geekhack Community > Keyboards
Filco style tkl case?
F eq ma:
I would like to build a TKL board with a nice case. The Filco TKL looks great, but I want to run QMK and I want the experience to solder and build. Sweat equality drives love. Got really excited when I ran across the Phantom PCB, but looks like I am late to that party, as it went recently out of stock for the leftovers of the 2012 GB.
I am at a point where I can either build a pcb and plate with opensource, then search for a case. Or the other way around. Find a case and design around that. Seems like the case is the more difficult of the two.
I ran across the follow on aliexpress. Anyone have any experience with this case? It seems to check all of my wants. That blue is beautiful.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001912870659.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.319b1bfciGgcSr&algo_pvid=03dca47a-d7d7-4f01-831b-2b1024944663&algo_expid=03dca47a-d7d7-4f01-831b-2b1024944663-0&btsid=0bb0624016205784698301614e9e08&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_
It looks like it would pretty tight height wise for a teensy board, but I was thinking of leaving those keys at the upper right off since I don’t typically use those keys. Maybe a peekaboo effect to the board.
Edit: looks like Kkatano has a pcb named yurei inspired from Phantom that outlines a case issue with this YMDK. https://github.com/kkatano/yurei/blob/master/images/filco-pcb-and-ymdk-case-problem.pdf
Tactile:
Tex brand used to have a pretty nice selection of cases made to fit a Filco TKL pcb. Don't know if they still do or where to buy them but you might try searching for that brand.
Sup:
--- Quote from: Tactile on Sun, 09 May 2021, 14:42:57 ---Tex brand used to have a pretty nice selection of cases made to fit a Filco TKL pcb. Don't know if they still do or where to buy them but you might try searching for that brand.
--- End quote ---
TEX cases for Filco keyboards are discontinued. Only way to obtain one is trough Mech market and even there they are rare. You still have cases on aliexpress i think but, those are pretty bad and i don't see those as a upgrade.
Leslieann:
That PCB will not fit that case or the Vortex, it only works in the Tex case, and that's only if the controller is in the same location as the Phantom PCB. The Filco is at least fixable (just remove the plastic on the connector), the Phantom PCB requires milling the chassis.
As for that case,
The top looks good, but the bottom looks like old school garbage Chinese quality. A thin flat plate like that always ends up warped and bent once screws are put in a few times, drives me bonkers when I see that sort of assembly. It's just cheap, which is why it's done that way, maybe it's thicker than it looks. The other problem I have is that this is a couple screws to attach the plate to the frame while the Tex and Vortex cases both sandwich mount the plate creating one of the most solid keyboards you will ever use. The YMDK is a decorative chassis, the Tex and Vortex were absolute beasts that were like a 10 ton safe for your keyboard. They were not the best made but what they lacked in precision they made up for by being over built.
Instead of a Filco, go look at WASD, they offer a Tex/Vortex style chassis that's better quality, all are programmable, and at least some support QMK. You will need to read up on it more, but I know some can use it.
F eq ma:
--- Quote from: Leslieann on Sun, 09 May 2021, 20:47:27 ---That PCB will not fit that case or the Vortex, it only works in the Tex case, and that's only if the controller is in the same location as the Phantom PCB. The Filco is at least fixable (just remove the plastic on the connector), the Phantom PCB requires milling the chassis.
As for that case,
The top looks good, but the bottom looks like old school garbage Chinese quality. A thin flat plate like that always ends up warped and bent once screws are put in a few times, drives me bonkers when I see that sort of assembly. It's just cheap, which is why it's done that way, maybe it's thicker than it looks. The other problem I have is that this is a couple screws to attach the plate to the frame while the Tex and Vortex cases both sandwich mount the plate creating one of the most solid keyboards you will ever use. The YMDK is a decorative chassis, the Tex and Vortex were absolute beasts that were like a 10 ton safe for your keyboard. They were not the best made but what they lacked in precision they made up for by being over built.
Instead of a Filco, go look at WASD, they offer a Tex/Vortex style chassis that's better quality, all are programmable, and at least some support QMK. You will need to read up on it more, but I know some can use it.
--- End quote ---
I have a lot to learn, but that is also known as experience. Thanks for pointing out the small details. It educates and moves me forward.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version