Hello,
I've always wanted to make an endgame 60% keyboard for myself using features and attributes that I enjoyed from other keyboards over the 3 or so years I've been in the keyboard hobby. Some keyboards that come to mind are the OTD 356 mini, SingaKBD Unikorn and the Geonworks' F1-8X. Horangi (ho-rang-e) means tiger in Korean and it's one of my favourite animals.
Instead of relying on renders, I've decided to go ahead and prototype the keyboards before posting an Interest Check as I was uncomfortable posting something that was still incomplete. I'm now confident enough in the design, sound and typing experience to post an IC on Geekhack.
The 3 keyboards were the inspiration behind the internals of the keyboard. It uses the Unikorn, 4 top and 4 bottom mounting posts, combined with the gummy o-ring mounting and plate shape from the 356 Mini and finished off with F1-8X inspired viton o-rings strips on the top housing.
The aesthetics of the keyboard were inspired from the GOK 7v for the weight, the Mode Sonnet for the side profile and the Geonworks Frog for the Top Casing.
Thank you also to Gok, for teaching me how to loft in Fusion 360.
Keyboard Details
- AL6063 Aluminium Top and Bottom Housing
- Copper Sandblasted Internal and External Weight
- AL5052 Plate Anodized Red
- CEM3 1.6mm Coreless PCB with Red Solder Mask and White Silk Screen by Jels
- Fly Daugtherboard with Molex
- 9 Degree Typing Angle
- 19.5mm Front Height
- Viton Gummy O-Ring Mounting + Viton O-Ring Strips on the top housing
- WK, WKL, 6U HHKB Layouts
- 2.2kg built
Prototype 1
Dark Brown Anodized
Copper Weights
Built with Cherry Hyperglide Blacks on an Aluminium Half Plate
Viton Gummy O-Ring
Compression for this prototype was approximately .5mm against the gummy o-ring.
https://clips.twitch.tv/InventiveIncredulousDillOMGScoots-5UmziLTTZ9EgBQrb
Prototype 1 had very tight molex cable tolerances and the weight would not screw to the case unless the cable was positioned in a certain way.
O-Rings on the top housing were not friction fit and would fall out.
Prototype 1.5
Beige Powder Coated
Brass Weights
Built with the new Cherry Ergo Clears on a Polycarbonate Plate
50a Silicone Gummy O-Ring
Compression for this prototype was not changed
https://clips.twitch.tv/UnusualClearCucumberSpicyBoy-V2DNMjALiUs3bnpA
Prototype 1.5 had the JST channel fixed as well as the O-Ring tolerances in the top housing fixed.
I also experimented with the Unikorn JST/molex position instead of the Hiney position.
There were no significant changes to the internals of the keyboard to consider it a 2.0 version of the prototype.
Compression for this prototype was not changed
Prototype 2
Dark Polycarbonate
Stainless Steel Weights
Built with banana splits on an Aluminium Half Plate
Viton Gummy O-Ring
Compression for this prototype was not changed
Prototyping the keyboard in PC really allowed me to see the extremely tight tolerances on the internals.
Since the keyboard only uses 4 screws to close the top and bottom housing, there was excessive bulging on the middle of the keyboard due to the stiffness of the Viton Gummy O-Ring and the compression inside the case.
This prototype had the issue solved by notching the plate but it was not a solution I could utilise for the group buy due to the use of plastic plates.
Prototype 3
Sandblasted Stainless Steel
Copper Weights
Built with New Cherry Nixies on a Polypropylene Plate
Viton Gummy O-Ring
Compression for this prototype was almost completely eliminated due to the stiffness of the Viton O-Ring
https://clips.twitch.tv/EntertainingPhilanthropicMonkeyDuDudu-lwUee_jIoRHa32B7
Using the information gathered from Prototype 2, the internals of the keyboard were changed significantly to allow for almost no compression in the internals.
I also found that having minimal compression had better acoustic properties with the viton material for the O-Rings
Please take the sound tests as a grain of salt. Actual acoustics properties of the keyboard will changed based on many different variables.
Exploded view
(https://i.imgur.com/gVk8S9R.png)
Relief cuts on the bottom housings were made to provide less compression around the spacebar and backspace stab areas and allows the gummy o-ring to travel around the stab sections more freely.
This was implemented from Prototype 1 and kept on all the prototypes until current.
Prototype Photos
More
(https://i.imgur.com/wKUu39w.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dagjKb2.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RXEcUod.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/imzs7qR.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/frvV5xJ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/r7jcOAB.jpg)
GB Date
June 21st ~ July 21st or until sold out
Estimated Price
The estimated price is around $450USD at a 100 unit soft cap.
Price is 420USD + any local tax + shipping
Vendors
OCE - Cafege
KR & NA - KLC
EU - Keygem
MY & SG - Maamaadei
TW - Masjewerks
China - ZFrontier
UK - Prototypist
IC Form (https://forms.gle/p3Jrxi6vLH8nnAJz9)
Discord (https://discord.gg/HUjzjVybBh)
This is really cool. I am not a 60 user but this might be the only 60 i get.
More
the viton strips on the top case is a neat idea, prolly provides some isolation from the btm case and adds some bounce.
the thickness of the top case is also nice, ive had problems with Glare tkl where the thickness is less and maybe contributes to the ping, and also maybe why using force break on glare tkl helps isloate the top case more. on the F1, the thickness of the top case matters less cuz again, viton strips on the top case provide some isolation.
overall good job!
This looks very cool. Is the PCB supporting QMK?
PCB is QMK and VIA compatible
This is really cool. I am not a 60 user but this might be the only 60 i get.
More
the viton strips on the top case is a neat idea, prolly provides some isolation from the btm case and adds some bounce.
the thickness of the top case is also nice, ive had problems with Glare tkl where the thickness is less and maybe contributes to the ping, and also maybe why using force break on glare tkl helps isloate the top case more. on the F1, the thickness of the top case matters less cuz again, viton strips on the top case provide some isolation.
overall good job!
Thanks boss!