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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:25:56

Title: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:25:56
I'm sure this thread exists but I need to try out this keyboard I'm using so I wanted to type something up.

I just swapped caps from one realforce 87U to another realforce 87U and I'm thinking it took me around 15 minutes, that's with me playing with the space bar spring etc. And sitting on the couch listening to headphones at the same time so I wasn't trying to see how fast I could do it.

Just curious how long does it normally take you to swap a set of caps?

Maybe we should have speed runs, of course we wouldn't want any broken stems so please, swap caps responsibly.  :thumb:

Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: ideus on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:27:21
I'm sure this thread exists but I need to try out this keyboard I'm using so I wanted to type something up.

I just swapped caps from one realforce 87U to another realforce 87U and I'm thinking it took me around 15 minutes, that's with me playing with the space bar spring etc. And sitting on the couch listening to headphones at the same time so I wasn't trying to see how fast I could do it.

Just curious how long does it normally take you to swap a set of caps?

Maybe we should have speed runs, of course we wouldn't want any broken stems so please, swap caps responsibly.  :thumb:



Maybe the same here, but I only use under TKLs, so maybe I am slower than you.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: Zeal on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:33:41
Swapping unsorted blanks take the longest. Good thing Cherry POM caps have roman numerals underneath. ;)

Vortex blanks on the other hand...
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: Sent on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:35:10
Yeah...if it's unsorted blanks...takes me a while.  Otherwise...dunno.  Should time myself.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: Moralless on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:37:08
Swapping unsorted blanks take the longest.

I learnt this the hard way when I took my hhkb apart to lube it for the first time  :blank:

But yeah I think it takes me around 10-15 mins when I switching keysets around and a bit faster on boards with cherry stabilizers and not co star.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: noisyturtle on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:45:38
When it's set swappin' day it's also board cleaning day, so I usually spend a good 2-3hrs taking everything apart for cleaning and putting it back together again. This only happens like twice a year.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:48:23
I'm just sitting here thinking other than my main daily driver I don't use my other keyboards long enough that they need cleaning.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: exitfire401 on Wed, 04 February 2015, 22:57:11
10 minutes at the longest for me. Thankfully, I have no blanks haha
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: rowdy on Wed, 04 February 2015, 23:35:32
I have never timed myself.  It is an interesting question to ponder.

Costar stabs takes me longer.  Also I tend to clean the keyboard while the keycaps are off.  And also take pictures during installation of the new set.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: Corey on Wed, 04 February 2015, 23:58:28
Cleaned my key caps today and realized upon putting them back on that I have no idea where they even go. I can sit here and touch type but when it comes to knowing where each and every cap is I'm lost. It took me a while cause I was looking at a picture  :D
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: Melvang on Thu, 05 February 2015, 00:26:58
Thank you for the idea guys.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=68459.0
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 05 February 2015, 03:11:30
I was wondering whether SpAmRaY actually asked the question to gauge the competition for this giveaway :))
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: drewba on Thu, 05 February 2015, 20:40:05
Thank you for the idea guys.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=68459.0

:O Now there's an idea...

To answer the question though, I'm with Rowdy. I probably take about 15 minutes to remove everything but I end up lubing stabs, getting rid of dust and taking pictures. Real time ~1 hour?
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: GenKaan on Fri, 06 February 2015, 04:29:34
Taking off caps, cleaning them, drying them, cleaning the board (not taking it apart) and putting the caps back on takes a little over an hour for me. Never tried doing it as quick as possible, most of the time listing to a audiobook so I dont mind it taking some time

Going to put on some up tempo music and time myself next time!
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: bueller on Fri, 06 February 2015, 04:36:15
Too long. I have real trouble staying focused on tedious jobs so things like swapping caps usually takes me a few hours. It's one of the reasons I don't bother trying to do my own builds any more, soldering my GH60 probably took me 2-3 days and in the end I still needed to send it off for troubleshooting because of a diode that was soldered on backwards at the factory.

