Apex/Black Aurora Poker Chip Cases (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mario Garza
- Start date
OP
OP
Absolutely not. I took those into the Nevada desert and beat them to death with an aluminum baseball bat. Left them in a shallow grave.
justsomedude
Straight Flush
DrStrange
4 of a Kind
I am interested is "several", say four to eight carriers. I am just about to move and expect to find more chips than expected when everything is emptied out. Even a few things I had almost forgotten.
I don't do social media, I will miss the polls. But that doesn't matter, the gang will not steer us wrong.
1,000 chip units only. I have 600 chip carriers and think they are too small.
I do carry chip sets to various games. The card and button holders would prove handy. Mostly for storage though and to move sets from storage to the table(s) for the game.
Timing is great. I was planning on a big purchase early in 2019.
DrStrange
I don't do social media, I will miss the polls. But that doesn't matter, the gang will not steer us wrong.
1,000 chip units only. I have 600 chip carriers and think they are too small.
I do carry chip sets to various games. The card and button holders would prove handy. Mostly for storage though and to move sets from storage to the table(s) for the game.
Timing is great. I was planning on a big purchase early in 2019.
DrStrange
At the price range you indicate (50-65) and the promised quality I’d buy several.
For me, these bird cages are for home storage/display. I’m not taking my chips out of the house in a bird cage, they’re in a pelican or equivalent case. As such, the card and dealer button storage, while cute, is not really a plus point. If anything, make a lidded compartment on the bottom so if you want to keep cards in there, you can, but it’ll also work for holding a few spare chips/bounties/rebuy tokens/seating chips/dice/rule cards etc etc.
For me, these bird cages are for home storage/display. I’m not taking my chips out of the house in a bird cage, they’re in a pelican or equivalent case. As such, the card and dealer button storage, while cute, is not really a plus point. If anything, make a lidded compartment on the bottom so if you want to keep cards in there, you can, but it’ll also work for holding a few spare chips/bounties/rebuy tokens/seating chips/dice/rule cards etc etc.
JustinInMN
4 of a Kind
Maybe instead of cutouts from the top of the base you have a 7/8" - 1" hollow space in the base accessible by some sort of side door. That should fit a setup and buttons, etc. Not sure if that would negatively impact the structure, just a thought.
justsomedude
Straight Flush
+1000
Given what I've read so far, I'm interested in at least two, maybe more depending on the final design and pricing. I would love to see a 600 or 800, but 1000 works for me too.
dew4au
Flush
At the discussed price, I'd be in for two 1k carriers. If I travel with the carrier, I usually take 800 chips and lay a setup on top of the short side. I'd be up for 800 with storage as well.
OP
OP
A quick note, while running around from store to store: the quote I’ve received for the tooling at the current design is a constant. It must be amortized among however many poker chip cases I order before a final price can be determined. I will get concrete numbers for you all probably tomorrow, but! The more buyers we can get on board for this initial run, the lower the price for everyone will be! 
Tell your friends, family, your mailman, etc.!
Tell your friends, family, your mailman, etc.!
I'd buy two....
RowdyRawhide
Full House
600 or 800 ct 43mm carrier to me would be the sweet spot
1000 ct carriers thus far have seemed fairly heavy.....maybe it's also the fact that you have to handle them with kid gloves too due to their fragility.
Buuuttt......if you can figure a way to make the top tray carrier for cards and buttons then the 1K carrier makes a lot if sense
Round feet are a great idea however just remember if these get set on a poker table top fir an extended period of time, some foams are notorious for being permanently damaged by these small compression points....not an issue with a large flat base that more evenly distributes the weight
I'm in for 2 of the 43mm carriers. Maybe 1 or 2 of the 600 or 800 ct carriers
1000 ct carriers thus far have seemed fairly heavy.....maybe it's also the fact that you have to handle them with kid gloves too due to their fragility.
Buuuttt......if you can figure a way to make the top tray carrier for cards and buttons then the 1K carrier makes a lot if sense
Round feet are a great idea however just remember if these get set on a poker table top fir an extended period of time, some foams are notorious for being permanently damaged by these small compression points....not an issue with a large flat base that more evenly distributes the weight
I'm in for 2 of the 43mm carriers. Maybe 1 or 2 of the 600 or 800 ct carriers
justsomedude
Straight Flush
Wait, is this the same guy?
