Keyboard Services (Soldering, Desoldering, Lubing, Springs, etc) [US BASED]

[kmiller8]

I'm a house-poor EE who want's to solder stuff.

I offer competitive pricing, If you're interested, PM me.

Pricing stands at $15/hour + $10 shipping.

Examples of what I've done

Desoldering:



Switch Swap:



Lubing/Spring Swap:


Assembly/Repair:


LED Swap:


Custom LEDs:

[SpAmRaY]

[kmiller8]

Oh also, I'll do lubing/spring stuff too OuO

[Beca]

Damn, too bad I'm already paying someone else to do that all for me D:

[flac.head]

I wish you lived in the UK 

[Tarzan]

Ever done any LED swapping?  I have a couple of full-size keyboards that I'd like to have modded. 

[kmiller8]

Ever done any LED swapping?  I have a couple of full-size keyboards that I'd like to have modded.

I can do this. PM me.

[rowdy]

I wish you lived in the UK 

This is not free, but very reasonably priced: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=50048.0

[katushkin]

I wish you lived in the UK 

This is not free, but very reasonably priced: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=50048.0

Can 100% recommend Margo. He's a great guy and has stuck with all my **** over the last couple of months. Work is top quality too.

[fohat.digs]

I wish that I owned a Cherry blue keyboard for you to do the jailhouse mod on.

Or a Cherry clear board for you to do the ergo mod on.

[kmiller8]

This is not free, but very reasonably priced: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=50048.0

Reasons to use paid services:
1. They have experience in these things, I'm doing this as a learning experience
2. You're supporting your fellow geekhacker
3. They will probably give you some sort of guarantee of their work, I obviously cannot offer this.

[osi]

PM sent!

[lilky]

Where in the US are you located? So I can get an idea of shipping costs?

[kmiller8]

Updated OP, I will not assemble ergodoxes since there is now a massdrop GB, I do not want to spend the next 4 months of my life assembling the same keyboard 46 times.

Go pay someone to do it.

[divito]

Depending on how my money situation works over the next little while, I might be interested in getting parts for something custom. Provided you're still offering free services.

[kmiller8]

Finished the first board today.

[kmiller8]

Project 2







No more of these either, what a PITA to disassemble and desolder.

[kmiller8]

Board 3, I think this one might get "lost in the mail" if you know what I mean.









It's so pretty it makes me wanna cry ;-;

[osi]

Hrmm. Might have to add that extra tracking to this one...

On a serious note, this came together quite nicely!

[kod]

That nostromo mod is cool.  That's not the standard number of keys for that pad, is it?  How'd you do that?

[ideus]

The toes under the table look cool. 

[kenmai9]

Are you able to solder LEDs onto a Poker X? If I recall correctly it has to be manually wired. Could tip you or something if you want.

[SaySo]

That nostromo mod is cool.  That's not the standard number of keys for that pad, is it?  How'd you do that?

It is not a nostromo but an orbweaver 

[kmiller8]

Are you able to solder LEDs onto a Poker X? If I recall correctly it has to be manually wired. Could tip you or something if you want.

Yeah that would be quite a bit of work to do one of those, I'd have to essential make an entire LED Matrix on the back of your board, and even then there'd be uber limited functionality (always on, no brightness control).

If you're still interested in that, PM me.

[berserkfan]

The toes under the table look cool. 

It actually looks quite funny. I don't know if anyone else feels the same about the perspective, but it looks as though kmiller8's foot is smaller than a Cherry switch.

[kod]

It is not a nostromo but an orbweaver 

Ah, I see it now.
(goes to look at razer's site)

Holy crap those are expensive!  I think I paid less than 50 bucks for my speedpad.

[kmiller8]

Ah, I see it now.
(goes to look at razer's site)

Holy crap those are expensive!  I think I paid less than 50 bucks for my speedpad.

I think there was recently a 50% off everything razer, I'm thinking that's where this one was purchased, but I don't know for sure.

[tricheboars]

racist towards ergodoxes! lol. jk jk jk jk  dont let tp4tissue see this thread.


i enjoy soldering too much to want others to do it for me.  but this is damn cool what you are doing. this is why i love this community. its **** like this right here. thank you.

[IPT]

It is not a nostromo but an orbweaver 

Ah, I see it now.
(goes to look at razer's site)

Holy crap those are expensive!  I think I paid less than 50 bucks for my speedpad.

yeah that's my orbweaver that I bought from razer during their 50% CES thanks sale.

