[IC] Compound 60%

[sabomov]

Hello, Geekhack!

IC Form

About me:

My name’s Max, I’m from Moscow. I started out in this hobby a year ago, and after studying up on custom keyboards for half a year, I didn’t find anything on the market that suited me perfectly and fit my ideal for a keyboard.
As it happens, I work at a metalworking facility and have access to industrial equipment.

About keyboard case and mount:

Everyone seems used to standard mounts, and variations on those are rare - not to mention truly novel ideas. So I started to think about a non-standard construction of popular mounts.

I put my engineering and visualization skills to work and started inventing.
The result was a method I called “BACKSIDE MOUNT”.
The plate is slid into rails in the sides of the case and is fixed in place by the back wall. I couldn’t compare the feeling from my solution to any mount on the market.

Two prototypes were completed in six months. That entire time was spent testing, and - luckily - I couldn’t find any issues with the design.
That led me here. I want to show you the fruits of my labor along with a few renders of the case.

About materials:

Centerpiece of the case and back wall - Aluminium
4 mm. plate - POM
Weight - Brass
Top and bottom of the case - PC

About prototype:

The main features here are perfect sound and zero flex. That’s why the plate is 4mm. thick.
The first prototype should be finished in March. The current plan is to use the HS60 PCB, but a custom PCB may be commissioned if enough demand is there.

Renders:










Prototype:






Typing:
TYPING


PCB Compound;

Fixed layout - Tsangan
ESD Protection
USB C to USB C connection support
No flex cuts
No RGB underglow
No RGB backlight
QMK/VIA support





Second Prototype Backside Mount:







Thanks for checking out my IC and have a nice day!

[Ireris]

cool brass weight

[Alejo1707]

Rama will complain for those X's. I like the looks, but 400 is steep indeed for PC.

[sabomov]

Rama will complain for those X's. I like the looks, but 400 is steep indeed for PC.

Price not final. I think price will be 350-400$ with PCB.

[GraffitiDecos]

I, for one, like that there is some new ideas coming into the hobby. For those quick to say '400 USD for PC..' please read the post again and have a look at the renders. It's a PC shell, with aluminum inner casing with rails as a mounting system as well as a brass plate. I don't believe that that 350-400 (including PCB) is outlandish given the different materials, engineering and labour that I assume will be required.

That being said, 60% isnt for me, but GLWIC!

[Livid]

why are people under the impression that pc should be significantly cheaper than aluminum?

I, for one, like that there is some new ideas coming into the hobby. For those quick to say '400 USD for PC..' please read the post again and have a look at the renders. It's a PC shell, with aluminum inner casing with rails as a mounting system as well as a brass plate. I don't believe that that 350-400 (including PCB) is outlandish given the different materials, engineering and labour that I assume will be required.

^ also this

i'm really into this, new mounting systems are always exciting and i love pc boards   

[wencan008]

why are people under the impression that pc should be significantly cheaper than aluminum?

Because think plastic = cheap, which as a raw material, sure, but PC is a pain in the ass to machine, and this isn't injection molded. The price seems reasonable enough to me.

Also OP, why a 4mm plate and not a 5mm plate? The 4mm plate would still leave a 1mm gap between the bottom of the plate and the top of the pcb

[sabomov]

why are people under the impression that pc should be significantly cheaper than aluminum?

Also OP, why a 4mm plate and not a 5mm plate? The 4mm plate would still leave a 1mm gap between the bottom of the plate and the top of the pcb

I find it difficult to answer this question In March, we will start making a prototype. I can make a 5mm plate and test it, but I don't think there will be much difference.

[Chippy]

big fan of stylized seams, looking forward to seeing how this comes together

[DeMechanica]

Rama will complain for those X's. I like the looks, but 400 is steep indeed for PC.

They might complain, sure, but from a non-lawyer’s perspective, I’m pretty sure that the symbol is too generic for them to trademark and for it to be considered “distinctive”.

[jaxball30]

Nice mounting style idea, hope it turns out well and GLWIC!

[lush_bunny]

This interesting, but I have a few questions. You slide both the plate the pcb into the rails, right? I'm having a hard time visualizing it for the plate alone without also thinking soldering would be torture.

