[SHIPPED] Nexus Alps slider, Nexus Top Housing

[tron]

I understand where you're coming from, however, it would be perfectly reasonable to open a R1.5 to raise funds like you did when people left this GB the first time. It would have taken a little longer to get things fixed but IMO you would have earned more favor and trust in the community going forward. I realize this is probably water over the dam at this point as you've already submitted the order. I just hope other GB runners don't look at this and think shipping defective parts for R1 is now an acceptable way to get something off the ground.

He needs $1.5k profit on those orders to make it work, on a product that isn't yet delivered, for a relatively minor issue, IMO.  IIRC, housings were almost cut, because getting to just the MOQ practically required donations from many users (see above users selling).





Worst case, he wouldn't raise enough, and that would only delay the project, and we'd be right back where we started.  Easier to ship a minor defect, and then see if there is even enough interest for R2 housings.

Not sure what the profit margins are but lets say they are at 50%. He would only need ~25-30 more orders for the lowest 70x slider, top housing, stab kit to make it work. I think it would have been worth trying to avoid shipping defective parts. Considering the hype he built up with the renders and the low/moderate price point, I think an R1.5 would have been a better option.

[Acereconkeys]

I understand where you're coming from, however, it would be perfectly reasonable to open a R1.5 to raise funds like you did when people left this GB the first time. It would have taken a little longer to get things fixed but IMO you would have earned more favor and trust in the community going forward. I realize this is probably water over the dam at this point as you've already submitted the order. I just hope other GB runners don't look at this and think shipping defective parts for R1 is now an acceptable way to get something off the ground.

He needs $1.5k profit on those orders to make it work, on a product that isn't yet delivered, for a relatively minor issue, IMO.  IIRC, housings were almost cut, because getting to just the MOQ practically required donations from many users (see above users selling).





Worst case, he wouldn't raise enough, and that would only delay the project, and we'd be right back where we started.  Easier to ship a minor defect, and then see if there is even enough interest for R2 housings.

Not sure what the profit margins are but lets say they are at 50%. He would only need ~25-30 more orders for the lowest 70x slider, top housing, stab kit to make it work. I think it would have been worth trying to avoid shipping defective parts. Considering the hype he built up with the renders and the low/moderate price point, I think an R1.5 would have been a better option.

50% Profit is extremely high for something like this and irregardless you're also basically advising him to on top of already haven given up all of his profits once on a buy to sacrifice 100% of his profits again. Do you think the time he's spent working on this, working with factory, figuring out the problems etc is worth nothing? Yes this project is not going to deliver exactly 100% perfect product. However that does not mean that he has done no work that gives you value? Unfortunately due to the small scale nature of keyboard endeavors these sort of things happen. It doesn't give us a right as customers to expect he sacrifice even more of his time/effort for us for no gain.

At least that's my perspective. I didn't join in on the buy originally so will gladly buy enough sliders/housings for a TKL/60% from anyone who would like to cash out of this. The work blindassassins done to create something completely new I think is commendable. Even if it didn't come out perfect.

[fireworm]

The low/moderate price point.

Sorry, but $1.25 for half a switch is not a 'low or moderate' price.  That's more expensive than a Zilent; you could get 5 Gaterons / Cherry's for that.

Plus you'd have to buy / source original Alps, which are $0.25 for White Alps, $0.50 for Salmon, so you are looking at $1.50 per switch minimum. 

Not to mention Alps folks are a niche in a niche in a hobby...  I hardly see ANY customs with Alps compatibility.

So, uh, yea, considering I'm already going to completely disassemble / reassemble 100+ switches (lubing them too), doing a quick file isn't that big a deal to me.

[tron]

I understand where you're coming from, however, it would be perfectly reasonable to open a R1.5 to raise funds like you did when people left this GB the first time. It would have taken a little longer to get things fixed but IMO you would have earned more favor and trust in the community going forward. I realize this is probably water over the dam at this point as you've already submitted the order. I just hope other GB runners don't look at this and think shipping defective parts for R1 is now an acceptable way to get something off the ground.

He needs $1.5k profit on those orders to make it work, on a product that isn't yet delivered, for a relatively minor issue, IMO.  IIRC, housings were almost cut, because getting to just the MOQ practically required donations from many users (see above users selling).





Worst case, he wouldn't raise enough, and that would only delay the project, and we'd be right back where we started.  Easier to ship a minor defect, and then see if there is even enough interest for R2 housings.

Not sure what the profit margins are but lets say they are at 50%. He would only need ~25-30 more orders for the lowest 70x slider, top housing, stab kit to make it work. I think it would have been worth trying to avoid shipping defective parts. Considering the hype he built up with the renders and the low/moderate price point, I think an R1.5 would have been a better option.

