(Model MF) Remodeling the Model M (aka.. the Mara)

[lot_lizard]

same here. or just make it black for the industrial? black looks always good in combination with the industrial color

Sounds good... Here are a couple of options from them on that scale (Black and Dark Grey). All other available colors. I like this stuff. The end result is really a nice piece.

Black

Screen Shot 2016-09-30 at 11.19.06 AM.png (696.35 KiB) Viewed 5680 times

Dark Grey

Screen Shot 2016-09-30 at 11.18.42 AM.png (2.46 MiB) Viewed 5680 times

[fohat]

Gandalf

[Techno Trousers]

I think the gray would look nice too.

[E TwentyNine]

How would clear turn out?

[lot_lizard]

How would clear turn out?

Thought about that too... the only downside to it really would be that by the time I cleaned up the pieces with some light sanding/buffing, they would look pretty cloudy (at least thats a guess)

[lot_lizard]

I did finally manage to get the full-size (FEXT) FULLY assembled, and tested. Everything worked out well. I will try to get some pics tomorrow sometime. Still proving the foam concept (thicknesses needed to be adjusted), but it is promising. The silicon supports are doing a nice job of distributing tension across the board evenly.

I have a meeting next week with our metal shop friends to finalize pricing now that the plate designs are fully hardened. Work has caused me to loose momentum (but luckily we don't need much to finish). Should die down shortly (acquisitions suck btw)

I will check with Cindy about the all the additional switches that we were speculating to receive

[seebart]

I did finally manage to get the full-size (FEXT) FULLY assembled, and tested. Everything worked out well. I will try to get some pics tomorrow sometime.

You know you might have to change you sig to "lot_Wizard" with all this magic.

[Techno Trousers]

Great news! I'm glad we're in the home stretch of phase one.

Just out of curiosity... I know it's a long way off, but what's your best estimate of how much the retro metal MF cases in phase 2 will cost? Can you even make an educated guess yet? I'm trying to decide if I want an extra phase 1 assembly.

[lot_lizard]

I know it's a long way off, but what's your best estimate of how much the retro metal MF cases in phase 2 will cost? Can you even make an educated guess yet?

It's tough to say because the design isn't even really known (we could do something less traditional as practice for Phase 2?!?), but 75 +/- 15 is highly safe if you were trying to plan, with the assumption we have around 50+ wanting them

[Techno Trousers]

Okay, that sounds good to me! I'll probably want two or three myself.

[Wingpad]

hype levels rising

I just bought an SSK case so I am glad to hear we're nearing the launch of this project

[snoopy]

I love this thread.


I know it's a bit unrealistic, but I hope that it's possible to make a replica of the famous/mysterious Model M Mini somewhen in the future.

[lot_lizard]

I hope that it's possible to make a replica of the famous/mysterious Model M Mini somewhen in the future.

Well isn't that a cute little board. Hadn't seen this pic before. Did we ever get any better pictures or figure out what it was exactly?

[seebart]

I know it's a bit unrealistic, but I hope that it's possible to make a replica of the famous/mysterious Model M Mini somewhen in the future.

Is that one of those faked HAL jobs? If I had that it wouldn't be lying around in the corner like that.

FAKO.

[fohat]

You know you might have to change you sig to "lot_Wizard" with all this magic.

I think that "Wot!_Wizard" would be better.

[seebart]

You know you might have to change you sig to "lot_Wizard" with all this magic.

I think that "Wot!_Wizard" would be better.

Agreed! As in "what a wizard!".

[snoopy]

I hope that it's possible to make a replica of the famous/mysterious Model M Mini somewhen in the future.

Well isn't that a cute little board. Hadn't seen this pic before. Did we ever get any better pictures or figure out what it was exactly?

Here's one (and I think also the only one):



And here's the thread from back in the day (2010): https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=10347.0
Sadly the pics are all down.


The owner is clickclack and he said that it was attached to a signmaker (that blue machine on the first pic). It's definitely a real board and nothing that was photoshopped. But nobody knows if it was originally made like this or if somebody modded it like that. But if you look close you see some screws on the black barrelframe... If it's a mod, it was a really awesome job. That windowed capslock is also interesting.

clickclack even has that little pixelart version of it in his sig at geekhack:


I really really like how it looks and that it looks like a legit 60% Model M.

It's my holy grail and I hope that cc will one day give us some more information about it.

[alh84001]

All it needs is a model F inner assembly

[lot_lizard]

I was curious about the Alt/Ctrl before. Makes sense they were add-ons (based on second pic). I would have the symmetry of the top match the bottom (room for a badge, and "just cuz"), but that is a fun little board for sure.

I really want to see what Phosphorglow comes up with for the resin cases since I can print things for him to mold for us. He does such amazing work, and want to see the fruits of his labor before we make conclusions about metal/resin.

[E TwentyNine]

I really really like how it looks and that it looks like a legit 60% Model M.

It's my holy grail and I hope that cc will one day give us some more information about it.

If the layout is your holy grail, you can hack up a standard M to recreate it no problem

If finding an authentic one is your holy grail, I think you chose your grail...poorly.

[lot_lizard]

If the layout is your holy grail, you can hack up a standard M to recreate it no problem

So here is my ACTUAL goal of phase 1. We get a drop-in for standard M's to work FAMOUSLY. I release ALL plans of value (not publishing until it is "perfect"). Then people use these plans to make goodness going forward. I will make my own Phase 2 dream board (whatever the @$&? that is at this point remains unknown, but think artistically functional). But hopefully if someone has a dream BS board, they can run with it.