Hard candy aside, these carriers look cool. Not sure if I'd be ready to purchase one during the initial run, but eventually I imagine I will be interested.
My favorite cash set size is 800 and I prefer 1000 for tourney so I would probably be most interested in those sizes.
OP
OP
Lot to cover. Some key takeaways:
1) Looks like 1000 is the sweet spot for the first run, then maybe this order of fulfillment as funds are raised: 800, 600, 1200, 400
2) Black
3) Flatter base. Most don't care to see the compartments designed into the bottom--which is viable, btw. It's not just on paper. All four of my Black Aurora (the first iteration) prototypes all have compartments in them and remain structurally sound, even under a full load of the cheapest, heaviest chips I could find. And those are only 3D printed ABS plastic.
4) Each design should fit both 39mm and 42mm chips.
I want to make clear that we have a funding goal to make. The more people that are on board for a pre-order, the lower the final cost can be for each individual case. So, tell everyone you can! Each of you has a group of between 6 and 50 people you play poker with, probably. Tell every one of them! It benefits all of us. We're not looking to get rich off of this first run. Long-term goal is to replace every single acrylic birdcage fill carrier out there. You guys will be getting the early adopter PCF price.
I'd have to look into clear GFN--don't really know if that exists, tbh--but crystal-clear plastic is definitely doable. Interesting idea. I'll have to render that and see what it looks like. Maybe partner with DC for a Wonder Woman Invisible Jet Edition or something.
Agreed about keeping the price low, fitting 43mm in the same case, and sticking to basics in the beginning phases. A flat base to start is looking more and more attractive. We can always expand to more tailored base options later.
I already have prototypes for the Black Aurora, but I will order some prototypes of the Apex in all its forms. I hope the strength of ABS (LEGO) plastic will show you that it's strong enough for most application. Imagine how much stronger GFN will be. KickStarter may indeed be the route we go, once we've garnered enough support and found a funding goal.
I'll do my best to be transparent about the costs throughout the entire process, but some things will have to remain secret, naturally. For now, trust that I've done my homework 20 times over and, though it will need revisiting, I'm certain we can get the price in the area I've mentioned and deliver the quality I've claimed.
Woo-hoo! Got it, @Dr Lecterr !
Looks more and more like a 1200-chip carrier is in demand--and why not? Glass-filled nylon can certainly handle it and the tooling wouldn't be too much more difficult to acquire, once we start to make some sales. Looks like we have another advocate for sticking with a simple base and coming up with a solution to store cards and buttons on top of the chips. Shouldn't be tough. Bet I can come up with something viable over the next few days.
Oh, a 1200-chip version is happening, evidently. I had no idea that many people would want a case of that size.
Your metric conversions are spot-on. I've designed the Apex cases to accommodate a minimum of 40 lbs, using a combination of glass-filled nylon material, as thick a wall thickness as injection molding will allow, as well as ribs and other strengthening design features underneath/inside each unit.
Rubber feet have recessed holes in them so the screws never make contact with a surface.
Nice solution, but oh, the ingenious solutions we have to come up with to make our run-of-the-mill birdcage carriers work the way we... Want. Them. To. And why is it that crumbs stick so well to the bottom of acrylic?
Copy black. Copy 1000 and 600.
That's what I'm talkin' about, @Matthieu ! Way to commit!
We'll have to watch the vertical clearance of whichever capacity we end up shooting for first, for those who don't want all that extra space on between their chips and the lid, but I hear you. Noted.
Got you down, @Perthmike !
High roller itt! @DrStrange! Thank you, Sir! I'll keep you in mind.
You mean a little like this?
This was just a concept I was toying around with during the design of The Black Aurora. I have not fleshed out this design though. It was just an idea. I think something like this would be better to save for after a simpler version has been brought to life, as suggested in this thread.
Got you down as interested, @Schmendr1ck !
In for two! Got it, @dew4au!
Two! On it, @Josh Kifer!
Another advocate for the 43mm/39mm in 600, 800, maybe 1k. Got it. I did consider just leaving the bottom flat. I also considered a rectangular piece of rubber, maybe epoxied into a "frame" in the bottom, but it would add to production time and costs unnecessarily. Feet are readily available easy to install and easy to design for. Important not to over-engineer and keep it simple. I hear you on the feet causing indentations, but I feel it's the lesser of two evils--wouldn't you agree?
