Help? How to change cherry switches?

[Jixr]

Hi, Sorry if this is a dead horse, but i'm new here and new to the mechanical keyboard world.

So my first board had MX blues, which I love, then I picked up one with MX reds that I did'nt end up keeping, as it wasn't as good as I would have liked for typing ( first exp with reds )
But I did quickly learn that reds are very nice in FPS gaming. ( though blues are not as bad as everyone says IMO )

Then I read up on modding keyboards, and the thought came across my head why not replace the WASD keys from blue switches to reds?
( while keeping the springs from the blues to help keep the same acutaction forces )

1. Is this a good idea.
2. I don't know if my board ( quickfire rapid ) is plate or pcb mounted.
3. is there a guide or write up on how to pop open the switches?

I figured I would order about 6 red switches ( in case i break one trying to learn how they pop open )

Out of all the switches i've tried ( red blue blacks ) I love the blues the best, but thought it would be cool to have a more custom and personal board ( i've already painted it and have custom keycaps )

The only worry is sometimes I don't use WASD in games such as starcraft and i'm not sure if it would throw off my general typing.
( Switches are bout $1 ea so I figured it would cost me about $10min to do the mod, but i'd probably end up ordering some other items too )

[CPTBadAss]

Reds, blues, and browns use the same spring first off.

The QFR is plated so you'll have to desolder the switches, open them up, then swap the stems.

[Jixr]

Thats what I was afraid of. I saw some videos you can just pop open the top, but my soldering skills are not the best. I can connect to wires crudely, but not sure If I wanna take the risk of loosing a board because I done goofed.

[CPTBadAss]

Tops will come off on PCB-mounted boards or if the board has a custom plate that has cutouts that allow you to open the them.

[oTurtlez]

Thats what I was afraid of. I saw some videos you can just pop open the top, but my soldering skills are not the best. I can connect to wires crudely, but not sure If I wanna take the risk of loosing a board because I done goofed.

As long as you have halfway decent gear, soldering isn't bad. Sure, if you've got a $10 radioshack iron and no desoldering gear, you're going to run into trouble. But if you snag a Yihua 936 or some comparable station (The Yihua is only $15 + $15 shipping though it works almost as well as some $100 irons) and a cheap solder pump or radioshack desoldering iron, hell, even some soldering wick should do the trick and it'll be a breeze. In reality, you're only desoldering 8 joints and resoldering 8 joints. Just take your time, you can do it.

[Jixr]

yeah, actually all i have is a radioshack iron. I suppose I'll just let this idea pass for now. Maybe once I have funds to get an orbweaver for work i'll try modding it a bit, i love blues but won't see them in an office setting, and not sure how the browns will be.

[linziyi]

:O I never know that blue, brown, red use the same spring!

[Jixr]

But my quesion is do you guys think it would be a good idea to make a mixed board?

I'm worried about spending all the money for the parts, time of swapping the stems, and putting it back together just to instantly think "ew, this sucks"

[CPTBadAss]

I've said this before in another thread but non-uniform boards makes me CPTSadMass. If you read my Complete Switch Review in my Wiki, I had to the chance to try a mixed linear and tactile board that MK.com sells. The linear has a mix of reds, blacks, and greys. The tactile had Browns, Clears, and Whites/Greys (can't remember). It was a horrible typing experience for me.

[Xenderwind]

I think the only keys I would use a different switch for is like space bar or escape.

[Jixr]

well my reasoning for doing the WASD keys is because as far as gaming goes, i would say i'm 80% fps games, and the other 20 is RTS and for the little time I had my red board, I loved the keys for FPS games. I also like the idea of having a weird and unique board. If i had the money, I would just buy a board with every switch, but that won't happen.

I like both switches for different reasons, but no sense in having 2 keyboards on a desk when you can only use one, and Don't have the cash to buy a $130 orbweaver in browns to change to reds with.

[rowdy]

We cannot tell you whether you would like a variable MX board.

It might be inconvenient or uncomfortable for gaming, but if done right might enhance the typing experience.

[oTurtlez]

well my reasoning for doing the WASD keys is because as far as gaming goes, i would say i'm 80% fps games, and the other 20 is RTS and for the little time I had my red board, I loved the keys for FPS games. I also like the idea of having a weird and unique board. If i had the money, I would just buy a board with every switch, but that won't happen.

