Beginner Lubing Issues...

[CurrentlyWatchingFishTank]

I apologize in advance for being a noob and asking stupid questions, but I'm really stuck.

I'm not new to mechanical keyboards, but I am new to even the most basic modding.

I have an IQUNIX L80 that I've just started to mod. I put some Holy Panda switches that I'm really happy with so i figured the next logical step would be lubing them. I've watched tons of videos about lubing switches and yesterday lubed one switch to start. 3203 lube.

Well, now the switch doesn't work at all. I put another unlubed switch and it works fine. So I tried with another extra switch, being very careful to only lightly lube it. No visible white from over lubing, not even close. Reassembly was smoother the second time around, put it on the board and... nothing, doesn't work.
What on earth could I possibly be doing wrong here? I've checked the pins, they're fine. I can barely even find people saying their switches stopped working after lubing, I feel like i'm completely missing something.

Any help is much appreciated.

[jcoffin1981]

If a replacement switch works but the lubed switch does not, then the error is either in the placement of the switch or the assembly.  I don't really think it's possible to overlube a switch and have it not work.  Even if the lube is non-conductive then there should still be enough tension for the switch to still make contact.  I would try to disassemble a switch, then reassemble it without lubing, replace it in the socket and see if it works.  Then try with a small amount of lube. 

I have never used Holy Pandas before.  I would also watch a few videos on lubing and disassembling them. 

[CurrentlyWatchingFishTank]

Thank you for the reply,

I went ahead and tried with a few more switches and... they work fine.
I'm guessing that part of my problem is that i'm not using the "correct" tools for most of this. I'm using a crappy brush for lubing and a cut credit card for opening the switches. I plan on making an order for all the tools I need as well as a decent lubing tray, but until then I just wanted to see how I liked the results.

Like you suggested, I must have somehow reassembled them wrong or damaged something in the process. I'll have to inspect to non-working switches to see how I screwed up.

[Rhienfo]

Thank you for the reply,

I went ahead and tried with a few more switches and... they work fine.
I'm guessing that part of my problem is that i'm not using the "correct" tools for most of this. I'm using a crappy brush for lubing and a cut credit card for opening the switches. I plan on making an order for all the tools I need as well as a decent lubing tray, but until then I just wanted to see how I liked the results.

Like you suggested, I must have somehow reassembled them wrong or damaged something in the process. I'll have to inspect to non-working switches to see how I screwed up.

A crappy brush probably wasn't the issue there, it might of been how you opened it and put it back together. The two most common points of failure on a switch in my experiences are the stem leafs being in wrong position causing the key press to not enter (Though in most cases if the leaf are in the wrong position you won't be able to close the switch so in your case it's probably not the leaf) and the pins under the switch being bent which means the connection from the switch to the pcb doesn't work, so maybe check the broken switch and if it is, use tweezers to fix the pins upright if they are bent, just be a bit careful there cause you may break the pin off.

I feel like it might be the pins as bent pins are quite common on hotswap boards

sorry didn't read your post properly and didn't see that you had already checked pins, the only other issue I could see is the leaf so maybe check that, and getting things like a switch opener will definitely remove risk of damage as well.