Hey guys, I posed an IC a while back about the Mason60 my engineered stone 60% keyboard case. I'm happy to say after refining the design and taking aboard suggestions from the community that we are now a GO for Group Buy! I've included some info below but for more details you can revisit my IC page.
The Mason60 is cast from a gypsum resin composite. Once the case is demolded and then sanded, the result feels like an engineered stone like Corian. I thought this material would make an awesome keyboard case because (1) its heavy (2) you can make almost any color (3) I have lots of flexibility with regards to shape and design.
In terms of design philosophy- I designed the shape of of the case to highlight the uniqueness of the material. I wanted a fat top bezel to show off the surface pattern and a chunky profile with very round edges which fit the "heavy" and "smooth" feel of stone or marble.
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/brazenstudio/Gallery
https://imgur.com/gallery/winEClhDiscord
https://discord.gg/V5m9fHjMcJWebsite
https://www.brazenstudio.coUPDATE:
Thanks everybody for the great response! I upped the cap from 50 to 100 in response!
23/8/21- GB now closed! I will be sending out emails shortly to all the participants in the raffle, whether you won or not. I will then send out invoices to the winners!
26/08/21 Emails to everyone that entered the GB are now out (regardless of raffle outcome). Email me at ian@brazenstudio.co if you didn't get one and I will check for you. Also please note that due to the increased quota, we will be randomly dividing raffle winners into two production batches, Batch 1 shipping in Nov 2021 and and Batch 2 in Jan 2022.
30/08/21 Invoice emails out now! Please pay your invoices by Sep 1st 10am EDT or I will need to pass your spot to someone else. Will also be doing an extra raffle draw to fill any drop outs after payments come in!
03/09/21 Some extra slots opened up in the GB so we will re-raffle! If you entered the raffle but didn't get picked the first time around, please check your email to see if its second time lucky!
16/11/2021
Hi guys
First of all thanks to everyone again for supporting the Mason60 group buy. I just wanted to update you on the status of production. Since the Group Buy ended, I've been hard at work setting up my production line and refining my processes. I was also waiting for my bulk shipment of materials from the UK which was being shipped by sea. Even though we ordered months ago, the shipment only arrived in Hong Kong earlier this month, a delay of 3 months from the original delivery date! Basically it turns out that global container shipping has been in complete disarray since Covid.
Anyways, after finally receiving the materials I was still confident I could meet the original timeline for sending out Batch 1 orders within Nov 2021. However, after starting production I noticed that the new batch of material wasn't behaving in the same way as previously- I was getting some deviations in the sizing. Not huge but noticeable. I am still in the process of pinpointing the exact issue.
Since I will need some time solve this issue, I'm afraid I may need to delay the timeline for Batch 1 orders. Depending on how I get on I should be able to send out most or all of Batch 1 in December 2021. I'm hoping that at the moment Batch 2 timelines will be unaffected.
Apologies for the delay! If there is any more change to the timelines, I will certainly let you know. Also don't worry about this latest hiccup, it is very much a solvable problem, I just need time to experiment.
Thanks all and don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
7th of Jan, 2022
hi guys another update! we finally solved the material issue and have gotten stuck into production. I think we will finish production of Batch 1 orders within Jan 2022, and prob will get started on Batch 2. We will hope to start shipping some orders out in Jan 2022 as well. However, we foresee some issues with shipping. Hong Kong has the strictest covid measures in the world and they recently BANNED ALL FLIGHTS (including cargo) from many countries including USA, Canada, UK and more. This has thrown a spanner in the works of our shipping plans as Hong Kong Post now has zero air-mail options to those countries. We may have to resort to shipping surface mail or possibly courier if cost allows. These bans happened just two days ago, so we are still trying to figure out our next steps. So while production is coming along, it will be hard for us to make any promises about when they are shipped out! Apologies for the delays again and we will try to adapt in the best and most transparent way possible! hi guys another update! we finally solved the material issue and have gotten stuck into production. I think we will finish production of Batch 1 orders within Jan 2022, and prob will get started on Batch 2. We will hope to start shipping some orders out in Jan 2022 as well. However, we foresee some issues with shipping. Hong Kong has the strictest covid measures in the world and they recently BANNED ALL FLIGHTS (including cargo) from many countries including USA, Canada, UK and more. This has thrown a spanner in the works of our shipping plans as Hong Kong Post now has zero air-mail options to those countries. We may have to resort to shipping surface mail or possibly courier if cost allows. These bans happened just two days ago, so we are still trying to figure out our next steps. So while production is coming along, it will be hard for us to make any promises about when they are shipped out! Apologies for the delays again and we will try to adapt in the best and most transparent way possible!
