Help with Panda Clear mod

[TrulyNolan]

Hi, first post, and I'm in a pickle.

So my girlfriend really wants a Panda Clear modded keyboard, but she wants one with blue LEDs. Now, I've never really modded a keyboard before, let alone an LED keyboard. Hell, I've never even owned an LED keyboard in my 6 years of using mechanical keyboards.

Should I be looking for specific keyboards? Where can/should I buy MX Clear switches or stems? What tools will I need?

Any help will be amazing.

[Jersern]

If you want to do the mod yourself you will need:
Soldering iron, desoldering pump or wick or iron, solder, paper clip or screwdriver (small flat head) and obviously the springs and switches

just desolder everything, I mean everything! Take note of the orientation of the LEDs so a special feature to know which way to put it in. Open the switches using the paper clip or screwdriver. If you use the paper clip search up paperclip switch tools and there should be a photo guide of it. If you use a screw driver, you just pry up the feet so to speak on the sides of the switches. Pop the top off. Replace the spring put it back together and resolder everything!

You can buy a clear switched keyboard and then buy the black switches to replace them with to get panda clears. You can get a CODE keyboard which has white LEDs and mod them to blue or keep them white since the white looks rather nice!

If you want myself and many other users offer keyboard customisation services so that's the easy way out of this. If you want black switches, I can send you enough to cover a keyboard at a relatively low cost so you can harvest the springs. I do believe however that I only have enough for a TKL at the moment. I know I have more but they're in a box tucked away deep in my wardrobe and I do not want to go digging for it! If you want new Black or clear switches, depending on where you are, mechanicalkeyboards.com and 7bit @ deskthority are good bets.

Don't hesitate to ask me any more quesitons but I am going on a holiday in a days time so I won't be able to reply much when I am on holidays!

[TrulyNolan]

If you want to do the mod yourself you will need:
Soldering iron, desoldering pump or wick or iron, solder, paper clip or screwdriver (small flat head) and obviously the springs and switches

just desolder everything, I mean everything! Take note of the orientation of the LEDs so a special feature to know which way to put it in. Open the switches using the paper clip or screwdriver. If you use the paper clip search up paperclip switch tools and there should be a photo guide of it. If you use a screw driver, you just pry up the feet so to speak on the sides of the switches. Pop the top off. Replace the spring put it back together and resolder everything!

You can buy a clear switched keyboard and then buy the black switches to replace them with to get panda clears. You can get a CODE keyboard which has white LEDs and mod them to blue or keep them white since the white looks rather nice!

If you want myself and many other users offer keyboard customisation services so that's the easy way out of this. If you want black switches, I can send you enough to cover a keyboard at a relatively low cost so you can harvest the springs. I do believe however that I only have enough for a TKL at the moment. I know I have more but they're in a box tucked away deep in my wardrobe and I do not want to go digging for it! If you want new Black or clear switches, depending on where you are, mechanicalkeyboards.com and 7bit @ deskthority are good bets.

Don't hesitate to ask me any more quesitons but I am going on a holiday in a days time so I won't be able to reply much when I am on holidays!

LEDs aren't a necessity, I just know she'd like them.

Now, I really don't have any soldering experience whatsoever, so would I need to desolder if there's no LEDs or do you have to desolder no matter what?

[Jersern]

You'll be desoldering the switches then. Basically it's a must unless you buy a PCB mounted keyboard (which are very very rare and usually customs only).

[nubbinator]

If it's PCB mounted, you don't have to desolder.  Plate mounted you will need to.

[TrulyNolan]

You'll be desoldering the switches then. Basically it's a must unless you buy a PCB mounted keyboard (which are very very rare and usually customs only).

I might have to have someone here do it, then, because I'm not very comfortable with desoldering LEDs.
I use a buckling spring keyboard and am not too familiar with the whole desoldering/soldering of keyboards.
Most I've had to solder is a vaporizer box mod.

[Jersern]

That's a good choice if you're not too comfortable! If you're in the US there's tons of people who do modification work. If you're in AUS, then I think I am the only one. There's also a few in Europe.

[TrulyNolan]

That's a good choice if you're not too comfortable! If you're in the US there's tons of people who do modification work. If you're in AUS, then I think I am the only one. There's also a few in Europe.

I'm in the US. I've heard the Vortex Pokers are PCB mounted, is that true?

[Jersern]

Yes but that was a long time ago. The Poker 2 and Pok3r are both plate mounted.

[TrulyNolan]

Yes but that was a long time ago. The Poker 2 and Pok3r are both plate mounted.

Do you have any links to a PCB mounted keyboard or are they just THAT rare?

[Jersern]

I can't think of any off the top of my head. Honestly, a plate mounted board in my opinion is better as the extra structural integrity is rather nice!

[TrulyNolan]

I can't think of any off the top of my head. Honestly, a plate mounted board in my opinion is better as the extra structural integrity is rather nice!

Oh well, I'll probably just hit up someone on here. Thank you.

Would a keyboard with clears be a better options or a keyboard with blacks?

[Jersern]

Depends on preferences!

[TrulyNolan]

Depends on preferences!

She likes blues and browns, so maybe the MX Black keyboard with MX Clear sliders?

[Jersern]

If she likes blues and browns, why not go ergo clears??? 

[jacobolus]

So my girlfriend really wants a Panda Clear modded keyboard,

She likes blues and browns,

Are you sure your girlfriend understands what “panda clear” means? I’d recommend modding one switch in a switch tester or keyboard you already have, or trying to find someone who already has a keyboard with those switches to try for a few minutes, before you go to the trouble to do a full keyboard worth of spring swaps and soldering.

