[GB] F104+SSK+122+62+77+50+Ergo orders now open! Kishsaver+Industrial Model F

[Ellipse]

Also we have two new photos of variations today:  the compact cases, both regular gray and black case colors, with the 60% dark gray printed keys and also the standard pearl/pebble printed keys.





tassadarforaiur what do you mean?  The solenoid driver looks the same as the photos in the manual as it's from the same batch.

The right angle bracket is for the solenoid installation.  A general note for everyone:  please do review the manual before installing anything - to quote the first line in the manual - solenoid section:  "Setting up your solenoid:  please read this entire section.  It is very easy to permanently damage the solenoid and driver by doing something another way."  Included in the manual is a video showing a step by step guide to installing the solenoid.

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2020-07-01_16-36-50.jpg

The cables may vary.  I upgraded the cables to the one with a black connector and multicolor cables, which is easier to install in the tight area of the case and back plate because the connector was smaller.

jacobsoncharlie the case and case finish are the same as what was shown in the videos and photos on the project web site going back to 2016 - if you preferred another option you could have easily selected another model.  The keyboards are assorted micro USB and USB-C - the earliest PCB batch was produced at a time many years back when USB C was barely one year old and was not as widespread. 

[Ellipse]

Recently I chatted with someone who worked for IBM in the 1980s, installing systems containing buckling spring keyboards.  I learned that the occasional need to re-seat some keys during the initial setup and other shipping related issues was far less common when these systems were new because the systems were ultra delicate and primarily shipped in pallets by truck directly from IBM, as opposed to through the regular postal mail or UPS.  Their comments as relayed to me:

"From what I recall, the biggest issues we had were with spacebars. Most of the keyboards would be fine, but spacebars would sometimes come loose in transit and if you didn't re-seat them carefully before setting up the system for someone, folks would either raise a support ticket to complain or try to fix the keyboard themselves, sometimes causing bigger issues. We'd set everything up in our workshop, install a Token Ring networking card and terminal software, test, and then wheel the entire system to them on a cart. We never tested that every key worked before delivery.

Keep in mind that we got the systems shipped to us on pallets directly from IBM and they were probably handled much more carefully, as they shipped together with old-school CRTs and the main CPUs. You are shipping your amazing products all around the world in individual packages and they probably get jostled around quite a bit more than what we ever had to deal with. And I'd be very surprised if IBM ever tested their packaging to what packages have to endure nowadays."

[euphxenos]

How far have you gotten in shipping orders?  If you were to characterize it as "all orders placed before <some date> have been shipped", what would that date be?

[Ellipse]

euphxenos as posted earlier the orders go out if they are all in stock, not all orders before X date have shipped.  Those ordering stuff like international language sets, Industrial SSK 12 key sets, and others which are not yet completed will have their orders shipped at some point after the sets are done and mailed to me. 

For more than one year the split shipping option was available (to get your in stock keyboard early if you had spare keys to use in the mean time) while I had some down time waiting for the factory to get the key sublimation going and to mail the second container shipment, but now I'm focused on getting as many in stock orders out as possible.

I've also shipped out all the all in stock orders of those who did not order a keyboard, outside of maybe those who ordered something in the past month or so.  So the dates of orders that have shipped range from the beginning of the project to recent months.

I expect that beginning in the coming weeks I will start mailing out all of the remaining stuff that's "all in stock" for the folks who chose the split shipping option back then.  I thank everyone again for their patience as the project is wrapped up.

[Ellipse]

Today is the public geekhack launch of the Brand New Beam Spring Keyboards Project!

This was designed to be announced after the new Model F project ended but there was another project in the works to reproduce the beam spring module exactly (good for the purposes of spare parts for the original keyboards), so I thought it would be a good time to post.  My modules are not backwards compatible with the original IBM beam spring keyboards. They have been redesigned to be used with Cherry MX type keys natively and to remove all of the wasted space in the modules and in the beam spring cases, while maintaining 100% original key travel and the same exact specifications for the fly plates, beam module footprint, etc.

For now you should check out the photos on the thread linked to below and sign up on the interest form if interested.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdR8ygHtryVYyIl_bbVbNqW9NZgh98COkkf4U7lIhejhZ-Dkw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Please keep all beam spring discussion on this separate thread only so as not to add confusion to this current thread. 

Details on the features and pricing are in these separate threads:
https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=26174&p=491823
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=114105

Important note:  To repeat what I posted on that thread, the new beam springs don't ship and are not a focus until I've sent out the new Model F Keyboards.  The Model F project was not delayed to finish these beam spring keyboards.  More details are in the above threads. 