14th of April 2022
All keyboard cases are completed! Thanks for the support on our first GB!
MATERIAL PROPERTIES:
After casting, the case needs to be sanded down to reveal the chips inside. This is quite a laborious process, from 80 grit to 2000 grit. The case is then sealed with a special wax, to provide water and stain resistance. The resulting finish is smooth enough to see reflections, like polished marble. Due to the casting process there may be some small air bubbles on the surface, the largest of which will be filled in, but small ones may remain. In my opinion the small bubbles add some character to the piece and makes it feel more stone like.
Bear in mind the hand-made nature of this case means the external dimensions will not be perfect like CNC aluminum, but this is part of the charm!
COLOR WAYS
Concrete Grey Terrazzo
Jaw Breaker Terrazzo
Copper Oxide Green Terrazzo
White on Black Terrazzo
Terracotta
Ink Splatter
SOUND
Sound test
HEREFEATURES
60% style case, should fit most GH60 style PCBs (e.g. DZ60)
Tray mount with removable screw posts and stand offs (up to 6) and M2 screws
Silicone O-ring dampeners
Cork liner on the bottom of the case for grip and additional dampening
Optional EVA case foam
Optional matching wrist rest
Extra wax sealant
GROUP BUY ARRANGEMENTS
Date: 16th to 23rd of August 2021The Group Buy will be in the form of a raffle. Buyers can fill in the Google form. I will then randomly select 50 names from the list, who will then receive an invoice and instructions for payment. Payment will be through our online store, using Shopify Payments (Visa, Master, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal Express).
Quantity: 50 keyboard cases total (max one case and one wrist rest per order)
Shipping out date: Nov 1st, 2021, allow 2 to 3 weeks to ship from Hong Kong
LINK TO GOOGLE FORM (only valid during GB dates above)
PRICING
Case: US$200 (Worldwide shipping US$50)
Case + wrist rest: US$230 (Worldwide shipping US$70)
Optional laser cut EVA case foam: US$10
Note for this round of the GB, we won't be selling the wrist rest on its own. We also reserve the right to adjust the shipping fees in the unlikely event that shipping to your country is much more expensive than forecast.
DIMENSIONS
Case: 310x140x35mm, 1400g, front height 22mm, internal size 287x95mm (please check it fits your PCB)
Typing angle 6.5deg
EDIT: I just checked and the front height should be 24mm including the cork
Wrist rest: 310x75x23mm, 800g
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
The Mason60 is sealed with beeswax and is water resistant, but please wipe off any moisture straight away to avoid leaving a mark on the wax coating. Please also keep your neon orange Doritos grease away! Clean with a damp cloth and if needed you can reapply some wax, though this shouldn't be needed for a long while (each case will come with a small amount of extra wax).
While strong and impact resistant, it will shatter (contrary to what I said in the IC) if you drop it from a height onto a hard surface.
QUALITY GUIDE
There will be some very small air bubbles on the surface due to the casting process. Due to the hand made nature of this product, no two pieces will be identical in terms of pattern. This product is sanded by hand and so the external dimensions and contours may vary slightly and some minor sanding marks may remain. Colors will be very close to what you see in the photos (as far as one can tell from a phone or monitor).
ABOUT BRAZEN STUDIO
We are a product design studio based in Hong Kong, specializing in creating beautiful cast objects! We are currently focused on keyboards and also offer a line of coffee accessories (pretty sure there is a sizable overlap between these interests!). Our founder Ian has an engineering degree and has a decade of experience running his own custom clothing business in Hong Kong. As we make everything inhouse, we have more direct control over quality and timeliness vs outsourcing the manufacturing.
