[IC] One piece Al TKL case Not low profile and no exposed plate.

[Melvang]

I am contemplating building a TKL case that would resemble the traditional TKL cases that are composed of bottom half, plate, and top half as 3 discrete pieces.  What I am thinking of doing is a milled case like this but all one piece.  Possibly a second piece as a plate just to add weight to the bottom.  The plate would be integrated into the case and switch holes would have to be milled instead of laser or waterjet.  So due to large amounts of machine time I understand this will be expensive as it will require at least to setups.   One for the plate and above and one for milling out the bottom cavity below the plate.

This would in theory be compatible with any TKL plate with the same spacing as the PCB won't mount to the case but just be there soldered to the switches clipped into the plate.

Would anyone be interested in me persuing this.  It will be VERY expensive to mill.  Fair warning up front.

[feizor]

How much are we talking about here, roughly?

[Melvang]

No idea but it will probably be more than Photekq's Tek-80.  If I had to guess I would say ball park in the $500 range.

[Photekq]

No idea but it will probably be more than Photekq's Tek-80.  If I had to guess I would say ball park in the $500 range.

TEK-80 was £500

[feizor]

I guess you did warn us. Still keen to see how it turns out.

[HoffmanMyster]

I am very interested in this. The idea seems just ludicrous enough to be totally worth it. 

Better start saving!

[tbc]

why am i the only one that doesn't understand.....

if everything is one piece...how do you get the pcb inside the case?

[Puddsy]

why am i the only one that doesn't understand.....

if everything is one piece...how do you get the pcb inside the case?

yeah

that might be an issue

[The_Beast]

why am i the only one that doesn't understand.....

if everything is one piece...how do you get the pcb inside the case?

yeah

that might be an issue

I'm guessing a bottom plate will allow access to the PCB.

I don't see this being easy to solder in if I'm understanding what Melvang is proposing

[Melvang]

The bottom would be hollowed out.  Hence the probable two setup fees for milling it.  One for the top cavities for key wells and one on the bottom for the intended PCB cavity.

Bit like I said any tkl PCB with the same layout as the "plate" will work.  The one issue I could see would be trying to allow different layouts like 1.25 vs 1.5 mods or ANSI vs ISO. 

why am i the only one that doesn't understand.....

if everything is one piece...how do you get the pcb inside the case?

yeah

that might be an issue

I'm guessing a bottom plate will allow access to the PCB.

I don't see this being easy to solder in if I'm understanding what Melvang is proposing

You are correct.  But the plate would allow easy switch opening as that might actually make machining cheaper.

[Elocutive]

I would be interested depending on price. Starting up soccer reffing (highschooler, finding jobs to keep up with the addiction is rough!) so hopefully I will be ready. I would also want to see some design pictures before jumping in, but I like the premise!

[Melvang]

I would be interested depending on price. Starting up soccer reffing (highschooler, finding jobs to keep up with the addiction is rough!) so hopefully I will be ready. I would also want to see some design pictures before jumping in, but I like the premise!

Not trying to scare you away from this but I can almost garuantee it will be over $500 for just a case with no anodizing.  It will be a lot of machine time.

[HoffmanMyster]

In case anyone is confused, my understanding is that this would be essentially an LZ board with the plate machined into the upper portion of the case. Unlike a kmac or similar where the case split is right on the side, the case would open on the back with a plate back there. I think this was cleared up above, but oh well. 

[0100010]

Something like this?  http://pyrolistical.github.io/ - just in TKL?

[Melvang]

In case anyone is confused, my understanding is that this would be essentially an LZ board with the plate machined into the upper portion of the case. Unlike a kmac or similar where the case split is right on the side, the case would open on the back with a plate back there. I think this was cleared up above, but oh well. 

For the most part yes.  Though in my original thoughts there wasn't going to be a plate on the bottom.  Just the big hollow cavity.  Though it wouldn't be hard to incorporate.


Photekq

[Elocutive]

I would be interested depending on price. Starting up soccer reffing (highschooler, finding jobs to keep up with the addiction is rough!) so hopefully I will be ready. I would also want to see some design pictures before jumping in, but I like the premise!

