Author Topic: the Norbaforce: after-market housing for RealForce TKL keyboards — SHIPPED (Read 251683 times)

HotRoderX · « **Reply #750 on:** Fri, 17 August 2018, 18:26:33 »

just got mine setup and fully installed. This thing is built like a tank. I gotta say its my new favorite board hands down. This thing is HEAVY like obscenely heavy. This was my first community ran group buy. I gotta say it went really smooth. I really appreciate it. Also was really happy to find my USB cable worked!!! Thanks Norbauer for the wonderful product and service. I do gotta ask whats the word on the Heavy 6 I think you where calling it? My brains a bit fried not enough sleep.

hayt · « **Reply #751 on:** Fri, 17 August 2018, 18:39:17 »

Thanks, Norb! I would say the wait was soo worth it

Really enjoyed the process of following along from time of interest check through to the group buy. And absolutely this case creates a deeper and danker "thock" than the standard plastic case.

What are the odds that we could ever see a brass plate addition for this?

Here is a sneak peak with my matching CNC'd BBv2 <3

salvanipour · « **Reply #752 on:** Fri, 17 August 2018, 19:25:10 »

Quote from: hayt on Fri, 17 August 2018, 18:39:17

Thanks, Norb! I would say the wait was soo worth it Really enjoyed the process of following along from time of interest check through to the group buy. And absolutely this case creates a deeper and danker "thock" than the standard plastic case.

What are the odds that we could ever see a brass plate addition for this?

100% agreed, this makes a classy board even better. I imagine a brass plate for this would be quite large and obscenely heavy and I LOVE the idea. Also I was a bit rushed and didn't center my board that nicely so having the back plate off already would be super convenient for me to make adjustments.

UnFocused · « **Reply #753 on:** Fri, 17 August 2018, 21:01:46 »

Quote from: Dubbvis on Thu, 16 August 2018, 22:47:13

One issue, however. It appears that one side of my plate will not mount flush to the case.

I noticed the same thing with mine. I didn't have any washers around, so I just made my own with bits of cardboard and everything is rock solid.

duckboi · « **Reply #754 on:** Sat, 18 August 2018, 08:32:36 »

Quote from: UnFocused on Fri, 17 August 2018, 21:01:46

Quote from: Dubbvis on Thu, 16 August 2018, 22:47:13
One issue, however. It appears that one side of my plate will not mount flush to the case.

I noticed the same thing with mine. I didn't have any washers around, so I just made my own with bits of cardboard and everything is rock solid.

I noticed a similar thing as well. However I am still really enjoying this case and don't really have any major issues with it. Thanks a ton Norbauer!

TieuNgu · « **Reply #755 on:** Sat, 18 August 2018, 10:32:45 »

Selling my Norbaforce https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/comments/98chca/usaz_h_orange75_norbaforce_w_paypal/ for those who are interested.

norbauer · « **Reply #756 on:** Sat, 18 August 2018, 14:45:09 »

Quote from: UnFocused on Fri, 17 August 2018, 21:01:46

Quote from: Dubbvis on Thu, 16 August 2018, 22:47:13
One issue, however. It appears that one side of my plate will not mount flush to the case.

I noticed the same thing with mine. I didn't have any washers around, so I just made my own with bits of cardboard and everything is rock solid.

Hehe. That's actually a great idea. I'm glad you found a quick and easy solution.

These seems like a rare occurrence, but one that a couple people have emailed me about, so I thought I would give some advice here.

For anyone else seeing this phenomenon, I have some other recommendations. (I haven't actually encountered it myself on any of the housings I've installed, so to some extent I'm speculating.) It's possible that there is some slight bowing in the RealForce plate or that there is some variation in plate thickness among RF models. However, I think the more likely scenario is that there is some aluminum debris in the bottom of one or more or the tapped holes. The tapping of holes creates small aluminum chips and if the machine shop isn't careful to use compressed air to clear each hole and then to verify that it's actually clear, some debris can remain in there that will keep the screw from fully seating into the hole. While I generally add safety margins to most holes on my housings to leave a little extra room for any such debris, on these four particular holes I had to shave down that extra safety margin a bit from 2mm to only 0.2mm to avoid making the case too bulky. (Alas, the engineering constraints imposed by hanging a plate from above and reverse-engineering around somebody else's design are non-trivial.) So my advice would be first to open up your case and look at the bottom of those screw holes to see if you see any aluminum chips. If so, you can try clearing out the hole with compressed air (or a lens blower), or maybe even a tooth pick + gravity with the case turned upside down. If you're able to remove any such obstructions, it should make it possible for the screw to bottom out properly in its hole.

