It’s been about a month since I introduced myself here, and along with my intro post I posted a render of a case, and frankly I haven’t done any more rendering. Design wise however, I am content with what I have which is why I’m posting this IC.
Form can be filled here Link to a folder with screenshots of the design is in the form.
I’ve been in the hobby for almost 2+ years now. Never had anything but a tray-mount, which is probably why I’m attached to it. That said, I do have my own share of problems with it and after some discussion with friends and in a few discord servers, I came to the conclusion that removing the stand-off in the middle and near the spacebar (especially this one) can improve the experience by getting rid of hard points and creating a more even flex.
I figured this would work pretty well for builds with flex oriented plates or even plateless builds. I’m also considering a removable post in the middle (like that of Equalz One) in case the board flex too much to your liking.
On to the appearance, the top is 100% inspired by Fjell and DC60, I don’t even mind if someone points it out as a copy. I love sharp edges more than I love fillet edges (not to say they’re bad). The brass insert is basically SoundVoltex’s logo while the side-cuts are inspired by mon’s PocketVoltex controller.
With all that being said, I really am looking just for feedback as of now. It’s the first time I’ve done my own design and posted an IC, I definitely want to take it slow. I have yet to do research on manufacturers, and while I am considering doing an in-house prototype as my school has most if not all the tools needed, but that option isn’t looking that good either.
First of all, if this is your first design, then i’m very impressed! I can tell plenty of thought went into the design.
The top being a Fjell clone is not a bad thing - there’s a reason why the Fjell is so copied. It’s a good looking board, and it seems to fit the rest of the case quite nicely.
The 6% angle - I understand it’s a matter of preference, but with that angle, it does make me on the fence about this case.
The weight, while I understand the aesthetic you’re going for, looks a little off when compared to the rest of the board’s design in isolation.
Overall, I’m very impressed, and no matter what happens with this case, I hope you do well with it!
Personally, I prefer a flatter angle. But that is just my opinion - some of the most popular cases, the KBDfans 60% tray mounts, have high typing angles. So i’m sure your case would do just fine with that angle, I was just throwing me own hat into the metaphorical ring.
6 degrees is still less than a lot of customs. Seems like a happy medium to me.
I also like that the standoffs look very short. A lot of tray mount cases leave a lot of room at the bottom, which tends to make them loud and clattery with a metal plate, especially brass. Without a better understanding of the science that goes into keyboard sound, I’m tempted to conclude that less open space is generally better.
@Lesbian I personally also prefer lower angles, around 4-5 degrees. But knowing some people like steeper angles, I’m just trying to achieve what @salt_rock_lamp said, a happy medium.
@salt_rock_lamp the stand-offs are 3mm / ~.12" tall. This leaves enough room for a sorbothane sheet to be placed in and have the bottom of the PCB compress it.
Again, it looks like you definitely put a lot of thought into almost every part of this case. I’m really impressed! I hope that when this goes into production, it goes well for you!