F104+SSK+122+62+77+50+Ergo orders now open! New Kishsaver+Industrial Model F Keyboards

[Ellipse]

affenstark if it's broken you'll need to get another one unfortunately.

[Ellipse]

As an update the factory has made good progress with the new key mold for the non-stepped ISO Enter, code, and PC AT Big Enter keys after much delay to get all of the particulars right.

The factory is now just fine-tuning the key top texture and then hopefully production can start on these keys. After they are sublimated I am hoping to open up orders for these keys and key sets with these keys.

[affenstark]

I see, I guess I must have shorted the coil then. Oh well... Maybe I might consider getting another, but well international shipping fees can be quite something.

[Ellipse]

Project update:

I have just approved the Model M style cases to enter production. Due to some quality issues it took many months extra to get the quality to where it is now.

Here's one photo from the approved sample - the gap in the back looks nice now.

Now the cases have to be die cast, drilled, and powdercoated, and then they can be assembled. The F104s and FSSK inner assemblies are complete and the F122 working sample still needs to be completed (I need to do some more testing with the new Leyden Jar controller and the F122 before continuing). I expect all to be on the same container shipment with the Round 2 beam spring boards, hopefully around year end.

affenstark and everyone else please do email me for reduced international shipping rates for mailing extras only - I can mail small stuff for $20 to $30 or so, up to a couple pounds in shipping weight.

approved case sample.jpg (1.45 MiB) Viewed 23404 times

[zetaomegagon]

zetaomegagon that seems the largest drop I've seen reported for a new Model F!

Yeah, it was a gnarly drop...

I'm back in business again though!

(can't remember how to upload an image here...)

[Ellipse]

Here is a nice "group photo" of the F122 case samples being unboxed, from earlier this year, one in each of the available colors:

2023 03 30 F122 complete family.jpg (1.77 MiB) Viewed 23005 times

[ifohancroft]

Project update:

I have just approved the Model M style cases to enter production. Due to some quality issues it took many months extra to get the quality to where it is now.

Here's one photo from the approved sample - the gap in the back looks nice now.

Now the cases have to be die cast, drilled, and powdercoated, and then they can be assembled. The F104s and FSSK inner assemblies are complete and the F122 working sample still needs to be completed (I need to do some more testing with the new Leyden Jar controller and the F122 before continuing). I expect all to be on the same container shipment with the Round 2 beam spring boards, hopefully around year end.

affenstark and everyone else please do email me for reduced international shipping rates for mailing extras only - I can mail small stuff for $20 to $30 or so, up to a couple pounds in shipping weight.

approved case sample.jpg

The parts of what I'm guessing is the cable hole seem to be misaligned between the top and the bottom on the approved case sample photo. Will it be like that on the final cases or will it be aligned?

[Ordinary Witch]

If you're talking about the hole being slightly elongated height-wise, that's probably because of the case gap. I would keep it there since it allows for some play between the case halves (if needed in the first place) without squishing the cable - you might be able to hide it with some kind of rubber strain relief if the hole can fit one.

[tiltowait]

Apologies if it's been answered, but whatever happened with the "ortholinear split ergonomic" Model Fs? Did the auction already conclude?

[Ellipse]

Yes, Ordinary Witch is correct, and also the hole looks that way because of the angle of the photo; it is properly aligned and there is no issue with the cable hole.

tiltowait it is due to a delay on my side - I need to wrap things up and set up the QMK matrix for these boards, and then I can email the winners.

[magictoaster]

Please delete. My question made no sens, and I've figured it out.

[Ellipse]

Someone shared this link with me: Linus reviewing various computer setups, including a setup from Wendell that includes the Ultra Compact FSSK! About 7 1/2 minutes into the video:

https://youtu.be/aDDZ50U_cEM?t=453

[Ellipse]

Metal badge update - logo requests?

I am finalizing the artwork options for the 20x20mm metal badges. There is a recessed spot for them on the F122 but they can be put on other keyboards as they will be adhesive.

1. Buckling spring logo (black and white and/or grayscale)
2. Beam spring logo
3. Any other requests?

I want to avoid anything line art related so as not to confuse with IBM's style logo. The dot matrix printing style should be ok to use however.

badge with white areas changed to transparent.png (95.13 KiB) Viewed 22239 times

badge with white areas changed to transparent - black and white copy.png (25.23 KiB) Viewed 22239 times

beam spring logo US4274752-drawings-page-4 transparent - Copy.png (223.32 KiB) Viewed 22237 times

Photoshopped example:

sample example.jpg (251.58 KiB) Viewed 22126 times

[mmm]

Hi maybe something like deconstructed switch, with the keycap attached to the barrel and the flipper/spring next to it, to symbolize the deconstruction needed to achieve reproduction.

[thefarside]

If I had to pick one badge it would be the black because it had a similar contrast to the original IBM.

I’m curious what the possibility of an LCD badge would be? Would it be too custom and too expensive to be practical?

[Ellipse]

Price drops: Someone was asking me about the recent price drops this week on the project web site and here was my reply:

"Yes, I can confirm the noticeable price drops on the project web site primarily for the in-stock stuff. Not sure yet on the timeline, but most of the in stock stuff is end of production so I strongly recommend ordering things now while the current pricing stands, whether to pick up an additional / backup keyboard while you can still buy one new, or joining the project for the first time if cost was holding you back before."