If that doesn't do the trick, it's possible that the holes on a few of the cases weren't milled as deep as they ought to have been. However, since they all ran with the exact same CAM program, chances of that seem lower to me. (You can actually check with a depth gauge on a caliper; it should be 5.2mm +/- 0.1mm) In that situation, the only solution would be some kind of shim—either the cardboard approach mentioned above, or I happen to know that these shims from McMaster (or any conforming to those or similar specs) will do the trick, because on an early prototype those holes were spec'd too shallow and I used those shims as a solution. Another approach, of course, would be to grind down the screw length a bit with sand paper, a belt sander, a file, or what have you. You could probably also just buy some M4 screws that are 5mm or 4mm long and use those than the supplied 6mm screws. Almost any hardware store should something along those lines; it doesn't have to be exactly the same style of screw I used.

If anybody needs any help beyond this, just shoot me an email at shop@norbauer.com and I'll be happy to assist. I do have a few of the shims left in my shop, which I could send.

hayt · « **Reply #757 on:** Sat, 18 August 2018, 18:44:32 »

Following up w a little photoshoot <3 this board

Lansky · « **Reply #758 on:** Sun, 19 August 2018, 05:32:04 »

Quote from: hayt on Sat, 18 August 2018, 18:44:32

Following up w a little photoshoot <3

That looks so good! Can’t wait to get mine.

awhitedev · « **Reply #759 on:** Sun, 19 August 2018, 06:17:55 »

Just finished installing my case. While I had it apart I also took the opportunity to install some silencing rings and lube the mod stabilizers. What a difference! Really transformed an already great keyboard to a whole new level.

I did notice that the case sits at a much flatter angle than the stock case, even with the attached risers. Anyone have any recommendations for increasing the angle? I was considering getting some tall rubber feet like so:

https://www.amazon.com/BCP-12pcs-Bumpers-Rubber-21x12mm/dp/B01FLLD7Y8/

nanook_the_great · « **Reply #760 on:** Sun, 19 August 2018, 13:06:43 »

I've been off GH for a year plus, and coming back this really caught my eye. I'm bummed that I missed the group buy. Any chance of a R2 or V2 in the future?

UnFocused · « **Reply #761 on:** Sun, 19 August 2018, 15:04:57 »

I am beyond pleased with the Norbaforce case.

FSund · « **Reply #762 on:** Mon, 20 August 2018, 05:29:14 »

Quote from: awhitedev on Sun, 19 August 2018, 06:17:55

Just finished installing my case. While I had it apart I also took the opportunity to install some silencing rings and lube the mod stabilizers. What a difference! Really transformed an already great keyboard to a whole new level.

I was thinking of doing the same thing myself when I get my case. Do you have any good videos showing how the rings are installed?

Burt Macklin · « **Reply #763 on:** Mon, 20 August 2018, 06:09:02 »

Well, it's not difficult, you don't need a tutorial for it.
Pop the slider out of the housing, put a ring on the slider,
and push it back in - as simple as that.

Edge.d · « **Reply #764 on:** Mon, 20 August 2018, 23:37:10 »

Really sad to have missed on this housing, hopefully we'll see some extras, based on the feedbacks I got around me, it takes the board to a whole new level. My 87u would very much appreciate that kind of upgrade

Btw, love seeing everyone's custom boards, keep the pics coming! The RF is such a classic and imo the best tenkeyless ever made.

atlas3686 · « **Reply #765 on:** Tue, 21 August 2018, 04:44:39 »

Quote from: hayt on Sat, 18 August 2018, 18:44:32

Following up w a little photoshoot <3 this board

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

Looking good, cannot wait for mine to arrive.

chakku · « **Reply #766 on:** Tue, 21 August 2018, 19:33:54 »

Package arrived in the country, now customs just need to decide how hard they're going to sting me before they give it to me..

