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[IC] Cloudline - 88% F13 TKL | GB on Saturday, October 9th
Ustinj:
Cloudline
-
GB Thread for updates
Hi everyone. This project has garnered a lot more attention than I initially expected so welcome to the revamped and cleaned-up IC.
This is the interest-check for my cost-no-object 88% F13 TKL keyboard, Cloudline.
This board's theme was sparked by feedback from my partner Shannie, so I'd like to give her credit for helping steer the board in the direction that resulted in what it is today. In addition, she also contributed wonderful cloud & bird illustration for the project that I used in the internal and outer weight engravings.
The inspiration for the side-profile and theme comes from the diffraction of sunlight at the edge of a cloud - AKA the silver lining (thank you Shannie for catching the resemblance).
(not my image, please no sue)
Details
* Layout: F13 TKL (88%) WKL / Full
* Mounting: Large 'gummy-worm' O-ring / Top Mount w/ Relief
* Materials: 6063 Aluminum, Brass, Stainless Steel
* Weight (approx.): 6.2 lbs, unbuilt - Large brass bottom weight, internal polished SS weight frame
* Typing Angle: 6.4 degrees
* Front Height: ~17.9mm board height, 22.4mm EKH
* Plates: FR4 Full, Aluminum Half / Full (DEFAULT PLATE), Polypropylene Half / Full, Polycarbonate Full, POM Half
* Price: $585 USD @ Cannon Keys (other regions may vary)
* Units: 650 standard boards
Group Buy: October 9th - October 16th, 2021
Pricing may change with exchange rates over the coming weeks, but only slightly if at all.
As GB date approaches, final times and pricing will be confirmed directly from your local vendors (see your vendor for confirmation).
US: CannonKeys, 260 spots, $585 USD
(https://docs.cannonkeys.com/raffle-queue)
* October 9th, 10:00 AM Eastern for 20 brass spots via Hype checkout (OPEN WORLDWIDE), $800 USD
* October 9th, 11:00 AM Eastern for 260 standard spots via Hype checkout (REGION LOCKED), $585 USD
CA: Deskhero, 65 spots, 769 CAD
* October 9th, 11:00 AM Eastern for 65 standard spots (Region Locked), TBD CAD
EU: mykeyboard.eu, 65 spots, €590 (BE VAT inc)
* October 9th, 17:00 CEST for 65 standard spots (Region Locked)
UK: Proto[typist], 25 spots, £519 inc VAT, £432.5 ex VAT
* October 9th, 16:00 BST for 25 standard spots (Region Locked)
AS: ILUMKB, 170 spots, 829 SGD
* Oct 9th, 16:00 CST (China) for 75 standard spots via ILUMKB CN site (Region Locked)
* Oct 10th, 16:00 SGT for 95 standard spots via ILUMKB site (REGION LOCKED FOR 10 MIN)
AU: Daily Clack, 65 spots, $865.6 AUD
* October 10th, 11:00 AM AEDT for 65 standard spots (Region Locked)
Links
Feel free to join Discord to ask questions, catch small and casual updates, or learn about other projects! Check out Instagram for photo posts and updates.
Discord: https://discord.gg/XPEFcn8
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjw_kb/
Project Timeline / Status
Currently I am waiting to hear back from some vendors on the next step to sourcing rubber feet with more surface area contact, to prevent the heavy board from sinking into the deskmat. Also I'm experimenting with different relief cuts in the top-mount configuration.
* Initial IC (Nov 16 2020)
* Prototype 1 (Dec 16 2020)
* Prototype 2 (Apr 23 2021)
* Any Necessary Changes
* Final Samples
* Group Buy Completed
Colors
There will be four (4) standard colors in group buy.
* Overcast Silver (Silver)
* Serene Blue (Navy)
* Dystopia Red (Burgundy)
* Moonlight Gray (Dark Gray / Off-Black)
And an undisclosed, limited number of full brass-topped units.
Design / Case Renders
Over the top - the devil is in the details. The side profile peeks from underneath to create a "silver lining" effect.
Two options for mounting - a top-mount with relief cuts to improve flexibility and decrease stiffness, or a large o-ring gummy-worm gasket mount.
A laser-engraved, stainless-steel internal frame cleans up the cable routing design, as well as adds beautiful hidden artwork to the board.
Prototype Photos
some random snaps from the build:
With Caps
GMK Apollo by octix
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can you remove or change the engraving over the arrow keys?
It might change, but nothing planned or set in stone. Not everyone will be happy with the engraving no matter what I make it - so in the end, it'll be what I want it to be. I would not remove the engraving, since I'd like the board to be differentiable from a top-down view. Luckily, there are dozens of great F13 TKLs in IC to choose from and there will always be one to fit people's preferences!
What PCB does this use? Layout options?
I designed this with Hineybush's H88 in mind, so it should be compatible with any PCB that is compatible with the Jane V2 CE - included in the kit is planned to be a compatible PCB designed in-house by Upas @ Cannon Keys. :) Here is the layout that the PCB is slated to support:
Will hotswap PCB be offered as an option?
