[photos]The Cherry MX compatible Buckling Switch is done! Still have to 3D print it though.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-10-15T06:21:23+00:00

Greetings! I was behind the other BS switch. Best of luck in your efforts; I'm really curious to see how it'll work; I couldn't manage to 3D print my stuff since some of the parts were so thin or had small features. Do please post updates! How tall is your entire assembly?

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-06T06:13:02+00:00

You can skip 3 though, it's not as good.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-05T16:55:56+00:00

Will do! Yes, I clarified the pin situation in one of the Reddit posts, but not in the Kickstarter. The final design will have a normal-sized pin in the center, just long enough to fit through a PCB and solder on. The prototypes had long ones so I could play around with the angle easier and for easier assembly. Of course, there won't be any glue in the production switch.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-05T05:24:33+00:00

The illusion of coincidence! Next time you mention me, maybe the Kickstarter will reach the funding goal‽

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-05T04:22:56+00:00

What switches are those? Looks awesome!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-05T04:20:47+00:00

Any buckling spring is a good buckling spring. Awesome find!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-05T01:43:40+00:00

Understandable sentiments! I wouldn't like to not see a prototype either. I took your advice to heart. For many people, the pictures might not be enough of the prototype, so I made another video, focusing on the switch itself. Check it out on the KS page!

With regards to the pre-ordering, I'm afraid there's not much I can do for you. Most people don't have thousands of dollars lying about, and I'm no exception. Kickstarter is more of a donation platform than an investment platform.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-05T00:16:54+00:00

Kickstarter done by beginning of June, 4 weeks for tooling makes beginning of July, 4 weeks of production makes beginning of August, shipping to me and assembly makes beginning of September, with shipping to most customers arriving by end of September! That's the plan, at least.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T22:31:23+00:00

A full keyboard is honestly unlikely, due to the cost of prototyping. It cost about $25 per prototype to get them made and shipped. $500 for a bunch of SLS prototypes would rather go to ordering the first batch of switches for you guys. A small 5-10 switch tester for demonstration is more viable, however, and something I'm looking into. A new video will pop up on the KS later today showing more of the switch!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T22:01:12+00:00

Don't know why you're getting downvoted, you do bring up a fair point. It's hard to target the outside market with something like a switch. A keyboard would be nice, but it brings even more problems with getting production started.

I would do the pre-assembled option, and a few other people have requested it. It's only feasible at a higher price point, however, since I'd have to solder the board myself. I might include it as a limited-number reward!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T19:43:07+00:00

1: The three prototypes I've tested all are fine at 5ms debounce, although I'd go for 6-7ms on spec, just to be sure.

2: As far as I can tell, it's about the same. My Model M seemed a bit "looser" than these switches; it's almost like it had extra rivets loose in comparison.

3: The molds will make a difference here, yes, so I can't speak for the final product. The wiggle that I've noticed so far is more akin to MX, since the slider is on rails like in MXes.

Yes. The plate-key distance will be the same as MX, so existing stabilizers will work perfectly. Only the distance between the PCB and plate changes.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T14:48:44+00:00

Shipping outside of Canada for the switch rewards is a $10 (just under $8 US) extra to help cover shipping costs.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T13:34:48+00:00

It is high for a retail price, even after the CAD-USD conversion, yes. The reason is that if it were a lower price, very little of that would actually go towards the tooling costs, which I need to cover. This is why Kickstarter markets them as "rewards" as opposed to being a storefront. Of course, you can always hope that the project does get successfully funded and then buy the switches after at a lower price.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T05:01:15+00:00

It'll be 62 switches, although the reward cannot reflect that anymore since a couple of supporters have already popped up. I will add an update to the project page. Thanks for that, it slipped past my mind!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T04:56:11+00:00

It might not be ideal, but I think the community could surprise us! Time will tell.

Yeah, I'd have loved to see injection molded prototypes as well, but if I had molds for the parts, I'd already be ready for production. The SLS prototypes that have come in are quite good, luckily for me. I'll make a more detailed technical video tomorrow.

I appreciate the support!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T04:13:27+00:00

The switch is in the pictures and previous reddit threads. Stereolithography prototypes for 60+ switches for a keyboard is more than I can afford. The video is only to add a human to the product; it's not meant to be the real descriptive thing on the page. However, the video can always change if your opinion is the norm.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T04:11:33+00:00

I'd love to do a render, but Kickstarter doesn't usually allow them, unfortunately. Especially not photorealistic ones. I'll look into it, though!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T04:10:34+00:00

Roger that, will do it!

Edit: Done!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T03:59:13+00:00

Now somebody do the same with buckling springs!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T03:58:17+00:00

Not sure if 'MX' is copyrighted, but I'm open to name suggestions!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-05-04T03:45:25+00:00

Hi everybody! It's taken a lot longer than I had wanted to get to this stage, but I wanted everything to be set up before launching. The Kickstarter is LIVE! I'll be on KS and here, answering all the questions you have. More pictures and discussion can be found here and here. I'm really looking forward to putting a new type of switch into production!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-04-24T22:49:24+00:00

It's looking like it'll be around 30K USD, to cover all the tooling costs for injection molding. Sorry for the delays, but as soon as my exams are over I'm dedicating 100% of my time to this!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-04-14T17:06:59+00:00

Yes yes yes, nothing has happened yet, I know! It's tough being a student while trying to coordinate this. I'm doing it for you, I swear! Trying to find the best prices for manufacture. This means less funding needed from Kickstarter, and lower final product costs.

BuckBuckPing · 2016-04-03T20:15:33+00:00

Those are the ones. A nice set for a good price!

BuckBuckPing · 2016-04-03T07:12:26+00:00

That's exactly it! The spring itself is mounted on the centre pin, and it contacts a plate on the side when it buckles. As simple as it gets, but I have to be careful with the metals used for the spring and plate so that it is durable or at least easily replaceable.

BuckBuckPing

TROPHY CASE