FSund · « **Reply #767 on:** Wed, 22 August 2018, 01:44:08 »

Quote from: chakku on Tue, 21 August 2018, 19:33:54

Package arrived in the country, now customs just need to decide how hard they're going to sting me before they give it to me..

I feel your pain. My package has been sitting in customs since Thursday!

atlas3686 · « **Reply #768 on:** Wed, 22 August 2018, 02:47:24 »

Quote from: FSund on Wed, 22 August 2018, 01:44:08

Quote from: chakku on Tue, 21 August 2018, 19:33:54
Package arrived in the country, now customs just need to decide how hard they're going to sting me before they give it to me..

I feel your pain. My package has been sitting in customs since Thursday!

Yup, since Tuesday last week for me and I will be really lucky if I get it this week

thelaughingman · « **Reply #769 on:** Wed, 22 August 2018, 07:00:12 »

Quote from: atlas3686 on Wed, 22 August 2018, 02:47:24

Quote from: FSund on Wed, 22 August 2018, 01:44:08
Quote from: chakku on Tue, 21 August 2018, 19:33:54
Package arrived in the country, now customs just need to decide how hard they're going to sting me before they give it to me..

I feel your pain. My package has been sitting in customs since Thursday!

Yup, since Tuesday last week for me and I will be really lucky if I get it this week

Mine got to custom late yesterday afternoon. Hopefully I can get it derlivered early next week. Oh that 2.2kg of goodness

dgneo · « **Reply #770 on:** Wed, 22 August 2018, 07:34:36 »

any wkl versions available? really wanna see pics of one

nmur · « **Reply #771 on:** Wed, 22 August 2018, 09:38:09 »

Quote from: dgneo on Wed, 22 August 2018, 07:34:36

any wkl versions available? really wanna see pics of one

i'm waiting on a silver WKL for my 86U

i am surprised that i haven't seen others yet though

awhitedev · « **Reply #772 on:** Wed, 22 August 2018, 13:51:23 »

If you guys find that the keyboard sits too flat, even with the attached risers... I found some rubber feet that make it just right.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KZBR2Y/

There's three different sizes included in the bag... I personally found the tallest feet attached to the very end of the case to be just right for me.

hayt · « **Reply #773 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 08:40:51 »

Hi Norb,

Two questions:

1) I might have missed this, do you make the PCB cable adapters with a USB Mini in place of USB C? If so, may I order one from you?

2) What are your thoughts on a run of brass bottom plates? I know someone else had mentioned this but seemed to have gone quiet. Is this something that you are considering?

TY,
hayt

Lansky · « **Reply #774 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:16:25 »

Quote from: hayt on Thu, 23 August 2018, 08:40:51

2) What are your thoughts on a run of brass bottom plates? I know someone else had mentioned this but seemed to have gone quiet. Is this something that you are considering?

I can't find it in the thread, but I remember that Ryan mentioned that he was waiting for PVD samples for the Heavy6. And in case they turned out good, he'd look into making PVD back plates for the Norbaforces.

dallman5 · « **Reply #775 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:18:12 »

Just posted this on reddit, so my apologies for the cross-post. But I saw some people were looking for some pictures of the WKL variant, so I figured I'd link it here as well.

Anyway, a little bit about the board; it's a Realforce 86U dome-swapped to uniform 45g along with silent purple sliders. It features Nissho KB106DE alphas with Realforce 104UK modifier keycaps. And finally, housing this beast is a winkeyless Tactical Black Norbaforce case. Thanks Norbauer!

Lansky · « **Reply #776 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:20:33 »

Quote from: UberDrk on Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:18:12

Just posted this on reddit, so my apologies for the cross-post. But I saw some people were looking for some pictures of the WKL variant, so I figured I'd link it here as well.