[macclack]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

Mind blown

[Ellipse]

Below is another factory assembly video, this time showing the second part of the top inner assembly production - the stamping operations to bend the part to shape.

First, the steel for the top inner assembly is laser cut (see previously posted video).  Then it is stamped to shape in a huge custom-made stamper tool (as shown in this video).  Then the two ends are stamped to bend them into place.  The final step of this process is inspection of the angle of the stamping.  After the laser cutting and stamping are complete, the top inner assembly plates will be powdercoated.  You can see that one piece is kept uncurved on the table, used for the stamping tool operator as a reference for the proper direction of the stamping.

[Ellipse]

As an update I have posted the monthly update on the project web site blog.  It summarizes the goings-on of the project and my posts made after the prior update.

The most recent post is for the new Model F project, and the post before that (both on the same page) is the update for the Brand New Beam Spring Project launch.

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/blog/

Some key (pun intended!) points from the introduction to the post:  Do not buckle (!) under the pressure of too many words in the update!

***If you have a new shipping address please do email me to let me know your order numbers and the new address. Check your order email and our email communications (if applicable) to make sure the latest address I have on file for you is the correct one.

The major news is that I’ve QC’d and shipped out 1700+ keyboards so far and am continuing to send out keyboards. Now that the shipping is going into full speed mode, split shipping is no longer available; please hold off on split shipping requests which were designed to fill in the down time and reduce the backlog before the printed keys arrived.

I expect to continue mailing out keyboards for the rest of this year into early next year, after which the Beam Spring Keyboards will be the focus.

[Ellipse]

xwhatsit controller update:

Is anyone interested in helping this week to update the xwhatsit controller to add support for 3 LED lights and a solenoid driver at the same time?

This was brought up as a suggestion now that the Brand New Beam Spring Keyboards have 3 LEDs and some people also want a solenoid.  Currently xwhatsit's header limits you to two LED lock lights if you also want to use a solenoid.  This of course won't be for the first round of already-produced beam spring keyboards but will be available for the next round.  Sorry Scroll Lock LED with solenoid!

The plan is to make the controller slightly wider, add 3 pins to the right side, and move most of the components rightward while keeping the ribbon cable positions, two ground pads, and USB connector exactly where they are now for backwards compatibility with the F77 and F62 keyboards. 

That way the 6 pin xwhatsit header is unchanged and a spot for a 4 pin header is added to the left hand side of the controller.  The 6 pin header would work the same as it does now, the new 4 pin header is for the LED expansion of existing boards, and the additional 3 ribbon cable positions are so that the next beam spring keyboards' LEDs can be attached directly through the ribbon cable and traces on the large capacative PCB instead of by wires as IBM did with the PC AT keyboard.  So the boards will support both the future beam board LEDs connected by extra pins on the ribbon cable (totaling 33 positions) as well as the expansion header for existing 30 position boards.  There is of course some experimentation needed - will the LED traces interfere with the capacitive sensing with all those traces at the top of the board?

Keeping clearances for the F62 and F77 bottom inner assembly plates and "arms" is also important.  Photos of the installed controller:  https://imgur.com/a/xaPg4Z0

Also for the new controller:  I've been chatting with pandrew who suggests removing the "103" 745C101103JP chip and using the atmega's internal pull up resistors.  This would require a firmware update as well, since the pull up resistors are higher value than 10k. 

Here's a photo of the latest board with the smaller atmel chip:  https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=11046&p=486306&hilit=connector#p486306

Attached is the latest wcass diptrace file of the xwhatsit controller.  As with the xwhatsit, of course all derivations of xwhatsit's work are GPL3 open source as well.  (The gerber files are published in the project manual in case someone prefers to work in kicad or another program:  https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/updated_PCB_files.zip  and wcass published the gerber files on another thread last year)

Any other xwhatsit PCB suggestions are of course welcome.

[spear]

Got my Ultra Compact F77 yesterday.  (Thanks, Ellipse!)

Not sure if it will help anyone, but this is how I flashed new firmware on my Linux system:

• Follow the directions in the YouTube video for using the beta QMK configurator site to customize the layout and compile new firmware, up to downloading the new firmware.
  
• Install dfu-programmer.  For Fedora 34:
  

Code: [Select]

dnf install dfu-programmer


• Enter keyboard bootloader.  On the keyboard, hit:  <Left-Shift> + <Right-Shift> + <B>
  
• Check if bootloader is detected.  Look for a USB device listed as "atmega32u2 DFU bootloader" (using another keyboard):

Code: [Select]

lsusb


• Erase and flash new firmware (the hex file downloaded from configurator site):
  

Code: [Select]

sudo dfu-programmer atmega32u2 erase
sudo dfu-programmer atmega32u2 flash /path/to/fw.hex
sudo dfu-programmer atmega32u2 launch


• Disconnect, then reconnect keyboard.
  

