Duck Eagle/Viper V2 plate w/switch top opening
As some have asked, here’s my experience with the Eagle/Viper V2 plates I had made which allow for switch top opening
The BadSwitch rotation - it will only be a problem for some. When testing the new plates, I've found that there is an issue with switch rotation/misalignment when utilizing plate mounted switches. In my case, I chose to build my Viper with vintage blacks which lacked the PCB mounting posts commonly found on PCB mounted switches. The test fitting resulted in misaligned switches which I found frustrating to say the least.
Not to be defeated, I remedied this issue by installing a set of GMK keycaps on the unsoldered switches and aligning the tops via a straight edge ruler. From there I carefully turned the plate/pcb over and soldered one leg per switch then flipped it over to examine my work. Quite a tedious process but once I figured out the correct method, it was actually rather easy.
I believe the issue was compounded by the fact that Lasergist deburrs the edges in the finishing stage. This resulted in increased tolerances that left a little to be desired in regards to that “snug” fit. Overall, I would say it’s a fair trade off considering the finish that was achieved.
The GoodIt works! I don’t think there is much more that I can say other than the fact that the plate does its job and allows for switch top opening. Additionally, if you are utilizing PCB mounted switches, there is little to no switch rotation (tested with NIB PCB mounted Gat Blacks).
I’ve created two plates based on Swills templates which I modified to fit my needs and fit the Eagle/Viper V2. One being a Universal ANSI plate and the other being a HHKB Layout based plate which incorporates isolated cutouts for split backspace, split right shift + fn, and a 1x1.5x7x1.5x1 bottom row.
Download here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2BotsTwxuB5djNyaXdSWGp0Vmc