Show Image

Anyway, a little bit about the board; it's a Realforce 86U dome-swapped to uniform 45g along with silent purple sliders. It features Nissho KB106DE alphas with Realforce 104UK modifier keycaps. And finally, housing this beast is a winkeyless Tactical Black Norbaforce case. Thanks Norbauer!

That is one sexy board, my friend. Well done!

hayt · « **Reply #777 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:22:31 »

Quote from: Lansky on Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:16:25

Quote from: hayt on Thu, 23 August 2018, 08:40:51
2) What are your thoughts on a run of brass bottom plates? I know someone else had mentioned this but seemed to have gone quiet. Is this something that you are considering?

I can't find it in the thread, but I remember that Ryan mentioned that he was waiting for PVD samples for the Heavy6. And in case they turned out good, he'd look into making PVD back plates for the Norbaforces.

Maybe i'm a dummy, what exactly is PVD?

Lansky · « **Reply #778 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:30:41 »

Quote from: hayt on Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:22:31

Maybe i'm a dummy, what exactly is PVD?

Physical vapor deposition. I'm by no means an expert on this matter, but it's a way of treating the brass to protect it from corrosion or oxidation. Untreated brass will "wear" quite quickly and can end up looking pretty bad (though some people like the "patina" it gets) over time. It's also quite prone to the oils from your hands, so fingerprints are very visible.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge on the subject can pitch in.

nuclear_wizard · « **Reply #779 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 14:34:32 »

Any updates to the timeline for powder coat cases? It seems like it's been a while since the last update on those, and I'm getting antsy seeing all the pics of the ano cases.

norbauer · « **Reply #780 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 15:50:33 »

Quote from: hayt on Thu, 23 August 2018, 08:40:51

Hi Norb,

Two questions:

1) I might have missed this, do you make the PCB cable adapters with a USB Mini in place of USB C? If so, may I order one from you?

2) What are your thoughts on a run of brass bottom plates? I know someone else had mentioned this but seemed to have gone quiet. Is this something that you are considering?

I am afraid I don't have any adapters for USB C to Mini, but if that exists I'm sure third parties would do it better than I would anyway. USB-C is there merely because so many people clambered for it in the IC.

I am still planning on doing a very small round of heavy back plates, though they will likely be PVD steel rather than brass, since the PVD coaters don't like to do brass because it has to be under-plated before they can PVD coat it. And you can actually get brass PVD coated such that it looks like brass but doesn't oxidize like brass does. (Steel and brass are similar in weight.) I've been searching far and wide for good PVD vendors. I found one that can do black well but not really any other colors. I may just leave it at that, but I'm still investigating.

Quote from: UberDrk on Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:18:12

Just posted this on reddit, so my apologies for the cross-post. But I saw some people were looking for some pictures of the WKL variant, so I figured I'd link it here as well.

Show Image

Anyway, a little bit about the board; it's a Realforce 86U dome-swapped to uniform 45g along with silent purple sliders. It features Nissho KB106DE alphas with Realforce 104UK modifier keycaps. And finally, housing this beast is a winkeyless Tactical Black Norbaforce case. Thanks Norbauer!

Awesome. Thanks for sharing this! The WKL variants are quite rare; only a handful of people opted for those (understandably, given the work in customizing the board that is required.)

Quote from: nuclear_wizard on Thu, 23 August 2018, 14:34:32

Any updates to the timeline for powder coat cases? It seems like it's been a while since the last update on those, and I'm getting antsy seeing all the pics of the ano cases.

The powder finishes definitely require a special degree of patience. :) The powder workshop was waiting for all the powder to come into stock and they'll begin production, which is stated to take 1-2 months. I don't like to bug them too much, but I'll check in with them next week to ensure that all the powder came in and that they're ready to go or have already begun work. FWIW, I generally expect powder coating shops to take longer than the timelines they quote. -_-

hayt · « **Reply #781 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 16:00:26 »

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 23 August 2018, 15:50:33

Quote from: hayt on Thu, 23 August 2018, 08:40:51
Hi Norb,

Two questions:

1) I might have missed this, do you make the PCB cable adapters with a USB Mini in place of USB C? If so, may I order one from you?

2) What are your thoughts on a run of brass bottom plates? I know someone else had mentioned this but seemed to have gone quiet. Is this something that you are considering?