50% Profit is extremely high for something like this and irregardless you're also basically advising him to on top of already haven given up all of his profits once on a buy to sacrifice 100% of his profits again. Do you think the time he's spent working on this, working with factory, figuring out the problems etc is worth nothing? Yes this project is not going to deliver exactly 100% perfect product. However that does not mean that he has done no work that gives you value? Unfortunately due to the small scale nature of keyboard endeavors these sort of things happen. It doesn't give us a right as customers to expect he sacrifice even more of his time/effort for us for no gain.

At least that's my perspective. I didn't join in on the buy originally so will gladly buy enough sliders/housings for a TKL/60% from anyone who would like to cash out of this. The work blindassassins done to create something completely new I think is commendable. Even if it didn't come out perfect.

To answer your questions. Yes I think giving up profits for an R1.5 would have been the ethical thing to do when you consider the alternative(shipping defective parts that require modification). The time and money he put into this will eventually see profit in the long run. I realize a lot of people who didn't join or bought a lot of these parts are desperate to see the end product come into fruition and expedite R2, however, iMO the average person who joined R1 that doesn't want to/have time to file will be out time and money.

If you want to take my spot in this GB, send me a PM and maybe we can work something out. I'm just not up to the tedious filing/testing for so many small parts.

[jrfhoutx]

I haven’t really seen enough interest for a R1.5 of a project that barely met R1 MOQs. I’m not sure where you think that interest is going to come from. Who do you think is going to throw down money on another round when the initial round hasn’t even delivered?

I think before you can even think about any more rounds a product needs to be delivered and show that the concept and product work. You need that to generate some more interest and hype for future rounds.

Shipping out a slightly imperfect product and immediately revising for R2 will attract more people than asking more people to invest in this without having seen anything come from the first round.

[tron]

I haven’t really seen enough interest for a R1.5 of a project that barely met R1 MOQs. I’m not sure where you think that interest is going to come from. Who do you think is going to throw down money on another round when the initial round hasn’t even delivered?

I think before you can even think about any more rounds a product needs to be delivered and show that the concept and product work. You need that to generate some more interest and hype for future rounds.

Shipping out a slightly imperfect product and immediately revising for R2 will attract more people than asking more people to invest in this without having seen anything come from the first round.

It's not like we needed to raise another round of funding from scratch. We are talking about a couple dozen more orders so people didn't end up with defective parts. IMO the people late to this GB, the renders and product video would have been enough to push a micro 1.5 round to fix the parts. Worst case scenario R1.5 would be refunded if it didn't hit the mark.

[jrfhoutx]

Doing the math, you would probably be correct in saying that a few dozen more orders would be needed to raise the money for fixes.

But if you went back through the thread since the close of the GB, there are 11-12 people total who expressed interest in joining after the close of the buy. You'd still need to double the interest, just to fix the issues and still not break even on the buy. and that's assuming that those 11-12 people already interested, would still be interested at this point and would have the money to spend right now. a lot of people didn't get in on the first round because they were apprehensive about spending the money on an unproven product and probably still wouldn't buy in at this point.

hitting moq in r1 was a struggle enough, I just don't see there being enough interest in this without having something to show for it. We're not going to see more hype and interest generated for a R1.5 or R2 without some actual builds and testimonials for the product. IIRC there were a lot of people who were interested but wanted to wait and see how they turned out before buying in on R2.

TBH, if you're not happy with the way things are going, sell your spot and get out of the buy. Isn't the GB mantra around here Caveat Emptor, buyer beware? even with some minor flaws in the product, they're still not as bad as some other buys I've seen. it's still better, with fewer issues and more transparent than 90% of MD buys that go down. If you don't like the way he's handling things and disagree with the decisions made, sell your spot. thats your prerogative, and there are at least 10 people who would probably buy it from you.

[Shados]

Eh, I'm fine with filing them slightly. Doesn't seem like a big deal, especially given I'd already be lubing them -- what's one more mod?

[a_ak57]

I could understand the suggestion of ponzi-scheming it and running another round to finish up this one if these were some type of new MX switch (like if this was the Box Royal), but realistically the market for this is likely close to tapped out (heck, it seems like a number of people bought more than they actually needed just because they wanted to make sure this happened).  Topre is magnitudes more popular than Alps and yet Topre-to-MX sliders are still not up to snuff because nobody wanted to keep spending for a dry market.

[garbo]

Topre is magnitudes more popular than Alps and yet Topre-to-MX sliders are still not up to snuff because nobody wanted to keep spending for a dry market.

