[IC] ANSI-WIN plates for phantom Updated 11/16

[Techpriest]

UPDATE 11/16: 10 plates still available for sale
Choose painted(flat black) or unpainted I will not be painting any plates until winter is over and I have procured additional space to do so.
Will ship the weekend after ordered, with a 1 week delay for painted to allow for proper application and drying.
$18 + shipping
To order please send me a personal message and I will reply as soon as I see it.

Hello All,
So, I've started down the road of this custom keyboard project and I'm looking at getting some ANSI-WIN plates cut for the phantom board and then just doing point to point wiring on the underside and skipping the pcb. 

The local laser cutting place that I've contacted has a small minimum order which will net me between 30 and 50 plates (I'll have the exact number tomorrow.) 

I just wanted to post and see if anyone would be interested in getting some plates once i get them cut since I don't plan on making 50 keyboards.

I'm getting these plates cut from 5052 aluminum that is .063" thick.

[SpAmRaY]

If you wanted you can buy the PCB from http://www.mechanicalkeyboards.com

You might also contact them as they might want to buy up some plates to sell.

[dorkvader]

I'm getting these plates cut from 5052 aluminum that is .063" thick.

Is there any way to get steel instead? Aluminium tends to bend in the mail pretty easily, unless you mount it to a hardboard, which raises cost significantly for us all. Steel is an excellent material and you save a lot of money on shipping materials. It's OK if you're set on aluminium though: they make great plates.

[jdcarpe]

Do they all have to be the same layout? If you did a mix of ANSI WIN, ANSI WKL, ISO WIN, and ISO WKL you could probably sell 50 of those quite easily.

[Proc31]

I think there would be a lot of interest if you were able to make the plates that allow solderless switch top removal, I see people looking for those plates all over the place.

[Techpriest]

I will check and see what the difference on price will be for steel, might be reasonable, I was thinking that the weight would be too much for the actual keyboard.  Any opinions on that?

Also, regarding different plate layouts, I may be able to make that happen, ANSI-WIN is the only one for me, but I get others are probably not windows users.  Will update soon!

[strict]

Would these plates fit a Filco tenkeyless and allow for switch top removal? If so, I would definitely be in for at least one plate, possibly 2-3 depending on cost. I would be fine with either steel or aluminum, I don't see why weight would make much of a difference for anything other than shipping.

[Techpriest]

These would be cut for switch top removal while plated.  I just finished getting my quotes and it looks like for the aluminum plates it would be $15 and for the steel plates it would be $20.  I have all 6 designs for the phantom board and am willing to have any of them cut, but would need 10 people interested in the design unless it's the ansi-win plate which I will be getting cut for myself.

[SpAmRaY]

You should contact one of the reps at mechanicalkeyboards.com if they had plates then they could offer complete phantom kits.

[Pac Caps]

Could you get the plates anodized? I'd love a colored one.

[strict]

These would be cut for switch top removal while plated.  I just finished getting my quotes and it looks like for the aluminum plates it would be $15 and for the steel plates it would be $20.  I have all 6 designs for the phantom board and am willing to have any of them cut, but would need 10 people interested in the design unless it's the ansi-win plate which I will be getting cut for myself.

I'll definitely order at least one of whichever material you get cut (steel or aluminum). If you do both materials I would probably get one of each so I could decide for myself which one I like best.

[jdcarpe]

I'd be in for a few plates, either Alu or SS. I have some (16) plate drawings you can use, if you're interested.

I have drawings for the following:
ANSI 125
ANSI 125 w/Short Right Shift
ANSI 125 w/Split Backspace
ANSI 125 w/Short Right Shift and Split Backspace
ANSI 150
ANSI 150 SRS
ANSI 150 SB
ANSI 150 SRS + SB
ISO 125
ISO 125 SRS
ISO 125 SB
ISO 125 SRS + SB
ISO 150
ISO 150 SRS
ISO 150 SB
ISO 150 SRS + SB

[strict]

After reading some comments made by WhiteFireDragon in another thread it sounds like going with steel plates would be the ideal choice.

A few things I want to mention. OP, you mentioned PCB a few times, and the only TKL PCB we can get are phantoms, which I have no ties to. bphiphany designed it and controls the production of them. Teensy you can just buy on your own.

The plates however, I can help with those. I designed and ran the GB for all universal TKL plates, and all phantom R2 plates.

Cost between raw material is not much (only a few bucks). Majority of the cost in the plate is the laser machine time and programming fees. I had batches of aluminum and stainless steel plates before, and I personally like the steel one better for the weight and rigidity. Quality of the cuts on aluminum is a tad lower because they're more prone to local warping from high temps. Stainless steel is more resistant to temperature warping, so the edges turn out a little sharper and cleaner. As for color, anodizing adds a big chunk to cost and is only available for aluminum. Powder coating is also an option, but costs even more than anodizing, but it can be done for both aluminum or steel.

