Type75 - 75% retro style mechanical keyboard (On ice for now)

Type75
by snurrebassen
Links


Hello! I'm snurrebassen and I'm into keyboard design, with a background of 3D and graphic design.


Project parked indefinitely.

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Background:

Previously, I have designed Edda, a norse themed Alice-clone, run as a small limited group buy through the norwegian vendor 'Mekanisk' - an international GB is on the horizon somewhere, sometime soon.
Another project is Eclipse, an FRL-TKL minimal custom keyboard, which was my first and initial project.
Due to a lot of global events and circumstances this project was significantly delayed, but it was shipped end of the year 2023.

During 2023, I started working on a concept of a retro 75% keyboard and here is the Type75:











Design:

First and foremost, if it is not obvious, the looks of the keyboard is inspired by various retro boards like the Cherry G80-1800 and G80-1000HAD.

The keyboard is designed with a bottom plate mounting system, meaning the plate is fastened with screws on the bottom part of the keyboard on 6 points.
The plate will rest on the bottom part, but not be in direct contact with the top part of the keyboard.

Hopefully this mounting will allow for some natural flexibility when typing. There is a ledge for the plate to rest on all mounting points, with an option to add a gasket to dampen the plate. The prototype will show how this changes the sound and I will adjust the design accordingly.

I've added a lot of space around the plate, since the retro design and the layout allows for it, so I'm not focusing on space saving but hopefully it won't feel like a bulky brick on your desk.

The top part sits directly on the edge of the bottom part, metal to metal. The case is tightened with 4 screws in each corner, that passes through the plate. And there is a gap between the plate and the top part. The screws act only to hold the two parts together and won't affect the tightness of the plate.

Layout:



I might make separate plates for the lesser used layouts like ISO and split spacebar, to keep the main plate nice and clean. I will make alps plates too, but I'm not sure yet if we will offer them as a sale or just a file for those who wants to go for it themselves.

Feedback appreciated on the layout, as there's a lot of different people out there with different preferences. I'm hoping to cover most layout preferences.


RENDERS:






More to come.



Features:

► 75% layout ◄
► Two-tone top ◄
► Bottom mount ◄
► 5 degree typing angle ◄
► Front height 17mm*◄
► Centered USB-port ◄
► Internal daughterboard ◄
► Flexible plate ◄
► Weight ◄


*Top side to the bumpons.




Next up:
Type75 is not yet prototyped. I want to first let in some air into the project before we order up a prototype by posting this IC, see what the community thinks, and have a final look over the design.


Colors:
TBA but do feel free to throw out any requests for colors and it may affect the final outcome in some way or another.

Prototype photos and assembly video will be posted as soon as we have a prototype.


PCB:
TBA


Pricing:
TBA


Vendor and GB format:

The project will be handled and lead with Antipode Studio.
If all goes well, this will be an in-stock raffle of x amount of units depending on the temperature of this post.
I'm imagining somewhere between 150-200 units. You can join the raffle from anywhere in the world.


This thread will be used for feedback, updates and as a hub for the pre-production of this project. More frequent updates and direct conversations will take place in the #Type75-channel in the Antipode discord server.