I am afraid I don't have any adapters for USB C to Mini, but if that exists I'm sure third parties would do it better than I would anyway. USB-C is there merely because so many people clambered for it in the IC.

I am still planning on doing a very small round of heavy back plates, though they will likely be PVD steel rather than brass, since the PVD coaters don't like to do brass because it has to be under-plated before they can PVD coat it. And you can actually get brass PVD coated such that it looks like brass but doesn't oxidize like brass does. (Steel and brass are similar in weight.) I've been searching far and wide for good PVD vendors. I found one that can do black well but not really any other colors. I may just leave it at that, but I'm still investigating.

Thanks as always for your great communication! I would 100% be in for a PVD Coated Steel plate, black would be totally fine too. Would it be possible to request custom engraving? Or maybe the #/350 that corresponds to the packaging?

nuclear_wizard · « **Reply #782 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 20:32:26 »

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 23 August 2018, 15:50:33

Quote from: nuclear_wizard on Thu, 23 August 2018, 14:34:32
Any updates to the timeline for powder coat cases? It seems like it's been a while since the last update on those, and I'm getting antsy seeing all the pics of the ano cases.

The powder finishes definitely require a special degree of patience. The powder workshop was waiting for all the powder to come into stock and they'll begin production, which is stated to take 1-2 months. I don't like to bug them too much, but I'll check in with them next week to ensure that all the powder came in and that they're ready to go or have already begun work. FWIW, I generally expect powder coating shops to take longer than the timelines they quote. -_-

It takes as long as it takes to get a quality product. Just wondering about updates, but it seems like everything is on track.

More time to get the boards/keysets ready for those sweet cases anyways. Found one set of NT sliders, but planning for 2 boards. Hopefully jchan's new silencing "rings" turn out to be quality.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

mrkantz · « **Reply #783 on:** Thu, 23 August 2018, 21:00:30 »

Just out of curiosity, how many boards are going to powder coating?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

atlas3686 · « **Reply #784 on:** Fri, 24 August 2018, 02:33:22 »

Quote from: UberDrk on Thu, 23 August 2018, 10:18:12

Just posted this on reddit, so my apologies for the cross-post. But I saw some people were looking for some pictures of the WKL variant, so I figured I'd link it here as well.

Show Image

Anyway, a little bit about the board; it's a Realforce 86U dome-swapped to uniform 45g along with silent purple sliders. It features Nissho KB106DE alphas with Realforce 104UK modifier keycaps. And finally, housing this beast is a winkeyless Tactical Black Norbaforce case. Thanks Norbauer!

Wow, love it. Need some hiPro caps in my life.

Lansky · « **Reply #785 on:** Fri, 24 August 2018, 03:21:20 »

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 23 August 2018, 15:50:33

The powder finishes definitely require a special degree of patience. The powder workshop was waiting for all the powder to come into stock and they'll begin production, which is stated to take 1-2 months. I don't like to bug them too much, but I'll check in with them next week to ensure that all the powder came in and that they're ready to go or have already begun work. FWIW, I generally expect powder coating shops to take longer than the timelines they quote. -_-

I'm guessing there's no chance to have the anodized cases shipped to the EU proxy by themselves before the powder coated ones are finished?

Idef1x · « **Reply #786 on:** Fri, 24 August 2018, 03:48:02 »

@norbauer

Sorry if this has been asked before, but is another round planned for the Norbaforce?

Lansky · « **Reply #787 on:** Fri, 24 August 2018, 03:56:37 »

Quote from: Idef1x on Fri, 24 August 2018, 03:48:02

@norbauer

Sorry if this has been asked before, but is another round planned for the Norbaforce?

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 16 August 2018, 16:58:53

My current plan is not to do another run of these--certainly at least in the short to medium term. However, I do plan to have some in-stock extras available for shipment at some point in the coming month or two. (I think I'll wait until I have the powder cases back and put the extras all up at the same time.)

You can sign up on my email list to find be the first to know when those are available. (Based on all the inquiries I've gotten, I would expect them to sell out more or less instantly.)

