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Blank Filco Tenkeyless, with wooden top

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nanu:
Here's my aesthetic modification to a Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless Tactile Touch "Otaku" FKBN87M/NPEK.
The goal of the mod was to make a form-fitting replacement case.

I used an assortment of basswood strips, available from a hobby/crafts store.  The wood is finally stained an Ipswich Pine, and finished with shellac.

The result keeps the small footprint as provided by the original internal unit, which is 87 brown Cherry MX switches mounted to a switchplate and PCB.

The bottom frames a textured sheet of flexible polypropylene, for no good reason.

I could probably replace it with a wooden sheet for strength, to make it less fragile.

For the "strapless" top panel, the front and back strips appear to "float", while the sides appear to be solid to the metal switchplate.


The top's crossbar is attached via the original single screwhole from the back, while the chipset cover is friction-fit.

o2dazone:
that's clean, I like the handiwork of the "lip" you put around the pieces

msiegel:
:D this could be the future of keyboard cases

do you notice a change in the keyboard's sound?

nanu:

--- Quote from: msiegel;103200 ---:D this could be the future of keyboard cases
--- End quote ---


The future of cases would probably be undesign, in the spirit of Apple, I thought.  I would not have started this mod if Filco would have put the daughter chipset behind the top right corner maybe, and not make extra holes in the switchplate; ideally, the switchplate would be part of the case, if it were extended on the back and sides.  The base could then just be a sheet as a cover.  Cases are overrated to me but they exist with actual sides for the protection of keys, in case of drops, don't they.

Had I the patience, skills and insurance, I would have attempted to desolder the daughter board and the quick-pins and resoldered it directly to the mother board, though am still unsure if it would fit entirely in the hole (would probably also need to grind down the solder points some.  Then you could probably go super-slick and insert a laser-cut piece of veneer?!)

As for why Filco wouldn't execute my ideal, I could only wildly guess that it's not possible with existing machines to solder upon something with sides on it (PCB must be on an unobstructed plane), and they also save on raw metal costs by cutting holes anyway...
But incidentally, the 104key Majestouch looks much cleaner in this regard.


--- Quote from: msiegel;103200 ---do you notice a change in the keyboard's sound?
--- End quote ---


I didn't notice a change in sound.  The default Filco case is quite solid.  Then again, I had removed the casing within hours of obtaining the board.

Coming from a rubberdome, it's loud, even after inserting into the keycaps 87 donuts made from 2mm foam sheet on day 1.  The 2mm actually shortens the throw of the Brown Cherries by perhaps 0.5mm?


I also tried aquarium tubing but it stretches too much for the diameter I have on hand, and it's hard to consistently trim such thin pieces, so I went with foam.  The foam is slightly more dampening.

lowpoly:
I like this. Bezel-less FTW. :smile:

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