Ok, after this drop and seeing the subsequent resurgence in HHKB cases in the wake I figured I'd share a little about what I was working on, as I am a huge HHKB fan and really want to have something made worthy of the HHKB.
First, a list of what I want out of this case:
Milled aluminum
Similar in appearance to the HHKB. Same slant, approx size, etc.
Plastic plate
$200 or less for final product
Now, at work we have an excellent design department with many of the capabilities needed to create this case (experts in CAD as well as milling capabilities). Any group buy, however, would not be run out of my work's shop. There is not enough time for that to happen. I have been able to slowly put effort for a while though. So I can talk through where I am so far.
The HHKB case is probably one of the most difficult cases to replicate, especially out of metal. Due to the fact that the top half of the case is also the plate, milling gets extremely expensive very fast when a full metal option is considered. One of the first decisions I made when starting to brainstorm was that any case I worked on would have a plastic plate. Love it or hate it, the plastic plate really gives the HHKB a very distinct feel, and that feel is something I want to preserve. Furthermore incorporating a plastic plate will make the overall cost significantly cheaper.
The next considerations were purely aesthetic design choices. The first obvious choice I made was to concentrate on making a case that looks as similar to the original in appearance as possible. I have no interest in making a "GoN" looking case, or a "Box" case, rather a case that almost feels like it cam from PFU. The next huge deal if this was an interest check would be "Make it super MX Compatible!" which sadly, I do not have interest in. I love keycap sets as much as the next person, even spent months designing one, but I am really interested in staying as true to the HHKB as possible. Yes, I will absolutely want to make sure there are holes that allow Novatouch stabs to be used, but doing things like changing the bottom row to a 6.25u space won't happen. The main issue here is that there is no SA 6u spacebars, and that until there are molds, they won't be compatible. Personally, I like the Topre profile as well as keycaps and would want those to be useable with this case.
Finally, I am not saying any of this to prevent anyone else from working on a similar project! In this growing community there is no reason not to have a few cases available. If you like the Massdrop case, great! I have no issue with that. If you come out with one tomorrow, I'll probably buy it! Will I ever run an [IC]? Yes, when I have a working prototype. I am not personally a fan of running IC's that slowly bleed into group buys months later, only to be stuck in the GB stage for ages too. I will run a quick IC when ready to address any serious issues there may be, and then right into a GB. I am also not a fan of asking the community to fund my prototyping/etc. and will not be asking for money. This has been a project funded out of my pocket and I will continue to fund all the preliminary work and prototypes of my idea for a case.
So, all that being said. If you have little ideas you want to throw me via PM, that would be more than fine, though I hope this just helps people understand what I am going for a little better. Currently, we are brainstorming through the plastic plate. Should it be connected to the top case? If it is a standalone part, how will it be secured in the case? etc. If any big progress is made I will try to post pics to KC or something