Modifying Existing keyboard to Hotswap

[skayura]

Hi everyone
i was thinking of a project to do and was pondering whether it was worth desoldering the existing cherry switches on my CM Storm Quickfire to swap the sockets to hotswap ones.
I've been searching around google and barely see any information where people would swap out their existing switches for hotswap sockets and using another set of switches / swapping around the ones that they have (or maybe my google detective skills are just poor).

That said are there anything i should watch out for, etc?

Thanks!

[Findecanor]

Kailh hotswap sockets wont fit in a PCB not made for them. They require larger holes in the PCB and special pads on the PCB.

Holtite and Mill-Max sockets fit some PCBs, where the holes are just the right size.
A user on Reddit tested doing that mod with the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid and unfortunately, found that they didn't fit. (source: https://deskthority.net/wiki/Holtite which has a list of tested boards)

[equalunique]

Not sure about CM boards, but I have had success with millmax sockets in Filco PCBs.

[skayura]

Kailh hotswap sockets wont fit in a PCB not made for them. They require larger holes in the PCB and special pads on the PCB.

Holtite and Mill-Max sockets fit some PCBs, where the holes are just the right size.
A user on Reddit tested doing that mod with the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid and unfortunately, found that they didn't fit. (source: https://deskthority.net/wiki/Holtite which has a list of tested boards)

thank you this was what I was trying to find!

But I see no wonder why I don't really see anyone just installing hot swap sockets instead of having to desolder and solder new switches everytime we'd want to change it up

[Leslieann]

But I see no wonder why I don't really see anyone just installing hot swap sockets instead of having to desolder and solder new switches everytime we'd want to change it up

Certain sockets especially the ones you can adapt have a very short lifespan, some are better than others, some are also very switch dependent.

Almost all rely on a switch design never intended to be used this way (it's a hack), as a result you can bend pins really easily and it provides another point of failure. If you really want to experiment with switches buy something like a GMMK for that dedicated purpose (it's cheap, especially without switches or caps), then when you have settled on a switch, for best results, find a board to put them in permanently.

[skayura]

But I see no wonder why I don't really see anyone just installing hot swap sockets instead of having to desolder and solder new switches everytime we'd want to change it up

Certain sockets especially the ones you can adapt have a very short lifespan, some are better than others, some are also very switch dependent.

Almost all rely on a switch design never intended to be used this way (it's a hack), as a result you can bend pins really easily and it provides another point of failure. If you really want to experiment with switches buy something like a GMMK for that dedicated purpose (it's cheap, especially without switches or caps), then when you have settled on a switch, for best results, find a board to put them in permanently.

that's interesting, it's something i would probably have never thought of if i had never tried huh? i would think that the sockets themselves would be pretty solid but i just remembered that it's also possible for the solder points to break off too.

i was looking into that actually, that's a good idea thanks for that!