Keycool 87 - Red to Clears switch swap.

[margo baggins]

Hello Geekhackers,

Did my first major keyboard mod last night - changed the 87 switch stems and springs on my tkl from reds to clears. Over all, it wasn't very hard at all. I had started taking the switches off with just a soldering iron a couple of weeks ago, but them my old iron broke (something to do with leaving it on the power cable when it was on or something...) but that was very time consuming and slow, so I bought a new nifty iron, a stand (to ensure this iron doesn't go as the last one did) and most importantly - a desoldering pump! which meant I got the last 30 odd switches off in about 15 - 20 minutes. taking apart each switch and changing the spring and stem was the most time consuming part of the mod.

Here's a couple of potatoes for you:

For some reason I didn't start taking pictures until all the switches were off, stem and spring swapping


Sad naked keycool:


let there be switch!


and it's nearly back together:


Took me about 4 hours last night, to take off the last 30 or so switches, swap all 87 switch stems and springs, re-solder all the switches back onto the board and put all the caps back. But in that time I also nipped down the road to the cash machine and had some tea, so it wasn't 4 hours of hard labor. stem swapping took me about 1 minute per switch, and I had to keep resting my eyes as I'm a bit blind and focusing on all these small bits was sending my eyes loopy. Soldering the switches was extremely easy.

I have left out the 3 LEDs for the time being as I have ordered some purple ones to put in instead of the blue ones.

I think I am going to half plate this, by taking a dremel to the plate. I just need to be a bit braver before I do that.

[CeeSA]

what's about open the case/housing? Was it easy? I heard the case is glued...

[margo baggins]

what's about open the case/housing? Was it easy? I heard the case is glued...

There are three screws, and then there are 4 places around the outside of the case where the lip of the top piece sort of clips over the bottom piece. I just used a tool similar to that you use for opening iphones etc. and stuck it in these four places to separate the top piece from the bottom piece.

[tp4tissue]

You guys have immense patience.. I would've given up and paid some kid to do it.

[margo baggins]

You guys have immense patience.. I would've given up and paid some kid to do it.

haha, I think when I was at school, I was that kid people paid to solder things. Though now as an adult, it's a skill I still have! Plus - it's nice to say "i did that"

[IvanIvanovich]

You shouldn't do half plate mod, as you don't have the additional holes in the pcb for pcb mount switch pins. No plate on plate mount switch is not the best idea as all the stress is put on the solder joint and there is nothing else to keep the switch steady.

[margo baggins]

You shouldn't do half plate mod, as you don't have the additional holes in the pcb for pcb mount switch pins. No plate on plate mount switch is not the best idea as all the stress is put on the solder joint and there is nothing else to keep the switch steady.

Oh I just looked up the differences between the switches and you are right!

Thanks for the heads up

[rek55]

Well done! I think it took me 3-4 hours to do my mod (of only 8 switches), but that is including opening the Das case (which was quite the event) and desoldering them without a desoldering pump (only had a wick from Radioshack).

Hope you had as much fun doing yours as I did with mine!

[1839cc]

I just used a tool similar to that you use for opening iphones etc. and stuck it in these four places to separate the top piece from the bottom piece.

Oh you mean a screwdriver.

How do you like the result of your mod?

[margo baggins]

I just used a tool similar to that you use for opening iphones etc. and stuck it in these four places to separate the top piece from the bottom piece.

Oh you mean a screwdriver.

How do you like the result of your mod?

I reckon a screwdriver would mark the plastic. No the tool I am refering to is made of plastic and has a wide flat end. Is a case opener

I like it alot! Though on further reading I did find out that this board did come out with clears as a special edition anyway - but I don't think I've ever seen one. But no I really enjoy typing on clears, I seem to be able to type faster on tactile switches than linear ones, but this is my first time on something with such a strong spring.

[1839cc]

Glad you like them. My Leopold is a special edition too. That seems to be the way it goes. I like the strong spring, but I'm curious about ergo-clears. I guess I need to make some sometime and see if I like them.... You could cerrtainly do the same if you find straight clears fatiguing after a month or two.