I don't know if that's a great comparison. For Topre there isn't as much of a problem to solve since the switches aren't being used in custom builds and the OEM caps tend to be quite good. These adapters would be removing one of the two major barriers to more widespread Alps switch adoption in the community - availability/condition and keycap support.

I'd imagine that it's the unproven nature of the product that's mostly limiting its appeal at the moment. Buying into a round 1.5 carries the same risks as the original one, but if these get made and work without too much compromise on switch quality I don't see why there wouldn't be a sizeable market for future production.

[fireworm]

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=94500.msg2588662.msg#2588662

I think you guys aren't aware that we are 6 months after paying, and already opened a R 1.5 to make up for the short comings of unpaid invoices...

[joelfong]

On one hand I do appreciate the regular updates. But I have to admit that I am disappointed that at the end of the day, we R1 supporters still would not get what we paid for.

At least for me, the big reason why I supported the housings was due to the promised convenience of not needing to file the openings for my keycaps to fit. But now, for some unknown reason, that main draw for the housings is now gone.

Despite paying more for these housings, all of us would still need to file the openings for our keycaps to work. And this is despite several rounds of prototypes and samples.

I understand that if one is already taking time to disassemble the switches to lube and transplant the tactile leafs and all, it does not add a lot more time to file the housings properly. But at the end of the day, if I knew that I would still need to file my housings down, then I would definitely think twice before placing my order for these housings.

As far as the stems go, well if I'm already filing my housings then what's a bit more time filing the stems right?

All of us R1 supporters took a leap of faith in supporting this venture despite the GB runner's clear inexperience and this is the end result. I won't cancel my order, but I can understand why others might be feeling so frustrated with how this GB is being handled.

The GB runner not having any money to resolve these issues just shows bad planning right from the start, failing to account for additional costs to fix any issues that may arise. That and perhaps also a lack of adequate experience with alps switches at the initial start of this GB.

While this project was well intentioned, there is really no excuse for this current state other than inexperience and bad planning/research. Part of this could have been avoided if the GB runner had taken the feedback and advice from community members into consideration at the start, especially with regards to pricing, instead of trying to be "ethical" and not price more for profits and for a cash buffer just in case.

Inexperience in manufacturing techniques and what is required of the manufacturer to create and modify moulds, also contributed to a lot of the troubles as the GB runner failed to consider an appropriate prototyping plan based on what could be easily modified later and what could not.

So I guess let this be a warning to GB runners who are thinking of running their own thing, to at least do proper research on your end in all aspects from pricing to manufacturing, before starting a GB. It's never just as easy as doing some CAD drawings, getting a quote from a manufacturer, raising cash, and hoping it turns out well on the first try.

And let this be a warning and reminder to the rest, that there is never a guarantee in these GBs, especially when the GB runner is so inexperienced and new. So think hard whether you want to take a risk in a product that may be amazing if it succeeds, or just a bag of disappointment if it fails.

[BlindAssassin111]

The GB runner not having any money to resolve these issues just shows bad planning right from the start, failing to account for additional costs to fix any issues that may arise. That and perhaps also a lack of adequate experience with alps switches at the initial start of this GB.

While this project was well intentioned, there is really no excuse for this current state other than inexperience and bad planning/research. Part of this could have been avoided if the GB runner had taken the feedback and advice from community members into consideration at the start, especially with regards to pricing, instead of trying to be "ethical" and not price more for profits and for a cash buffer just in case.

While yes I could have planned better for possible issues, although some were unpredictable(stressing caps issue), others were caused by other issues(discussed below). But as for pricing I was already getting feedback that I was charging way too much and you are suggesting I should have sold for even higher? This would have failed in the order phase if I did. I had to increase the price of the sliders from $0.50 to $0.55 to account for tax because I accidentally left it out of my spreadsheet(which is actually very detailed and not half-assed due to a lack of research/experience).

And what feedback did I just blatantly ignore? I tried to make the product useable by all switch types, and that was really the only design consideration that was implemented later on. I don't remember anyone saying there was something that should be there, that isn't.

Inexperience in manufacturing techniques and what is required of the manufacturer to create and modify moulds, also contributed to a lot of the troubles as the GB runner failed to consider an appropriate prototyping plan based on what could be easily modified later and what could not.

So I guess let this be a warning to GB runners who are thinking of running their own thing, to at least do proper research on your end in all aspects from pricing to manufacturing, before starting a GB. It's never just as easy as doing some CAD drawings, getting a quote from a manufacturer, raising cash, and hoping it turns out well on the first try.

