Where do I even start?

[Arrbjorn]

What's up? I'm a dev from Dallas, Tx and I'm 100% fed up with expensive pre-built mechanical keyboard that don't live up to their reputation. So I've been trying to learn about building custom mechanicals, but I'm having a hard time finding anything actually up for sale. I take it like 90% of items are sold during group buys? Just trying to figure stuff out.

So far I've gone through a DAS Keyboard and a Ducky. The DAS still works, but the keycaps are horribly worn and it's clunky/plasticy as hell. The Ducky is a lot more solid, and the keycaps are looking good because I made sure to get the doubleshot PBT caps, but it's dropped F and the numpad 2 for some reason. If I push them enough times they'll work eventually, but not really sure what to do to fix them and not sure it's worth the effort if the switches are just going to keep going out.

What I want to build:

A keyboard with a solid heavy base, zero clunk, and some heavyweight switches (I type really heavily). I'd like a minimal aesthetic if possible, something low-profile preferably, and a PCB that's QMK compatible. Since 100% seems to be a pipe dream I'd be happy with a 70% or 75% and I can build a ten-key stand-alone later. RGB is not a necessity, but it would be nice.

I do know how to solder, but since I'm new to this I'm 100% sure I'm going to want to mess around with different switches, so hot-swappable PCB would be preferred, but if somebody can give me a switch their 90% sure I'll love I don't mind putting in the work to solder switches on.

I've heard a lot of people talk about how stabs can be the difference between a nice feeling keyboard and a clacky keyboard, and something about how lubing is important, but couldn't really find any solid information on what to look for in a good set of stabs and what the lube does (what effect it has) and what the proper application is.

Can anyone help me figure out where I need to get started? I really don't want to buy another pre-made, and I hear awful things about Drop's kits, and I honestly don't know where else to turn.

[doublethink665]

Welcome! This forum is a great place to get started. I suggest looking around at what others have built and think about what you like and dislike about those builds. I did that and it helped me create a mental image of something that would fit all my desires. As I tried to make it my desires evolved and eventually I figured out something that works for me. It was not a quick process. Do not get discouraged. Ask around when you have questions. Look at other people's work for inspiration. You will probably learn a ton while on your journey. I sure did.
The hardest thing for me when I started down the diy keyboard path was finding the right terminology to search for to get the answers I needed. I'll try to list the main ones here. Sorry if I over-explain.

I'm on the opposite side of the switch spectrum. I like light switches. It took a long time to find the ones I like, and the ones that had specs that seemed the best turned out to feel awful to me. My advice is to find a site that sells keys in small numbers and get a few of several different switches, and try them in a simple keyboard, not a full one. I did that and found out pretty quickly which ones I liked the best. Some sites even sell switch sampler packs.

You might find some that are almost what you want, but none that are perfect. That is ok. There are several things you can change about switches, and there are many posts here about that. People call this switch modding.

switches have a few stats almost everyone seems to report:
actuation distance: this is how far you need to press the key before the switch will activate, aka say "I'm pressed"
activation force: this is the amount of force needed to get the switch to activate
bottom out distance: this is how far you need to press the key all the way to the bottom.
bottom out force: this is the amount of force needed to press the switch all the way to the bottom.

switches come in different types:
clicky: you will feel a little bump as you press the key. when you press past this bump, the key makes a clicky sound.
tactile: you feel the bump like clicky, but it doesn't make the clicky sound.
linear: no bump. no clicky sound.

switches tend to be pretty tall, but they do make low profile switches now.
here's a link to some. you will need to find keycaps specifically designed to fit these.
https://novelkeys.xyz/collections/switches/products/kailh-low-profile-switches?variant=3747939647528
If you go with cherry mx compatible switches, here is a link to some springs to customize the force. You can make them pretty heavy.
I tried making mine lighter and the spring did not have enough strength to move the switch over the tactile bump, so the switch was always activated. Making them heavier is probably going to be easier.
I hear good things about lubing switches but I have never tried it.

There are many switch technologies, too. rubber domes, torpre, alps, buckling spring, cherry mx are the ones that come to mind right now. cherry mx are the most widespread and easiest to obtain caps for.

there are lots of kits you can buy and put together yourself. The coolest part is that you can modify them to your liking.
I went with the BFO9000 and wound up just using the plates, soldering the switches to some ribbon cables, and connecting them to a breadboard so I could experiment with different controllers. I didn't use the pcb. You are under no obligation to use all of a kit or to use only one kit. I love that. Some people just use some clay or sugru and stick the switches in there, then solder them up.
If you want to wire your own without a pcb, we call that handwiring. There are good handwiring tutorials out there.
It's best to buy diodes in bulk. They can go as low as a penny each if you buy 1000. I learned this the hard way after buying 100 several times and paying 3 to 5 cents each, messing up my board and being faced with another long shipping time to get more. I stink at desoldering diodes from pcbs.

I don't like drop. Making me sign in just to look at things offends my lurker sensibilities 
no idea about their kits, though.
oh, yeah: some people have very strong opinions about what is best and will tell you everything else is objectively bad. This is usually wrong.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck and have fun!

[jamster]

The Ducky is a lot more solid, and the keycaps are looking good because I made sure to get the doubleshot PBT caps, but it's dropped F and the numpad 2 for some reason. If I push them enough times they'll work eventually, but not really sure what to do to fix them and not sure it's worth the effort if the switches are just going to keep going out.

If you are otherwise happy with the board, you could just desolder those two switches, and drop in replacements. That's going to be a lot faster and easier than sourcing all the parts for a new keyboard.

What I want to build:

I do know how to solder, but since I'm new to this I'm 100% sure I'm going to want to mess around with different switches, so hot-swappable PCB would be preferred, but if somebody can give me a switch their 90% sure I'll love I don't mind putting in the work to solder switches on.

Nobody can tell you with 90% accuracy which switches you are going to like, even if you could describe what you are looking for beyond "really heavy." Even if you could describe linear/tactile/clicky, it depends on... lots of things.

Rather than trying to build your perfect board the first time around, you might be better served buying something semi-temporary that will still last you for years if you want. Something like a hot swappable GMMK comes either with your switches of choice (there is a wide choice) or just blank to drop your own into. It's cheap enough not to hurt if and when you retire the board, and if you like the switches, you recycle them into another board.

Really, there is nothing wrong with going pre-made. Plenty of us here run off the shelf boards, even if we own weirder/customised ones as well. The hard part is really coming to understand your own preferences well enough so that whatever you buy is something that you're likely to be satisfied with, and to do this it simply takes a bit of experimentation and experience.

[Arrbjorn]

Thanks guys.

I went ahead and desoldered all the switches on my ducky. I'm going to replace them with some tactile switches and put some neoprene in it to dampen it and see how I like it. I may see if I can find something to add as a weight as well as I like a nice heavy keyboard.

I think for now I'm going to upgrade the ducky a little, and probably pick up a GMMK just to play around with different switches in if nothing else. I really wish someone made a CNC'd solid steel keyboard case, but I have a feeling I'd have to have that custom made.