[Ellipse]

xwhatsit PCB update.

The "103" 10k resistor pack was removed as suggested by pandrew, and 5 10k resistors were added in their place (might be removed for the next revision).  The updated file is attached.  For the engineers out there, are there any errors?  Hopefully the schematic has not changed by mistake if a line was connected incorrectly for example.


Thanks spear for your excellent guide.  I've incorporated it into the project manual!

Everyone - if there's a similar guide for Mac please do share!

[Ellipse]

Here is a great video and instructional post on someone's trackpoint mod for their Brand New Model F keyboard:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQTG_I7ytAc_0ZO-y_0jEvSG5N9DGseJyJghxBZlaFXUn52kul7frXHlfT61aRjzOGmUgnzwlSDdvzF/pub

[fabiodl]

Will Silver Gray ever be a color choice for the Ultra Compact Modern Case F77 Model F Keyboards?

[Ellipse]

Nope but you can get Regular Gray which is the closest available color.  You can also probably powdercoat the case Silver Gray yourself or at a local shop.

[All About Jake]

Loving this keyboard.

I decided to mount a female USC-C connector in the proper place to make a removable cable.  I used a part that I think is intended to relocate the USB port on a drone:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003180860375.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.70664c4dt5SswV
Update: this one I ordered seems to be not available, but a quick search on AliExpress for "HGLRC tuning adapter" shows many more sellers of the same product.

You can find the mounting bracket here:   https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4972816

It works pretty well.    I do have one question regarding the solenoid-- even with tuning the dwell time, the solenoid still misses keystrokes during fast typing.  Is this expected/normal?  I suspect it is, but I wanted to be sure.  The wires in the USB-C kit linked above are pretty thin, but the behavior is the same with the original cable.  Kinda wishing for a larger capacitor on the solenoid driver as to have a bit of a reservoir for fast keystrokes.

Again, love this keyboard.  Thanks Ellipse!

[Ellipse]

Thanks for the flush mount USB C mod photos and product links All About Jake! 

Are you using my adjusted firmware or firmware generated by the QMK beta web site?  My firmware has the solenoid timings set to 20-30 ms, while the QMK beta web site has a setting requiring an adjustment (detailed in the manual on the project web site).  With my settings, I have not been able to cause a missed solenoid stroke even with super fast random letter typing.

[All About Jake]

Are you using my adjusted firmware or firmware generated by the QMK beta web site?  My firmware has the solenoid timings set to 20-30 ms, while the QMK beta web site has a setting requiring an adjustment (detailed in the manual on the project web site).  With my settings, I have not been able to cause a missed solenoid stroke even with super fast random letter typing.

Yes, I'm using your firmware, specifically for this reason.  I have to look into that setting on the QMK beta site because I want remap that oddly placed numlock.

I've gotten things to work pretty well.  I adjusted the throw of the solenoid such that it cycles pretty well in time with my typing style and rarely misses a keystroke during normal typing.  Most of the missed strokes I can cause are caused by fast mashing of keys which seems to deplete the capacitor and then cause the solenoid to bog down.

Also I did some checking with a USB-C power meter.  That "HGLRC tuning adapter" does not seem to cause a voltage drop or anything like that.  Also I updated the post above with a comment about that USB-C connector thingy being no longer available.  (There are plenty of identical product sellers on Ali with the search term "HGLRC tuning adapter" for anyone who's interested.)

Thanks again.

[Ellipse]

I would like to share (with permission) another nice customer image of the Off-White/Beige and Industrial Gray F77 keyboards with the key color combinations blue/pearl and 60% Dark Gray / Blue / Black.

[dustinhxc]

Someone had a model f kish at the meetup last weekend here. I really need to get one someday. I had an SSK and miss it. Such a dream to type on. The best enjoyable feeling and sound ever. 

[zlorfik]

What is the estimated shipping time after order is placed?

[Ellipse]

I hope to continue mailing out all the orders the rest of this year into early next year. 

[pixelpusher]

Just double checking here.  I ordered some blue printed accent keycaps with my kit and still haven't received them.  Are we still waiting on those?

[sam123456]

I hope to continue mailing out all the orders the rest of this year into early next year.

I'm curious if that timeline is more specific for custom/low serial number orders. Do you have an idea of how much of a queue is left on those? I think that I must be held up because I ordered a blue key-set.

