Reusing old PCBs from prebuilts

[DraxxDaChamp]

Hey guys! new here to the forum but ive been into keyboards for a few years now.

 Im slowly working my way into higher end builds but i have several old keebs from like 5+ years ago that all still perfectly functional, just have MX Blues, which i absolutely hate using now.

I want to get into more of the full DIY as well instead of using hot swap all the time to broaden my horizons. So last night i desoldered my old Ducky One TKL (not the One 2, The first Ducky One TKL). Soldering on TECSEE Carrots tonight and just throwing it back in the original case with some foam and tape. But id like to see fi i can fit this PCB into a metal case instead, since these old plastic cases feel pretty flimsy compared to the aluminum one i have on my GMMK Pro.

How feasible is finding a case that will fit any given PCB? or are most cases and PCB designed for their specific layouts? And if there are ways to swap easily, does anyone know which case will fit a Ducky One TKL from like 5 years ago?

[Leslieann]

How feasible is finding a case that will fit any given PCB? or are most cases and PCB designed for their specific layouts? And if there are ways to swap easily, does anyone know which case will fit a Ducky One TKL from like 5 years ago?

It's not.
Besides looking for support on something 5 years old...

Each PCB is at least semi-unique to the case/model.
Yes, some can interchange, at least in theory, but only because they're a white label offering and pretty much all of those use a plastic case and therefore not going to help. Very few companies have bothered making cases for specific models such as Vortex/Tex Filco cases, partly because limited support but also means your sales are dependent on another company. Imagine spending a year making a case for a Ducky to offer for sale only to find that model didn't sell well, a market shift happened (Type-C and RGB) or Ducky just deciding to discontinue that model a month before you launch?


There's actually another, rather serious problem with this, the PCB is cheap and easy to get made in bulk. Why offer a case that fits only a single keyboard and leaves you reliant on another company's product when for only a bit more and you could just make your own PCB and design it how you want and not be reliant on them at all.