I failed to have a prototyping plan? I had 3 or 4 different prototypes for the slider, and 1 for the housing (which worked because it was actually the correct model, not the one with the draft angle I had to settle for when I was told the cost was going to be another $6k to implement and then when I actually did it later it ended up only being $1600...that was on them not giving me accurate info). The click leaf issue (the double click) wasn't present on any prototype and that is due to material differences and manufacturing process differences. I used one of the most accurate 3D printing technologies to make the protos, and yet they weren't accurate enough, as injection molding is actually way more accurate/repeatable than 3D printing will most likely ever be.

Where do you get the "lack of knowledge" for what is needed to make and modify the molds? I actually know the process better than the rep I have to deal with, and I know that because I have had to explain the process of machining through many emails back and forth to try and get him to understand how it is actually done, and to no avail. Plus the original rep left the company for personal reasons and I had to start over with his manager who actually had a worse understanding of how this works than his reps did.

As for "proper research" I actual figured out things about alps during the design process that I have never seen people post about anywhere...What are points that show lack of research?

And about the design issues, most of them stem from the fact no prototyping process can replicate injection molded plastic accurately. And due to this some issues weren't present that later showed up, which was really unfortunate. Some issues make no sense, like the housing opening issue which wasn't present until the current revision despite me making the hole larger than it was previously, which would lead me to believe a machining error may have occurred but it is something I can't test without very, very expensive equipment and a flight to china.

[amnesia0287]

On one hand I do appreciate the regular updates. But I have to admit that I am disappointed that at the end of the day, we R1 supporters still would not get what we paid for.

At least for me, the big reason why I supported the housings was due to the promised convenience of not needing to file the openings for my keycaps to fit. But now, for some unknown reason, that main draw for the housings is now gone.

Despite paying more for these housings, all of us would still need to file the openings for our keycaps to work. And this is despite several rounds of prototypes and samples.

I understand that if one is already taking time to disassemble the switches to lube and transplant the tactile leafs and all, it does not add a lot more time to file the housings properly. But at the end of the day, if I knew that I would still need to file my housings down, then I would definitely think twice before placing my order for these housings.

As far as the stems go, well if I'm already filing my housings then what's a bit more time filing the stems right?

All of us R1 supporters took a leap of faith in supporting this venture despite the GB runner's clear inexperience and this is the end result. I won't cancel my order, but I can understand why others might be feeling so frustrated with how this GB is being handled.

The GB runner not having any money to resolve these issues just shows bad planning right from the start, failing to account for additional costs to fix any issues that may arise. That and perhaps also a lack of adequate experience with alps switches at the initial start of this GB.

While this project was well intentioned, there is really no excuse for this current state other than inexperience and bad planning/research. Part of this could have been avoided if the GB runner had taken the feedback and advice from community members into consideration at the start, especially with regards to pricing, instead of trying to be "ethical" and not price more for profits and for a cash buffer just in case.

Inexperience in manufacturing techniques and what is required of the manufacturer to create and modify moulds, also contributed to a lot of the troubles as the GB runner failed to consider an appropriate prototyping plan based on what could be easily modified later and what could not.

So I guess let this be a warning to GB runners who are thinking of running their own thing, to at least do proper research on your end in all aspects from pricing to manufacturing, before starting a GB. It's never just as easy as doing some CAD drawings, getting a quote from a manufacturer, raising cash, and hoping it turns out well on the first try.

And let this be a warning and reminder to the rest, that there is never a guarantee in these GBs, especially when the GB runner is so inexperienced and new. So think hard whether you want to take a risk in a product that may be amazing if it succeeds, or just a bag of disappointment if it fails.

I feel like you genuinely don’t understand the purpose of crowd funded or group buys I’m general.

OP seems to have done a fantastic job from what I can tell of trying to mitigate the issues the best that he can.

What it sounds like to me is you feel entitled to a perfect and flawless product regardless of actual costs or any of the actual requirement of R&D.

I guarantee, if he had been well funded and you were all paying $10 a switch he coulda delivered.

Why is a community project like this only the responsibility of one guy, especially when that one guy isn’t even gonna make any money for his months of effort?

To me there are only two really viable options. Either everyone in the buy gets the flawed products as produced and lives with it, everyone chips in and helps fund molds. I suppose you could have a sort of 3rd option where you get flawed ones now and can buy more at cost later with the new molds.

Regardless, your expectations are wholly unrealistic.

[Acereconkeys]

Hey blindassassin I have a question.

When you've been testing these prototypes have you always been using the same keycap material? Or even using keycaps at all when testing them?

