Also, I like it this way. If I wanted it to be different, I would've designed it differently. I like your ideas, and I'd urge you to include them on your own designs because I won't change mine to adapt them.
Well, as a matter of fact, I do have some sketches of my own keyboard. I've been working on it for a while now, and it's something that has changed many, many times, growing and evolving together with me and my taste.
But to make the long story short, through careful weighting of all the factors involved, I decided that 1800 layout would be as close as possible to my imagined perfect keyboard. Furthermore, it would need to have:
- metal case (magnesium or aluminium, no need for steel on such a big keyboard)
- creamsicle ALPS switches
- PBT keycaps that look nice (probably never gonna find those, but man can hope, maybe Mathias will finally release something)
- titanium plate (ideal plate thickness for Alps is 1.1 or 1.2. Aluminium is too soft for such a thin plate, so you need to use carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel or titanium. Carbon steel is going to rust if left unprotected, all other options are fine, however, titanium makes the best soothing sound)
- no weights (keyboard this big is already hefty enough)
- no universal or ISO layouts. (Holes that are not completely perfect mess with my OCD. Layout is a hybrid between HHKB and 1800)
- QMK
- USB-C
- curvy edges inspired by Realforce (here are some examples, like original Realforce and TaiChi
http://codeandlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/realforce.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/hiaKG5v.jpg- recessions for fingers on the sides of the keyboard (I can't possibly tell you how important this is. I do all kinds of stuff on my desk - roll tobacco, drink tea, have sex, draw schematics on the piece of paper etc. etc. All those things require you to move the keyboard away from you. Side-handles make this much more comfortable)
Again, few examples, TaiChi and Zambumon Verne
https://i.imgur.com/rMF36Hv.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/c8Zjy9j.jpg- cerakote paint (powder coating can chip if you accidentaly hit it with something hard like a tea cup or a screwdriver, anodizing is too thin and will have scratches and scuffs through years of use. Cerakote, on the other hand, if baked on proper high temperature, is incredibly resilient and extremely durable finish, very very tough. Also, add to that excellent pallete of available lively colors)
Of course, I was looking all over the internet to find something that matches description, but the only Cherry 1800 clone that actually supported ALPS is TKC1800, and it was a far cry from my other requirements (ugly plastic case is the most obvious obsticle).
I did saw your keyboard before but I didn't care too much up until the moment you told me you will implement ALPS option, and then I realized it actually checks most of my boxes. And for those that it does not, there is some kind of solution.
For example, you don't offer titanium plates, but you said you will offer plate files, so that's OK because I can cut my own plate.
Also, I can see you don't plan to offer cerakote (actually, I don't know because you didn't answer that question) but maybe you can consider that option too? Or at least give me the option of buying raw aluminium case and then apply cerakote myself. It is theoretically possible to cerakote anodized case too, but you need to sandblast it first to remove anodized layer and that's a PITA.
The only thing that really bothers me is those side-handles. You really should consider something like that.