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

[duface]

Can't believe it's actually happening! Cheers to #5, it looks beautiful.

[cods]

Wow, that's nice!
Congratulations, it must feel pretty good to get that first one out the door

[ApocalypseMaow]

I'm 9 kinds of excited!!!

[darkcruix]

[Rauha]

Congrats to Ellipse for reaching shipping stage.

[Wazrach]

Wow, that looks fantastic! I'm really looking forward, although I still haven't got the rest of the money yet.

[darkspider]

It's happening now, and it's just unbelievable that what I dreamed 3 years ago is gonna come true!

[Ellipse]

3 more Brand New Model F keyboards are shipping! (As always you were emailed if yours is shipping)

Notes on the photos:
Please note the black electrical tape around the space bar stabilizer wire, in the area where it contacts the metal tabs. This has significantly improved the space bar sound in my testing and has reduced the metal-on-metal rattling present on some new Model F's. So far I have been adding this tape to each keyboard that would benefit from it. Also I push down the tops of the space bar tabs a bit to help reduce space bar movement and improve stability of the key. Be careful when removing the space bar (be sure to push the metal stabilizer wire out of each tab one tab at a time to push up the tab a little so that you do not force out the space bar).

[clickclack]

Would heatshrink tubing not be a better choice than electrical tape?
It won't ooze glue over time.

[zrrion]

heat shrink tube would be easiest to apply before bending the stab wire, but since this is the end of the manufacture process and all the wires are bent already. maybe on future batches they might be able to do it.

[clickclack]

It's usually pretty easy to push heat shrink along wires that are only slightly narrower than the pre-shrinking inner diameter.
I'd rate it as easier than applying tape to a narrow wire.

[FXT]

Out of curiosity, will you be keeping track of production numbers including options, and if so, are there any plans to release those numbers? I think it'd be cool to see what boards were ordered with what options; I would be interested in finding out how many boards were ordered with the same options I selected.

[Rauha]

Out of curiosity, will you be keeping track of production numbers including options, and if so, are there any plans to release those numbers?

Ellipse posted these numbers in June.

The factory is up to 800 keyboards assembled. We just reached 1700 keyboards ordered!



Order breakdown:
F77 907
F62 412
Compact F77 240
Compact F62 141
Grand Total 1700

F77
Industrial Gray 486
Off-White/Beige 299
Black 106
True Red 6
PANTONE 14-5002 TPX Silver Gray 5
Silver Gray 3
Another color 2
F77 Total 907
F62
Off-White/Beige 210
Industrial Gray 131
Black 60
True Red 10
Silver Gray 1
F62 Total 412
Compact F77
Black 150
Regular Gray 82
Dark Blue 4
Carolina Blue 4
Compact F77 Total 240
Compact F62
Black 92
Standard Gray 47
Dark Blue 2
Compact F62 Total 141
Grand Total 1700

Key Set Types:
Regular printed key set (US/ANSI layout) 1267
Black unprinted keys 143
Regular color blank keys (no lettering/legends) 112
UK 47
Use your own keys / use other color new keys 40
Swedish-Finnish 28
German 18
Norwegian 11
French 6
International layout 4
Danish 3
Swiss German 3
Latin American Spanish 2
APL Keys 2
JIS 2
Spanish 1
Swiss French and German 1
Hebrew English 1
Swiss 1
Arabic 1
Italian 1
Dutch 1
Brilliant white printed key set (US/ANSI layout) 1
Blue printed key set (US/ANSI layout) 1
Korean 1
Russian 1
Brazilian ABNT 1
Grand Total 1700