Also how's the zero flex? I like some flex on my boards because hard and rigid typing feels are too harsh on my fingers and they make me tired of typing quicker.

Either way, GLWIC!

[jaxball30]

Ne iso avail?

[firewrath9]

proto pics? this is actually pretty cool.

[steebs]

hm, would love to hear some acoustics

[sabomov]

This interesting, but I have a few questions. You slide both the plate the pcb into the rails, right? I'm having a hard time visualizing it for the plate alone without also thinking soldering would be torture.

slide only plate.  I will show the mount in the prototype photos.  the prototype will start in March.  all news will be added to the thread.

[treeleaf64]

Oh so there's no proto yet Ok I was going to ask how it feel

[sabomov]

Oh so there's no proto yet Ok I was going to ask how it feel

I have two prototypes.  the mount system is the same.  they are without polycarbonate parts.

[sabomov]

Thread updated. Added photos of the backside mount prototype.

[treeleaf64]

Oh so there's no proto yet Ok I was going to ask how it feel

I have two prototypes.  the mount system is the same.  they are without polycarbonate parts.

Thank you bro I quite like it . it's an interesting design

[Zanhana]

this is really interesting and I love to see a new idea for a mounting system

that said, if it slides into place on all four sides of the plate, what differentiates this from basically being a sandwich mount?

[zoo]

can you please describe the characteristics of “perfect sound” ?

[sabomov]

that said, if it slides into place on all four sides of the plate, what differentiates this from basically being a sandwich mount?

the plate is not tightly clamped between the two halves of the case.  back panel assembly gives more design options.  There is an opportunity to develop the idea of ​​a mount.

[DeMechanica]

If there’s split space, and the focus is on acoustics, I’m sold

[powwu]

I love innovation like this. New mounts are always welcome, and Russia getting reputation for being innovative is a step forward too.

Price point is OK, CNCed PC is difficult to do correctly.

You use an existing PCB, which is a huge thumbs up for me. It makes replacement PCBs so much easier if anything goes south.

4mm plate, wow that's thick. Zero flex isn't conventionally "good" feeling,but with the right pairing I think this could work. People like CF plates, after all.

MULTIPLE PROTOTYPES!! Amazing. You love to see it.

Overall, I'm excited for this. It's not for me personally, because I'm not the biggest fan of polycarbonate, but I love this design and will be keeping up with it. Big GLWIC

[Photekq]

The rail mount is an interesting direction to take if rigidity is your primary goal, I think it's sensible. I'm keen to hear typing tests, and I'm curious about the methodology behind achieving "the perfect sound" (I'd be careful with that since it's subjective). Did you make revisions in the interest of acoustics, or did you land on it coincidentally?

For what it's worth, bazh did some rail mount designs back in 2015 (Weaven). It wasn't aimed towards rigidity like yours is, but it might be worth talking to him about his experiences with the mount.

Also, is the inner metal cage suspended within the polycarbonate outer case, or is it making contact with the brass/polycarbonate at the bottom? If it's suspended, I reckon that'll have a much larger effect on the acoustics than the mount itself.

[sabomov]

Also, is the inner metal cage suspended within the polycarbonate outer case, or is it making contact with the brass/polycarbonate at the bottom? If it's suspended, I reckon that'll have a much larger effect on the acoustics than the mount itself.

No, the case is packed tightly, no backlash, no gaps, levitation, or anything else.
There were no experiments or calculations, just an idea that I wanted to implement. The acoustic properties associated with the difference in materials turned out to be just a nice bonus and the very sound I was looking for turned out to be accidental.

[R4YN3]

Rama will complain for those X's.

These look nothing like RAMA Xs, and it is not like RAMA owns the letter X.

I think this board looks very interesting. I am a bit unsure of the zero flex as I quite like super flex. But interested to try it out at the very least.

[joshuarubin]

It looks really nice. I don't really understand the mount though. It is just a pressure fit slot with a plate securing it on the back? Sort of a slotted sandwich? How do you ensure that the plate doesn't rattle around in there, especially when torqued? How do you ensure even pressure on all parts of the plate?