[Ellipse]

Yes we are still waiting on the additional key sets from the factory.  They are working on completing them now. 

The expected timeline is for all keyboards, not just low serials.  Yes the priority as noted earlier was to send out the "all in stock" orders, so those who ordered some items not in stock (example Industrial SSK 12 key set, F1-F12 front printed set, international language sets) will have to wait until their order is all in stock.  Later this month the split shippers' in stock key sets should start going out.

[rknize]

Got my F62 a week or so ago.  Had a few QC issues, but it turned out well in the end.  The typing feel is great...pretty close to my other model F's.  I haven't messed with the firmware yet, as the default worked well out of the box.  I'll probably give VIA a try when I have some time.


The two main issues were:

1) Foam that had "squirted out" of the keyboard assembly and was sticking out the side of the case.  I don't think it had any functional impact.


2) I ended up having to replace the barrel under the "." key.  It had a burr sticking up where the flipper needed to rest.  It looks like a small dremel or similar tool was used to remove the bit of flashing where the plastic was injected into the mold.  This one still had a small burr sticking out that I think was preventing the flipper from resting completely.


Aside from these issues, the overall build quality is impressive.  I am still quite amazed at what you have accomplished here and am looking forward to my F77 order to be fulfilled.  The keys and their printing are also very nice...much better than what Unicomp typically ships

Having a factory geared-up to make these right now, it's sad to think that the project will end.  It would be something to be able to release other layouts to take advantage of all the groundwork you have laid here.

[Ellipse]

Is anyone interested in changing their new Model F Keyboard order to an F62 scumnc / scumyc with the Industrial Gray, True Red, or Silver Gray case?  This is one of the two available extras that the factory made, currently not claimed by anyone.

We'll go by the first two people to post a reply on either this thread or over on the DT project thread (two total keyboards across the threads).  It should be moved up to ship this month, probably in the next week or so.

The only extras you'd need to order are the scumnc 3 key set on the Extra Keys page as well as the $10 US / $20 international split shipping option (as well as the True Red / Silver Gray case color upgrade if you don't have that color already and would like it) as the scumnc keys and some other keys are not yet ready.

After this, starting next week I am switching gears to mail out all the split shipping key sets that are "all in stock" - the order will be the low serials prioritized first, followed by the other orders in sequence of when you ordered.

[reavy]

Received my F77 in black with dark grey keycaps. Still waiting on the front-printed keycaps of course. Used QMK to upload the correct layout for the keyboard with the configured right-hand block. I had a few issues with keys and springs that I've been able to resolve by tweaking the springs and barrel inserts. The enter key was totally non-functional, i.e. wouldn't spring back up after being pushed. There was residual flashing on the underside of the key and a problem with the spring. I was able to fix both problems with a small Swiss Army knife and a G-2 pen I had on my desk. I still have a few issues with keys that need to be reseated and have their springs adjusted. I'm getting double 'f's while typing this reply. Overall, though, I'm very happy, and the keyboard looks and sounds great.

[Ellipse]

The latest update has been posted on the Brand New Model F project site. 

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/blog/

I have excerpted some of the most salient sections below:

There are not many new updates in the past month – the main focus is on continuing to mail out the keyboards and key sets, which will continue over the coming months until everything has been mailed out. Please review the prior updates below for other recent updates.

I thank everyone for their patience as I become the final bottleneck of the project, QCing and mailing out each order. I expect to continue mailing out orders for the rest of this year into early next year, so please refrain from asking me when your keyboard or key set will ship as I cannot estimate where any one order is in the queue.

Split shipments of the keys started going out this month:

For approximately one year (2020 to early 2021) there was the split shipping option, where you could get your in stock keyboard early without the included printed keys and use existing Model F or Model M keys while waiting for the new production dye sublimated keys to be ready (the first batch started shipping earlier this year). This helped folks get their keyboards earlier to start using them, as well as helped me get keyboards out early while I had some downtime, so that there would be less of a backlog once the keys were ready. Of course many keyboards with unprinted key sets also went out at that time, when their spot in the queue came up.

After testing and mailing out a whole lot of keyboards in recent months, this month I switched gears to start mailing out the “all in stock” split shipping key sets. If you ordered a key set that is not yet in stock (example: international language sets, custom extra keys, front printed keys, Industrial SSK 12 key set, etc.) then you still have to wait for everything to be in stock before the remaining items in your orders can ship. First up in the priority is all of the “all in stock” low serial project supporters, and then the “all in stock” remaining sets after that.

