Phantom Custom Keyboard Group Buy (CLOSED)

[litster]

Yep, so does Filco's plate.

[litster]

Mad props to alaricljs for all his help. Armed with his tips and hints, I bought a wire bender, found the right size of wires, and I can now make 7x Costar stabilizer bars. The first one took me an hour to make it right. Now I can make one in 5 minutes. I think Costar stabilizers for 7x spacebars is a go.

Costar 7x Stabilizer metal bar.JPG (726.08 KiB) Viewed 5262 times

[trax]

Mad props to alaricljs for all his help. Armed with his tips and hints, I bought a wire bender, found the right size of wires, and I can now make 7x Costar stabilizer bars. The first one took me an hour to make it right. Now I can make one in 5 minutes. I think Costar stabilizers for 7x spacebars is a go.

Costar 7x Stabilizer metal bar.JPG

But there loud ;(

[RiGS]

Very nice. Did you made that wire based on the wire WASD sells? I have heard WASD uses a thicker wire than Rosewill/Filco.

[litster]

I measured both WASD's and the ones from one of my Filcos. They are all 3/64" wires. In any case, the wires fit perfectly into the clips and no rubbing. I haven't added any grease yet, but they feel fine.

[mintberryminuscrunch]

oh.. only just realised that those are the same stabilizers used in vintage alps boards

Clipboard01.jpg (350.26 KiB) Viewed 5154 times

ps: the wire is placed wrong, so i dont loose the ...(thingies)

[RiGS]

Thanks for busting this rumor. What about the stabilizer inserts?

[litster]

oh.. only just realised that those are the same stabilizers used in vintage alps boards

The clips to the plate might be the same, but the wire is certainly not. For Cherry, the wire/bar needs to have a hump in the middle to go over the switch. That's is why it is a lot harder to bend than Cherry's stabilizer bars.

Thanks for busting this rumor. What about the stabilizer inserts?

The diameter of the wire is the same. But other keyboards may use different/cheaper materials for the bars, and that could account for weaker wires that might 'feel' weaker, easier to bend. It would not be as obvious to shorter bars for 2x stabilizers, but probably more prominent with a long wire for spacebars.

[RiGS]

Thanks, then here is my next question accordingly: does the filco wire feel weaker than the WASD wire?
Also what about the white plastic stabilizer inserts? Does the Filco one look shorter and chubbier?

[mintberryminuscrunch]

oh.. only just realised that those are the same stabilizers used in vintage alps boards

The clips to the plate might be the same, but the wire is certainly not. For Cherry, the wire/bar needs to have a hump in the middle to go over the switch. That's is why it is a lot harder to bend than Cherry's stabilizer bars.

sure, was only talking about the clip

[litster]

Filco's stabilizer bar and WASD's feel about as flexible as each other, and same as mine. The inserts are the same too. Well, Filco's is about 0.1mm taller, but i think that is due to me pulling the spacebar out and stretched it a bit. WASD's insert is brand new, never been used, so there has been no stretching.

Costar Stabilizers With Text.jpg (650.06 KiB) Viewed 5138 times

[RiGS]

Thanks. You are really helpful as always. I love that 7x bar.

[RiGS]

Costar stabilizer clips works better with plates that are a little thinner than the plate we have. Whereas Cherry stabilizers can deal with the exact 1/16" plate thickness of the Phantom. My Costar problem is also because that the Costar stabilizers I have are from some 15, 20 year-old keyboard, so my results is still kind of inconclusive.

Does this mean Filco uses a non-standard thinner mounting plate?

[litster]

So it is possible to order full stabilizers? What is the MOQ and at what price? Thanks.

Frame mount 1x2 | G99-0224 | MOQ: 250 pieces | 44.18 €/250 pieces
Frame mount 1x7 | G99-0379 | MOQ: 250 pieces | 112.04 €/250 pieces

That are the exact prices I would pay for these stabilizers.
The prices aren't save yet. I requested two offers last year, one in April (G99-0224: 30.43EUR/250) and then the upper one in November. The other prices all went up nearly the same.

blainchen, for these Cherry stabilizers, do they come with metal bars? Thanks.

