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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: shawn o on Tue, 15 April 2014, 16:15:15

Title: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: shawn o on Tue, 15 April 2014, 16:15:15

Wanted a 104 to use once and a while so I decided to order one. Doing taxes on a tenkeyless sucks.

I prefer clear switches (and a grey for the spacebar) to browns so I decided to order some up and swap them out. Ordered them from Mechanical Keyboards but they only have PCB mount ones so that required an extra step to make them plate mount switches.

Entire process takes about 3 hours from start to finish. Not including time to modify the swiches from PCB mount to plate mount (clipping the nips off) which probably took another 1/2 hour.

Figured I'd post up some pics in case someone doesn't know what's involved. Its not  rocket science and anyone can do it!

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1645_zps5fc03588.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1646_zps90884bc3.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1649_zps04b95ea8.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1650_zps660e1cee.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1653_zps8f54e6de.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1654_zps47cb2ccc.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1655_zps4a5f02fd.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1656_zps73e4c1df.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1657_zpsb06d797a.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1658_zps15c5c567.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1659_zps5a01c223.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1660_zps61fc632e.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1664_zps23c340a4.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1665_zps6b0d89a1.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1666_zps6af19fcd.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1667_zps02294689.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1668_zpsb7d82d76.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1669_zpsca818c15.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1670_zpsc8d27648.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1696_zps9e3a2d03.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1671_zps2dd01764.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1673_zpsad6f824a.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1683_zps1d4f1bdd.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1691_zps97c84668.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1692_zps2f4f9d41.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1694_zpsf08ce5e1.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1701_zps165d13a6.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1695_zps70443440.jpg)


I use this to clean the excess flux off the solder points when I'm done (flux can be corrosive).

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1697_zps9860b208.jpg)

Here are the solder points for the three LEDs . Would take about 10 seconds to do each one but they are already blue so I left them as is.

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1699_zps1041a5b1.jpg)

Testing all the switches out with Aqua Keyboard Tester before reassembling...

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1700_zpsf6f52d66.jpg)

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1702_zps35f14f3d.jpg)

DONE. Finished product with NOS vintage Cherry doubleshots back on!

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/mn_pikey/DSC_1703_zps32e783b9.jpg)

Title: Re: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: Novus on Tue, 15 April 2014, 16:46:08

Nice  :thumb:

Title: Re: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: CPTBadAss on Tue, 15 April 2014, 16:46:56

Cool, are you using the stock spacebar?

Title: Re: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: shawn o on Tue, 15 April 2014, 16:59:29

Can't remember where I got it, I think its one of the spacebars from my SP moogle sets.

Title: Re: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: CPTBadAss on Tue, 15 April 2014, 17:00:37

Ah ok. Did you get in on that GMK spacebar buy? I really like all GMK caps and we finally got some 6.25x options :D. Not really into mismatched caps. Anyways, thanks for the fun build log!

Title: Re: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: shawn o on Tue, 15 April 2014, 17:05:12

Are the GMK ones thicker? Didn't see those.

Title: Re: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: lunr on Tue, 15 April 2014, 17:53:54

Nicely done. I want to switch out my browns with clears on my Filco when I get some time :)

Title: Re: Quick Filco 104 switch swap: Browns--->Clears!
Post by: CPTBadAss on Wed, 16 April 2014, 06:33:10

Quote from: shawn o on Tue, 15 April 2014, 17:05:12

Are the GMK ones thicker? Didn't see those.

Yeah they'll match those Cherry keycap thicknesses :D