Once again I will note that I am incredibly appreciative of the patient community of Model F fans who have been waiting for this last piece of the puzzle, a “key” part of the project (pun intended!), to finish and who support the project’s philosophy of high quality standards even at the expense of delays. Without such a patient community, this project could have easily gone in another direction. Brand New Model F Keyboards started shipping in December 2019 and will continue shipping throughout the rest of this year into early next year, so do not be alarmed if your keyboard has not yet shipped; I haven’t forgotten about anyone! Please do read the previous posts for more details about the challenges and scary parts (!) of the journey so you can see the reasons behind the past delays and bottlenecks that held things up.

Remaining key sets to be produced:

The factory is still working on the international sets and extra keys. This year Zed and I have been reviewing and approving the sets as photos of the sample sets have been sent to me by the factory. Most of the international sets have been approved as of this point in time but the factory still needs to work on the Front Printed key sets and all the various Extra Keys, which have always been the last priority, after the main sets, HHKB sets, and Mac sets are all completed.

"Split split" shipping update - a limited option:

The remaining key sets are expected to be completed in the next 1-2 months:  international sets, front printed sets (including Industrial SSK 12 key set), and all the various Extra Keys.  Details behind the delays and process are below and on the blog post.  There have been some requests for "split split" shipping for those who want the new Model F key sets but whose orders are not yet "all in stock" (for example, if they ordered any of the above-mentioned sets).  Previously everything had to be all in stock to ship but I am now opening up a limited window for those who prefer not to wait any longer and are fine with an additional shipping cost.  Again I recommend that everyone waits if possible so that there is no additional cost.  For the split split option please order 10 additional units of the store item $1 increments for US shipping addresses and 20 units for international addresses, and choose free/other shipping at checkout, right before clicking Place Order.  This would be something to consider if you ordered a US key set (in pearl/pebble, blue, or dark gray), HHKB 6 key set, Mac 6 key set, DVORAK or COLEMAK 4 key set (different keys nubbed for the home row), or UK set. 

Of course this option doesn't let you jump the queue and expedite me mailing your keyboard if it has not been mailed already - this limited option is only for those who want keys and maybe some in stock accessories shipped ahead of time (first aid kits, solenoids, extra USB cables, barrels, flippers, springs, etc.).  This option is subject to stock availability.

[Ellipse]

Is anyone interested in higher-force springs?  I have a sample set of ~120 springs that were rejected as they required a little more force to process.  The whole lot is available to one person so they have enough to fill a keyboard with them; please PM me if interested.  Pricing will be based on best offer, with a minimum of $1 per spring.  Flippers not included.  As mentioned across my various ebay listings, the reason for the sale of these parts at higher pricing is to help recover the significant project cost overruns.  Due to slight variations in the diameter of the flipper nubs I can't guarantee this will work with original flippers (none of my springs are recommended to be installed on original flippers, as noted a while back).  These ~120 springs are a slightly tighter fit than the production springs, so you have to press them a little more forcefully onto each nub.  I would describe the sound as approximately the same as the production springs, maybe slightly quieter but still audible.

I also have 230 QC rejected springs without flippers (sound characteristics are off - too high pitch) available in batches of 80, 120, or you can take the whole lot.  If you prefer a changing to a higher pitch spring this is the only batch available.  Again, only recommended for new Model F flippers but will possibly work with originals.  Pricing is the same $1 per spring only to the first folks to contact me over email or PM, with the goal being to help defray project cost overruns.  Air mail shipping seems to have significantly increased in cost per kg / lb in recent months.

[blur410]

Messing around with higher force springs seems fun, problem is Ive run out of keeb money this month.

[LightningXI]

Came back for the occasional update I needed. Will be back later hoping that we'll be getting our dye-sublimated sets soon!

[BlissOnTap]

Received my keycaps. The dyesub printing is sharp and sublime. And I was pleasantly surprised that they slightly sound different compared to using Unicomp keycaps to my ears. They sound amazing. Huge improvement all around compared to any of my Model M keycaps. Tempting to order sets for my other keyboards.

[Damage]

So, question for anyone who might know. I just received the solenoid and driver, and I'm trying to install it in my F77. I know how to connect the wires from looking at the short instructional video on YouTube, but I'm not sure how to mount anything in this case. There's a bracket, a couple of grommets, and three screws that came with the solenoid and driver. I assume there's a plan for using those things for mounting the hardware. Right?

If so, how have folks been mounting things? I expect the metal case is conductive, so the solenoid driver probably needs to be mounted firmly and isolated from the case.

And tips or images of a successful installation would be appreciated.