Not trying to scare you away from this but I can almost garuantee it will be over $500 for just a case with no anodizing.  It will be a lot of machine time.

I understand. I think of it as an investment; if I ever lose interest, or need a lot of cash quick, then this is something I could sell for the same price I bought it at because of what you just stated; you pretty much CANNOT get this anywhere else, even if you wanted to custom machine in. It would simply be too expensive. Of course, this is all going off of your block of text. I would really need to see some mock ups before I make a decision.

[SpAmRaY]

I would be interested depending on price. Starting up soccer reffing (highschooler, finding jobs to keep up with the addiction is rough!) so hopefully I will be ready. I would also want to see some design pictures before jumping in, but I like the premise!

Not trying to scare you away from this but I can almost garuantee it will be over $500 for just a case with no anodizing.  It will be a lot of machine time.

I understand. I think of it as an investment; if I ever lose interest, or need a lot of cash quick, then this is something I could sell for the same price I bought it at because of what you just stated; you pretty much CANNOT get this anywhere else, even if you wanted to custom machine in. It would simply be too expensive. Of course, this is all going off of your block of text. I would really need to see some mock ups before I make a decision.

Sadly the idea you can always sell for what you paid doesn't usually pan out in reality unless their is a large desire for the item.

[Melvang]

In case anyone is confused, my understanding is that this would be essentially an LZ board with the plate machined into the upper portion of the case. Unlike a kmac or similar where the case split is right on the side, the case would open on the back with a plate back there. I think this was cleared up above, but oh well. 

For the most part yes.  Though in my original thoughts there wasn't going to be a plate on the bottom.  Just the big hollow cavity.  Though it wouldn't be hard to incorporate.


Photekq - I hope you don't mind if I link to your TEK-80 thread.

For reference these pics show the various pieces of his custom one off machined case, there are some CAD drawings in the OP of that thread.  And these pics are some of the glory shots after assembly.  Think of this with the only two pieces being the case itself.  Top half, bottom half, and plate all machined from one solid block.  With a possible weight plate in the bottom.  The most difficult part of the machining process is going to be the stab holes in the plate.  Switch holes won't be to much of an issue if I go with easy mod variants.

[Elocutive]

I would be interested depending on price. Starting up soccer reffing (highschooler, finding jobs to keep up with the addiction is rough!) so hopefully I will be ready. I would also want to see some design pictures before jumping in, but I like the premise!

Not trying to scare you away from this but I can almost garuantee it will be over $500 for just a case with no anodizing.  It will be a lot of machine time.

I understand. I think of it as an investment; if I ever lose interest, or need a lot of cash quick, then this is something I could sell for the same price I bought it at because of what you just stated; you pretty much CANNOT get this anywhere else, even if you wanted to custom machine in. It would simply be too expensive. Of course, this is all going off of your block of text. I would really need to see some mock ups before I make a decision.

Sadly the idea you can always sell for what you paid doesn't usually pan out in reality unless their is a large desire for the item.

True. It is something I will have to think a lot about, but my two favorite keyboards are the LZ-GH and the TEK-80, neither of which are available anymore, and this seems to be a sort of hybrid between the two.

[HoffmanMyster]

In case anyone is confused, my understanding is that this would be essentially an LZ board with the plate machined into the upper portion of the case. Unlike a kmac or similar where the case split is right on the side, the case would open on the back with a plate back there. I think this was cleared up above, but oh well. 

For the most part yes.  Though in my original thoughts there wasn't going to be a plate on the bottom.  Just the big hollow cavity.  Though it wouldn't be hard to incorporate.

Ahhhhhh, got it! Yeah, that would also be awesome. I'd be all over it either way, to be honest. 

I understand. I think of it as an investment; if I ever lose interest, or need a lot of cash quick, then this is something I could sell for the same price I bought it at because of what you just stated; you pretty much CANNOT get this anywhere else, even if you wanted to custom machine in. It would simply be too expensive. Of course, this is all going off of your block of text. I would really need to see some mock ups before I make a decision.

