[IC] Jimi (机美): the 60XT with curves that keep on giving.

[logaboga]

Please fill out the Interest Check form here: https://forms.gle/nHe8xf3fauko3L688

This project is indefinitely on hold due to vendor issues

Introduction
While I've been in the hobby as a collector for a while, it was only about half a year ago that I started considering designing my own keyboard. After many many iterations and drafts, I think I've finally landed at something I really like and want to share with the world.

I present, for your consideration: Jimi (机美).

 

Overview

Jimi (机美) is a linguistic amalgam of the three cultures/languages I grew up with: Korean, Chinese, and of course, English. It means mechanical beauty.

I love curves in keyboards. The trouble is that these curves are seldom found in boards that don't cost an arm and a leg. My biggest goal with Jimi is to make a board with unique visual cues that isn't prohibitively expensive.

I'm leaving out the extra frills that define more premium keyboards in order to achieve this objective: no external weight, minimal design work/machining time committed to places people won't be seeing most of the time, and a curated set of 3-4 colours.


Details
- Layout: Tsangan 60XT (WK or WKL options)
- Mount: Tadpole
- Materials: Aluminum 6063, Brass internal acoustic weight
- Typing Angle: 7 degrees
- Front Height: 17.1 at top of lip, 14.1 at bottom  (~21.1mm EKH)
- Plates: Aluminum, FR4, PP
- PCB: Custom, uses Unified C4 daughterboard

Additional details:
- will be using 8mm 3M bumpons
- 6x M2 case screws, 4x M3 daughterboard screws, 3x M3 weight screws

Mount and Layout Info

Tadpole mount cross-section

Plate with mounting points

PCB supports Stepped Caps Lock, 1.75U RShift, and split Backspace

Exploded view (updated 30/11/2023)

Pricing
aiming for $350, depending on interest

GB & Vendor Information


Ano Colours
Silver
Dark Blue
Black

Project Timeline
Interest Check
Prototype
Group Buy

More/Old Renders

More

Please fill out the Interest Check form here: https://forms.gle/nHe8xf3fauko3L688

Special thanks are owed to my friend ziltoidthealtoid, who designed the PCB for this board and tolerated me incessantly bouncing ideas off him, as well as lampmk, stinky, and chu for their help and guidance.
A big thank you is also owed to ImperfectLink for making KRK and taking so many steps out of the Blender process.

Live changes:
working on internal weight design, acoustics optimisation (29/09/2023)

Change log:
Added placeholder exploded view (01/10/2023)
Added WKL top case (not pictured yet) (01/10/2023)
Updated exploded view (04/10/2023)
Overhauled IC (30/11/2023)
Cleaned up IC (13/12/2023)

Vendor inquiries:
@loganchoi on Instagram
logan.choi on Discord

[ZiltoidTheAltoid]

Thank you to NewJeans for being the only thing I listened to while making the pcb

[Kokaloo]

add some bumpon cutouts

[logaboga]

add some bumpon cutouts

Working on that! Debating between SKUF or bespoke solutions right now.

[lampmk]

  nais

[warhopper]

Really love this design, side profile looks great. Can’t wait to hear more cause I am for sure in on one!

[twitchytheinsideman]

60xt good
tadpole good

[jiminojimi]

I am Jimi.

I approve the sexy curves.

I want arrows though...  will you consider tkl in future with these curves?

[logaboga]

will you consider tkl in future with these curves?

Haha hi Jimi! While I don't want to plagiarise myself and make the exact same design scaled up, I will probably be working on a TKL with a similar design language at some point in the future.

[Rhienfo]

like the sides, but can't really say much else until the protos come out. But from the renders it seems like the start of a good project.

GLWIC

[Sm0k3d0uT]

I needs muh JIMI

[PrizeOcelot5911]