I like both switches for different reasons, but no sense in having 2 keyboards on a desk when you can only use one, and Don't have the cash to buy a $130 orbweaver in browns to change to reds with.

If you're going to do that then I'd replace WASD, and QER, FG, and 1 - 6.

[Jixr]

Although, I've been very very interested in picking up an orbweaver, I have the nostromo at work, and for what I have it programed to do, its amazing, but the $130 price tag of the orbweaver is a big price, even though I would be using it 8 hours a day at work, then whatever time I spend at home using it.

Maybe I would be better off buying one of those to replace the blues/browns with reds. ( though I may end up liking the browns, never tried them before, only bule red and blk's )

[oTurtlez]

Although, I've been very very interested in picking up an orbweaver, I have the nostromo at work, and for what I have it programed to do, its amazing, but the $130 price tag of the orbweaver is a big price, even though I would be using it 8 hours a day at work, then whatever time I spend at home using it.

Maybe I would be better off buying one of those to replace the blues/browns with reds. ( though I may end up liking the browns, never tried them before, only bule red and blk's )

For me, browns felt the exact same as reds unless you dont bottom out. And then, it just felt like something was stuck in a red switch. I didn't like them at all. I think, if you're going to use it for 8 hours a day then it is by far worth the $130 price tag, hands down.

[Jixr]

Yeah, It would pretty much pay for itself after a day and a half of working, but I've already spent so much money on my office computer set up ( $100 mouse, $100 chair, $400 monitor, $50 for the nostromo, etc. I don't get paid that much, but I couldn't stand working on the office issued equipment ( most people in the office are still working on P4's and ancient hardware that dosn't even meet the minimum requirements for autocad ) I kinda hate spending more money on computer equipment, even if it will help me out at my job.

Ever since I got my mechanical keyboard, my domes in my office issued keyboard and my nostromo feel like junk.

and If i did replace the switches, thats about $40 worth of switches ( 20 switches ) and that adds up to a very pricy device. ( though like my mouse, I would probably end up taking it to and from work everyday ) I never really tried gaming on my nostromo, since it does have a very steep learning curve. I did try it out with BF3, but it felt very weird to me. But I can see how having a custom profile for games like starcraft and such would prove very useful once you learned the hang of it. And I also HATE the way 99% of pc hardware looks, all black with red/blue/green led's, its just so ugly, I'd probably end up painting it white eventually. And lastly, I hate ordering things like this online. I'm very very very picky with my computer hardware, and if I decided I want to return it, thats probably at least $30 total in shipping thrown away with nothing to show for it.

And i've heard very mixed things about the browns, mostly that they are awesome, or feel like dirty reds. I do bottom out, and with the reds, thats the only way i knew if I had actuated the switch,

[Xenderwind]

20 switches is not $40 o.O

[oTurtlez]

20 switches is not $40 o.O

You can get a boat load of blacks if you want for $18 from WhiskyTango, or you can join a GB for switches at $0.64 a switch, which is substantially less than $40.

[Jixr]

Well, from what I've seen outside of private sellers and GB's, most online sites sell reds around $2 a pop

[MKULTRA]

Well, from what I've seen outside of private sellers and GB's, most online sites sell reds around $2 a pop

That is really marked up.  Make a post in the classifieds.  I got used clears for .45 ea if I recall correctly.  Also replaced WASD with reds seems super pointless.

[SpAmRaY]

I think I saw a single gray mx switch on ebay for like $20

[oTurtlez]

I think I saw a single gray mx switch on ebay for like $20

Let's not even get started on Super Black pricing...

[monday]

first off I don't like having to switches on one keyboard but you might... and second I was hesitant about switching switches at first and it turned out to be no big deal you don't need to know how to solder and you don't need good gear to do it being that they are just pugs in holes. so what I do when I'm taking off the switches is put the tip of my soldering pen on both of the contacts, let it heat up and then push down. then clean up the holes where the pegs go in and pop in a new switch and heat it back up. the first thing I did with switches was redo a whole board taking the switches from my BW kind of ghetto but it worked

[Larken]

mixing linear and tactile switches on alphakeys is generally a bad idea as it throws people off while they type. Speaking from personal experience, even a variable weighted board is off-putting if not done properly (ie. variance between spring weights are too big), or if your fingers are already used to the uniform weight.