Quick update:
DesignI've made some tiny final tweaks to the design. Nothing major: I've added a tiny bit more space between keycaps and the case. This is to make sure that there is no binding on the case - Even if the thickness of the case increases (i.e.when powder coating), and also taking into account the max "offset" we could get due to machining tolerances. I've also changed the design of the blocker to fit in on both halves.
PrototypesI will order two prototypes of this final design (Top Case, Bottom Case, Blocker, Case & Bottom Weight) early this week. This will set me back quite a bit of money now, but I will feel more comfortable advertising the group buy once I have a nice working prototype. Once this prototype arrives (and if everything works as expected), I think we can move forward quite fast with the group buy.
ColorsAfter being more in contact with 3DHubs for the manufacturing, it doesn't seem feasible to offer both Powder Coating AND Anodization finishes (without adding significant cost). But if we stick to one of the two, ordering multiple colors shouldn't be an issue (I will still have to limit it to ~3 colors though).
I've been going back and forth on this a lot, but I've ended up deciding to offer anodized colors. It will likely be black, that purple, plus another one that is TBD.
However, for those that wanted the powder coated colors (Yellow and White), there is still hope! I can get un-anodized cases and have it powder-coated locally. I will try this with one of the two prototypes that I'm ordering. If I'm happy with the result and it's at reasonable cost, this is still on the table.
PCBI was about to finalize the new PCB version. One more thing I wanted to add is ESD protection. It won't add any costs, so I might as well add it in.
I am also looking into switching out the USB connector for a cheaper one that is also easier to solder (this would directly reduce the PCB price as I would also have to spend less time soldering that crazy Wurth connector).
Hotswap/optionSomeone on discord pointed out an issue with my PCB design. Having the option for both solder and hotswap (by flipping the switch 180 degrees) means that for one of the two, the switches will be mounted facing south (currently the case when using hotswap). However, GMK/Cherry profile keycaps have such a tight design on profile row 2, that they might clack against the switch housing when the switches are facing south. See this video for an explanation:
So it depends on the combination of switch and keycap. I hadn't noticed it before on my BMEK prototype (I'm using GMK with Zilents), but now that it got pointed out to me, I do notice it sometimes
. This is of course not an issue for many types of keycaps (i.e. DSA, XDA, SA, KAT), but still it kinda annoys me, and I don't really want to ship it like this. So for the final PCB I'm debating between:
- Keep as-is (hotswap will be the "inferior" option, which I guess it is anyway )
- Dropping hotswap support completely (will make some people unhappy)
- Design two versions of the PCB (it's not much work for me, I would just need swap out the footprints)
As far as I'm concerned, I'll offer two versions of the new PCB - and likely at the same price (as long as people are okay with soldering their own hotswap sockets). And again, for those that already have their PCB, it will remain fully compatible with the case (although beware that you might be facing the issue above if you're using hotswap).