I do plan on starting a Kickstarter for flat/curved plate barrel/flipper molds to let us be versatile going forward. It really is such an elegant switch, and I want DT to own the molds for it.

[Ir0n]

I really really like how it looks and that it looks like a legit 60% Model M.

It's my holy grail and I hope that cc will one day give us some more information about it.

If the layout is your holy grail, you can hack up a standard M to recreate it no problem

If finding an authentic one is your holy grail, I think you chose your grail...poorly.

I like the kishsaver better than that board myself just off looks, but you know...opinions.

I thought I had a holy grail once, when I seen some of those korean boards.. then I got a Model F AT and I lost all interest in cherry mx all together because they felt awful to me. Alps is next on the list after I get a few Model F boards, or maybe beamsprings, but those are so hard to find for an ok price maybe that's my holy grail? Lol

Hopefully I can add one of these MFs to my collection.

[lot_lizard]

Back on the laser engraving front while we are waiting on a few components to wrap up. I put together a jig already that will do 121 1u keys at once (11x11 rows). But then thought we should do something a little more proper going forward. We talked about making this available as a "service". So you would send me your blank caps (potentially dyed), and I would etch into them how you saw fit. The costs will be minimal.

I have created the following SVG (posted here as a png) in Inkscape that I will cut the final jig from out of acrylic. The idea is you would take the SVG, ADD A LAYER so I can remove the jig footprint, and plop on whatever (text or images). Then it will line up to my jig nicely without me doing any mapping (the hard work). This is the start of it, but still needs cross-hair targets and key outlines so you center everything nicely. Let me know if you think we are missing any keys that should be accounted for. Acrylic is expensive, and I would like to avoid multiple attempts. The alignment is a little silly because I want bigger keycap gaps so the jig never risks breaking. Black (fills) are etched, and the red (eventual hairlines) are cuts

laserCutLayout.png (31.52 KiB) Viewed 5339 times

[E TwentyNine]

ISO Enter. Doesn't need to be in its proper position, that gap over the numpad should fit it ok.

Maybe a few extra 1u's up there too for whatever.

[Techno Trousers]

I guess an option for the ISO short left shift and extra 1u key would be prudent too.

I'm not sure how many people are going to attempt the double "code" space bars layout you're trying to support on the bottom row, but maybe a template for that too, just in case?

[wcass]

Left shift should be represented as [1.25 + 1] with ISO folks treating these as separate keys and ANSI folks treating them as one key. Right shift should be represented as [1 + 1.75] with most people would place text spanning both keys. Enter should be represented by [1 + 1.25]; ANSI Enter would be to place the text between both keys; ISO would be to place text between the [1.5 + 1.25]. I would also split backspace, and the 3 large keys on the numpad. Consider adding 4 1u keys above numpad and maybe 5 1u keys above the arrows. That should pretty much cover everyone.

[drevyek]

I'm considering doing another hack-job to accommodate the SSK form-factor. What is the sizing for the plate, eg, distances between the support pegs. My current job may only fit my hacked down M plate, whereas I would prefer to be exact, or at least close.

[lot_lizard]

ISO Enter. Doesn't need to be in its proper position, that gap over the numpad should fit it ok.

Left shift should be represented as [1.25 + 1] with ISO folks treating these as separate keys and ANSI folks treating them as one key. Right shift should be represented as [1 + 1.75] with most people would place text spanning both keys. Enter should be represented by [1 + 1.25]; ANSI Enter would be to place the text between both keys; ISO would be to place text between the [1.5 + 1.25]. I would also split backspace, and the 3 large keys on the numpad. Consider adding 4 1u keys above numpad and maybe 5 1u keys above the arrows. That should pretty much cover everyone.

Sounds good... I will add several 1u, 1.25u, 1.5u, 1.75u's, and ISO enter surrounding the perimeter. The process really won't care what they are mapped to as long as the person filling out the template keeps it straight.

I don't have a 1.25u key on anything I have. I can do the math, but if something could give me the EXACT measurements of the cap itself to validate, I will plug in.

What is the sizing for the plate, eg, distances between the [SSK] support pegs. My current job may only fit my hacked down M plate, whereas I would prefer to be exact, or at least close.

I will have to measure on Thursday when I am back in town. I could tell you from the CAD files this evening if no one responds by then. I do know the right peg on the full-size is smaller than the left. For the SSK, they are both the matching larger size (irony). In our design, we are putting the "hold" on the front edge versus the tabs holding a "floating assembly" like IBM's design. At the same time, we sit nicely against the back bezel. The days of broken tabs in shipment should be behind us as they are little more than superfluous nipples at this point

[E TwentyNine]

Left shift should be represented as [1.25 + 1] with ISO folks treating these as separate keys and ANSI folks treating them as one key. Right shift should be represented as [1 + 1.75] with most people would place text spanning both keys. Enter should be represented by [1 + 1.25]; ANSI Enter would be to place the text between both keys; ISO would be to place text between the [1.5 + 1.25]. I would also split backspace, and the 3 large keys on the numpad. Consider adding 4 1u keys above numpad and maybe 5 1u keys above the arrows. That should pretty much cover everyone.

Regarding combining keys, it would seem the smaller of the two keys wouldn't sit proper in the template, as well as the gap between the keys entering into the width equation.

[lot_lizard]

Regarding combining keys, it would seem the smaller of the two keys wouldn't sit proper in the template, as well as the gap between the keys entering into the width equation.

They would be dedicated spaces. I will have the current layout "as-is", and then add extra keys 'round the outside (Eminem reference... at least I think. It's been a while)