Striving to make each desk piece superior
to the last, we proudly present the
newest addition to your collection.
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IdeologyProminent; we wanted to create something that doesn’t already exist. While the classic
design of the Classy TKL fits perfectly on a modern desk, we wanted to go further. The
piece is based on design elements from the Victorian era, but with a modern take.
This time around we went with a smaller form factor, and will continue our journey into the
60% stage.
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AestheticsWhilst physical appearance doesn’t matter in general (don’t judge a book by its cover and
what not), it certainly matters to us. We wanted Lewis to be identifiable from miles away,
and I certainly think we achieved that unique identity.
The thick bezels that were featured on Classy TKL certainly spoke to us; we wanted even
thicker bezels for Lewis!
While the top view certainly shows a “braggable” aesthetic, the side view is where Lewis shines.
We got the plateau inspiration from the Victorian era, when it was commonly used on
technical instruments with wooden details.
To achieve the plateau we had to keep the angle between the front and back side 90° to
the base.
The back side of Lewis shows off the connection capabilities. Normally you would see an
USB connector at this placement, but we went for something more rigid.
Lewis will feature a 4-pin GX12 connector:
As per usual, the pesky windows key makes no appearance on Lewis. But this time, if the
interest is high enough, the decision might be revoked.
Fill out the form to let us know if you're interested in the mod4 key.
To achieve a classy look we decided to keep the tolerances a bit tighter on key placement
and key-to-edge distance. Key placement will be with an 19.00mm offset (2.5 thumbnails
in Imperial) instead of the standard 19.05mm (An average piece of string in Imperial).
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TechnicalitiesNow that we’re finished with the outside tour, it’s time that we get into the interesting parts.
Our goal was to create something that could both look and feel
amazing without compromising.
Now, I can with great pleasure announce that our goals are reached after long nights of
perfecting all technical aspects of Lewis.
Flipping the board over to get a view of the back we are greeted with a minimalistic
polished brass weight, don’t be fooled though, it’s only the tip of an iceberg.
The brass weight covers almost the entire internal surface to get that sought after monolith heft.
The feet that are featured aren’t perfectly placed for aesthetics, but there is reasoning behind it.
The amount of feet and their placement serve the purpose of a perfectly even sound and feel.
It’s very common that keyboards have their feet placed in each respective corner, we questioned
this norm of uneven pressure.
The result perfectly compliments the mounting of the plate for a pleasant typing experience. 
Proceeding to the disassembly of Lewis; firstly we need to remove the four titanium screws
that are heat-treated for assuring a long life time of customization. 
Separate the top and bottom enclosure to get a look of what’s inside.
The separation reveals the true form of the minimalistic brass weight. Hidden in the
enclosure is the now visible iceberg.
Weighing in at a whooping 3.1kg unbuilt, Lewis certainly deserves the monolith title.
Not only does the brass add heft, it’s also designed to perfect the sound signature.
The rails serve the purpose of “deflecting” unwanted noise by not allowing sound waves to bounce evenly.
The horrifying experience of typing your first words only to that hear hollow sound is no more!
Just like the bottom/top enclosure, the brass weight is fastened with 4 heat-treated titanium screws.
Removing the PCB + plate assembly from the top piece, you will find that there are no
screw holes visible, neither are there any holes in the bottom piece…
The plate is inserted in a silicone gasket which is sandwiched between the top and bottom pieces.
This isolates the plate from the aluminium parts and gives an enormous boost to the sound signature.
This mounting method differs from traditional isolation mount in the way that the pressure is evenly distributed
on the plate, instead of having certain pressure points.
We found this solution to be incredibly efficient in preventing vibrations through the enclosure,
and the sound difference between switch locations is minimal.
“I have to say that this is the best mounting method I have felt so far” - DoctorNunu
The PCB + plate assembly fits perfectly to the bottom piece, so there’s no need to fiddle
around with alignment.
The top piece simply slides over the plate, fasten the 4 bottom screws to tighten the enclosure
(tighten only until you feel resistance).
Put some keycaps on and get to work!
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Hardware
Specifications--------------------------------------------------------------
Aluminium top and bottom pieces
Polished brass weight
Ten rubber feet in two different sizes
Eight Masterworks M3 titanium hex screws
Four-pin GX12 connector
Silicone gasket
Carbon fibre plate (Soft plate material not yet decided)
PCB designed by 4pplet
JST cable connecting the PCB to the GX12
5.2 degree typing angle with 24mm height as the starting point.
3.4kg total weight built with a Carbon fibre plate.
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ContributorsThis project would not be possible if it weren’t for these amazing contributors,
they are true gentlemen/gentlewomen.--------------------------------------------------------------
https://github.com/4pplet - Extraordinary PCB designer & community member who once again delivered a masterpiece.
https://www.youtube.com/koen-romers - Youtuber/photographer who offered his help once again with making footage and providing feedback.
https://www.instagram.com/rasmus.ask/ - Hobby photographer who should be professional for taking the shots shown in this post.
https://github.com/Wraul - Friend/colleague/coder who has been my right hand on these projects, everything from helping out with
quality control to giving feedback on designs in the middle of the night.
MangeHD - Community member who offered a helping hand with stress testing the plate when my computer gave up.
All members in the Masterworks Discord channel who have supported us since day one, you are truly amazing!
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Interest/feedback formForm is now closed, click "more" to see results. Thank you all for taking the time!More
Overall design satisfaction:
Dislikes:
Layout preference:
Dense plate preference:
Flexible plate preference:
Colour preference:
Wrist rest demand:
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Additional info:As with the Classy TKL plate and PCB files will be open sourced, if you want to make a custom plate feel free to do so!
We would love to have you in our Discord server, join the discussion: https://discord.gg/qBvpswR
Typing test--------------------------------------------------------------
Glam shots by KoenMore
![Luciquell & Co. – “OBJ.140” Classic TKL 80% [ON HOLD]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2F2h6prtz%2FLucique-II-Co-Obj-140.png&w=3840&q=75)