No, your best bet is mill-maxing a PCB.
OMG, THE FANCY INTERNALS ARE A WASTE OF MONEY?
Having a flat piece extend from the main weight to cover the cable routing would use a much larger metal blank piece than separating it into two - that is why there is a two-piece weight. I like the look of polished SS, and decided it was worth the slight increase in price. Keep in mind this SS piece is literally a FLAT, slightly thicker plate - there's no complex CNC to it. And for what it's worth, the cost to engrave the internals is a happy meal - I've gotten quotes for both laser-engraved and plain internals, and the difference is really not something to worry about.
This looks like it is going to be extremely expensive. Are my fears true?
I don't think I can accurately estimate group buy price with so many variables at hand (exchange rates in the coming months, machining costs, unit count, vendors, etc). It will be expensive. $tbd. It probably won't be anything you haven't seen before.
What colors are you running?
All the standard colors are going to have a contrasting silver bottom and brass bottom weight. Top colors are OVERCAST SILVER, SERENE BLUE, DYSTOPIA RED, and MOONLIGHT GRAY.
Special edition?
There is a very limited brass-topped variant that will be offered exclusively through Cannon Keys.
What format will the GB be?
Each vendor will be using their own format.
When is the group buy happening?
Not entirely sure yet, but optimistically late Q2 - early Q3 2021.
How many units? Can you make it unlimited?
650 standard boards distributed using past ratio estimates among vendors.
When will the boards ship?
As usual, no one really knows... there can be delays, etc. I'd give it the standard GB estimate, 6-12 months.
Media
Ustinj:
not reserved
Current IC Standing
* Initial IC
* Prototype #1
* Prototype #2
* Final Adjustments, Minor changes, etc.
* Pre-production prototypes ordered
* ...
* Finalize Group Buy Details (Unit Ct, Pricing, Date)
* Group Buy Start
UPDATE (December 16, 2020): Prototype 1
Leaf springs are stiff in aluminum. But they work just fine actually.
UPDATE (January 27, 2021): Updated Engraving
UPDATE (April 23, 2021): Prototype 2
Prototype 2 has arrived. So far with some quick inspection, some worries I had of the keyboard's functionality are alleviated. I don't think there will be many issues with the build, but the only way to really find out is to build it! Going to be building this tonight around ~9 PM PDT with a possible stream for any questions that people may want to ask live. Short notice, but the sooner I can build and verify it the quicker we can move with the group buy. I will probably ping Discord (https://discord.gg/XPEFcn8) for a live update of when that happens, so feel free to join if you'd like to follow closely (Geekhack alone will have all important updates though, so if not it's totally dandy).
Since some case concerns have been addressed, I think the sentiment is pretty good in this project making it to group buy. I'd like to really thank the team of vendors that will be supporting this project!
Vendors:
* CannonKeys
* Deskhero
* mykeyboard.eu
* Proto[Typist]
* ILUMKB
* Daily Clack
More details, such as groupbuy date, pricing, unit count, will be confirmed later!
For the build, I will try to upload a separate VOD with the typing sounds and whatnot.
Cloudline Prototype Build Stream, Assembly, Summary
I think the stream was an unexpected success last night, the interest and turnout surprised me. If you showed up thanks for supporting. Unfortunately chat was not working on the overlay properly, so I wasn't able to download a very useful / interesting VOD. If you watch the VOD directly on twitch, you'll be able to see questions / comments in the chat. I've re-recorded a summary video of how the board is assembled, as well as typing tests in both top-(flex)-mount and gummy worm o-ring mount.
Here is a link to the full build stream VOD(s), along with chat questions and whatnot.
https://www.twitch.tv/jjw_kb/videos
Major Update: Yet Another Engraving Iteration... (but it's final!)
Scroll to the bottom for a TL;DR...
I've spent many hours putting together an engraving that I felt completely satisfied with for Cloudline. Now that I've finally found something that I think fits the theme and looks the way I want it, I'm happy to present the FINAL engraving for Cloudline. I want to recap the different iterations of engravings that this board has gone through. Of course, I don't want this to come off as me being fickle or undecisive - IMO, it's normal for designs to change, improve (subjective), and go through stages to get to their final form. This is just a log to share the thought process that went into each stage.
Engraving 0
The very first iteration of the engraving was a logo. I decided I didn't want to establish myself as a brand, so that was scrapped quickly. It was obvious that most people would prefer for their keyboards to not be branded with a large, visible-in-use designer logo as well (except for some goated boards...). I ordered my first prototype with this engraving.
Issues:
* It was a 'brand logo'
Engraving 1
It made more sense for the keyboard to be engraved with something related to the board itself, rather than the designer. I didn't want to leave the top-case plain, as I wanted the board to be easily identifiable from any angle. A blank top-case would look like any other blank-top TKL. The first cloud-related engraving on the top case was a simple cloud with an underline, centered above the arrow keys.
It was at this stage where I looked at my keyboard on my desk, and had a really strong vision of a clean rectangular engraving, looking like a long window with clouds spanning the length of it.