Guys, thank you so very much for the feedback, interest, and the order promises! We're off to a great start! I hope this process is as fun and engaging for all of you as it is for me! I can't wait to get moving on this! Tomorrow, I'll be hard at work coming up with something for you guys to look at, as well as putting together a more comprehensive FAQ-style post in the Aurora Poker Gear Forum. Stay tuned! Good night.
1) Looks like 1000 is the sweet spot for the first run, then maybe this order of fulfillment as funds are raised: 800, 600, 1200, 400
2) Black
3) Flatter base. Most don't care to see the compartments designed into the bottom--which is viable, btw. It's not just on paper. All four of my Black Aurora (the first iteration) prototypes all have compartments in them and remain structurally sound, even under a full load of the cheapest, heaviest chips I could find. And those are only 3D printed ABS plastic.
4) Each design should fit both 39mm and 42mm chips.
I want to make clear that we have a funding goal to make. The more people that are on board for a pre-order, the lower the final cost can be for each individual case. So, tell everyone you can! Each of you has a group of between 6 and 50 people you play poker with, probably. Tell every one of them! It benefits all of us.
We're not looking to get rich off of this first run. Long-term goal is to replace every single acrylic birdcage fill carrier out there. You guys will be getting the early adopter PCF price.I'd have to look into clear GFN--don't really know if that exists, tbh--but crystal-clear plastic is definitely doable. Interesting idea. I'll have to render that and see what it looks like. Maybe partner with DC for a Wonder Woman Invisible Jet Edition or something.
Good things:
Having options for various chips amount while keeping the cost close to what's already out there.
400 cases - rare but can be found
600 cases - available
800 cases - never seen any
1000 case - everywhere
1200+ cases - why, too heavy/bulky
and all sizes with the option to fit 43mm racks/chips
All the extras like deck storage and DB storage will just add cost and will be hard to match up with everyones specific needs. Might stick to basics to begin with. Having pads for surface protections on the bottom is a big plus though. Colors are a nice touch and some will like that option & could be a selling point but basic black always works fo me personally.
Personally I don't ever need to transport chips outside of my own house in a birdcage. Other options for secure travel are available (Pelican clones, etc...). I've never had a birdcage break apart at the bottom but they are only used to move from the shelf to the table or sit there on the shelf and display chips.
I'll be interested to see what you have to offer, especially in the larger chip size area (ie: 43mm)
Welcome & GL sir!
I have an 800 carrier !i dont
I do like the idea of a simple design first. no bells and whistles. just a sleak looking carrier. If there's enough room between the top rack and top of the carrier to put cards and dealer button that would be great
Agreed about keeping the price low, fitting 43mm in the same case, and sticking to basics in the beginning phases. A flat base to start is looking more and more attractive. We can always expand to more tailored base options later.
I already have prototypes for the Black Aurora, but I will order some prototypes of the Apex in all its forms. I hope the strength of ABS (LEGO) plastic will show you that it's strong enough for most application. Imagine how much stronger GFN will be. KickStarter may indeed be the route we go, once we've garnered enough support and found a funding goal.
I'll do my best to be transparent about the costs throughout the entire process, but some things will have to remain secret, naturally. For now, trust that I've done my homework 20 times over and, though it will need revisiting, I'm certain we can get the price in the area I've mentioned and deliver the quality I've claimed.
Woo-hoo! Got it, @Dr Lecterr !
Looks more and more like a 1200-chip carrier is in demand--and why not? Glass-filled nylon can certainly handle it and the tooling wouldn't be too much more difficult to acquire, once we start to make some sales. Looks like we have another advocate for sticking with a simple base and coming up with a solution to store cards and buttons on top of the chips. Shouldn't be tough. Bet I can come up with something viable over the next few days.
Oh, a 1200-chip version is happening, evidently. I had no idea that many people would want a case of that size.
About 37 lbs for just the BJ WTC chips. LOL (3.08lb per rack)
You could sell an exercise plan too. Cage curls.
Your metric conversions are spot-on. I've designed the Apex cases to accommodate a minimum of 40 lbs, using a combination of glass-filled nylon material, as thick a wall thickness as injection molding will allow, as well as ribs and other strengthening design features underneath/inside each unit.
Has to be flat head screw and/or countersunk though..... can you tell I am nervous about scratching my or someone else's table/furniture.
Rubber feet have recessed holes in them so the screws never make contact with a surface.
Is it weird that my concerns are just the opposite???