I noticed that the binding issue is similar to one that happens with Holy Chickies (a mod switch where you put Halo True/Clear stems in Cherry Retooled blue housing) which is an issue I only have when I use abs caps not pbt. I noticed rereading the thread you used PBT originally perhaps that's why you never discovered the binding issue.
 

[BlindAssassin111]

Hey blindassassin I have a question.

When you've been testing these prototypes have you always been using the same keycap material? Or even using keycaps at all when testing them?

I noticed that the binding issue is similar to one that happens with Holy Chickies (a mod switch where you put Halo True/Clear stems in Cherry Retooled blue housing) which is an issue I only have when I use abs caps not pbt. I noticed rereading the thread you used PBT originally perhaps that's why you never discovered the binding issue.

Back during the original prototype phase I borrowed caps of all profiles(from sncbraxsc2) to test with and GMK is the only offender for the catching issue as they have the widest cap stem of all. I have tested with PBT and ABS but most recently I have only tested with the few GMK blanks I have as they cause the most issue from prior testing.

[Acereconkeys]

Hey blindassassin I have a question.

When you've been testing these prototypes have you always been using the same keycap material? Or even using keycaps at all when testing them?

I noticed that the binding issue is similar to one that happens with Holy Chickies (a mod switch where you put Halo True/Clear stems in Cherry Retooled blue housing) which is an issue I only have when I use abs caps not pbt. I noticed rereading the thread you used PBT originally perhaps that's why you never discovered the binding issue.

Back during the original prototype phase I borrowed caps of all profiles(from sncbraxsc2) to test with and GMK is the only offender for the catching issue as they have the widest cap stem of all. I have tested with PBT and ABS but most recently I have only tested with the few GMK blanks I have as they cause the most issue from prior testing.

Interesting maybe it's not material choice but manufacturer that has different bottom tolerances. Didn't know that I was also having issues with GMK caps (that's the only abs I had to try)

[BlindAssassin111]

Interesting maybe it's not material choice but manufacturer that has different bottom tolerances. Didn't know that I was also having issues with GMK caps (that's the only abs I had to try)

Yep oddly some cherry caps can fit inside alps housings without even filling, but GMK requires quite a bit more room. The best honestly was the EDRUG MIX set that I have, which clears stock alps housings without any issue at all, while gmk couldn't actually fit into the housing in most cases and occasionally one would go in but would actually get stuck, so not useable.

[Acereconkeys]

Interesting i'd certainly never heard of that before this buy. Before my own issue with these holy chickies i had no idea this could even be an issue that happened.

Definitely something to keep in mind going forward.

[vewy_nice]

I have a bunch of different "profile" cherry caps from various vintage machines, and some of them have SUPER thin stem walls, and would fit in a stock alps housing no problem.
Some others have the opposite problem.

Certain artisans will definitely require a more custom housing as well.
The good thing is, most people who are interested in a buy like this generally pay attention to disclaimers like that.

[jrfhoutx]

I have a bunch of different "profile" cherry caps from various vintage machines, and some of them have SUPER thin stem walls, and would fit in a stock alps housing no problem.
Some others have the opposite problem.

Certain artisans will definitely require a more custom housing as well.
The good thing is, most people who are interested in a buy like this generally pay attention to disclaimers like that.

Yep, it’s just that the ones that don’t usually voice their opinions the loudest, just like a lot of other things in life.

[BlindAssassin111]

Update:

Parts are done and should be shipping to me very soon, maybe today or in the next couple days. Happened must faster than expected and wasn't ready for the cost they quoted for shipping($465) so that wasn't a fun invoice to pay. For international orders, the shipping carrier may be different, but I will update later as I am not 100% sure at this moment, if it is cheaper I will refund the extra money paid.

Schedule:
~3-7 days - Parts arrive
1 day        - Check volume needed for packaging(can't easily calculate packing volume for the parts so I need to physically test to figure out the best packaging)
1-6 days   - Order packaging
~14 days  - Pack and ship(due to the number of orders and me being just one person, this will take quite a while as I have to hand count everything)

I hope to have everything shipped out this month.

Thank you all for dealing with the ups and downs of this GB, It has been hell trying to keep it going for so much longer than I had planned/wanted(took a year to finish this project from initial design to shipping). Plus having all of the issues with the mold and manufacturer along with not being able to financially support this beyond the profit and the help of others, didn't make this an easy product to complete.