[kmiller8]

Board Four, the whites had 55g springs swapped

[dgreekstallion]

Duly noted... I'll give you a ring if I ever have something come up.

[kmiller8]

Ok, done with the free aspect for now, maybe in the future I'll bring it back for a week or two, but don't count on it.

If you still need something done, I will offer competitive pricing with other modification services on the forum and in the community.

[kmiller8]

Simple LED swappage.

[Tarzan]

Simple LED swappage.

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Whoah!  That's fast, didn't those just get there yesterday?   

[kmiller8]

Whoah!  That's fast, didn't those just get there yesterday?   

I was busy, which is why I had to put it off for today

[bueller]

Sent you a PM mate!

[kmiller8]

All PMs replied to.

I did a filco numpad yesterday too (MX Brown -> MX Red) and screw filco, every single pin was bent ;-; that was a huge PITA

[IPT]

All PMs replied to.

I did a filco numpad yesterday too (MX Brown -> MX Red) and screw filco, every single pin was bent ;-; that was a huge PITA

i swear i give you the most annoying stuff to do lol

[kmiller8]

Made a limited edition board even more limited. Both of these switched to MX Clears, and LEDs switched from white to blue in the TK


Also took the white LEDs from the TK and put them in my Blue one, and the blue plate makes it look uber sexy imo.

[digi]

Made a limited edition board even more limited. Both of these switched to MX Clears, and LEDs switched from white to blue in the TK

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Also took the white LEDs from the TK and put them in my Blue one, and the blue plate makes it look uber sexy imo.

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nice job man, thats a lot of soldering!

[kmiller8]

nice job man, thats a lot of soldering!

probably something like 6 hours total for all three boards, including a few switch modifications.

[DWawa]

The “o” key on my Pure works, and then doesn’t work, and then later works again. I have blown it out a little, checked for debris—the usual resorts of the minimally informed. I have no idea if it’s the switch, the solder, or some other cause. Is this a problem you can solve? What do you charge?

[kmiller8]

The “o” key on my Pure works, and then doesn’t work, and then later works again. I have blown it out a little, checked for debris—the usual resorts of the minimally informed. I have no idea if it’s the switch, the solder, or some other cause. Is this a problem you can solve? What do you charge?

PM'd

[jdcarpe]

I'm sure kmiller8 can fix it. It's most likely a cold solder joint, a lifted pad, or the diode needs to be reflowed.

[mv_LaiN]

amazing, def sending you some work soon

[Agpatel]

Sent my Poker II in for some LED work, cant wait to get it back!

[margo baggins]

Simple LED swappage.

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Did you change the resistors on these as well?

The green/white swap will be fine, but you might find the red LEDs burn out running in a board that was designed for blue LEDs.

Just as a reference (though it's a good ball park)



Those red LEDs might be way over driven

[berserkfan]

Simple LED swappage.

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Did you change the resistors on these as well?

The green/white swap will be fine, but you might find the red LEDs burn out running in a board that was designed for blue LEDs.

Just as a reference (though it's a good ball park)

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Those red LEDs might be way over driven

Margo

Is that true of all LEDs, or do they differ from brand to brand?

For instance, Mionix Zibal 60 has a shade of yellow-green that I’ve never seen anywhere. Now would that be 2.1V or 3.4V?

So the reds and yellows need stronger resistors? When doing the SIP socket mod, I’ve read that you can insert the appropriate resistor along with the correct LED into the same SIP sockets. Does that mean you have 2 things nestled together in the same tiny space on top of a Cherry key housing?

Also what about pink/magenta and purple? These being between red and blue, and red and white, it isn’t obvious what is the correct voltage to drive them.

I am concerned given that I’m sending you my stuff to mod, of course… and might be sending Kmiller something sometime. Wouldn’t want to burn out my board thanks to my ignorance after I get it back!

[kmiller8]

Did you change the resistors on these as well?

The green/white swap will be fine, but you might find the red LEDs burn out running in a board that was designed for blue LEDs.

Those red LEDs might be way over driven

No I did not change the resistors.

It's my understanding manufacturers obviously don't drive their LED's to a full 20mA 100% of the time especially because the change from 5mA to 20mA has marginal change in brightness. So assuming there's a 10mA @ 3.4V, dropping to 2V would only raise the current to 17mA which is still within manufacturer spec (which how trustworthy is that really).

[kmiller8]

In Order.
Assembled Ergodox
Added Red LEDs to Poker II
Fixed mini-USB on Poker something