geekhack Marketplace > Group Buys and Preorders
[GB] F104+SSK+122+62+77+50+Ergo orders now open! Kishsaver+Industrial Model F
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Yes, I can confirm the noticeable price drops on the project web site primarily for the in-stock stuff.
Not sure yet on the timeline, but most of the in stock stuff is end of production so I strongly recommend ordering things now while the current pricing stands, whether to pick up an additional / backup keyboard while you can still buy one new, or joining the project for the first time if cost was holding you back before.
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The remaining LED overlays arrived from the factory today, and I mailed out all the orders waiting only on LED overlays and nothing else. I like the color of the beige overlay as it compares nicely with the originals. The gray overlays have a touch of blue in them, in my opinion, and the black overlays' white areas also have a touch of blue in them. I would probably request less blue for a future order.
Any additional logos that should be produced? I hope to finalize the production over the coming days. So far the black logos (not the grayscale versions) of the F and Beam Spring will be produced, plus maybe a company logo abbreviation like MFL in a dot matrix style font.
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Die casting of the Model M style cases continues, after production was approved to start late last month. Here is an interesting video from the factory showing a case as it is cast. There are a number of finishing operations required before the case can look nice and smooth for the powdercoating process.
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Project featured on Linus Tech Tips ShortCircuit:
It was a great honor for the new Model F project to be featured on the Linus Tech Tips ShortCircuit YouTube channel today!
My reply posted in the YouTube comments is below, since it may be tough to find among the many comments:
"Hello, project coordinator here. Thanks Nicholas and the entire ShortCircuit team for putting together a nice video covering the Brand New Model F Keyboard! It is great to get the word out about these great keyboards that definitely take some getting used to!
Kindly see my replies to some of the notes brought up in the video:
The pinginess / reverberation: Some folks that prefer a Model F board without the higher pitch sounds. The best thing about buckling spring keyboards is the a longstanding community that has come up with various repair and maintenance step by step guides and mods, including the Floss Mod and the grease mod, to reduce or eliminate the high-pitch / pinginess while typing. My guess is that the main reason for the pinginess is the super thick steel plates reverberating inside the keyboard.
Why True Red? Well it's the Pantone designation for the particular shade of red. The factory prefers Pantone references when doing the finishing.
Recessed keys: The reason for the extra recessed keys for a couple of the rows is that the Ultra Compact F104 case top in the video is flat and the Model F and Model M design require a curved plate inside the keyboard. One result of this is that the key profiles are all uniform and a key can be installed on the various rows. The Model M style F104, FSSK, and F122 cases are all curved where the keys are, just like the IBM originals, so the keys will stick out more evenly.
Casting: The Ultra Compact cases for the F104 and FSSK were CNC milled and have 3 main parts, while the ultra compact cases for the F62 and F77 keyboards are die cast, while the first rounds of the compact F62/F77 boards were CNC milled. The Model M style case Model F keyboards all have die cast cases.
Regarding the low serials, they are mainly there to allow folks to offer a little extra support to help cover the tens of thousands of dollars in project cost overruns, the near-endless express air mail sample charges over the years, etc. Many folks also like a custom serial because it allows them to pick a date for the production date, like their birthday or an anniversary of some date. In the Model M community forums it is always notable to get a board made the same year you were born, or if you were lucky, on your actual birthday (and actual birth year too!)."
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Can you believe over 100,000 views for the Model F Keyboard ShortCircuit video? Who would have thought there was so much interest in the Model F! It is great to see.
Due to the significant feedback I received after the video launch with folks not knowing much about the differences between Model M and Model F keyboards I made a quick video:
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