Hello folks... this is a small side project I've been working on in collaboration with my partner shannie.
This is an interest check for PLAY TRAY - it's a CNC'd aluminum tray that will sit nicely on the desk, complete with a cute cat engraving by shannie (who also helped out with Cloudline and designed various deskmats that you've probably seen in group buy). I was a bit hesitant to share this since it's not exactly a keyboard (I have some of those coming, trust). Nonetheless, I would really like to gauge some potential interest for this item as I have absolutely no idea what the demand may be, which is an essential metric to determining pricing and MOQ.
Please fill out the super quick IC form if this project interests you - It'll help determine MOQ / pricing: https://forms.gle/cFPvu6Z6wUWXD5heA
Why?
The inspiration for this design comes from a few things. A cat toy, various screw trays seen in the keyboard community, and the Rotor by Densus Designs (another keyboard here on Geekhack!). I also think it would be nice to have something slightly interactive on the desk. For those who prefer to use $5 trays from Amazon, that's totally 100% fine - until now, I've been using $3 metal bowls from Aliexpress, so I get where you're coming from. That being said, we could also be using the cheapest MX keyboards available, yet we dish out a premium for some nicer boards. This tray hopes to be just a little heftier, a little cuter, and a little more fun.
Soft capped, likely won't have to worry about nearing any limit
Details
Tray Information
Aluminum 6063 Tray, 14mm
Custom ring-feet
Magnetized central tray (neodymium)
14mm SS304 ball bearing
Central tray diameter: 50mm, Outer diameter: 96mm
Available Options
Soft Pink (engraved), PANTONE 502 C
Barely Blue (engraved), PANTONE 290 C
Lush Green (engraved), PANTONE 5507 C
Orange Cream (engraved), PANTONE 474 C
Soulless Gray (engraved), PANTONE 432 C
Soulless Gray (plain, this color will be the only non-engraved option), PANTONE 432 C
The super cute cat engraving is the awesome work of @shannie.hoa. I'm excited, as the actual engravings look even better than the renders. The project will be available for group buy at the above vendors between June 1st - June 14th - I really enjoy the process of fulfillment and feeling closely involved with my projects. As a result, there will be an undisclosed, soft unit cap to ensure timely fulfillment (it's very comfortable and should be more than enough).
Questions & Answers
Q: Why is it so expensive? A: Blank material required is taller than most trays, custom feet, magnets, and custom packaging (was to simplify fulfillment across vendors) contribute to the cost - but mostly, I don't own the manufacturing.
Q: Why isn't X color offered? A: Wanting to simplify SKUs.
Q: Why is the plain version offered only in one color? A: Decided to offer a plain version at high request. Makes sense, if you have a more sleek / 'serious' setup. The cat engraving is fun - if you don't want the cat, then you get the least 'fun' color. Also wanting to minimize SKUs.