Many do not truly understand that this wasn't as easy as just half-assedly modeling the slider and paying someone to make it without any effort in-between. I spent months designing this, a couple more doing prototypes and testing with keycaps(Thanks to both pixelpusher and sncbraxsc2), as well as having to build a new computer part way through the design phase when my motherboard went out(2nd time on that old 3rd gen i7). Talking the manufacturer was another hurdle because the reps aren't engineers and sometimes don't get what I was saying, sometimes it wasn't their fault, others it really was and this lead to so much stress trying to deal with the fact they were basically screwing me for months and months. Then when I had to make the mold changes having to basically say goodbye to all of my 2018 income(even had to spend all income from other GBs to help fix this project), it was a very hard decision that I had no choice to make, and some don't give a **** about that, and that is stupid because in order for this to complete I have to be living...

To all those who supported me thank you so much, it helped keep me positive and not wanting to kill people lol.

To all the haters, thank the supporters for me not killing you, you were close, trust me.




FUTURE ORDERS:

If you wish to get your hands on R1 of these sliders and housings, head over to TheKey.Company and buy as many as your wallet is willing to give before it moves out on you. Also if you want a V2 to ever happen, he needs to sell the R1's first, so buy them all quick!!

I also want to thank Justin from TKC as he was awesome enough to help me financially complete this and fix the first issues, without him this project would be in a much worse state.

[dario]

Please don't stab me in the chest for asking this, but...

What's the deal with these sliders? Can somebody provide me TL;DR explanation why are some people complaining? There's just way too much content in this thread, and I wasn't following it from the beginning.

But yeah, if the price is right, I'm definitely interested.

[BlindAssassin111]

Please don't stab me in the chest for asking this, but...

What's the deal with these sliders? Can somebody provide me TL;DR explanation why are some people complaining? There's just way too much content in this thread, and I wasn't following it from the beginning.

But yeah, if the price is right, I'm definitely interested.

Basically I choose the stem nubs to be 1.3±0.02mm because at the time I wanted to to be less tight than Kailh box switches, fast forward and after machining the first time the whole Kailh box switch fiasco happened and they changed from 1.32±0.02mm to 1.30±0.02mm which I thought was a good sign to some extent because they fixed to the spec I was using...but it turns out that is still too large(even though the stems are actually 1.28mm or 1.29mm). So the nubs need to either be shaved or cut off, I tried cutting fully and they still hold.

And the housings are weird with GMK caps still despite me making the opening larger again from the first proto that didn't have any issues with caps hitting...But they only hit on one side of the housing(the switchplate side not the tactile/click leaf side) so it needs to be filed a small amount for GMK caps, all other caps should be 100% fine.

EDIT: All issues are fixed for the V2 model, but that won't be produced unless the V1's sell out from TheKey.Company...because I would need help with capital to fix the molds.

[fireworm]

Please don't stab me in the chest for asking this, but...

What's the deal with these sliders? Can somebody provide me TL;DR explanation why are some people complaining? There's just way too much content in this thread, and I wasn't following it from the beginning.

But yeah, if the price is right, I'm definitely interested.

Latest posts detail that the housings need to be filed for some GMK caps.  The housings were supposed to be 'perfect', especially for GMK caps.  Otherwise, you'd just get some old Alps housings and file them yourself, and save $1 / housing.

Sliders had some issues with clicky switches, but were fixed.  They are snug on caps, which is worrying some folks I think.

Most of this was squabbling over how we could get products / funding.

[dario]

How much wider hole on the housing needes to be compared to the original housing for a GMK cap to slide in?

I'm worried additional open space could let more dust inside a switch already famous for being prone to particles of dust. That is, unless, keycap stem is already partly inside a housing even when switch is in a resting position (making a snug fit all the time). I don't know how does it all look like when a non-alps keycap is on, can't visualize it without seeing it.

But okay, even if a little bit dust comes in, I guess it's a worthy tradeoff for being able to use something that actually doesn't look like sh&t, as all ALPS keysets do.

Also, how's the smoothness? Are sliders made of POM? Any noticable difference next to the original?

[BlindAssassin111]

How much wider hole on the housing needes to be compared to the original housing for a GMK cap to slide in?

I'm worried additional open space could let more dust inside a switch already famous for being prone to particles of dust. That is, unless, keycap stem is already partly inside a housing even when switch is in a resting position (making a snug fit all the time). I don't know how does it all look like when a non-alps keycap is on, can't visualize it without seeing it.

But okay, even if a little bit dust comes in, I guess it's a worthy tradeoff for being able to use something that actually doesn't look like sh&t, as all ALPS keysets do.

Also, how's the smoothness? Are sliders made of POM? Any noticable difference next to the original?

Barely any widening is needed, on the ones I did, I took off ~0.04mm(about the same as a thin notebook paper) and that fixed the issue. As for dust, it will let it a bit more in, but that is a necessary evil sadly.