[Ellipse]

Damage a full photo by photo guide is in the manual on the project web site - Solenoid section

BlissOnTap glad the keys arrived safely! 

[Damage]

Damage a full photo by photo guide is in the manual on the project web site - Solenoid section

BlissOnTap glad the keys arrived safely!

Ok, the images are very helpful in terms of how to mount the solenoid. None of the pictures show how the solenoid driver gets mounted, though. There is a screw hole in the driver--does it mount via some screw in the case? Again, a picture would probably solve everything.

[Damage]

Damage a full photo by photo guide is in the manual on the project web site - Solenoid section

BlissOnTap glad the keys arrived safely!

Ok, the images are very helpful in terms of how to mount the solenoid. None of the pictures show how the solenoid driver gets mounted, though. There is a screw hole in the driver--does it mount via some screw in the case? Again, a picture would probably solve everything.

Well, I mounted the solenoid driver with some electrical tape and put it all back together. I should have taken a picture for others to use, but I forgot.

Anyhow, this is a delightfully fun addition to an already amazing product. Thanks again for making this whole thing happen, Ellipse!

[copper4eva]

Sorry if this has been answered somewhere in this massive 60 page thread, but how much long will you be accepting keycap orders? I am interested in buying some of the blue caps.

And while I'm asking, I might as well also ask if there is a set deadline on buying the keyboard itself. But I'm mostly interested in getting some of these keycaps while I can. Especially since it appears not many opted for the blue keycaps, surprisingly. So I really wanna grab some before it becomes difficult to get some aftermarket.

[blur410]

Sorry if this has been answered somewhere in this massive 60 page thread, but how much long will you be accepting keycap orders? I am interested in buying some of the blue caps.

And while I'm asking, I might as well also ask if there is a set deadline on buying the keyboard itself. But I'm mostly interested in getting some of these keycaps while I can. Especially since it appears not many opted for the blue keycaps, surprisingly. So I really wanna grab some before it becomes difficult to get some aftermarket.

As far as I can tell, Ellipse does not intend the project to be unlimited in duration. That said, it would be possible to give the tooling to Unicomp if they were willing to pay for the shipping from China. And it's not like the tooling is simply going to vaporize. While the keyboard main assemblies could likely be produced forever, the cases use a lot of metal that has been rapidly going up in price worldwide and a large influx of orders for the cases would be quite unprofitable long term thanks to the pandemic. For keycaps, Unicomp has existed for over 20 years and I doubt it would suddenly disappear tomorrow. And the tooling would still exist in China for either Fentek or another random Chinese manufacturer to suddenly acquire it and produce the caps in small quantities as there is still a big keyboard market in the Far East(where the modern keyboard craze began in the late 90's unlike in the US where keyboards didn't reach the same level of popularity until 2011 or so).

Ellipse also has other projects in mind to do after this buy like the Beamspring reproduction keyboards and possibly other creations he hasn't committed to yet like a potential spherical keycap set for buckling spring. So after those projects are done he may even revisit another run of the New Model F's as they seem to have been quite popular particularly for a bespoke keyboard project, assuming he is still alive in a few years and as to why he isn't getting anyones hopes up promising anything. But as others have said before, the day this group buy ends will certainly be the end of an era as it is still the longest running group buy on deskthority and geekhack.

[Ellipse]

New announcement:  additional colors for the Ultra Compact Cases:  Off-White/Beige, Industrial Gray, and True Red

The factory is making a small batch of these colors.  The project web site will be updated with these color options over the coming days.  Please email/PM me if you'd like to switch out the case for an existing order of yours that has not yet shipped.  These will be premium color offerings of about the same upgrade cost as the other premium color options offered ($75).


copper4eva we are still not yet in the final round so there is definitely time to order later on, so if you are looking to get anything I strongly recommend ordering as soon as it is possible for you to do so, in order to guarantee that you receive what you are looking for.

Currently the "all in stock" small orders and remaining key sets from the "separate shipping" folks have been going out as I switched gears from sending out keyboards for the time being.  The factory is still in production of the remaining international and custom key sets like the Industrial SSK 12 key set, the front print sets, and international sets.

As noted from the start, this is a limited run project, which now has an enormous time commitment of years more than expected on my part.  My goal is to get out the remaining orders and have a final round, expected early next year.  Also next year I want to mail out all the new beam spring keyboards.

After Model F production shuts down I have noted before that the tooling will not be sold or given to others.  The most important part of the project is my quality control standards, even more so than the tooling - requiring an enormous time commitment of inspecting and retesting every keyboard one at a time before it can go out.  I'd rather see fewer Model F's out there than mass-produced, substandard keyboards that bear the Model F design and moniker.

