[IC] Drop in wood 60% case

[nubbinator]

I had no plans on making this an interest check and selling cases like this, but recent events have made me say screw it.  Before that, I had several people asking me via PM about the cases and on reddit, but I planned on only doing cases if people asked me about them.  Now I figure I might as well gauge some interest for a wood case for the GH60, Pure, and Poker.

To giver you a very rough idea about a case, I made a wood case in the past that looked like this:

More

Finished pic

More recently, I have been working on a slightly easier to implement prototype design.  This sprang out of an idea I had for a case for someone who commissioned me to make a case for them; however, if others are interested, I may make several others.

The rough design is as follows:





That's a rough and unfinished picture and made out of Red Gum and Purpleheart.  Your options for wood would be much greater and, like the other case, I would make a USB cutout, install the standoffs, make a foot or feet in your choice of styles, be it discs, a rounded bar, or some other geometric bar, and finish it in Arm-R-Seal, Deft Danish Oil, or both.

The base price for a case would be around $140-150 and I should be able to drop the price a little if 10 or more people are interested since I would have less setup time on some of the steps.  The cost would increase depending on the type of wood you want used and if the wood is natural or dyed.  For cheaper woods like poplar, maple, and birch, it would be on the cheaper end of the spectrum, for woods like ebony, zebrawood, pau amarello, padauk, and so on, it would be more expensive since exotics can cost up to $100 for enough wood for a case.   Dying would be best for Maple and Birch and, unless you wanted a two toned dye job like my red and black wrist wrest, it would be a $10 or less option, less if multiple people wanted the same color dye.  I can also do a matched wrist wrest with an inlay like this or make the case into a "travel case" by making an identical top piece and including a hinge and/or clasps.

You can find a small handful of the woods available to me here for domestic and here for exotic woods.

If you're interested, drop a comment in here.  If there's no real interest, then I'll just make the one case I was commissioned to make and one for myself.

Edit:

Added an official Interest Check Form

I also forgot to add, if there are at least 7 people who want a case, I can offer free laser engraving.

[kenmai9]

How much are you charging for an inlay wrist rest?

[LechnerDE]

I'd be really interested in one of these, but I think I won't be able to drop another 150$+ on a case, after I bought 2 aluminum cases from IMSTO

Will follow this closely though and might pull the trigger anyway

[pasph]

How much are you charging for an inlay wrist rest?

^this

[SpAmRaY]

Wood case for *cough* phantom *cough*

I know....costs would be even higher...

[czarek]

Mate, this is super easy to be done with a CNC router, just a rectangular pocket in middle and a profile cut around it. Of course on top of that you need to do fair amount of finish by hand.
I don't know where the cost comes from, maybe you're using some super expensive expensive wood, but using maple or beech the material costs you 15-20 dollars max, machining takes 10 minutes, which costs you 40 dollars for a 6 cases (40$/hour is average for CNC machining, at least around my area), so 7 dollars for machining. Then it's about an hour of hand finishing which may cost up to 20 dollars an hour for super skilled woodworker, it totals in 60 dollars max...

[TLSC.wipeOut]

Wood case for *cough* phantom *cough*

I know....costs would be even higher...

i second a phantom case o.o

[nubbinator]

How much are you charging for an inlay wrist rest?

With a case, it would be a base of $30, on it's own, a base of $40.  Obviously, this would vary based on the wood used, if I'm dying it or it's staying natural, and if I'm doing wood inlay or a fancier inlay strip.  If you want more common woods, it should be the same regardless if it's 60% sized or a full keyboard sized. Most of the domestic woods and purpleheart would run around that $40 mark.

Wood case for *cough* phantom *cough*

I know....costs would be even higher...

Costs would actually be pretty similar for a Phantom case.  The problem is that you need a plate for a Phantom.  If I had a Phantom PCB and plate, it would definitely be doable.  Without a plate, well, I'd have to try and figure out some way to make it work. 

