MC-76K "Fat Boy" - A compact keyboard for the modders among us. [Closed]

Hi all!

Today is the day! Thank you for waiting patiently for all this time. My first GB, my first custom design, the MC-76K "Fat Boy" is available for order. If you've been following the development in the IC thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=101040.0), then you should already know most of the details, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support that you guys have been giving me. If this is the first time that you hear about this project then, please look at the details carefully as it is a little different from other customs.

First let's take a look at some renders and the prototype. Thanks to Proji Keep Look (https://www.youtube.com/user/proboy84) for the nice pictures and typing videos















This keyboard was designed with two goals in my mind: I want it to last, and want it to be customizable.

When I said I want it "to last" I mean 20 or 30 years from now, I want to still be able to use this keyboard, just like how we're still using the Model F or even the Beamspring.

When I said I want it to be customizable, I wanted this to be a platform for us for experiment with switches, plates, controllers, mountings, etc.
Next, I'll try to explain each of the design decisions that I made to satisfy the two main goals of this project.

First, the Fat Boy has covers on the top and back instead of the bottom like most keyboards. This design allows the keyboard to be easily opened up so that you can get inside of it with minimum effort. No keyboard flipping required (unless you want to mess with bumpons).

The Fat Boy comes standard with CNCed top-cover with side-mount screws to hide it from view for aesthetic reasons, and a laser-cut friendly back cover, which can be customized easily to support any custom connectors that you desire. A new poodle-shaped connector becomes a new standard 44 years from now? No problem, just replace the back cover with the cutouts for the new poodle-shaped connector.

But wait!, there are more you can do with the covers. The Fat Boy also has extra screw holes to support laser-cut top cover. This allows you to easily customize the top cover to support different layouts, leds, knobs, connectors, etc. As you can see, the prototype is taking some advantage of this feature

Here are some concept renders from an old model to get the idea across:





Next, the Fat Boy has a unique mounting system that allows you to easily experiment with different way to cushion your plate. I'll let the picture explain this one. This allows you to easily swap out the included silicon o-rings with many other materials. This also allows you to easily replace the standard o-rings 20 years from now when they finally lose their elasticity. No worries about custom gaskets disintegrating in the future.




Next, the PCB with a removable controller. This totally separate the matrix from the controller. Just like how the controller on the Model F and the Beamspring works, you can very easily remove the controller from the matrix. This is done not only so that 44 years down the line you can replace the controller to support the now standard poodle-shaped connector, but also for us modders to be able to easily change the matrix for new layouts or new switches. Since you can have more matrix than controllers, you can have a matrix of linears and a matrix of clickies, and switch between them in minutes.



Okay, now that're familiar with the goods, here's the specs and prices:

- Price per kit is 460USD + 5% to cover Paypal fees + actual shipping
- I can accept Payment through Paypal only
- MoQ is 20, no hard maximum, but I don't think I can handle much more than 50 units, so FCFS may apply when I have to make the cut-of.
- At 50 units I'll be able to absorb the Paypal Fee
- You will get an invoice for the order after MoQ is met
- You will get another invoice for the shipping cost once the keyboard is ready to be shipped
- The shipping will be from where I live, Bangkok, Thailand.

- Each kit includes:
- Case
- CNCed 6063 aluminium
- Two anodize color choices: Silver or Black
- Top cover (CNCed with side-mount screws)
- Back cover (Laser-cut)
- 5.6 degree typing angle
- Plate
- Aluminium
- Support MX switches only
- Support one layout only (check layout picture below)
- Silver only
- 1 set of PCBs (matrix + controller)
- Matrix support MX or Alps switches
- QMK
- USB-C
- Holtite friendly
- No RGB, sorry
- All the required hardware: screws, o-rings, bumpons.

- Extra plate+PCB set is 60USD per set (plate + matrix + controller)
- 35USD for just an extra plate+matrix PCB
- At 50 units of extra plate+matrix PCB, price will be reduced to 30USD

- Estimated timeline:
- GB period 02-May-2020 - 02-June-2020
- Production time + shipping to me for packaging 60-75 days
- Packaging and shipping 15 days



Now, on to some less positive details:

The plate currently does not support ISO, which means ISO is not "officially" supported, yet. This is due to my own lack of confidence and I'm very sorry to all the ISO users that are let down. I have never used ISO before, and I want to reduce my chances of making costly mistakes in the production units, so I've decided to not risk it. However, I've already asked Yiancar, the PCB designer to add ISO support to the PCB, so if the project is a success, I'll do a special run of ISO plates for those who want it.

And finally, a disclaimer, please read this carefully before committing to purchase:

I could not get a "high-end" machine-shop to work with me on this project. I'm not very active socially, so my connections in the community isn't the best, and because this is a low-moq project that is quite difficult to machine (or so I'm told), not a lot of shops are interested in working with me. So, for better or worse, I decided to go back to work with the shop that created the prototype, which was done quite well and I have high hopes that the production units will be even better. It is a machine-shop in China that is not specialized in or has any experience in making custom keyboards. So, please expect a solid workhorse keyboard that looks and feels great and comes with a great PCB; but please please don't expect absolute perfection in the cosmetic department. Also, please don't be mistaken that I'm asking you to accept tons of ugly imperfections, because I don't want that as well, but I am asking you up-front to accept some minor imperfections. Please don't see this keyboard as a precious art-piece, but a functional tool that is meant for years and years of daily use. I own many custom keyboards, I know how they should look, and I'm not setting my bar low, so what I can promise you is by taking your money, I'm responsible to deliver a custom keyboard worth that amount.

Now that you've read EVERYTHING, here's the link to order form:
https://forms.gle/JvFsjKGLPYoA5EeB9

Thank you once again for all your support, interests and patients, especially during this hard time. Stay safe and healthy. I hope this is the beginning of something awesome for us keyboard lovers!

- Maethee "Eddie" Chongchitnant (a.k.a. mustcode)