I don't want some one else's table/crumbs scratching the bottom of my birdcage...
Ikea felt furniture feet FTW!
Nice solution, but oh, the ingenious solutions we have to come up with to make our run-of-the-mill birdcage carriers work the way we... Want. Them. To. And why is it that crumbs stick so well to the bottom of acrylic?
Copy black. Copy 1000 and 600.
That's what I'm talkin' about, @Matthieu ! Way to commit!
We'll have to watch the vertical clearance of whichever capacity we end up shooting for first, for those who don't want all that extra space on between their chips and the lid, but I hear you. Noted.
Got you down, @Perthmike !
High roller itt! @DrStrange! Thank you, Sir! I'll keep you in mind.
You mean a little like this?
This was just a concept I was toying around with during the design of The Black Aurora. I have not fleshed out this design though. It was just an idea. I think something like this would be better to save for after a simpler version has been brought to life, as suggested in this thread.
Got you down as interested, @Schmendr1ck !
In for two! Got it, @dew4au!
Two! On it, @Josh Kifer!
Another advocate for the 43mm/39mm in 600, 800, maybe 1k. Got it. I did consider just leaving the bottom flat. I also considered a rectangular piece of rubber, maybe epoxied into a "frame" in the bottom, but it would add to production time and costs unnecessarily. Feet are readily available easy to install and easy to design for. Important not to over-engineer and keep it simple. I hear you on the feet causing indentations, but I feel it's the lesser of two evils--wouldn't you agree?
Guys, thank you so very much for the feedback, interest, and the order promises! We're off to a great start! I hope this process is as fun and engaging for all of you as it is for me! I can't wait to get moving on this! Tomorrow, I'll be hard at work coming up with something for you guys to look at, as well as putting together a more comprehensive FAQ-style post in the Aurora Poker Gear Forum. Stay tuned! Good night.
In for 2
SixSpeedFury
Full House
Can I get them in Hard Candy Magenta?
I kid, I kid. I've been following you for a while but it's great to have you back on the forums Mario!
I kid, I kid. I've been following you for a while but it's great to have you back on the forums Mario!
justsomedude
Straight Flush
MAKE.
THIS.
HAPPEN.
THIS.
HAPPEN.
Yea im in for 2 of those lol
RowdyRawhide
Full House
One other thought before I drift off to sleep....
You could make the initial run of carriers big enough for 43mm racks but have the 'rack stabilizers' centered to hold standard 39mm racks. You would be killing 2 birds with one stone there, and without getting out of bed and going and measuring it couldn't be more than about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch on both ends to make it happen
You could make the initial run of carriers big enough for 43mm racks but have the 'rack stabilizers' centered to hold standard 39mm racks. You would be killing 2 birds with one stone there, and without getting out of bed and going and measuring it couldn't be more than about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch on both ends to make it happen
Why not see if you can get some hard numbers from within the PCF community before committing to Kickstarter (or some other crowdfunding source)? Assuming a successful campaign, KS takes 10% right off the top in fees, money which could otherwise be spent on development, future prototyping, or even just bringing initial production costs down. If there was enough $$$ from us for an initial production run, then why not use KS in Phase II where you could raise funds for all those options that have just been brainstormed?
colter ripton
Full House
I'd he in for 1 or maybe 2 1000 chip cases
Mathieu
Two Pair
I would only buy if there is storage for dealer buttons and cads at the bottom like your original design.
ADS Aviator
Flush
I'd be interested in 2.
JustinInMN
4 of a Kind
I like this diea a lot. I might suggest keeping an "open drawer" instead of small cutouts. This way you can accommodate decks and buttons of all sizes.
There was a massive group buy in 43mm ceramic hybrids last summer which I suspect is why you are getting massive requests to accommodate this size of you can.
Did these ever get to the group buy? You should get another buy set up.
I am in for 2 1000 chip cases if that’s the first run. I’d also buy a couple 800 and whatever 43mm design you come up with.
WedgeRock
Royal Flush
We're talking $50-$65 each and we need an order of 300-500 pieces?
I understand there are some innovative design ideas, but from just a cost perspective, how is the proposed price a great savings over what is available now?
Quick search found $65 (with racks) and no minimum.
I understand there are some innovative design ideas, but from just a cost perspective, how is the proposed price a great savings over what is available now?
Quick search found $65 (with racks) and no minimum.
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