[mintberryminuscrunch]

So it is possible to order full stabilizers? What is the MOQ and at what price? Thanks.

Frame mount 1x2 | G99-0224 | MOQ: 250 pieces | 44.18 €/250 pieces
Frame mount 1x7 | G99-0379 | MOQ: 250 pieces | 112.04 €/250 pieces

That are the exact prices I would pay for these stabilizers.
The prices aren't save yet. I requested two offers last year, one in April (G99-0224: 30.43EUR/250) and then the upper one in November. The other prices all went up nearly the same.

blainchen, for these Cherry stabilizers, do they come with metal bars? Thanks.

without metal bars, they wouldn't have a size ( in my logic )

[litster]

Yes, that is what I thought, too. But, the G99-0224 Cherry stabilizers I ordered here in the US, they all came without the metal bars. Possibly a packing mistake, but just want to confirm blainchen's quote include the metal bar.

[blainchen]

Yes, that is what I thought, too. But, the G99-0224 Cherry stabilizers I ordered here in the US, they all came without the metal bars. Possibly a packing mistake, but just want to confirm blainchen's quote include the metal bar.

Yepp, the metal bars are in that kit. The kit consists of the mount, the casing and the metal bar in the specific length.
Just called'em.

[litster]

Costar stabilizer clips works better with plates that are a little thinner than the plate we have. Whereas Cherry stabilizers can deal with the exact 1/16" plate thickness of the Phantom. My Costar problem is also because that the Costar stabilizers I have are from some 15, 20 year-old keyboard, so my results is still kind of inconclusive.

Does this mean Filco uses a non-standard thinner mounting plate?

Sorry for the late reply. I had to open up one Filco to measure it again.

I was wrong. Filco's plate is 1/16" thick. Our plate is also 1/16" thick. I also measured a plate from an old Wyse terminal keyboard and it is also 1/16" think. I think the reason I had problem with Costar stabilizers was because the corners were round and I didn't do a good job filing them down the first time. Once I filed the corners down more and have actual Costar stabilizers from WASDkeyboards, everything is working fine as it is now.

[Kurk]

Costar stabilizer clips works better with plates that are a little thinner than the plate we have. Whereas Cherry stabilizers can deal with the exact 1/16" plate thickness of the Phantom. My Costar problem is also because that the Costar stabilizers I have are from some 15, 20 year-old keyboard, so my results is still kind of inconclusive.

Does this mean Filco uses a non-standard thinner mounting plate?

I think that Cherry key modules were designed for a plate thickness of 1.5 mm or 0.06 inch. That's slightly thinner than 1/16 inch.
Scroll down this page for the measurements in inches: http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm
And here's the same in mm: http://www.cherry.de/english/switches_c ... 70_S71.pdf

[ripster]

Damn imperialists.


The right tools give the right results.

FLA_3992.jpg (194.08 KiB) Viewed 4988 times

Kenny died after I did this.

[RiGS]

Costar stabilizer clips works better with plates that are a little thinner than the plate we have. Whereas Cherry stabilizers can deal with the exact 1/16" plate thickness of the Phantom. My Costar problem is also because that the Costar stabilizers I have are from some 15, 20 year-old keyboard, so my results is still kind of inconclusive.

Does this mean Filco uses a non-standard thinner mounting plate?

Sorry for the late reply. I had to open up one Filco to measure it again.

I was wrong. Filco's plate is 1/16" thick. Our plate is also 1/16" thick. I also measured a plate from an old Wyse terminal keyboard and it is also 1/16" think. I think the reason I had problem with Costar stabilizers was because the corners were round and I didn't do a good job filing them down the first time. Once I filed the corners down more and have actual Costar stabilizers from WASDkeyboards, everything is working fine as it is now.

