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geekhack Marketplace => Group Buys and Preorders => Topic started by: ARSLOCK on Thu, 21 August 2025, 20:37:28

Title: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: ARSLOCK on Thu, 21 August 2025, 20:37:28
Fossil Full Size R2 + Southpaw Fossil - Made in USA

Carolina Mech (https://www.carolinamech.com) + Van Dusen (https://www.vdmfg.com/)

(https://i.imgur.com/n9DkLXj.jpeg)
Fossil Southpaw Gunmetal Grey Prototype

Buy your kit @ carolinamech.com (https://carolinamech.com/collections/gb-fossil-r2)

Join our Discord (https://discord.gg/zzyj64g)
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/carolinamech/)

The best full size keyboard is back for Round 2. We're excited to be offering a Southpaw variant this time! The group buy is planned for August 25 2025 - September 15 2025. Shooting for a 6 month turnaround time. Worldwide sale exclusively on Carolina Mech (https://www.carolinamech.com). Sale format is an preorder style buy, no max currently set beyond human limit. R2 Album (https://imgur.com/a/38BVyUQ)

(https://i.imgur.com/B2guquY.jpeg)
Northern Lights Cerakote Fossil Southpaw Proto


(https://i.imgur.com/N9aN1A0.jpeg)
Ankylosaurus weight for R2!

Blued Ankylosaurus Engraving Video (https://youtube.com/shorts/4KZILnQwD2g?si=Lz8uYROtUAmIPy06)

(https://i.imgur.com/cRDDrZv.jpeg)
Sand + Mongoose Coatings

(https://i.imgur.com/H4oAmon.jpeg)
Carnivore Weight, blued, designed by u/onecreativemind

(https://i.imgur.com/hj0qKQZ.jpeg)
7 degrees, 17.5mm front height

(https://i.imgur.com/Q51ClwL.jpeg)
Herbivore Weight, blued


specifications:
- solder or hotswap pcb, via, f12 and f13 compatible
- grommet mount
- usb-c daughterboard
- 7 degrees
- 17.5mm front height
- 2.44 kg / 5.6 lb
- raw beadblasted weight with your choice of dino
- price: basic 1 color cerakote kits are $700 including hot swap or solder PCB. The color changing Gun Candy requires multiple coats and is $40 extra. $650 for a raw kit with a PCB. Shipping is extra, DHL/UPS/USPS available
- plates: kit will come with an aluminum full plate, option for half aluminum ($50), fr4 ($35), carbon fiber ($55)
- custom tx bag style carrying case with first 100 orders
- extra pcb are $60
- weight bluing is $30 extra
- extra weight available for $100
- extra screws / grommets $10


colors are: Grey, Sand, Mongoose (color changing), Pegasus (color changing), and Northern Lights and raw

weight options: Carnivore (T-rex), Herbivore (Brontosaurus), Ankylosaurus, or blank. Bronto and Ankylo will have an option for a bluing, then engraving process in this video (https://youtube.com/shorts/4KZILnQwD2g?si=Lz8uYROtUAmIPy06)

Below are some renders by ruby (https://www.instagram.com/rubybuilds/) of the color options this round, which were voted on by our discord.

(https://i.imgur.com/7f5ORYc.png)
Gunmetal Grey Cerakote (https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating/H-219/gun-metal-grey)

(https://i.imgur.com/TyGALFx.png)
Mongoose Gun Candy Color Changing (https://www.guncandy.com/products/mongoose?srsltid=AfmBOoo7xWai5czsqoah9VJX6IdPterdvdQIwHeLmMk1FQPUUsSqoAfX)

(https://i.imgur.com/pliWhek.png)
Northern Lights Cerakote (https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating/H-315/northern-lights)

(https://i.imgur.com/PwvgfTG.png)
Pegasus Gun Candy Color Changing (https://www.guncandy.com/products/pegasus?srsltid=AfmBOooMSKlxcsDXoxNtRGf3SQKRONVSegoeZILD-oYmyMep5wBPpwqH)

(https://i.imgur.com/g7mH3Ji.png)
Sand Cerakote (custom blend)

(https://i.imgur.com/YuPUJvB.jpeg)
exploded view

(https://i.imgur.com/EjqgU3S.png)
side view

(https://i.imgur.com/AXahlHw.png)
grommet rubber mount

(https://i.imgur.com/TtoynLV.jpeg)
plate

We have a few more protos being coated and will update with IRL pics. Renders are approximations and color changing coating is tough to match! Please note the grey is a little tough to capture, here's another photo of it in natural light (https://i.imgur.com/GkIqaYE.png)