And yes material costs have risen significantly - just look at the price charts for aluminum, zinc, etc. compared to months/years ago.  I expect that further price increases will be inevitable in the current round and final round.  Already prices on keyboards and some accessories have gone up 10% - 100% in recent times.

[Ellipse]

I just finished updating the project web site to add the additional ultra compact case color options Industrial Gray, Off-White/Beige, and True Red.  You can upgrade an existing keyboard or spare case that hasn't yet shipped, or make a new order.  The cost is the same as the other premium cases (all $75 extra).

[Ellipse]

As an update pandrew has recently updated the xwhatsit and QMK firmware to work with the forthcoming updated wcass controllers.  As noted a couple months earlier there is a slight design update to remove the 10K resistor pack component which was not needed and has become more difficult to find in sufficient quantity.  It is my (limited) understanding that the Atmega controller has a built in resistor that can be powered on or off. 

The new firmware is confirmed backwards compatible with the old controllers so it is fortunately not necessary to have two different versions for different hardware - thanks again to pandrew!  I will update the files on the project web site in the next month or so.

I am still looking to add the LED+solenoid support to the next xwhatsit controller design, if anyone is interested in helping:  https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=11046&p=492661&sid=8d3057b2d5ca777e597b8151aa616e13#p492661

[Ellipse]

pandrew has published the updated QMK firmware (please follow the git link and instructions in the manual on the project web site for access), and has also published the updated xwhatsit firmware, version 0.9.3, on github:

https://github.com/purdeaandrei/ibm_capsense_usb_mods

As a note, the only update was a change to allow the forthcoming xwhatsit controllers with internal pull-up resistors to function correctly.  Both old and new xwhatsit controllers will run on the same new firmware versions for QMK and xwhatsit.  Unless you want to try a beta firmware, it is not necessary to update to either version as there are no other feature updates.

[Ellipse]

As an update Greek key sets are now offered, thanks to Zed.  Check out the Full Key set product page on the project web site where the rendering is now shown.

I am sharing (with permission) another nice color combination that someone sent me, with the plan to install the custom 12 Key Industrial SSK set when it is ready (the factory is still wrapping up the remaining custom keys and sets and should wrap things up by year end - the approval process has taken longer than expected for these sets but I'd rather see adequately-aligned sets before rapid sublimation can start - every offered key set style has its alignment and content checked to make sure it is good, before the remaining sets can be sublimated).

[Ellipse]

Here is some interesting information that someone sent me recently regarding details about keys and keyboard layouts.  The links are good to check out too:

Some people have asked if there was a standard for naming keys.
I thought that was a valid question, and here is an answer.

The W3C publishes the main web standards, and it includes standards for referring to both physical keys
and the different meanings associated with pressing one or more of those keys.
From the docs:

CODE
code holds a string that identifies the physical key being pressed.
The value is not affected by the current keyboard layout or modifier state,
so a particular key will always return the same value.

KEY
A key string that corresponds to the character typed by the user, taking into account the user’s current locale setting,
modifier state, and any system-level keyboard mapping overrides that are in effect.
It is acceptable for multiple keys on a keyboard to generate the same key attribute value


Code and Key standards:
https://www.w3.org/TR/uievents-code/
https://www.w3.org/TR/uievents-key/

The motivation and the system behind it:
https://w3c.github.io/uievents/#events-keyboardevents

[Puddsy]

one truth of the keyboard hobby is that i can ignore this thread for like a month and then there will be like 3-4 useful informative posts or updates in here when i look at it again

it's awesome, thanks ellipse

[atzemis13]

I am sharing (with permission) another nice color combination that someone sent me, with the plan to install the custom 12 Key Industrial SSK set when it is ready (the factory is still wrapping up the remaining custom keys and sets and should wrap things up by year end - the approval process has taken longer than expected for these sets but I'd rather see adequately-aligned sets before rapid sublimation can start - every offered key set style has its alignment and content checked to make sure it is good, before the remaining sets can be sublimated).

(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)

Is this a an off white/beige case or a special color? Looks almost light gray, I really like the combo with the gray keys.

[Ellipse]

It's the Silver Gray custom case color option - more of a Silver/Blue Gray type color.