They are very, very smooth. The molds are a nice high polish so the parts are much smoother than normal switches are(especially cherry). The sliders and housings are both POM.

[gbchk]

So in theory, since you haven't tested these sliders with SA caps from SP, they could potentially have no issues at all? No stretching of the stem and no clearance issues?

[dario]

So in theory, since you haven't tested these sliders with SA caps from SP, they could potentially have no issues at all? No stretching of the stem and no clearance issues?

The only keycaps that had problems with 1.3mm stems are GMK ABS. All others on the market, be it ABS or PBT are fine AFAIK.

[dario]

They are very, very smooth. The molds are a nice high polish so the parts are much smoother than normal switches are(especially cherry). The sliders and housings are both POM.

Is it possible to "shave" the stem using a simple razor blade? Have you maybe tried it?

Also, what about that new BOX stem shaver tool? I guess it should work here too.

[Anakey]

Great to know that the sliders and housinmgs should be here by Christmas. Have been waiting a long time to start on my project however good things come to those that wait and in this hobby there is usually lots of waiting anyway. Just now need to sort out springs then comes case design going to fill my spare time

[BlindAssassin111]

Is it possible to "shave" the stem using a simple razor blade? Have you maybe tried it?

Also, what about that new BOX stem shaver tool? I guess it should work here too.

In one of the previous posts I said that I did, wasn't trying to be careful shaving with a razor and it worked.

[dario]

In one of the previous posts I said that I did, wasn't trying to be careful shaving with a razor and it worked.

Alright then, shouldn't be too difficult, I've been working with a razor before. There was blood everywhere though LOL, I'll be somewhat more careful this time.

BTW, I don't know if anybody asked you this before, but do you have any plans to offer the silent type of stems for R2? I'd be definitely interested into that.

[BlindAssassin111]

Alright then, shouldn't be too difficult, I've been working with a razor before. There was blood everywhere though LOL, I'll be somewhat more careful this time.

BTW, I don't know if anybody asked you this before, but do you have any plans to offer the silent type of stems for R2? I'd be definitely interested into that.

The trick to not cutting yourself is how you apply the pressure, don't just force it because once the shaving is cut off the blade will risk cutting you because it is now moving due the large force you put on it. Tense up your muscles so when the shaving is cut free your arm actually doesn't move, hard trick to get down in the first go, but very effective.

People have asked but that will be much later I think as it would require a new mold and a more expensive one at that(most likely closter to $8k).

[under.pk]

Update:

Parts are done and should be shipping to me very soon, maybe today or in the next couple days. Happened must faster than expected and wasn't ready for the cost they quoted for shipping($465) so that wasn't a fun invoice to pay. For international orders, the shipping carrier may be different, but I will update later as I am not 100% sure at this moment, if it is cheaper I will refund the extra money paid.

Schedule:
~3-7 days - Parts arrive
1 day        - Check volume needed for packaging(can't easily calculate packing volume for the parts so I need to physically test to figure out the best packaging)
1-6 days   - Order packaging
~14 days  - Pack and ship(due to the number of orders and me being just one person, this will take quite a while as I have to hand count everything)

I hope to have everything shipped out this month.

Thank you all for dealing with the ups and downs of this GB, It has been hell trying to keep it going for so much longer than I had planned/wanted(took a year to finish this project from initial design to shipping). Plus having all of the issues with the mold and manufacturer along with not being able to financially support this beyond the profit and the help of others, didn't make this an easy product to complete.

Many do not truly understand that this wasn't as easy as just half-assedly modeling the slider and paying someone to make it without any effort in-between. I spent months designing this, a couple more doing prototypes and testing with keycaps(Thanks to both pixelpusher and sncbraxsc2), as well as having to build a new computer part way through the design phase when my motherboard went out(2nd time on that old 3rd gen i7). Talking the manufacturer was another hurdle because the reps aren't engineers and sometimes don't get what I was saying, sometimes it wasn't their fault, others it really was and this lead to so much stress trying to deal with the fact they were basically screwing me for months and months. Then when I had to make the mold changes having to basically say goodbye to all of my 2018 income(even had to spend all income from other GBs to help fix this project), it was a very hard decision that I had no choice to make, and some don't give a **** about that, and that is stupid because in order for this to complete I have to be living...

To all those who supported me thank you so much, it helped keep me positive and not wanting to kill people lol.

To all the haters, thank the supporters for me not killing you, you were close, trust me.