Idef1x · « **Reply #788 on:** Fri, 24 August 2018, 04:10:54 »

Quote from: Lansky on Fri, 24 August 2018, 03:56:37

Quote from: Idef1x on Fri, 24 August 2018, 03:48:02
@norbauer

Sorry if this has been asked before, but is another round planned for the Norbaforce?

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 16 August 2018, 16:58:53
My current plan is not to do another run of these--certainly at least in the short to medium term. However, I do plan to have some in-stock extras available for shipment at some point in the coming month or two. (I think I'll wait until I have the powder cases back and put the extras all up at the same time.)

You can sign up on my email list to find be the first to know when those are available. (Based on all the inquiries I've gotten, I would expect them to sell out more or less instantly.)

Arh that is unfortunate - I should have entered at the first run. Thanks for the info Lansky!

FSund · « **Reply #789 on:** Fri, 24 August 2018, 06:21:39 »

It has arrived! Don't think I wanna spoil the packaging for everyone else, so I'll just say that it's magnificent

Fadamaque · « **Reply #790 on:** Fri, 24 August 2018, 08:09:35 »

It arrived today, after a holdup of six days in customs. Two of the screws had come loose in shipping, as another poster had mentioned, but no damage to the case - all good. The fancy cable works fine! This case is endgame for sure. Its hefty, heavy, and amplifies the thock that we crave and enjoy. 10/10, and thank you, Ryan, for making this awesome case!

MAR82 · « **Reply #791 on:** Sun, 26 August 2018, 06:07:46 »

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 23 August 2018, 15:50:33

The powder finishes definitely require a special degree of patience. The powder workshop was waiting for all the powder to come into stock and they'll begin production, which is stated to take 1-2 months. I don't like to bug them too much, but I'll check in with them next week to ensure that all the powder came in and that they're ready to go or have already begun work. FWIW, I generally expect powder coating shops to take longer than the timelines they quote. -_-

Hi Ryan, I really thank you for all the work you put into these projects.
The cases are looking really good, and that's part of the issue I'm having right now. I'm seeing all these awesome boards be posted and I just really wish I could get mine. I ordered an anodized finish because when I talked to you, you strongly recommended it to me for quicker turnaround times since I was one of the last people to get their Norbatouch case last round. But needing to wait since I'm in Europe and seeing your last update on how long the power coating will still take, I'm going nuts. Please let me now of there is anything we can do so I can get that case a bit sooner.
Thanks

Lansky · « **Reply #792 on:** Sun, 26 August 2018, 06:33:13 »

Quote from: MAR82 on Sun, 26 August 2018, 06:07:46

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 23 August 2018, 15:50:33
The powder finishes definitely require a special degree of patience. The powder workshop was waiting for all the powder to come into stock and they'll begin production, which is stated to take 1-2 months. I don't like to bug them too much, but I'll check in with them next week to ensure that all the powder came in and that they're ready to go or have already begun work. FWIW, I generally expect powder coating shops to take longer than the timelines they quote. -_-

Hi Ryan, I really thank you for all the work you put into these projects.
The cases are looking really good, and that's part of the issue I'm having right now. I'm seeing all these awesome boards be posted and I just really wish I could get mine. I ordered an anodized finish because when I talked to you, you strongly recommended it to me for quicker turnaround times since I was one of the last people to get their Norbatouch case last round. But needing to wait since I'm in Europe and seeing your last update on how long the power coating will still take, I'm going nuts. Please let me now of there is anything we can do so I can get that case a bit sooner.
Thanks

Send him an email. He previously mentioned that it's no problem to switch to the regular shipping option (the non-proxy one), just keep in mind that you'll have to cover the extra import costs.

donhonk · « **Reply #793 on:** Sun, 26 August 2018, 21:59:43 »

WOOP, Thanks!

norbauer · « **Reply #794 on:** Sun, 26 August 2018, 22:23:28 »

