Rackmount is a unique portable case designed to fit USB C based Minivan-compatible PCBs.
Less than 50 units of the original brass Rackmount were produced and sold for $500 each through pre-orders and later as in-stock items on TheVanKeyboards.com. Kits included the case, assembly hardware, and a set of GMK N6TU1-CR keycaps.
¶ Design
The Rackmount case is extremely low-profile (less than 10mm thick) and includes a carrying handle on the left side. It was designed as a case for an "on-the-go" board that could be easily carried around as needed (e.g. in a datacenter). The case is so thin that the top of the PCB sits nearly flush with the top of the case. Installing switches with a switch plate resulte in the plate "floating" over the top of the case.
Two unique Rackmounts were produced as one-off prototypes. The first was made from brass and then bead blasted rather than polished. The second was milled from aluminum and then coated in a mirror-like nickel plating.
Bottom: The only nickel-coated aluminum Rackmount that was produced
¶ Revisions
¶ Brass
The original Rackmount was produced and sold in late 2018. Nicknamed "the bitch slapper", the cases were CNC-machined from a single piece of solid brass which was then polished to a mirror finish. The brass was not clear-coated which allowed it to develop a natural patina as the brass oxidized over time.
An STL file for 3D printing a copy of the original Rackmount can be found on the Files page
¶ Polycarbonate
A second revision of Rackmount was designed in late 2020, this time intended to be produced out of CNC-milled polycarbonate. The original model served as the base and was modified with a thicker bottom, making the case roughly 1mm taller than the brass version. This new revision was designed specifically to better support the Airport Shuttle PCB with added cutouts below the PCB to accomidate a large battery well and add clearance for the Bluetooth module. The bottom-right screw post was removed to make space for the battery well.
The 82mm x 59mm battery cutout was sized to fit large lithium polymer batteries up to 4mm thick. The largest known battery that can fit in the case is a 2500mAh unit (model 375678) that can can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B07BTTRCTT
A STEP file for the polycarbonate Rackmount can be found on the Files page
¶ Sketchport Shuttle
Community member "Mux" created a modified version of the polycarbonate Rackmount case to support the Sketch PCB. Using the STEP file released for the polycarbonate Airport Shuttle case, the USB cutout was moved several millimeters higher to match the top-side USB port location on Sketch PCBs. The battery well and Bluetooth module cutouts were also removed as Sketch has no support for Bluetooth and thus no need for a battery. The screw post in the bottom-right has also been replaced (it was removed to make room for the battery well on the polycarbonate case)
This modified STEP file can be found on the Files page.