Thanks for measuring all those plates, as I heard buch of rumors like WYSE plate is 2mm thick and other BS.

[litster]

Good news! WASDkeyboards can help us with Costar 2x stabilizers. I will still have to bend 30 7x stabilizers, but good that we have a source for 2x stabilizers, inserts, and clips.

Totally unrelated, but here is a picture of the Phantom prototype dressed in Cherry dye sub keycaps, plus Cherry RGB dye sub modifiers, plus Tarkoon's Blue Esc keycap and handbag capslock.

I have been just having the prototype sitting on the bottom half of a Filco case. The exposed white-colored plate makes it pleasant to look at. It is nice and free. Like surfing the web in your underwear!

Phantom with Full Dye Sub plus blue Esc and Handbag.JPG (501.92 KiB) Viewed 4998 times

[HzFaq]

I'm jelly, that looks amazing.

[trax]

Good news! WASDkeyboards can help us with Costar 2x stabilizers. I will still have to bend 30 7x stabilizers, but good that we have a source for 2x stabilizers, inserts, and clips.

Totally unrelated, but here is a picture of the Phantom prototype dressed in Cherry dye sub keycaps, plus Cherry RGB dye sub modifiers, plus Tarkoon's Blue Esc keycap and handbag capslock.

I have been just having the prototype sitting on the bottom half of a Filco case. The exposed white-colored plate makes it pleasant to look at. It is nice and free. Like surfing the web in your underwear!

Phantom with Full Dye Sub plus blue Esc and Handbag.JPG

Im in my underwear right now.
Look very nice.

[Findecanor]

Our plate is also 1/16" thick.

It is not going to stay 1/16" (1.6 mm) is it?
In Cherry's specifications, the plate should be 1.5 mm. People are going to want to paint the plate and that would also add thickness.

BTW, I wonder what would happen much noise would be cancelled plate was painted with Plastidip ...

[litster]

Yes, it is going to stay at 1/16" thick.

According to Cherry's spec here: http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm

The plate is 0.06 inches + or - 0.004 inches. 0.064 inches is 1.6256mm. I put a primer and very thick paint (way too many layers) on my Phantom plate, and it is still at 1/16" thick. I think 1/16" is fine.

[Findecanor]

All right. The old doc that I have says 1.5±0.1 mm.

One thing that nags me, are the dimension of the Filco layout, which you based the Phantom on. I would like to reuse an existing case from a scrapped keyboard to build my case from, and many keyboards have 1/2 key = 3/8" spacing between key groups, or 3/8" between number and function row and 1/4 key = 3/16" between F12 and PrintScreen.
The spacings on the Filco are off from the mainstream: 0.35" (approx 11/32") between function and number row, and 0.2" (1/5") between F12 and Print Screen. This makes building a case a bit more difficult.

[trax]

All right. The old doc that I have says 1.5±0.1 mm.

One thing that nags me, are the dimension of the Filco layout, which you based the Phantom on. I would like to reuse an existing case from a scrapped keyboard to build my case from, and many keyboards have 1/2 key = 3/8" spacing between key groups, or 3/8" between number and function row and 1/4 key = 3/16" between F12 and PrintScreen.
The spacings on the Filco are off from the mainstream: 0.35" (approx 11/32") between function and number row, and 0.2" (1/5") between F12 and Print Screen. This makes building a case a bit more difficult.

Did you just ask a question? Im not sure if you did...

[Findecanor]

No, I did not ask a question. I concluded that Cherry has posted different slightly specs for the Cherry MX plate in Imperial and Metric. Litster had posted his source, and I can not do anything but accept it.

About building a case: I posted the measurements because perhaps they could be useful for someone else who is interested in building their own case.

[litster]

We would like to close this Phantom group buy by January 31st. Please get your orders in now. 7bit is updating the price list and will send new invoices to all buyers soon. Thanks.