Which reminds me, I really need to take my Classic Beige set off my work board and give them a clean. Don't think I've cleaned them other than a quick wipe since I bought them :\
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: katushkin on Fri, 06 February 2015, 09:00:50
A lot longer than that. Especially if a board has Costar stabs *shudder* or they inserts for the caps to go onto said stabilisers are over used and keep falling out *double shudder*

Usually with a keyset change comes a deep clean, so it takes me a while usually.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: azhdar on Fri, 06 February 2015, 09:11:24
I think it's a lot faster with the platic keycap puller than the wire type but it's way more agressive to the keycap.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: HPE1000 on Fri, 06 February 2015, 09:19:46
If the keycaps are blank, it takes some time, as everyone else says. But it takes even longer if the keycaps are cherry profile because, at least from my experience, those wire keypullers can dig into the keycaps and dent them. So if I am swapping out cherry profile keycaps, I usually use the wire keypuller for the 1x keys and then floss for the 1.25, 1.5+ size keycaps. That takes a lot of time, I have not timed it but probably 25 mins if they are cherry profile.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 06 February 2015, 09:23:41
If the keycaps are blank, it takes some time, as everyone else says. But it takes even longer if the keycaps are cherry profile because, at least from my experience, those wire keypullers can dig into the keycaps and dent them. So if I am swapping out cherry profile keycaps, I usually use the wire keypuller for the 1x keys and then floss for the 1.25, 1.5+ size keycaps. That takes a lot of time, I have not timed it but probably 25 mins if they are cherry profile.

Don't hear too many people mention using floss that is interesting.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: HPE1000 on Fri, 06 February 2015, 09:33:31
If the keycaps are blank, it takes some time, as everyone else says. But it takes even longer if the keycaps are cherry profile because, at least from my experience, those wire keypullers can dig into the keycaps and dent them. So if I am swapping out cherry profile keycaps, I usually use the wire keypuller for the 1x keys and then floss for the 1.25, 1.5+ size keycaps. That takes a lot of time, I have not timed it but probably 25 mins if they are cherry profile.

Don't hear too many people mention using floss that is interesting.
I use it every time I take off an artisan keycap that can't be pulled off with my hand. Much safer than any other way I have found.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 06 February 2015, 09:40:53
If the keycaps are blank, it takes some time, as everyone else says. But it takes even longer if the keycaps are cherry profile because, at least from my experience, those wire keypullers can dig into the keycaps and dent them. So if I am swapping out cherry profile keycaps, I usually use the wire keypuller for the 1x keys and then floss for the 1.25, 1.5+ size keycaps. That takes a lot of time, I have not timed it but probably 25 mins if they are cherry profile.

Don't hear too many people mention using floss that is interesting.
I use it every time I take off an artisan keycap that can't be pulled off with my hand. Much safer than any other way I have found.

I use this for pretty much everything

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: monotagary on Fri, 06 February 2015, 10:37:01
I swapped blank black keycaps for blank white/grey on my HHKB. Probably only took about 10 minutes since they were sorted, but I have taken off the blanks on my HHKB to clean it. I just left them in a big pile... putting them all back on took about 25 minutes since I had to resort them by row first.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: swornxin on Tue, 10 February 2015, 15:14:01
I would probably guess around 15 minutes.  Like someone else said, it's faster with Cherry stabs as opposed to Costar.  Maybe I will time myself next time I have to change.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: Cheese! on Thu, 12 February 2015, 17:55:33
Well...I start with all intentions just to swap the keys, then it becomes a full blown cleaning mission...so up to an hour and a half...then put another hour if I am watching a film. Efficiency is not my strong suit.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: BrewCaps on Thu, 12 February 2015, 19:14:20
Usually in a BB halftime.
Title: Re: How long does it take you to swap key caps?
Post by: base_on_base on Thu, 12 February 2015, 22:06:10
I watch a movie while switching caps so ≈2 hours[length of the movie]. I could definitely switch keycaps faster than that but I'm never really in a situation where I have to replace a whole set quickly.