Sadly the idea you can always sell for what you paid doesn't usually pan out in reality unless their is a large desire for the item.

Yep, this is true especially in this case. Key sets will frequently retain their value, and quite a few keyboards do too, but given how expensive this will be I do not see that being the case.

[Melvang]

Hell I may not even every have it built.  But CAD files will still be made.

[Elocutive]

Well, I'm hoping that I wouldn't have to sell it ever. That was a just in case type of thing, and a case like this is my dream board- this case in black, phantom PCB, red LEDs, 62g reds, and the BroSet. Yum.

[dorkvader]

What I am thinking of doing is a milled case like this but all one piece.  Possibly a second piece as a plate just to add weight to the bottom.

So it's like the LZGH ?

[Melvang]

From what I can see yes but I haven't see one fully dissassembled and this is going to be TKL and not 75%

[LechnerDE]

Interesting project!!

I'll follow this thread, but won't be able to afford one, if it gets ever build 

[telegraphist]

I would be interested depending on price. Starting up soccer reffing (highschooler, finding jobs to keep up with the addiction is rough!) so hopefully I will be ready. I would also want to see some design pictures before jumping in, but I like the premise!

Totally makes sense: It's hard to envision.
I wish I could see an artistic sketch.

[Melvang]

I would be interested depending on price. Starting up soccer reffing (highschooler, finding jobs to keep up with the addiction is rough!) so hopefully I will be ready. I would also want to see some design pictures before jumping in, but I like the premise!

Totally makes sense: It's hard to envision.
I wish I could see an artistic sketch.

Working on that.

[Melvang]

Here is a quick animation showing the case concept.  This is a very quick and dirty version.  The switch holes are wrong from what I am wanting to do.  Essentially I need to tweak the switch holes to allow milling them while maintaining corners with a tight enough radius as I really don't want to spend that much time filing each and every corner in the plate.  I was also toying with the idea of having ridges both side to side and top to bottom to increase the stiffness of the "plate".

[Elocutive]

Any updates? And would this have the brass piece in the bottom like a 360c?

[telegraphist]

Here is a quick animation showing the case concept.  This is a very quick and dirty version.  The switch holes are wrong from what I am wanting to do.  Essentially I need to tweak the switch holes to allow milling them while maintaining corners with a tight enough radius as I really don't want to spend that much time filing each and every corner in the plate.  I was also toying with the idea of having ridges both side to side and top to bottom to increase the stiffness of the "plate".

I still don't understand the consent. I need to see how PCB fits into this case.

[HoffmanMyster]

I still don't understand the consent. I need to see how PCB fits into this case.

There is no bottom plate to the case, or at the very least it would be removable.  So this would be the same as a standard case, except that the plate is "fused" to the top portion.  Does that make sense?

[Melvang]

Pretty much.  Look up Photekq's Tek-80 on here and imagine that the brass plate on the bottom is the only access to the PCB.  You just need to make that opening big enough to reach it.  Yes soldering will probably be a pain in the ass but really with easy open switch holes how often will you really need to solder and desolder the switches.

[henz]

im loving it. 500 is a bit much though, when will it run in case of enough interest?

[Findecanor]

Melvang: You might be interested in a H-shaped switch hole design that was discussed in this thread. It allows a switch to be opened from the top, while also allowing a larger edge radius (size of router bit) and keeping the number of cuts to a minimum. As long as the CNC routing has enough precision, it is as sturdy as other alternatives.

[Melvang]

Melvang: You might be interested in a H-shaped switch hole design that was discussed in this thread. It allows a switch to be opened from the top, while also allowing a larger edge radius (size of router bit) and keeping the number of cuts to a minimum. As long as the CNC routing has enough precision, it is as sturdy as other alternatives.

Yeah I was going to go with something like number 3 in the OP of that thread.

im loving it. 500 is a bit much though, when will it run in case of enough interest?

Really come seeing the size of the block of raw material, $500 is starting to seem on the low side once you factor in setup costs, machine time, tooling, and other unseen costs.

I was getting a rough idea for material cost and 6061 T651 at 6" thick x 6" wife was about $212 per foot.