mako.TKL - Premium Classic WKL TKL - Invoices Out

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Design & Specs
3. Pictures & Sound Test
4. GB details
5. Thanks

1. Introduction
I love sharks. And you should too.

2. Design & Specs
I, and the community as a whole, has been on a bit of a 60/65 and gasketing bender recently so I decided to take a step back and go with a more classic TKL utilizing top-mount. 4 mounting points on the top, 3 on the bottom. The 3 mounting points on the bottom specifically spaced out to avoid making the spacebar feel like a brick (thanks OTD).

Given the shark theme for the mako.TKL, I took some creative liberties to further that. I intentionally kept the case as thin and streamlined as possible to mimic the shortfin mako's ultra-hydrodynamic body. Additionally, I designed the side profile to look like a shark's jaws as its' mouth opens. I also have "shark" 鯊魚 engraved on the weight in traditional Mandarin as a nod to my own familial heritage. Lastly, there will also be a laser engraving of the unique mako tooth thanks to excellent IC feedback.

Specs:
- Top: Anodized Aluminum 6061 (Pantone 533C)
- Bottom: Anodized Aluminum 6061 (Pantone 14-4102tcx)
- Top mount plate: Polycarbonate (plate file will be made public upon completion)
- Weight: Brass PVD and/or Polished Stainless Steel
- PCB: h87c provided and tested by hineybush
- WKL layout (split backspace, split R shift, stepped caps)
- 6° typing angle
- ~2.0kg unbuilt (brass weight)
- Case foam included
- Color options: Navy/Navy OR Navy/Light Gray

3. Pictures & Sound Test
Pictures:











Sound Test:
HPs lubed with 3204 | Polycarbonate plate | Stainless Steel weight | GMK Metropolis | case foam
https://soundcloud.com/qlu-boards/makotkl-typing-test-1/s-Mb40HEwbEiU

4. Group Buy Details
Limited Quantity: 40 units available. Raffle Style
I am a 1-man operation and my focus is on providing a timely and quality product so I, unfortunately, won't be able to take on any more than that. It is possible that there will be a couple extras depending on how many of the boards pass QC.

Raffle Start Date: 10/14 0700 PDT
Raffle End Date: 10/15 0700 PDT

Countdown: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/launch?iso=20201014T07&p0=234&msg=mako.TKL+GB&font=serif

GB Form: https://form.jotform.com/202838621350047

Invoicing will happen either late on the 15th or early on the 16th. Upon invoicing, there will be a 48 hour window for payment before spots will be re-raffled. If you need an extension for any reason, feel free to DM me here, on reddit (username qluboards), or on discord (username qlu#5475) and we can definitely work something out.

Price: $425 + shipping. (Shipping will be invoiced at a later date upon product arrival).
Extra PCB: +$50 USD
Extra PC Plate: +$35 USD
Extra weight (SS/brass): +$85 USD
Limit 1 extra per item.

Expected Ship Date: April 2021. This is already a pretty conservative estimate, but timelines in the hobby are particularly volatile right now due to continued coronavirus shenanigans.

Kicker: While current manu/shipping costs are quite high due to the current climate, this has been a passion project for me as I do love keyboards and I do love sharks.
As such, if this project proves to be profitable beyond $500, I will donate $500 to the shark charity SHARK STEWARDS in their effort to not just preserve the shark ecosystem, but also to restore coral reefs.
More info on their amazing cause can be found here: https://sharkstewards.org/

5. Thanks
Thank you to:
OtherAndrew for responding tirelessly to my questions/concerns
CJT for the IC renders and design advice
hiney for the PCBs and answers to my questions
ai03 for creating a fantastic design community
the community for normalizing our obsession with expensive chunks of metal and for the large amount of thoughtful feedback from IC