Mongoose Gun Candy Color Changing

Layout options
(https://i.imgur.com/dsYQR5K.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ZdHh3YN.jpeg)

some stuff from R1[/size]


(https://preview.redd.it/c13ezu60gpqc1.jpg?width=4572&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c44735690138e58d56a75b86c6cb3cf63df8035)
R1 pic from u/coalxxx

Alexotos' youtube video below on Fossil:


Album from Lightning (https://imgur.com/a/TcYxurB)

Sound test from Lightning:

Buy your kit @ carolinamech.com (https://carolinamech.com/collections/gb-fossil-r2)

Alexotos will be building a Southpaw Fossil on August 27!


Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA
Post by: ARSLOCK on Thu, 21 August 2025, 20:37:45
Reserved.
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA
Post by: paperassgasket on Fri, 22 August 2025, 19:10:05
We love a good chonker. GLWB
Also we always appreciate OCM's work.
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA
Post by: ARSLOCK on Mon, 25 August 2025, 09:04:22
GB is live! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

https://carolinamech.com/collections/gb-fossil-r2
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA
Post by: ARSLOCK on Thu, 28 August 2025, 09:22:46
Typing test from Alexotos Stream of Southpaw Fossil (https://www.twitch.tv/alexotos/clip/RenownedAffluentBadgerAsianGlow-Q9XNgy9f08AVbd0j)


And here's the Full build video (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2551456705)
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA
Post by: CircuitHero on Sun, 31 August 2025, 17:09:22
I got my order in. Can't wait for this!
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA
Post by: ARSLOCK on Tue, 02 September 2025, 10:17:27
We're gonna extend the buy another week so we can get Lightning a board to stream! New end date is September 15.

Also got some pictures of the Pegasus Gun Candy

(https://carolinamech.com/cdn/shop/files/589352BF-C311-4CEF-959A-5EBA4FE09994_1024x1024@2x.jpg)
(https://carolinamech.com/cdn/shop/files/515888DE-B761-41A3-9EF0-C4C2403AB9DE_1024x1024@2x.jpg)
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: ARSLOCK on Tue, 09 September 2025, 07:48:12
Last week of the GB!

Lightning did a build last night, here are some links.

Typing test (https://www.twitch.tv/lightningkeyboards/clip/AstutePeacefulFrogTwitchRaid-tX9ToN_m9kG3hvBa)

Lightning build of a Pegasus Southpaw Fossil  (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2561767234?t=02h16m50s)
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: ARSLOCK on Thu, 11 September 2025, 12:38:08

Another typing test from Lightning, and his photos of the Pegasus coating
 (https://imgur.com/a/20250911-carolina-mech-fossil-r2-gun-candy-pegasus-chameleon-cerakote-gmk-moomin-YSN3jZO)

(https://i.imgur.com/OMAK1Au.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XwZRcm1.jpeg)
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: ARSLOCK on Mon, 15 September 2025, 14:35:29
Last day for the GB! Thanks everyone for your support so far. I'll post major updates as we have them here. Thanks again.
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: ARSLOCK on Tue, 02 December 2025, 13:19:25
Update 12/2

Machining is underway!
50% done with top case
Completed bottom cases

Carrying cases are in!

First batch of cases is with the Cerakoater.

Solder PCB are finalized and ordered.
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: whomad1215 on Tue, 06 January 2026, 21:06:55
any chance that there will be extras available?
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: IOVERCALLHISTIOCYTES on Tue, 06 January 2026, 22:54:05
Was mentioned on discord that there would be extras, but very few of them.
Title: Re: [GB] R2 Fossil & Southpaw Fossil Full Size Keyboard - Made in USA GB ENDS 9/15
Post by: ARSLOCK on Fri, 30 January 2026, 07:40:53
Here’s an update for January

Case machining is finished!

Cerakoting is in progress, they started with pegasus, the most difficult one, so off to a slow start. most of the pegs are finished, mongoose is also in process, and those are going faster

brass for the weights is en route, machining those next

reg solder pcb are here,  reg hotswap is in production
protos for both southpaw variants are in production

we have some samples of the fr4 plates, but need to try different vendor

haven't started getting cf plates yet, but the files are ready

I’m hoping the normal colors are done faster by the Cerakoter, it’s possible this could push our fulfillment time back. Will continue to keep you guys updated.


There will be limited extras available after the GB is 100% complete.