As for sourcing manufacturers, you'll have to source a company that has a laser cutter with at least 3kw with tolerances of 0.002" or better, otherwise switch and stabilizer holes will be too loose. I sourced about 15 different local places around me, price and quality varies between different companies/machines, so prototype is a must. You might be able to source cheaper places that are further, but shipping these heavy plates around is not cheap (hence why I did everything local, and picked them up myself).

I can help you get these made, or give you contact info for the local company. But just letting you know ahead of time that they do not deal with individuals, and you must send official blueprints (not just a raw DXF file) before they go through quoting process. If you want to do it through my account, then it'll be a few weeks before I have time to run another batch.

I have some left after shipping out the preorders, but there were more people that wanted plates than the numbers of extras I have. Not sure what the fairest way to sell them would be.

[Techpriest]

It appears unfortunate, but the only material I could source at this time was aluminum, I have been assured that steel will be an option in the future however.  Production should be complete today though.

[ninjadoc]

I will take two plates if they allow switch top removal.

[jdcarpe]

I will take two plates if they allow switch top removal.

Now would I make and send him plate drawings that didn't allow for that?

[SpAmRaY]

It appears unfortunate, but the only material I could source at this time was aluminum, I have been assured that steel will be an option in the future however.  Production should be complete today though.

So what plates did you have made?

[ninjadoc]

I will take two plates if they allow switch top removal.

Now would I make and send him plate drawings that didn't allow for that?

I would think not but I've seen stranger things.

[jdcarpe]

I will take two plates if they allow switch top removal.

Now would I make and send him plate drawings that didn't allow for that?

I would think not but I've seen stranger things.

Eerily similar:

Now, you don't think I would make associations like that without doing some investigation first? Give me a little more credit than that, bro.

People have done stupider things around these parts...

[strict]

Any updates on this?

[whiskytango]

i'm in for a plate

[Techpriest]

Hey guys,
Sorry for the lack of updates, been pretty busy with work lately.  I had a holdup on the plates from the laser cutting company, they cut half my order out of the wrong thickness and the switches didn't fit so I had to have them remade.  I now have them all in hand.

Someone above asked about which plates I had made.  What I did was redrew the designs from the phantom PCB group buy page on the deskthority wiki, so they are essentially identical to those.  However, jdcarpe has provided some more interesting options for the future so I think I will be leaning that way with my next order.

For those interested in ordering, details will follow tomorrow on contact information and so forth.  Thanks for the patience, this hasn't been the easiest process, but I finally have everything polished to the quality I would like and ready to go.

-Tech

P.S. Will attach a photo once I get home!

[gh_pp]

I think there would be a lot of interest if you were able to make the plates that allow solderless switch top removal, I see people looking for those plates all over the place.

Yes. Me Me!

I'm interested in TWO open switch design ANSI 125 plates.

Hey guys,
Sorry for the lack of updates, been pretty busy with work lately.  I had a holdup on the plates from the laser cutting company, they cut half my order out of the wrong thickness and the switches didn't fit so I had to have them remade.  I now have them all in hand.

Someone above asked about which plates I had made.  What I did was redrew the designs from the phantom PCB group buy page on the deskthority wiki, so they are essentially identical to those.  However, jdcarpe has provided some more interesting options for the future so I think I will be leaning that way with my next order.

For those interested in ordering, details will follow tomorrow on contact information and so forth.  Thanks for the patience, this hasn't been the easiest process, but I finally have everything polished to the quality I would like and ready to go.

-Tech

P.S. Will attach a photo once I get home!

Replied so I get notified!
Gonna build my first phantom board.

[Laser]

I would be interested in 1 (or maybe 2) TKL (Quickfire Rapid) ANSI compatible plate. Which code number is that and how much would it cost to ship in EU?
Thanks

EDIT: by compatible i mean - i can cutout extra metal from it (e.g. to make space for the controller), i need just the switch holes to be where they have to be.
So, i am in for 2 ANSI125 open switch plates. Where do i order?

[Techpriest]

Picture as promised...

[strict]

Picture as promised...

Show Image

Very nice! Dibs on one of those when they come up for sale because I definitely want one! Any estimates on pricing?

Do you have any plans to make a universal TKL plate? What about getting plates made in other materials like stainless steel? Im trying to get a local metal shop to cut me a stainless uTKL plate but I'm not sure how thats going to work out just yet.

[PhineasRex]

I would be very interested in getting one of these plates.