Issues:
* Instead of the 'elegant and minimal' look I was aiming for, it felt 'wimpy and underwhelming'.
* I'll be honest - this engraving is still good to me. It probably could have worked if I tweaked with the thickness of the stroke.
Engraving 2
After reflecting on the overall board design, I decided I wanted something a bit more detailed and eye-catching. After all, the internal aesthetic of the board definitely had a lot of thought put into it. So I started working on drafts for a potential 'long engraving'. It was a struggle to gauge the amount of detail that would work on an engraving, especially since the physical scale of designing on a computer screen is a lot different from actually seeing it to-size in person. I ended up feeling satisfied with one of the WORST engraving iterations I've yet had. I'm almost embarrassed to look back on this one...
A major issue I ran into is that in order to reduce the artificial symmetry of the logo, I created empty spaces in the sky that I felt needed to be filled with a moon and stars. I got carried away, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I lost sight of my original idea, and the result strayed further and further from being a clean, elegant rectangle with clouds.
Issues:
* It was weird.
* It felt like a 'mess of lines', disorganized and unsure in what it was trying to represent.
* Way too detailed for an engraving of its size.
* Shannie suggested I work on reducing the 'symmetry' of the logo - symmetry in clouds is unnatural and artificial.
Engraving 3
After a few weeks, I looked at Engraving 2 and realized it was a bit too weird, a bit too abstract. I tried to move a bit closer towards my original idea of a 'rectangle' and decided to close out the edges. I thickened the stroke width, simplified some details in the clouds, and came up with this. This is the current engraving that we have coming on the pre-production prototypes.
Issues:
* It's 'cute', mainly due to the style of moon and stars.
* The moon and stars strayed from the overall theme.
* It felt a little 'unclean' compared to the rest of the board.
Engraving 4 (The Final Iteration)
Somewhere inside my head, a tiny voice was whispering that it didn't really fit the theme. As the days went on, that voice became louder, urging me to sit down and work on more designs until I had something that I was completely happy with. I decided I'd save the moon and stars for another idea later down the road. Struggling to find out what I was going for, I really tried to focus on my original motive for redesigning the first engraving - I wanted something a bit more detailed, but not 'dirty'. It became obvious what the issues with Engraving 3 were. I wanted to clean up the corners, reduce the cuteness of the engraving, and tie it closer into the overall theme and surrounding design cues of the board.
I made a few iterations that I felt happy with, but thankfully Shannie (my partner and collaborator on this project) made me take a step back and look at my design again... her response: "bc the clouds you have rn feel a bit clearly blocked off, it still looks good but it is like very symmetrical when clouds normally are not" - it was not the response I was hoping for, but the response I needed.
For those wanting a clean, blank top - this update probably won't be what you're looking for. But I'm excited to share this final engraving, as I now can confidently say I've found the one that clicked for me. I'd like to thank Shannie again for helping on this project, her critique and advice were invaluable to putting this engraving together (and the birds! She drew the birds!). Without her, this board would definitely not be the end-product it is today.
The engraving is a rectangle, as I had originally anticipated. But Shannie's suggestions to make the engraving assymmetrical forced me to come up with a different, more dynamic composition for the clouds. As things neared completion, the idea to 'open' up the rectangle where it meets the sky came to mind. I used Shannie's bird silhouette illustrations at the border, showing them flying free and 'escaping' the box that borders the engraving, figuratively breaking free of the engraving (over the sky). I'm happy with this one. It's cleaner than the previous iterations, it captures the original vision I had, and remains true to the original theme of Cloudline (and Shannie likes it - very important!).
Here's a full image of the top of the board. Keep in mind, it's hard to judge an engraving from renders due to scale - in making this, I would constantly render sized to match a keycap I had in hand, in order to gauge the thickness of the strokes.
Upcoming pre-production prototypes will have Engraving 3, but I've requested for some sheets to be engraved with the final engraving to give myself a physical reference.
I will be taking some time to update the images in the IC to reflect the latest changes.
August 6th, 2021: Important note regarding upcoming prototypes
Well, the moment is coming soon ... so I think now is a pretty good time to stress this message.
The upcoming prototypes will not be completely reflective of the final board design, but should be a pretty perfect representation of the board in terms of build process, sound, and feel.
Here are some key points that may be different:
* Feet Cutouts - The upcoming prototypes will have circular feet cutouts. I will be experimenting with longer die-cut feet cutouts instead of the standard circular shape.
* Engraving - The top case on the prototypes will have the older engravings. I will be sampling the final engraving as well as some miniscule tweaks to the bottom weight's engraving.
* Colors - The colors may be tweaked a bit. Anodization is a tricky manual process.
* Finish - I will be deciding between a finer matte silver, versus a more lustrous silver.
Cloudline Prototype Typing Tests
Would take these with a grain of salt. Using a Samson QU2 which doesn't have a great low-end frequency response, sounds thinner than it would IRL.
//gainsborough:
woah. Honestly, the snazzy internal weight is pretty neat!
OtherAndrew:
side profile and bottom is pretty sicc
DuellM:
Damn that’s a sexy keyboard
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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