Hello from dreary Michigan

[Steak]

Hallo!

Just joined, been looking into getting a new keeb for the past couple months and I think I have (finally) have something. Not as much of a video gamer as I used to be but still play a fair amount. Big into D&D, my mtg collection is probably worth more than my car, I work in the sign industry and have been for the last 15 years.

Anxiously awaiting GMK Azure

[funkmon]

So what's the keyboard and why isn't it a Model M? I'm also in Michigan.

[dingusxmcgee]

MI gang rise up

[Steak]

So what's the keyboard and why isn't it a Model M? I'm also in Michigan.

I just confirmed a trade for a tofu 65 with lubed/filmed cherry blacks. I traded the person about 65%(lol) of the boards value in mtg cards, just paid for the rest.

I really want a 100% but eff me they're expensive.

[Maledicted]

Hi Steak. Welcome to Geekhack.

That percentage of the trade being cards makes it seem meant to be. If you get used to those MX blacks, you won't find much of anything else to be fatiguing from then on out. I hope they don't end up being too tiring.

What do you mean by 100% keyboards being expensive? I imagine the kit ones aren't common at all. I don't put too much stock in all of that kit/LEGO stuff anyway myself. Just find a board you like, it doesn't have to come in some fancy DIY kit. Wrong switches? No problem, gives you a chance to get good at soldering and desoldering.

So what's the keyboard and why isn't it a Model M? I'm also in Michigan.

We all know it should be a Model F. 

[Steak]

Hi Steak. Welcome to Geekhack.

That percentage of the trade being cards makes it seem meant to be. If you get used to those MX blacks, you won't find much of anything else to be fatiguing from them on out. I hope they don't end up being too tiring.

What do you mean by 100% keyboards being expensive? I imagine the kit ones aren't common at all. I don't put too much stock in all of that kit/LEGO stuff anyway myself. Just find a board you like, it doesn't have to come in some fancy DIY kit. Wrong switches? No problem, gives you a chance to get good at soldering and desoldering.

Thanks! I really enjoy this hobby so far. The sheer amount of options is overwhelming and refreshing. It's a nice rabbit hole to go down while i'm on furlough.

I haven't delved into older boards yet but from what i've seen 100% keyboard kits aren't popular at all. The ones that do exist are past their GB and are expensive as hell to buy second hand.

I do like black but am also hoping they aren't too tiring. I like the actuation of reds a bit better but something about beggars and choosers. I haven't tried them yet but I absolutely love the sound of lubed healios.

[funkmon]

If you're just doing some MX clone switches, you can have a full size board for $40 that isn't even bad.

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Mechanical-Keyboard-Anti-ghosting-Water-Resistant/dp/B07MBPF64H/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+reds&qid=1589905047&sr=8-4

This one's got Outemu reds, which I consider pretty good for the clones.

If you like linear and want to go cheap, you can buy a Dell AT101W for $30 and then take out the click leaf.

If that sounds hard, it isn't.

1. Get a keyboard.

2. Take off keycaps

3. Use either a toothpick or an alps switch opener tool (https://www.ebay.com/itm/ALPS-Switch-Opener-Tool-to-Disassemble-LINEARIZE-Modify-Clean-Switches-Blue/303522186463) to slide out some tabs

4. Pull on the top

5. Take out the piece of metal flopping around inside

6. Put the top back on

7. Put on the keycap.

This takes like no work and a 5 year old could do it with exactly one instruction.

Here's a video which is about 7 minutes longer than it needs to be.

If you live in Metro Detroit I'll do it for you if you buy the keyboard. Listen to the sound on that. Similar to the deep sound of the lubed healios.

[Maledicted]

Hi Steak. Welcome to Geekhack.

That percentage of the trade being cards makes it seem meant to be. If you get used to those MX blacks, you won't find much of anything else to be fatiguing from them on out. I hope they don't end up being too tiring.

What do you mean by 100% keyboards being expensive? I imagine the kit ones aren't common at all. I don't put too much stock in all of that kit/LEGO stuff anyway myself. Just find a board you like, it doesn't have to come in some fancy DIY kit. Wrong switches? No problem, gives you a chance to get good at soldering and desoldering.

Thanks! I really enjoy this hobby so far. The sheer amount of options is overwhelming and refreshing. It's a nice rabbit hole to go down while i'm on furlough.

I haven't delved into older boards yet but from what i've seen 100% keyboard kits aren't popular at all. The ones that do exist are past their GB and are expensive as hell to buy second hand.

I do like black but am also hoping they aren't too tiring. I like the actuation of reds a bit better but something about beggars and choosers. I haven't tried them yet but I absolutely love the sound of lubed healios.

What sort of PCB have you got in the Tofu? If you're on a super tight budget at the moment, and the PCB is hot swap, you could buy a set of replacement springs to your liking and swap them into your blacks to get closer to reds, if that's what you prefer. I actually seem to really like the stock weighting of Gateron yellows myself, for linears.

