Project Shade ft. Zealios

[Papa Rob]

Hi there! It is with much excitement that I write my historical first post!

First of all, I'm Robert nice to meet you all.

So, about a year ago I was in search for my first mechanical keyboard. As I was looking I stumbled upon the wonderfully deep pit of passion that is the custom keyboard community. And that was the spark that set fire to my inner "Ki-board".  I spent months on end sifting through posts and articles just learning, browsing for options. But in June I finally took the first step in designing my very own keyboard from scratch.

tl;dr

Thought I'd share my progress with you all, would love your opinions before I punch in the order!


Layout: Modded TKL ISO

Always annoyed me that the top row was separated from the rest, unpractical imo. Also wanted a big left shift, so I now have a big left shift. The lost symbols "<>|" Will take Caps Locks place. RIP Caps Lock. (Can still be accessed through Fn).



Brushed, black anodized aluminium. Bolt holes were sketched to perfectly fit M4 washers with a 9mm diameter. To get an incline, back left and right bolts will be longer than the rest.



Pretty satisfied with the USB area. Hopefully that piece of aluminium wont be flimsy. Leaning towards also anodizing all the washers/nuts/bolts. Maybe it's an idea leaving just the washers natural so there is at least some breakup in color.



For the inside I'm thinking of a sanded acrylic layer and some rgb leds for some subtle case lighting, I want to showcase the beautiful metal of course. The lighting would be separated from the top plate with a sheet of black plastic, not sure if this would all work out will have to test irl. Will replace a layer or two of washers with mx o-rings (they have very nice dimensions for this), in hopes of reducing vibration and getting a more snug fit with the acrylic. On the topic of vibration, have to find rubber pads that fit well on M4 nuts.


Paint Skills

As for keycaps, I'm overwhelmingly limited, needing a Nordic layout and an ANSI left shift. So instead of looking for a golden shoe of my size, I settled for one I could design to my liking. WASDKeyboards. Keycap design is not final but it's really close. I also really want to add key back lighting, just for those reflections on the metal. Looking at white leds but want to see if there are any feasible 3mm rgb led options. Everything powered by a Teensy 2.0++.

The renders were made with dimensions from BigBlueSaws' website in mind.

So... Do you think it would hold up? Here's to hoping that I've understood the img attachment system correctly! *Clicks Send*

Edit: GOSH what is this picture quality? 

[suicidal_orange]

I have no idea if it will hold up but I really like the look of it

[Kad]

Looks very neat, hope you keep developing this. In the end it's always much more rewarding to use a keyboard you designed from scratch than a prebuilt one.

[suicidal_orange]

Edit: GOSH what is this picture quality? 

If you click them the pics they look good

[Papa Rob]

I have no idea if it will hold up but I really like the look of it

Glad you like it mate!

Looks very neat, hope you keep developing this. In the end it's always much more rewarding to use a keyboard you designed from scratch than a prebuilt one.

Thank you! Indeed. I'm looking to settle with this keyboard for many years to come, so it's getting every ounce of my care. 

[KaminKevCrew]

I'm really liking the layered look that you're going for, and the idea to use longer bolts for the incline is a great way to add a ton of flexibility without having to add much cost (if you want a larger incline, just change the bolts for longer ones!)

[meevilsheep]

Quick question, why did you choose this design for the 2-3-4 layers? Only a design choice or you had anything else in mind?

I`m really looking forward on this project. Hope you keep us updated.

[Papa Rob]

I'm really liking the layered look that you're going for, and the idea to use longer bolts for the incline is a great way to add a ton of flexibility without having to add much cost (if you want a larger incline, just change the bolts for longer ones!)

Appreciated! Yeah, I have no idea what kind of incline I would want on a mechanical keyboard so it feels like the best approach.

Quick question, why did you choose this design for the 2-3-4 layers? Only a design choice or you had anything else in mind?

I`m really looking forward on this project. Hope you keep us updated.

I wanted something unique and still keep the compact look. By keeping the top/bottom layer dimensions at a minimum, I was hoping for them to enforce the compact feeling, allowing me to be more creative with the middle layers. So I guess it all boils down to design

Edit: GOSH what is this picture quality? 

If you click them the pics they look good

Ah! You learn something every day! 

[CPTBadAss]

I've got two plate cases like what you show in the OP. They're just a switch plate attached to a aluminum plate with standoffs with bolts. They've held up just fine. I've had my Epsilon for a couple years with no issues. Your design isn't too far off from that so I think it will hold up fine. There's a bunch of layered aluminum cases like what you have on DT and those have lasted with no issue.

The design reminds me of metalliqaz's Qazpad aka GH36.

[trenzafeeds]

This is so cool looking... best of luck to you! I'm sure you'd be able to pick up some extra long shift keys from FC660 users. 

[Papa Rob]

I've got two plate cases like what you show in the OP. They're just a switch plate attached to a aluminum plate with standoffs with bolts. They've held up just fine. I've had my Epsilon for a couple years with no issues. Your design isn't too far off from that so I think it will hold up fine. There's a bunch of layered aluminum cases like what you have on DT and those have lasted with no issue.