As an update I posted another one of the monthly updates on the project web site. Not too much new with this update, as orders continue to go out. The factory expects to finish up the remaining international sets and other key sets this month, after significant delays.
https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/blog/

[Kookiekurls]

I’m really sorry to do this, but I think I want to offer some concerns over how this GB is being handled:

First, the website and this thread is filled with so much information, that it’s hard to figure out what’s important and what isn’t. For example, I needed to update my shipping address. I had to go to a post on your blog on November 30th to see that I need to email you, but your email isn’t included there. The only place I could find an email address was in the footer of the website, which was covered by an alert and a “accept cookies” popover. I think it might be helpful if the email address was a little easier to find.

Second, I think that saying that you have no idea when people’s orders will ship can make people nervous. I made my order almost a year and a half ago. It would be nice to have at least some rough ETA.

The correspondence about the keycaps and legends can sometimes be confusing for me. I’m not sure if we are waiting for legends to be printed, or if it’s only certain languages that are the issue. There’s been so many posts in this geek hack thread, and the posts are kind of difficult to understand. When I read through them, I’m not really sure it’s clear to me what the current status is

Lastly, I get the general sense from everything that you’ve taken on a bit more than you can handle. You are still accepting new orders and creating new products, but people have mentioned in the thread not receiving their orders for 2-3 years. There seems to be multiple bottlenecks, but then you just recently announced a new beam spring project and new color combos. I think people are just a bit concerned.

I tried to write this in a way that didn’t express anger. More just concern and my general thoughts. I’m really hoping for the best and I can imagine you have a lot on your plate. I think cleaning up things that have gotten a bit cluttered with too much info like the website and making your future update posts more concise would go a long way. as well as more clearly expressing ETAs for orders so people at least have some sort of idea. And making it a bit easier to find the email address would be nice. Thank you!

[Ellipse]

Thank you for your feedback.  So far I have tested and mailed more than 1,900 keyboards and will continue mailing keyboards this year and early next year until they have all gone out.  The reasons behind the long waits have been documented in detail on the updates page of the project web site.  You are correct that I cannot estimate when a particular order is expected to go out, but all the remaining orders and keyboards will be going out over the coming months, probably for the next six to seven months or so for me to get out the rest of the orders.  I thank everyone for their patience as these great keyboards are brought back into production, even though it has taken far longer than expected. 

As noted on the blog, the delays have historically been both factory delays and delays due to the final bottleneck of the project - me - as I continue getting out the orders.  The factory is wrapping up dye sublimation of the remaining key sets this month, as noted in the latest blog entry.  The last sets to be sublimated are all the international language sets as well as all of the front-printed sets and custom one-off type keys and sets. 

As noted several times, the new beam spring project is in no way delaying the current project and it is only starting to accept orders after I have sent out the Model F keyboard orders.  There has definitely been some down time in the project, including before late 2019 when the factory finished up the first container shipment and when we were waiting for the first batch of the dye sub caps to finish, so I was able to work on this other project without it being a bottleneck.  I've also been able to work on other small stuff like IBM XT/122/107/AT style foam, additional beam spring controllers, the solenoid drivers and custom made solenoids, and the transparent relegendable caps.

Yes it is definitely a lot to take in and process for those not following the project closely but if anyone has any questions feel free to post here or contact me directly through PM.

[Kookiekurls]

Thank you for your feedback.  So far I have tested and mailed more than 1,900 keyboards and will continue mailing keyboards this year and early next year until they have all gone out.  The reasons behind the long waits have been documented in detail on the updates page of the project web site.  You are correct that I cannot estimate when a particular order is expected to go out, but all the remaining orders and keyboards will be going out over the coming months, probably for the next six to seven months or so for me to get out the rest of the orders.  I thank everyone for their patience as these great keyboards are brought back into production, even though it has taken far longer than expected. 

As noted on the blog, the delays have historically been both factory delays and delays due to the final bottleneck of the project - me - as I continue getting out the orders.  The factory is wrapping up dye sublimation of the remaining key sets this month, as noted in the latest blog entry.  The last sets to be sublimated are all the international language sets as well as all of the front-printed sets and custom one-off type keys and sets. 

As noted several times, the new beam spring project is in no way delaying the current project and it is only starting to accept orders after I have sent out the Model F keyboard orders.  There has definitely been some down time in the project, including before late 2019 when the factory finished up the first container shipment and when we were waiting for the first batch of the dye sub caps to finish, so I was able to work on this other project without it being a bottleneck.  I've also been able to work on other small stuff like IBM XT/122/107/AT style foam, additional beam spring controllers, the solenoid drivers and custom made solenoids, and the transparent relegendable caps.

Yes it is definitely a lot to take in and process for those not following the project closely but if anyone has any questions feel free to post here or contact me directly through PM.

Thank you so much, this was really helpful