Layouts:
ANSI (U.S. default - horizontal Enter key) with split right shift, split backspace, and HHKB keys but not HHKB layout 1
ANSI Enter (default - horizontal Enter key) 868
ANSI Enter (default - horizontal Enter key) and non-HHKB Split Right Shift 1
ANSI Enter (default - horizontal Enter key) and Split Backspace 6
DVORAK layout; ANSI Enter (default - horizontal Enter key) 1
DVORAK with HHKB style split right shift 1
DVORAK with HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and regular 2-unit wide backspace 1
HHKB split right shift only and split backspace, everything else ANSI Enter 1
HHKB split right shift only, everything else ANSI Enter 15
HHKB split right shift only, everything else ANSI Enter, HHKB style Ctrl and Caps Lock 2
HHKB split right shift only, everything else ANSI Enter, short left shift 1
HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and regular 2-unit wide backspace 251
HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and regular 2-unit wide backspace and short space bar 1
HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and regular 2-unit wide backspace, original position Ctrl and Caps lock keys 1
HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and regular 2-unit wide backspace, short left shift 1
HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and Split Backspace 388
HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and Split Backspace and short left shift 4
HHKB-Style Split Right Shift and Split Backspace, original position Ctrl and Caps lock keys 1
ISO Enter (vertical enter and 2U Left Shift) 1
ISO Enter (vertical enter and split Left Shift) 128
ISO Enter (vertical enter and split Left Shift) and HHKB-Style Split Right Shift 9
ISO Enter (Vertical Enter And Split Left Shift) And HHKB-Style Split Right Shift, Split Backspace 6
ISO Enter (vertical enter and split Left Shift) and non-HHKB Split Right Shift 2
Scumyc ANSI Enter (default - horizontal Enter key) 7
Split Enter (1.25U enter and split Left Shift) and non-HHKB Split Right Shift 1
Grand Total 1700

F77 Right side block:
Print/ScrLock/Pause/Ins/Del etc. keys, cursor keys 657
0-9 and cursor keys 398
Blank 91
0-9 and cursor keys, blue unprinted keys for 5 and 0 1
Grand Total 1147

Extras:
Extra Flipper and Spring 3541
Extra Barrel 1894
Individual Keys 998
4 Extra bumpers 578
Extra Set of Brand New Production XT-quality one-piece keys 567
FirstAidKit 425
Extra Plastic Stabilizer Insert for keys 390
Extra inner foam (F62, F77, F62 split shift, F77 split shift, F107, F122, PC AT) 145
Extra steel spacebar tabs (pair) 141
Key Cap Puller 122
Extra case 119
xwhatsit Beam Spring or Model F USB controller 57
Extra PCB 5
Extra top inner assembly 3
Extra box + protective custom foam 1

Extra Key Sets
Extra Set of Brand New Production XT-quality one-piece keys 499
Add Front Printed F1-F12 12 Key Set?: Yes 310
Add HHKB 6 Key Set?: Yes 117
Industrial SSK Blue Keys 231
Apple/Mac Command-Option Keys 163

[Humanoid]

I was curious about the popularity of certain choices, so I did some counts from the posted stats.

Code: Select all

enter:
- ansi enter		1552
- iso enter		146
- split enter		1

right shift:
- full			1011
- hhkb-split		684
- classic-split		4

left shift:
- full			1553
- split			146

backspace:
- full			1292
- split			407

Each group adds up to 1699, not 1700;

[darkcruix]

Ellipse any news on the DOA parts for the Dye Sub? I'd love to see photos of printed keys in the "current" version of the sublimation process. Just so curious that I can't hold myself back anymore.
What a time !

[Ellipse]

No updates yet darkcruix. I ended up ordering a spare part just in case the DOA part is still not working. Will do some more testing in the coming days.

Some more photos from the past few days of keyboard shipments:

[clickclack]

The new keys look really crisp and refreshingly step free.

I notice the backspace on the HHKB layouts in pearl/pebble is the lighter of the two colours. Shouldn't it be darker to match the other non alpha-num keys?

[TerminalJunkie]

I'd love to see the dyesub setup and hear about how it works.

If you can figure out how to do the dyesubbing well and share the details, it will usher in a whole new era of keycap design and production for the community, not only for bucking springs but also Topre and Cherry MX.

[Ellipse]

Good point clickclack. Everyone please let me know what you think about the 1.5U Backspace key color (pearl or pebble). I think we should switch to Pebble for that key going forward.