[mangeHD]

honestly this looks like a pretty cool idea, however i would like to propose one thing, have you compared putting cuts around the spacebar area to make the spacebar less intrusive to not having cuts there, i that is something i have noticed people either like or dislike, i was just wondering if you have tested it at all or if you have just decided you like the more intrusive style of spacebar.

good luck with this run, it is a pretty nice looking board!

[yukiburzm]

backside mounting looks awesome. I love the flashy seams on the sides, too! I could probably afford this if it was 200$, Might have to leave it to the big spenders unfortunately : (

[sabomov]

honestly this looks like a pretty cool idea, however i would like to propose one thing, have you compared putting cuts around the spacebar area to make the spacebar less intrusive to not having cuts there, i that is something i have noticed people either like or dislike, i was just wondering if you have tested it at all or if you have just decided you like the more intrusive style of spacebar.

good luck with this run, it is a pretty nice looking board!

everything is simple.  grooves in the body and wall.  a plate is inserted into these grooves.  the wall covers the body and is screwed to the body with two screws.  milling tolerance does not exceed 0.10mm.  the body is assembled tightly, without backlash

[sabomov]

backside mounting looks awesome. I love the flashy seams on the sides, too! I could probably afford this if it was 200$, Might have to leave it to the big spenders unfortunately : (

I tested this mount for half a year.  friends who tried typing on my first prototypes received only positive feedback on the sound and feel.

[mangeHD]

honestly this looks like a pretty cool idea, however i would like to propose one thing, have you compared putting cuts around the spacebar area to make the spacebar less intrusive to not having cuts there, i that is something i have noticed people either like or dislike, i was just wondering if you have tested it at all or if you have just decided you like the more intrusive style of spacebar.

good luck with this run, it is a pretty nice looking board!

everything is simple.  grooves in the body and wall.  a plate is inserted into these grooves.  the wall covers the body and is screwed to the body with two screws.  milling tolerance does not exceed 0.10mm.  the body is assembled tightly, without backlash

Feel like you replied to the wrong comment here, didn't exactly answer my question.

Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk

[Raptor_N60]

Very interesting idea for the mount, but I think it would make more sense to make a pure Aluminium run first, then make PC ones later if the market responds fond of the idea.

[Iliekbrowns]

400 is a tad bit too expensive for me. Bottom design looks nice though

[bakerozee]

Yep add me for this one.

[IAmAScientistIRL]

looks interesting, but I'd like to see the statement regarding sound perfection being backed up with some sound tests!

[Extra Fox]

I definitely like the visual of the black tray inside the frosted polycarbonate exterior. It gives a really nice effect.

[Ranger_Trivette]

love the mechanical work behind this 

[Newcomb]

Looks neat, and I'm always glad to see new ideas. I'm sold, even though 60% is not my favorite format. Some sound tests would be nice.

[Mark The Weeb]

THAT is a stunning board ! love the translucent sides

[misunderstood_artist]

This checks all my boxes in terms of engineering and design vision. Looking forward to seeing this progress

[Extra Fox]

It just occurred to me that if we were being pedantic, there really should be 6 X's on the board, not just 5.

With only five it might more accurately be called project 50%.
 

[sabomov]

It just occurred to me that if we were being pedantic, there really should be 6 X's on the board, not just 5.

With only five it might more accurately be called project 50%.
 

Nooooo 5x because Compound without CMPND vowels (5 letters ) and when I designed the keyboard I thought that 4x is not enough, 6 is a lot, and 5 is perfect

[Extra Fox]

Nooooo 5x because Compound without CMPND vowels (5 letters ) and when I designed the keyboard I thought that 4x is not enough, 6 is a lot, and 5 is perfect

Okay, okay. I can live with that explanation. 

[sabomov]

Thread update. PCB added.

[honoka]

I was under the impression that the IC form would at least have an input field for suggestions. Nope
Are you firm on not having any other layouts supported?
Team iso and such

[sabomov]

I was under the impression that the IC form would at least have an input field for suggestions. Nope
Are you firm on not having any other layouts supported?
Team iso and such

i'm sorry ;( but only tsangan...

[sabomov]

UPD! Prototype is READY!