Quote from: MAR82 on Sun, 26 August 2018, 06:07:46

Quote from: norbauer on Thu, 23 August 2018, 15:50:33
The powder finishes definitely require a special degree of patience. The powder workshop was waiting for all the powder to come into stock and they'll begin production, which is stated to take 1-2 months. I don't like to bug them too much, but I'll check in with them next week to ensure that all the powder came in and that they're ready to go or have already begun work. FWIW, I generally expect powder coating shops to take longer than the timelines they quote. -_-

Hi Ryan, I really thank you for all the work you put into these projects.
The cases are looking really good, and that's part of the issue I'm having right now. I'm seeing all these awesome boards be posted and I just really wish I could get mine. I ordered an anodized finish because when I talked to you, you strongly recommended it to me for quicker turnaround times since I was one of the last people to get their Norbatouch case last round. But needing to wait since I'm in Europe and seeing your last update on how long the power coating will still take, I'm going nuts. Please let me now of there is anything we can do so I can get that case a bit sooner.
Thanks

I'm currently looking into sending the anodized ones ahead to MyKeyboard.eu. It'll still take a while to go through the whole process, however, so if you need it ASAP, as mentioned above, feel free to email me and we can make alternate arrangements for you.

norbauer · « **Reply #795 on:** Sun, 26 August 2018, 22:23:41 »

Quote from: donhonk on Sun, 26 August 2018, 21:59:43

Show Image

WOOP, Thanks!

Sexy spacebar.

FSund · « **Reply #796 on:** Mon, 27 August 2018, 02:56:25 »

Some thoughts after installing my RF 88UB in the case, and using it for a couple of days.

I had the same issue with the pcb securing screws as some others have mentioned, where they didn't go far enough in to secure the pcb (or the screws were too short). I couldn't find any metal shavings/residue in the holes, so I don't think that was the issue. But I did see some signs of the threads not going all the way to the bottom of the holes. Perhaps this is the real reason for this issue? Or perhaps the 88UB pcb's are thinner than 87's. I didn't think of measuring the thickness of my pcb while i had it out though.
I fixed this with some nylon washers.

One minor issue with the risers and rubber feet is that the risers interfere with the rubber feet on the short sides of the case.

This is mainly an issue if going from no risers (and all rubber feet installed) to risers installed, since two of the rubber feet would have to me removed.
But I think there is enough material in the risers that it would have been possible to make a small notch/pocket for the rubber feet on top of the risers, so that both could be installed at the same time. But hindsight is 20/20, and it's hard to think of everything when designing something like this.
I will probably always have risers installed anyway, so this is not really an issue for me.

Finally the risers could have been a tad higher in my opinion. Although this might improve if I used a wrist rest, so I'll have to get one to try it out.
But I think it might be possible to make some higher risers in the same design as the current risers, something like this amazing paint illustration shows:

Taller risers for Norbaforce GB anyone??

These are all very small gripes, and I'm overall extremely pleased with the final product. The feel and finish of this thing is fantastic, and the case combined with KBDfans silencing rings has brought my RF to a HHKB-level of tactility and feel.

Here's a final image of my (current) endgame!
Which my wife promptly took off with, claiming she needed it for productivity or something like that.

Lansky · « **Reply #797 on:** Mon, 27 August 2018, 03:56:53 »

Quote from: norbauer on Sun, 26 August 2018, 22:23:28

I'm currently looking into sending the anodized ones ahead to MyKeyboard.eu. It'll still take a while to go through the whole process, however, so if you need it ASAP, as mentioned above, feel free to email me and we can make alternate arrangements for you.

Awww, you're basically making my dream come true, Ryan. This is awesome news!

thelaughingman · « **Reply #798 on:** Mon, 27 August 2018, 08:32:58 »

It arrived!!! Tax free to boot

Burt Macklin · « **Reply #799 on:** Mon, 27 August 2018, 09:47:08 »

Quote from: norbauer on Sun, 26 August 2018, 22:23:28

I'm currently looking into sending the anodized ones ahead to MyKeyboard.eu. It'll still take a while to go through the whole process, however, so if you need it ASAP, as mentioned above, feel free to email me and we can make alternate arrangements for you.

Thanks, man,
that's great to hear

News:

Author Topic: the Norbaforce: after-market housing for RealForce TKL keyboards — SHIPPED (Read 251683 times)