Not sure but the Leyden Jar controller features a "3x2 header for: External I2C connection." so adding a display is possible. The F122 and B122's I think will have the Leyden Jar as the default, while the others will have the xwhatsit controllers until my supply runs out and then everything will likely switch to Leyden Jar.

https://github.com/mymakercorner/Leyden_Jar

[engr]

Which case color is in this photo? If that's industrial grey, it looks much more... brown-ish than F77's industrial grey.

[Ellipse]

That is the prototype F104 color that was not approved. But some of the color difference is due to lighting in the photos. As mentioned a while back, the reference is the IBM Industrial Model M for Industrial Gray.

2018-01-31 2018 01 Industrial SSK sample (1).jpg (362.14 KiB) Viewed 21802 times

[dcopellino]

My F77 BIG ass

I'm sharing an easy read on about my last F77 layout customisation, just for killing time during these lazy summer days being spent on the beach under umbrellas in sunshine Italy days (The most unfortunate will have to settle for the leaden skies of Brighton, as for my son portrayed in the photo under another type of umbrella. guess who.)

question_of_ass.jpg (131.32 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

It goes without saying, in life you need luck, and a big ass is all you need to face the adversities that fate throws at us.
Now that we're on the subject, let me get into the details and, as usual a pic is worth more than one thousand words, also bad ones, (sorry in advance for the poor quality. I had my smartphone at hand - lazy days, remember?).

F77_bigAss_enter.gif (956.6 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

Process in detail here:

Spoiler:

001.jpg (293.72 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

002.jpg (394.42 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

003.jpg (365.46 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

I set out at full speed with some vices..... fo find out lately that with Ellipse's F repros you don't need them at all. Plates slide in and out like a charm.

004.jpg (585.14 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

Starting situation once I opened it up.
My GOAL was to replace the uncomfortable 1U backspace and place in my Big ASS Enter coming from an F AT (already modded to ANSI layout with 2xALT keys)

005.jpg (335.07 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

Setting that big washer in that location did the trick to stabilize the enter key, endowed with a wire stabilizer.
to note that the space bar wire was modded too to cancel the rattling noise (thanks o2dazone), which I don't mind too much though. As indeed, I didn't mind to put that ancient badge on. ahaha

Now I'm very HAPPY with my second hand Model F77 (sorry Joe), VIAL enabled. Here my map layout, not quite matching the physical keys:

Vial_01.JPG (57.64 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

Vial_02.JPG (62.31 KiB) Viewed 21667 times

Thanks for reading

p.s.

Spoiler:

also the dust cover (mmhh) thanks.... ahah

006.jpg (352.25 KiB) Viewed 21662 times

[Ellipse]

Thanks for posting this guide dcopellino!

[thefarside]

There’s nothing like a big ass. Enter

Great guide and beautiful pics. I hope to make it to Italy. I’ve done the same mod and noticed the enter key didn’t need the wire stabilizer, but I like your washer method and might give it a shot.

[engr]

I apologize if this question has already been answered (because it probably has), but what is the cutoff date for ordering a Model M style F104 (to have it delivered before the end of 2023)?

[Ellipse]

engr the timeline is not finalized but I am still hoping for the boards to all arrive around year end. Just like with the earlier projects, they will ship out in order of when the order was received, so the later the order is placed, the longer you have to wait after all the boards are delivered, with the exception of the low serials.

[Ellipse]

The remaining LED overlays arrived from the factory today, and I mailed out all the orders waiting only on LED overlays and nothing else. I like the color of the beige overlay as it compares nicely with the originals. The gray overlays have a touch of blue in them, in my opinion, and the black overlays' white areas also have a touch of blue in them. I would probably request less blue for a future order.

2023 08 09 LED overlays new scanned.jpg (645.5 KiB) Viewed 21225 times

Any additional logos that should be produced? I hope to finalize the production over the coming days. So far the black logos (not the grayscale versions) of the F and Beam Spring will be produced, plus maybe a company logo abbreviation like MFL in a dot matrix style font.

MFL logo badge test - Copy.JPG (13.91 KiB) Viewed 21159 times

[AlexB555]

Are they (overlays) compatible with the F104/FSSK/etc and older M (IBM/Lexmark) or only with your repros?

As I said a few months ago, it would be nice to offer a version "neutral", using only the icons standardized (iso 9995-7), I am still interested to purchase the minimum quantity for an order (5? 10?), probably black or blue/grey. If you give me a template (SVG file), I can develop a version quickly.

[Ellipse]

The overlays are the same size as the IBM Model M 101 key keyboards so you can use them with the originals. Please message me if interested in additional designs. There will be a tooling charge of $100.

[AlexB555]

The overlays are the same size as the IBM Model M 101 key keyboards so you can use them with the originals. Please message me if interested in additional designs. There will be a tooling charge of $100.

Perfect, yes very interested, I will send you an email.

[engr]

I like the color of the beige overlay as it compares nicely with the originals. The gray overlays have a touch of blue in them, in my opinion, and the black overlays' white areas also have a touch of blue in them.

If you get an opportunity, I would be interested to see a photo of these grey overlays on an industrial grey case. I think this is the color scheme I am ultimately going to order. I would love an all-black board (are the pad printed black keys coming along?), but sadly that means English legends only.

[Ellipse]

Pad printing will be available in various key sets. They are still designing the custom pad print tooling and jig for the keys. The custom built machine was completed already (most pad print machines can't print a whole key set at once).

[engr]

Pad printing will be available in various key sets.

Hmmm, so it will be possible to order this keyset with black keys?