It's sand or media blasted, then anodized. You can tell by looking at the surface. If it was straight off the mill, it'll be smoother and you'll see machine marks. However, the surface is textured and grainy, which suggests that it's been media blasted. The color is anodized because it's a transparent of the original silver aluminum. You can verify this by conductivity test with a DMM.

My video that was linked up there shows a closeup of vortex, in comparison to a closeup of a grey anodized KMAC. There are clear differences in the quality of the surface finishes between these two.
(edit- at 8:28 for surface finish closeup comparison)

[admiralvorian]

I guess I'll stay away from that case then, especially at this price point

[Grim Fandango]

I have been thinking about getting the (darker) grey version of that Vortex case. However, reading some of the issues people have with it, I just do not think it is worth the money to me.

[CPTBadAss]

If it was media blasted, then that is the worst job I've ever seen. On the case I saw, on the backside near the USB port, it's uneven and the media blasted area doesn't even cover the full back side. There was a prompt drop off near the USB port which led me to believe that it was painted. The drop off was very extreme and did not look like any media blasting I've ever seen. Which is why I keep saying I think it's painted.

[Leslieann]

Leslieann, how'd you know it was media blasted? The one I saw I swore I felt/saw uneven paint. Need some knowledge . And thanks for chiming in because I had never seen such a detailed review on a Vortex case until now.

Not only is it clear to see, but I also sanded mine down before I painted it.

I could see the anodizing come off, as well as sand away the blasting marks. This also allowed me to spot very obvious casting marks that hadn't been properly milled down (I had a low spot show up).

You can't paint and fake sand blasting. You can get close, but an up close inspection, if you have done it or seen it up close enough will give it away every time. In a few years, yeah, you could probably fake it, but not currently. Even then, you cannot fake the effort it takes to sand through anodizing.

If it was media blasted, then that is the worst job I've ever seen. On the case I saw, on the backside near the USB port, it's uneven and the media blasted area doesn't even cover the full back side. There was a prompt drop off near the USB port which led me to believe that it was painted. The drop off was very extreme and did not look like any media blasting I've ever seen. Which is why I keep saying I think it's painted.

There was at least one prototype sold off as a production item. It's this sort of thing that angers people about Vortex. Great ideas, poor execution, and terrible product management.