618, originally called "Longhorn" is a board I have been working on since the beginning of 2021. I have owned many 1800 keyboards, but never found one that I was happy enough with to use as a daily driver. So I decided to make my own. The keyboard has evolved since then, as I became a better designer, I continued to update it. I am finally at a point with the design where I am ready to show it off here.
The name "618" comes from the TON 618 black hole. This is the largest known black hole in the universe. I thought it was fitting for such a large keyboard.
I plan to order the round 4 prototypes next week. So if you have any feedback or suggestions, please try and submit it during the first week of this IC, I will be reviewing all feedback before placing the order for the next round of prototypes.
Info - 8 Degree Typing Angle - Mechlovin Pcb with QMK and VIA Support - Hotswap or Solderable Pcb - Mx/Alps Compatibility - Case Made of 6063 Aluminum - Centered Usb C Universal Daughterboard - LED Indicator Lights with Acrylic Diffuser - Poron gasket mount with silicone side gaskets to hold the assembly in place. (Silicone plate gaskets can be made if there is enough demand) - Proto weight of 10lb 6oz or 4.7kg (fully built with a fr4 plate and keycaps) - MOQ 200 (Set by Manufacturer) - Price TBD
Vendors U.S. - Zepsody International - TBD
Layout Support
Plate Info (click the spoiler to show)
Plate (Fixed Layout) Current Plate (used for prototype 3) New Plate
I am mostly happy with the current plate design, however I want to add a bit more flex on the edges. The poron is compressed as lightly as I think makes sense, so I am going to test a few versions of the new plate design in order to find something I am 100% happy with.
White Prototype Photos (All photos are of prototype round 3)
Some Notes For prototype round 4 I have changed a few things. The first being the bottom. You can see the difference from the renders and the pictures. I have also updated the plate slightly and will be testing the alps plate and universal plates. I am very happy with the e-white and the wine color, however I am considering changing the black to something different. I will likely have to kill off the mirror polished pvd back piece. The main reason being the difficulty of this on the manufacturer and on the qc process. Mirror polished pvd scratches very easily, to get it right, the manufacturer will have to throw out 1-2 back plates for every 1 that passes qc. Not only does this raise cost, it can also prolong the manufacturing period. I am thinking of offering the middle plate in forged carbon fiber instead but I am open to any reasonable feedback.
The current prototype is not a "finalized" version. Unlike many factories used for keyboard production, my factory is not a prototyping factory. This means they are not set up to quickly and efficiently make 1 off prototypes, rather they only prototype for mass production. Because of this, the focus for the round 3 prototypes was getting the machining, anodizing, and e coating correct while developing the processes needed for future production. This was the first round of prototyping through this manufacturer so none of this had been done yet. The next round's focus will be on producing production ready prototypes.