[hwood34]

Count me in!

[mark0331]

I'm definitely interested in a couple of these plates.

[nesth]

I'd be interested in a couple if shipping to Canada is not a problem.

[Techpriest]

Hey All,
Okay, so I sold some to one of our favorite vendors, I currently have 5 remaining.  Since demand has been much higher than I expected though I will do another run using jdcarpe's plate design out of steel this time.  However, that will be a couple of weeks off and will re-post when that happens.

If you would like to purchase one of the 5 aluminum plates I have, please send me a PM.  I am looking for $20 a plate plus shipping and would like to limit them to 1 per person so that more people have an opportunity to get them.  Once you PM me we can work out shipping method of choice and I'll provide my paypal info.

Thanks,
Techpriest

[Laser]

details PM sent, thanks!

[strict]

PM sent. I really hope I can get one, My phantom PCB just arrived yesterday 

[Techpriest]

Hey all,
Thanks for the quick orders!  For those I haven't responded to yet, I'm hoping to finish up getting back to everyone by the end of the day today.  So far, all of the plates are now spoken for, I will post a reply if that changes.

For those of you who will be getting one I will ship everything out on Saturday this week, so depending on where in the world you are it could be between 3(US) and 14(International) days from then.

Thanks again!
-Techpriest

[Reckthor]

Is there and chance that you will be having any more made?

[jdcarpe]

Is there and chance that you will be having any more made?

Read 4 posts above yours ^^

[CommonCurt]

Definitely interested in 1 or 2 stainless steel ANSI 1.25 TKL plates to put in my Filcos.

[pasph]

interested in ANSI 150 TKL

[Reckthor]

Definitely interested in 1 or 2 stainless steel ANSI 1.25 TKL plates to put in my Filcos.

Thank you sir!

[Reckthor]

Down for 2 ANSI 125 plates when the time comes around.

[Techpriest]

Update!
I shipped all 5 plates out today, however, due to the gross incompetence of the US Postal Service's ability to estimate international shipping correctly, for the next batch I will only be shipping within the US unless I'm able to get a USPS account and a printer before the next batch is ready.  Tracking numbers will be emailed to those who I've shipped to internationally, for those domestic, please let me know if you haven't received your plate in 7 business days and I will put you on the list to get a free steel one.

Thanks,
Techpriest

[SpAmRaY]

Update!
I shipped all 5 plates out today, however, due to the gross incompetence of the US Postal Service's ability to estimate international shipping correctly, for the next batch I will only be shipping within the US unless I'm able to get a USPS account and a printer before the next batch is ready.  Tracking numbers will be emailed to those who I've shipped to internationally, for those domestic, please let me know if you haven't received your plate in 7 business days and I will put you on the list to get a free steel one.

Thanks,
Techpriest

Printing your own labels is definitely the way to go!! If you need any help in the future or have a random USPS shipping question shoot me a PM, I've done quite a bit of it, especially keyboard related over the last 6 months.

[strict]

My plate arrived today and everything looks great. Thanks techpriest!

[strict]

I found a design flaw in the plate. The four smaller stabilized keys (LShift, RShift, Backspace, Enter) have clearance issues that prevent switch top removal. If you look on the image below, there is a small corner of the plate sticking out beside the switch that doesn't clear the black plastic leg. The switch top leg on the bottom clears no problem but the top part does not.

[SpAmRaY]

I found a design flaw in the plate. The four smaller stabilized keys (LShift, RShift, Backspace, Enter) have clearance issues that prevent switch top removal. If you look on the image below, there is a small corner of the plate sticking out beside the switch that doesn't clear the black plastic leg. The switch top leg on the bottom clears no problem but the top part does not.

Show Image

I'm guessing these were made with the V1 design if I recall correctly, you can file those down and they will work just fine.

[jdcarpe]

Sorry, I should have told you about that known flaw with the original files. My design corrects for that.

Ray is right, you can take a file to those areas and solve the issue manually.

[Techpriest]

Sorry about the annoyance, next batch will be using jdcarpes design so that will no longer be an issue.  The international ones might take a while, but Spamray did you get yours yet?

Thank you,
Techpriest

[SpAmRaY]

Sorry about the annoyance, next batch will be using jdcarpes design so that will no longer be an issue.  The international ones might take a while, but Spamray did you get yours yet?

Thank you,
Techpriest

Haven't seen it.

EDIT: it came today. Thanks!

[badboybry9000]

I'm interested in an ANSI-WIN plate if another batch gets made.

[geniekid]

Interested.  I know there's GB going on for ANSI 125 steel plates, but I need one that allows for all the keys on the right side to be used.