TerminalJunkie there are already some descriptions of "diy keycap dye sublimation" out there. As noted a while back, I will not be sharing things like CAD files, tooling, the specifics of the dye sub setup, etc. However this person does custom Model M and MX dye sublimation and I believe has shared his setup somewhere on his blog or on the forums. https://www.etsy.com/shop/DecentKeyboards

[Rauha]

Good point clickclack. Everyone please let me know what you think about the 1.5U Backspace key color (pearl or pebble). I think we should switch to Pebble for that key going forward.

TerminalJunkie there are already some descriptions of "diy keycap dye sublimation" out there. As noted a while back, I will not be sharing things like CAD files, tooling, the specifics of the dye sub setup, etc. However this person does custom Model M and MX dye sublimation and I believe has shared his setup somewhere on his blog or on the forums. https://www.etsy.com/shop/DecentKeyboards

This is his blog.
http://keycapdiy.blogspot.com/

There was also a thread over here or at Geekhack -possibly both-, in which he posted about his project. Could not find it quick/easily with Google.

[Sp33ls]

Some more photos from the past few days of keyboard shipments:

So there haven't been any compact F77, regular grey cases ship out yet? I'm looking forward to seeing more photos of this config (more specifically with the unprinted keys)

[Humanoid]

I got my keyboard in the mail today. I posted a quick review here:

https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=23204

[Ellipse]

Thanks Humanoid for the review - I have posted my replies on your thread.

Correct Sp33ls - none of the regular gray compact cases have gone out - the color came out very nice!

[Ellipse]

Two more keyboards today:

The first one is shown in two photos - the first with additional front flash, and the second photo without.

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[Ellipse]

Someone over on GH wanted to know why it has taken a while longer than expected to start getting out more and more keyboards - my reply is below.

The time consuming parts over the past month involve preparations to ship - determining which keyboards shipped to me, which box has which keyboard in it (factory will be improving how they do this for the second shipment of the early bird round), which orders can ship out (based on available inventory and the ability to fulfill someone's entire order), assigning serial numbers and determining shipping order, confirming 2,000 mailing addresses (had to send it twice because of mail delivery issues on my server - many of first emails ended up in people's junk folders), updating hundreds of order change requests and additions (making sure the additions are combined with the first orders and go to the right person when their name, address, or email are different). Also perfecting the technical aspects of order fulfillment - getting thermal labels and dot matrix packing slips to print correctly, solving technical issues with UPS, etc.

Despite detailed assembly guidelines and testing guidelines it appears that the factory did not do enough thorough testing of assembled keyboards, so I am making sure that the second batch of the first round has better QC. This has resulted in extra needed QC time for each one. Some keys have mis-assembled springs and space bars that do not work well out of the box.

The quality control process involves more than 30 steps per keyboard. 13 have shipped so far. It takes at least an hour for each one as many of the QC corrections are being encountered for the first time and I am programming each of the standard layouts. Should take less time when I know exactly how to fix each issue. This is part time for me.

Still working on the dye sub. It has taken much longer for both QC and dye sub. Today I was able to fix the final part of the dye sub control system and it appears to be working now - I will be able to continue the dye sub testing with actual keys now. One of the DC power supplies had to be swapped from a medical grade switching power supply to a linear/constant/regulated power supply.

Again for everyone I will reiterate that each keyboard will only go out after my QC process and the keyboards will take as long as they need to be done the right way. My current expectation is about six months more for all prior orders.

[Ellipse]

Today's update - Notch's keyboard is shipping! He ordered serial 1 of the Classic Case F77. Of course Notch's personal information was erased from the photo of his invoice.

[Wazrach]

That's absolutely gorgeous.

[BlazkoDD]

Hello, ellipse,

1) Will the keys from IBM Model M (terminal) fit your Model F Keyboards?

2) Is it still possible to order Carolina Blue cases?

Thank you.

[Ellipse]

Yes and yes BlazkoDD

[Ellipse]

The first ISO Model F went out last week - this one had the 1U+1.75U split right shift, which is built in to all ANSI and ISO F62/F77 keyboards.

Also the first Regular Gray compact case.

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