Mate, this is super easy to be done with a CNC router, just a rectangular pocket in middle and a profile cut around it. Of course on top of that you need to do fair amount of finish by hand.
I don't know where the cost comes from, maybe you're using some super expensive expensive wood, but using maple or beech the material costs you 15-20 dollars max, machining takes 10 minutes, which costs you 40 dollars for a 6 cases (40$/hour is average for CNC machining, at least around my area), so 7 dollars for machining. Then it's about an hour of hand finishing which may cost up to 20 dollars an hour for super skilled woodworker, it totals in 60 dollars max...

I'm not using a CNC router and from what I've seen, it's a minimum of $60 with an average closer to $100 in my area for shop time including setup and prep time.  I'm also not sure any places near me would take the job unless they were guaranteed at least 50 cases.  I know many places have a minimum shop time requirement or a minimum dollar amount spent before they'll take a job.  And last I checked, the place locally that had CNC machines that I could rent time on and run myself would require a ~$100 membership, ~$150 class, and then $75/hr machine time on anything past three hours.

There is also way more work involved in the case than you think.  I'm hollowing out the inside of the wood, sanding it, capping the ends, shaping the case by hand, finish sanding, drilling holes for the standoffs, dropping the standoffs in and anchoring them in place, drilling a hole for the USB port and filing it into shape, turning individual disc feet on a lathe or making a bar foot, tapping pilot holes in the case and drilling countersunk holes in the foot/feet, and anchoring the legs in place, then confirming the PCB fits properly, then finishing the wood, a process that takes several days to do properly, if not a week, and still more sanding while doing so.  If you want a hastily made unfinished case, sure, I could drop the price to under $100, but you'd have a lot of finish work yourself.

In other words, there is a lot more physical work involved in a case than you think.  And I'm keeping the pricing in line with other craft cases.  The Hammer case was ~$200, Gon's 60% cases run $155, and so on.  The raw materials cost is also pretty similar to those cases and mine.  The cheapest I could probably go and make it worth my time is $120 a case base price, and that'd only be if I had significant interest. 

[Phedran]

I wouldn't be able to afford one in the near future, and don't have a board yet that would need one, but this is definitely something I could see saving up to get! I much prefer the aesthetic of the one-piece prototype, though I can see why that would be more trouble that it's worth for you to craft.

[SpAmRaY]

Wood case for *cough* phantom *cough*

I know....costs would be even higher...

Costs would actually be pretty similar for a Phantom case.  The problem is that you need a plate for a Phantom.  If I had a Phantom PCB and plate, it would definitely be doable.  Without a plate, well, I'd have to try and figure out some way to make it work. 

Details...details, these things they could be worked out.

[nubbinator]

I wouldn't be able to afford one in the near future, and don't have a board yet that would need one, but this is definitely something I could see saving up to get! I much prefer the aesthetic of the one-piece prototype, though I can see why that would be more trouble that it's worth for you to craft.

The original was actually two pieces and was a matched grain glue up.  I could probably do something similar to the first prototype if you wanted it to look like one uniform piece.  And if you're willing to do the finish sanding and finish the wood yourself, I could actually do them much cheaper.

Details...details, these things they could be worked out.

That they could.  I may look into getting a PCB, but I really need a new laptop first.

[bueller]

I'd love to see this with a built in wrist wrest, I think that would look slick!

[nubbinator]

I'd love to see this with a built in wrist wrest, I think that would look slick!

It would be doable, but the case would have to sit pretty much flat unless you only wanted a 3" or so wrest.

[bueller]

I'd love to see this with a built in wrist wrest, I think that would look slick!

It would be doable, but the case would have to sit pretty much flat unless you only wanted a 3" or so wrest.

Ah, hadn't actually thought of that. Good call.

[Phedran]

The original was actually two pieces and was a matched grain glue up.  I could probably do something similar to the first prototype if you wanted it to look like one uniform piece.  And if you're willing to do the finish sanding and finish the wood yourself, I could actually do them much cheaper.

Well done then! Yeah if I got one I'd probably go for a matched uniform look. Depends on how much cheaper, finishing it myself would definitely be viable but sometimes it's easier to just pay someone that knows what they're doing. 

