I asked about this a while back but it's still bothering me.  I've built 7 boards over the past year and I've always had trouble with the switches not being perfectly straight.  It's an issue that is amplified by universal plates that leave more room for switches to rotate in the plate on the bottom row.  I'm thinking this is just something you have to learn to deal with if you want switch top opening ability (the extra cutouts in the plate at the corners of the switch).  Do you guys have any tricks/suggestions?

So, this is what I currently do:

• Solder one switch in each corner of the PCB
• Insert all of the other switches, making sure to carefully straighten them up  (this is the tricky party.  I've found it's not enough to just snap them in.  The switches are able to rotate a degree or so clockwise or counterclockwise, just enough to make the final build with key caps on look terrible)
• Solder everything
• Put on caps, noting any issues with crookedness.  You can see it most easily in the gaps between keys.
  Basically, you want  | |  between every key, and not  \ |  or  | /
• With the board apart I firmly twist the cap in the appropriate direction on the front while touching my hot soldering tip to the thinnest pin on the back.  This allows for the switch to rotate back to the correct position.  I've overshot the position a few times.

Any tricks I'm missing?

I should note that I never have these issues when replacing the switches on OEM boards like CM, Pok3r, Filco.  The switches are all perfectly aligned.  This is why I'm guessing it has something to do with the extra cutouts at the corners to allow switch opening.

Only buy PCB mount switches, never have this problem.

Oh yeah, I forgot that I did notice this.  That's why my pok3r turned out so well with Gateron greens, b/c they had PCB mounts.  Good idea.  Why are plate mounted all the rage?  Why would you NOT want PCB mount?

Quote from: reececonrad on Fri, 21 July 2017, 13:27:52

Quote from: ika on Fri, 21 July 2017, 12:19:18

Only buy PCB mount switches, never have this problem.

Oh yeah, I forgot that I did notice this.  That's why my pok3r turned out so well with Gateron greens, b/c they had PCB mounts.  Good idea.  Why are plate mounted all the rage?  Why would you NOT want PCB mount?

Most PCB's on keyboards with plates don't have the extra holes for the PCB mount switches.

Makes sense.  But as far as I can remember, all custom boards in the past few years have had the PCB holes to accommodate, right?  So, I'll just keep that in mind before I make my next purchase.  I'm putting PCB mount zeals on my M65-A, so everything should be nice and straight.  However, I was hoping there was a trick b/c the MX silvers I bought for my E8-V1 are plate mount.  Oh well, I'll just be careful to get them straight.

Why are plate mounted all the rage?  Why would you NOT want PCB mount?

Plates make for a stiffer keyboard.
On larger boards, the plate can make a huge difference in the stiffness and sturdiness of the keyboard. On smaller ones it's less a requirement, but there is a big difference in stiffness between my Race (75%) which has no plate and my Magicforce (65%) which does.

Personally, no plate, makes a mechanical feel cheap, like a budget rubber dome keyboard. The switches still feel good of course, but the weight and flex make it feel cheap.

I've actually been considering this issue the past month or so. TP's idea of using the edge of a surface to keep the keys aligned is actually pretty good.

My thoughts were along the lines of using strips of wooden molding, threaded rod, and lots of nuts (lol) to build a jig; it would need 6/7 strips of molding, 4-5 rods, and enough nuts to secure everything. The width and spacing needs to be set-up so that the switches get wedged into position from both sides (the plate is floating/not touching the molding), this easily holds everything straight and gives you a nice little platform to work on.

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^ like dis

I like it.  Build me one

Quote from: Skull_Angel on Fri, 21 July 2017, 19:01:10

I've actually been considering this issue the past month or so. TP's idea of using the edge of a surface to keep the keys aligned is actually pretty good.

My thoughts were along the lines of using strips of wooden molding, threaded rod, and lots of nuts (lol) to build a jig; it would need 6/7 strips of molding, 4-5 rods, and enough nuts to secure everything. The width and spacing needs to be set-up so that the switches get wedged into position from both sides (the plate is floating/not touching the molding), this easily holds everything straight and gives you a nice little platform to work on.

=|=========|=========|=
=|=========|=========|=
=|=========|=========|=
=|=========|=========|=
=|=========|=========|=
=|=========|=========|=
=|=========|=========|=

^ like dis

I like it.  Build me one

I'll see about making a build log for one when/if I make it. Still got a month or two before the 75% kits from my binging arrive  )