The design reminds me of metalliqaz's Qazpad aka GH36.

That's reassuring!  The Qazpad looks sweet!

This is so cool looking... best of luck to you! I'm sure you'd be able to pick up some extra long shift keys from FC660 users. 

Thank you! Will keep that in mind. 

I do wonder though, can cables get too thin for wiring keyboards? I've got my hands on some 0.06mm ones and am worried it won't hold up.

[KaminKevCrew]

I've got two plate cases like what you show in the OP. They're just a switch plate attached to a aluminum plate with standoffs with bolts. They've held up just fine. I've had my Epsilon for a couple years with no issues. Your design isn't too far off from that so I think it will hold up fine. There's a bunch of layered aluminum cases like what you have on DT and those have lasted with no issue.

The design reminds me of metalliqaz's Qazpad aka GH36.

That's reassuring!  The Qazpad looks sweet!

This is so cool looking... best of luck to you! I'm sure you'd be able to pick up some extra long shift keys from FC660 users. 

Thank you! Will keep that in mind. 

I do wonder though, can cables get too thin for wiring keyboards? I've got my hands on some 0.06mm ones and am worried it won't hold up.

I don't think enough current flows to do any harm, though it might be a pain to solder.

[njbair]

This is a great looking concept!

I'm wondering if the sharp, finished look of the anodized aluminum might end up being spoiled by the rough die-cut look of cheap washers. Maybe you could have some aluminum "washers" custom-cut to perfectly match your diameter and with nice, clean edges. Then get them anodized clear because I do like the striped look of the corners.

May I ask why you're carrying a different contour along the sides of the top and bottom plates? It's not necessarily bad, I'm just curious. Personally, though, I would either make the contours the same on all plates, or use a different anodize color on the middle plates to help give the separate contours some purpose. Black middle plates with red, blue or silver top and bottom plates would look really cool.

Anyways, keep us posted. This is a neat project. And CPT is right about the similarity to the Quazpad.

[Papa Rob]

First off, Thanks!
You're right about the washers and that's a good idea, checked for the price @BigBlueSaw right away and I'm just not willing to pay 100+ dollars for washers. I did get some zinc plated ones locally, and they're pretty okay, some have defects.



I'm considering brass washers, nuts and bolts. They sorta look like gold, and they're easy to get your hands on. could be cool.



As for the case design.. This is all subjective: Having the middle parts extrude like that makes the case look thinner imo, and thin is nice. Also makes it a bit less stale. I'm pretty firm on going for all black though, with only small accents of colors for washers and such, mainly because of the color theme going on in my room. Remember that the acrylic on the inside has a different color already. But yeah having the plates in different colors would be sick too. Mmm orange top and bottom, yes... 

[Papa Rob]

Oh, what could this be?

I smell chinese deliciousness...



  Quite fast shipping.



Seems to do the RGBs' just fine



Really exceeded my expectations, both in fit and luminosity!

[Papa Rob]

Initial test fit.



Keyswitches dont clamp on properly atm, have to sand down burrs.

[Brammm87]

Wow, cool update! Personally love the design of your plates. I might "borrow" this in the future.

What's up with the edges of the plates though, they look like sand paper. Or is it intentional/just the picture?

[Papa Rob]

@Brammm87

Thanks! Feel free to do so, would love to see your take on it! 
The plates will be sanded to a brushed finish (edges too), after which they will be sent in for anodizing. Super stoked. 

[UTEster750]

Hey this is a pretty cool idea that changes a little, maybe for the better.
Don't mind the layout of this 

[Papa Rob]

@UTEster750

Thank you sir. I was always envious of people having a big left shift so I couldn't resist.   

[UTEster750]

@UTEster750

Thank you sir. I was always envious of people having a big left shift so I couldn't resist.   

I quite like ansi, but I think iso enter would be nicer. 

[senso]

Nice concept/design.
Could you tell where did you get the switchs and the leds for them?
Best regards.

[Papa Rob]

Nice concept/design.
Could you tell where did you get the switchs and the leds for them?
Best regards.

Thanks man!

I got the switches in a group buy at zealpc.net a while back, but it appears that there is another one going on right now: http://zealpc.net/collections/group-buy-pre-orders/products/zealio
The LEDs I believe I found when searching for "gaming led rgb diode" on the alibaba website. Was a bit tricky to find a seller that accepted low quantities.

[KaminKevCrew]

Nice concept/design.
Could you tell where did you get the switchs and the leds for them?
Best regards.

Thanks man!

I got the switches in a group buy at zealpc.net a while back, but it appears that there is another one going on right now: http://zealpc.net/collections/group-buy-pre-orders/products/zealio
The LEDs I believe I found when searching for "gaming led rgb diode" on the alibaba website. Was a bit tricky to find a seller that accepted low quantities.

For the record, Zeal runs an awesome store, and I'm pretty sure he always has leds of various colors on hand.