What switches have you tried thus far? Just the MX blacks? Do you see yourself stick with linears, or still need to try out tactiles and clickies?

funkmon's suggestions here are great. Linear Alps are wonderful, though I haven't yet tried linearized tactiles.

[wholypantalones]

Mitten gang.

[Steak]

If you're just doing some MX clone switches, you can have a full size board for $40 that isn't even bad.

If you like linear and want to go cheap, you can buy a Dell AT101W for $30 and then take out the click leaf.

If you live in Metro Detroit I'll do it for you if you buy the keyboard. Listen to the sound on that. Similar to the deep sound of the lubed healios.

I looked a bit into premade boards and I was leaning towards a Ducky. The main thing I want is a nice feeling -quiet- switch. Which is why I was leaning towards the Healios.

I live in GR but thanks for the offer!

What sort of PCB have you got in the Tofu? If you're on a super tight budget at the moment, and the PCB is hot swap, you could buy a set of replacement springs to your liking and swap them into your blacks to get closer to reds, if that's what you prefer. I actually seem to really like the stock weighting of Gateron yellows myself, for linears.

What switches have you tried thus far? Just the MX blacks? Do you see yourself stick with linears, or still need to try out tactiles and clickies?

funkmon's suggestions here are great. Linear Alps are wonderful, though I haven't yet tried linearized tactiles.

I don't have it in hand yet but it's got a dz65 rgb board and it is hotswap. I hadn't thought of just changing the springs but that's a great idea.

So far I've tried cherry red, brown, and blacks. Haven't tried anything outside cherry yet.

[Maledicted]

I don't have it in hand yet but it's got a dz65 rgb board and it is hotswap. I hadn't thought of just changing the springs but that's a great idea.

So far I've tried cherry red, brown, and blacks. Haven't tried anything outside cherry yet.

Thank you. It isn't my idea, so I can't take credit for it. If it were, there would be no replacement springs on the market.

No clickies then yet. That's probably a good thing, since Cherry's clickies (and even the clones) leave ... a lot to be desired compared against others.

[funkmon]

Let's be clear here though. We all like to take a dump on Cherrys, but they're better than almost all rubber domes, and they're ostensibly well made, if scratchy. I like my blues just fine, but others made with better click and tactile mechanisms are better.

[Steak]

Let's be clear here though. We all like to take a dump on Cherrys, but they're better than almost all rubber domes, and they're ostensibly well made, if scratchy. I like my blues just fine, but others made with better click and tactile mechanisms are better.

Not to spew on anyone in particular, but if there's one thing I've learned about this community some can tend to get a bit "nose in the air" about everything.

I agree every mechanical keyboard i've used is leagues better than rubber domes.

[funkmon]

Haha there's also a whole world of high quality rubber domes out there as well you can try, most of which are fairly silent if you're into that sort of thing. So the world is even larger than perhaps you imagined!

A lot of "dome with sliders" are fairly good, even on the level with some low level mechanical keyboards out there. Topre, of course, but some consider BTC and NMB dome with sliders to be right up there. I picked up a Compaq keyboard the other day made by BTC and it was fantastic.

[Maledicted]

Let's be clear here though. We all like to take a dump on Cherrys, but they're better than almost all rubber domes, and they're ostensibly well made, if scratchy. I like my blues just fine, but others made with better click and tactile mechanisms are better.

Cherries used to be all I knew, for many years. They're all adequate, certainly better than domes ... besides maybe browns. Clears aren't bad though for tactiles. They're certainly well made as well. I like to think of them as the Honda Civic of mechanical switches. They get the job done without any bells and whistles. Typing on blues bothers me now, but I still use reds almost daily with my gaming rig, and I wouldn't mind clears if I had to use tactiles.

Let's be clear here though. We all like to take a dump on Cherrys, but they're better than almost all rubber domes, and they're ostensibly well made, if scratchy. I like my blues just fine, but others made with better click and tactile mechanisms are better.

Not to spew on anyone in particular, but if there's one thing I've learned about this community some can tend to get a bit "nose in the air" about everything.

I agree every mechanical keyboard i've used is leagues better than rubber domes.

Very true. I don't think that there's a lot of that here though, other than maybe about very specific brands of boards. That just makes it more fun to watch them talking about QC issues that literally should not be present on $100 keyboards, much less $300+ keyboards.

Haha there's also a whole world of high quality rubber domes out there as well you can try, most of which are fairly silent if you're into that sort of thing. So the world is even larger than perhaps you imagined!

A lot of "dome with sliders" are fairly good, even on the level with some low level mechanical keyboards out there. Topre, of course, but some consider BTC and NMB dome with sliders to be right up there. I picked up a Compaq keyboard the other day made by BTC and it was fantastic.

^ He's right. I shouldn't have gotten rid of all of my early 90s dome boards. It is always funny to think about how much engineering and thought went into even rubber domes back in the day, when people cared to make even those feel pleasant and consistent.