[nubbinator]

I forgot to add, if there are 7-8 people interested, I'd be able to offer free laser engraving.  You'd just have to send me a file, I'd laser engrave a test piece, get your go ahead, then engrave the interior or bottom of your case.   It could cover a small part of the case or the entire bottom or inside, You'd just have to remember that there are standoffs inside the case and that there are feet that go on the bottom of the case.

[kenmai9]

I'd be down for engraving.

[pasph]

Wood case for *cough* phantom *cough*

I know....costs would be even higher...

Costs would actually be pretty similar for a Phantom case.  The problem is that you need a plate for a Phantom.  If I had a Phantom PCB and plate, it would definitely be doable.  Without a plate, well, I'd have to try and figure out some way to make it work. 

When WFD will get back i can tell him to send you 1 of mine if you wish

[Puddsy]

PMing you about a few little things/concerns, but you've certainly got my attention.

[Cottonsox]

I forgot to add, if there are 7-8 people interested, I'd be able to offer free laser engraving.  You'd just have to send me a file, I'd laser engrave a test piece, get your go ahead, then engrave the interior or bottom of your case.   It could cover a small part of the case or the entire bottom or inside, You'd just have to remember that there are standoffs inside the case and that there are feet that go on the bottom of the case.

Would it be at all possible to engrave one of the sides. To me having the engraving on one of the sides would be good, allowing it to be shown off when in use

[czarek]

I'm not using a CNC router and from what I've seen, it's a minimum of $60 with an average closer to $100 in my area for shop time including setup and prep time.  I'm also not sure any places near me would take the job unless they were guaranteed at least 50 cases.  I know many places have a minimum shop time requirement or a minimum dollar amount spent before they'll take a job.  And last I checked, the place locally that had CNC machines that I could rent time on and run myself would require a ~$100 membership, ~$150 class, and then $75/hr machine time on anything past three hours.

There is also way more work involved in the case than you think.  I'm hollowing out the inside of the wood, sanding it, capping the ends, shaping the case by hand, finish sanding, drilling holes for the standoffs, dropping the standoffs in and anchoring them in place, drilling a hole for the USB port and filing it into shape, turning individual disc feet on a lathe or making a bar foot, tapping pilot holes in the case and drilling countersunk holes in the foot/feet, and anchoring the legs in place, then confirming the PCB fits properly, then finishing the wood, a process that takes several days to do properly, if not a week, and still more sanding while doing so.  If you want a hastily made unfinished case, sure, I could drop the price to under $100, but you'd have a lot of finish work yourself.

In other words, there is a lot more physical work involved in a case than you think.  And I'm keeping the pricing in line with other craft cases.  The Hammer case was ~$200, Gon's 60% cases run $155, and so on.  The raw materials cost is also pretty similar to those cases and mine.  The cheapest I could probably go and make it worth my time is $120 a case base price, and that'd only be if I had significant interest. 

Oh I'm sorry, I misunderstood it. If it's all hand crafted, that changes everything. I thought it was cut by machine and then just finished off by hand, that's why I was surprised by the price. But if it's all your craftsmanship the price actually seems pretty low.

[Cottonsox]

Hope there is enough interest to get enough for laser engraving. Would add a little extra personal touch to yhe cases.

[nubbinator]

Pics of prototype finished in Danish oil, with standoffs installed, USB cutout done, and foot yet to be installed:







The sides can be made closer fitting, it was made a little longer based on some plate dimensions I was given.

Hope there is enough interest to get enough for laser engraving. Would add a little extra personal touch to yhe cases.

Agreed, but right now it's not looking that way.

[Puddsy]

That's really cool!

[pixel5]

I'll give you tree fiddy.

[nubbinator]

I'll give you tree fiddy.

$350?  Sold!  If you mean $3.50, sorry.  The cases look simple, but there's actually a considerable amount of work that goes into each finished case, not to mention materials cost/tool cost.

[pixel5]

I'll give you tree fiddy.

$350?  Sold!  If you mean $3.50, sorry.  The cases look simple, but there's actually a considerable amount of work that goes into each finished case, not to mention materials cost/tool cost.

Was trying to make a pun. Guess I'm just not funny.

[kenmai9]

wow

[esoomenona]

Wow, this looks so amazing. Wow. Man, good luck with the IC, man. Amazing.