# 44: A Good Two Weeks of Stress

- Show: [Thoroughly Considered](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered)
- Published: 2018-11-21
- Length: 23m
- Episode: 44
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-11-21-44-a-good-two-weeks-of-stress
- Listen: http://relay.fm/tc/44

## Summary

Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss the production challenges of their Mark One mechanical keyboard, specifically a nickel plating defect on the aluminum pin bodies that caused surface failures during sandblasting. They detail the engineering decision to nickel plate the inner diameter for wear resistance, which inadvertently created adhesion issues on the exterior finish. The team describes the stressful two-week period of developing new racking fixtures and manual sandblasting processes to salvage parts and meet their Kickstarter shipping deadlines.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-11-21-44-a-good-two-weeks-of-stress#t=8) Introduction and Dallas Supplier Visit
- [1:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-11-21-44-a-good-two-weeks-of-stress#t=65) Nickel Plating Defects and Surface Prep Failures
- [6:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-11-21-44-a-good-two-weeks-of-stress#t=374) Developing New Racking and Sandblasting Fixtures
- [12:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-11-21-44-a-good-two-weeks-of-stress#t=762) Engineering Rationale for Nickel Plating
- [15:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-11-21-44-a-good-two-weeks-of-stress#t=906) Manual Assembly Process and Shipping Timeline

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Studio Neat (company)
- Mark One (product)
- Glyph (product)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Relay FM (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 065: A mallard is a tool you use when you do chisel work](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2016-04-01-episode-065-a-mallard-is-a-tool-you-use-when-you-do-chisel-work) (Making It)
- [Episode 164: The Crow’s Nest](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-04-13-episode-164-the-crows-nest) (Making It)
- [525: All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2026-05-15-525-all-i-got-was-this-lousy-t-shirt) (Making It)
- [486: If I Had $300, I Could Do That Too](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2025-06-16-486-if-i-had-300-i-could-do-that-too) (Making It)
- [348: Swimming with icepicks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2022-03-25-348-swimming-with-icepicks) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-11-21-44-a-good-two-weeks-of-stress. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Thoroughly Considered.