FUTURE ORDERS:

If you wish to get your hands on R1 of these sliders and housings, head over to TheKey.Company and buy as many as your wallet is willing to give before it moves out on you. Also if you want a V2 to ever happen, he needs to sell the R1's first, so buy them all quick!!

I also want to thank Justin from TKC as he was awesome enough to help me financially complete this and fix the first issues, without him this project would be in a much worse state.

TheKey already sold it? I just see this update there is nothing on the website.

[M4dn3ss]

Any update on the stabiliser inserts? Haven't heard anything about them but they were the part I was most interested in

[kakan]

- quote -

TheKey already sold it? I just see this update there is nothing on the website.

I would like to know also as I missed the gb.

[BlindAssassin111]

TheKey already sold it? I just see this update there is nothing on the website.

I would like to know also as I missed the gb.

No, they will go on sale once he actual gets them, plus he is busy shipping terminal R2 right this moment so it may be a few weeks.

[BlindAssassin111]

Update:

The sliders and housings have arrived!!! Now I just have to figure out packaging, sliders take up no room, but housings on the other hand...

[Vizir]

TheKey already sold it? I just see this update there is nothing on the website.

I would like to know also as I missed the gb.

No, they will go on sale once he actual gets them, plus he is busy shipping terminal R2 right this moment so it may be a few weeks.

Don't forget the members who purchased extra to help the GB hit MOQ... A few have already come forward with offers to sell at price + shipping.

[82d28a]

Any news on the stab inserts?

Thank you!

[BlindAssassin111]

Any news on the stab inserts?

Thank you!

Sorry, forgot to put those in the picture, literally opened those and took the picture. I will try and get something up but honestly not sure because my phone camera seems to be getting worse...the above pictures were with the phone focused so I don't know if I can get better pictures at all.

[raptorzoz]

any buyers in the EU, who ordered extras?

[dario]

I got a confirmation from the maker of Stemshaver tool that it will work on Nexus sliders too.

[LightningXI]

I got a confirmation from the maker of Stemshaver tool that it will work on Nexus sliders too.

Excellent news. Time to get like 5 stemshavers.

[dario]

Excellent news. Time to get like 5 stemshavers.

Well, if you buy cold steel version, you surely won't need five of them. Although any blade will get dull eventually, my guess is that two shavers are enough for one keyboard. One to actually use, and other one for backup in case you need it.

There's something else that somewhat concerns me though. The maker mentioned distance between blades on the x-axis is 1.25 mm.

This Nexus stem guy however was mentioning 1.28 mm as his desired stem thickness. So I don't know if this would pose any problem or not. 1.25 mm seems a little too thin TBH.

What's the oficial Cherry specification, does anybody know?

[d.caminero]

Update:

The sliders and housings have arrived!!! Now I just have to figure out packaging, sliders take up no room, but housings on the other hand...

SO SO HYPED FOR THIS!!!

Very happy to see that they arrived safe and sound. Now I hope they take a month to cross the atlantic

And as always, thank you so much for all your effort and work. We barely know what you had to do for this GB to success ($400 shipping??) but I am so so happy with the product, even if I have to file a tad the opening or if they are not perfectly smooth. GMK Yuri has been waiting for so long for this.

By the way, try to weight the stems and housings and see if you can count them by weight, I know for a fact that it works with cherry switches since they are 1 gram all so 100 grams is 100 switches. Will make it faster to prepare the orders.

 

[BlindAssassin111]

By the way, try to weight the stems and housings and see if you can count them by weight, I know for a fact that it works with cherry switches since they are 1 gram all so 100 grams is 100 switches. Will make it faster to prepare the orders.

I have the weight but they are ~0.5g a piece and I don't have a scale that can measure to within 0.1g accuracy/repeatability...so I have to count by hand, which is going to take a while sadly but I don't have a a better option atm.

[under.pk]

Hi for GMK keycap it only have a problem with R3 row right? 
...

Anyone here from Asia want to sell the extras pls reply me, thank you.

[BlindAssassin111]

Hi for GMK keycap it only have a problem with R3 row right? 
...

Anyone here from Asia want to sell the extras pls reply me, thank you.

For the original alps housings, GMK R3 is the only issue as far as full travel(still have to file to fit).


Question:

Would anyone be interested in buying any of the purple sample housings I have? They are the same as the final production version, just in purple(the same purple as the sliders). Only 16 exist and cost would be $1 and would be put in with your order before it ships out(still waiting for all packing material).

If anyone is interested PM me(must have been in the GB), I may do it raffle style or FCFS not sure yet...depends on if anyone actually wants them. I am doing this because otherwise they would sit in a box or be thrown away because they honestly have no use for me...