[Jersern]

Panda clears are almost nothing like blues and browns. Ergo clears are like browns except with a large bump so I'd say that's closer to what she likes...

[Defect]

If you are new to MX switches, heres a quick summary.

4 stem types:
Linear (Black/Red/some Grey)
Low Tactile (Brown)
High Tactile (Clear, Grey)
Clicky (Blue, Green, White)

Three Stock Springs
45g actuation, 60g bottom out (red, brown, blue)
80g bottom out (black, green, white)
85g bottom out (clear)

Switch mod names (prefix):
Kirkle - clear with 45g cherry springs
Ergo - Korean springs usually in 62g - 70g range
Panda - stock black spring

Korean springs are often measured in bottom out force while Cherry is often measured in force to actuation.  So a 62g Korean spring is slightly heavier than a 45g cherry spring (which is about 60g bottom out).

Panda clear is clear stem with black spring.

I also was testing my macro lens last night and have some comparisons here

[rainb1ood]

Kirkle - clear with 45g cherry springs

How come I see post like 55g Kirkle clears?

[Findecanor]

I don't know of any modern keyboard with PCB-mounted switches. It is mostly Cherry's own old models and a couple of Chinese kit-keyboards that have PCB-mounting.

You could start either with a kit keyboard, where you mod the switches before you install them, or buy a ready-made keyboard and desolder the switches, mod them and solder them back on. It is more difficult to desolder a switch off than solder a switch on - and more risk for screwing up: you must not overheat the PCB.
Whichever you choose, I think it would be easier to buy (a keyboard with) new Clear switches and then buy used Black springs from a member here on Geekhack than the other way around.

Kirkle - clear with 45g cherry springs
Ergo - Korean springs usually in 62g - 70g range

No. "Ergo Clear" is mostly used to mean a Clear with a 45g spring from a stock Red, Brown or Blue switch.
Although, you could call every type of Clear with a lighter spring "Ergo" ...
I have never heard "Kirkle" before.

You can get a CODE keyboard which has white LEDs and mod them to blue or keep them white since the white looks rather nice!

Read also up on "LED covers". They are translucent plastic covers that you can slide over the LEDs to change the colours without having to solder anything.

[Defect]

Kirkle - clear with 45g cherry springs

How come I see post like 55g Kirkle clears?

I mean these are all phrases made by the community...people will call things what they want.

Its my understanding that kirkle clears are clears with the light cherry springs.  They have issues with sticking on the upstroke.  That's why the most common light spring mod for clears is 62g ergo clears (Korean).  As light as you can go with no stick on the upstroke.

Kind of going off topic.  Sorry OP.

If you want backlighting, ducky has some amazing options in their Shine series.  Solid board as well, and the Shine 3 even has (discontinued) TKL versions.   What is the board going to be used for?  Many GHers prefer smaller sized boards for ergonomic reasons.

[berserkfan]

Hi, first post, and I'm in a pickle.

So my girlfriend really wants a Panda Clear modded keyboard, but she wants one with blue LEDs. Now, I've never really modded a keyboard before, let alone an LED keyboard. Hell, I've never even owned an LED keyboard in my 6 years of using mechanical keyboards.

Should I be looking for specific keyboards? Where can/should I buy MX Clear switches or stems? What tools will I need?

Any help will be amazing.

You can certainly get the clear stems/ black springs from me, but from your posts, it is obvious you need someone to do the assembly. Secure that guy (does Kmiller still do this?) first and hear what he recommends. EG I believe kmiller has done more Corsairs.

[ideus]

If you are new to MX switches, heres a quick summary.

4 stem types:
Linear (Black/Red/some Grey)
Low Tactile (Brown)
High Tactile (Clear, Grey)
Clicky (Blue, Green, White)

Three Stock Springs
45g actuation, 60g bottom out (red, brown, blue)
80g bottom out (black, green, white)
85g bottom out (clear)

Switch mod names (prefix):
Kirkle - clear with 45g cherry springs
Ergo - Korean springs usually in 62g - 70g range
Panda - stock black spring

Korean springs are often measured in bottom out force while Cherry is often measured in force to actuation.  So a 62g Korean spring is slightly heavier than a 45g cherry spring (which is about 60g bottom out).

Panda clear is clear stem with black spring.

I also was testing my macro lens last night and have some comparisons here

Thank you for the nice summary, and your pictures are also very nice.

[TrulyNolan]

She used a SteelSeries 6GV2 for like 2 years, so I'm pretty sure it's safe to say she'd like either configuration.

[jacobolus]

She used a SteelSeries 6GV2 for like 2 years, so I'm pretty sure it's safe to say she'd like either configuration.

Has your girlfriend explained why she wants “panda clear” switches? Those should be substantially stiffer than either the blue or brown MX switches you said she likes. Has she tried them before, or it’s just something that sounds interesting?

It really doesn’t matter whether you get a black switch and put the clear slider in, or get a clear switch and put the black spring in: the result is literally identical either way.

But either way, that’s a pretty stiff switch, that I personally find too stiff to comfortably type on for long stretches of time. It will probably be a pretty big shock going from MX brown to “panda clear”.

[Jersern]

Has your girlfriend explained why she wants �panda clear� switches? Those should be substantially stiffer than either the blue or brown MX switches you said she likes. Has she tried them before, or it�s just something that sounds interesting?

It really doesn�t matter whether you get a black switch and put the clear slider in, or get a clear switch and put the black spring in: the result is literally identical either way.

But either way, that�s a pretty stiff switch, that I personally find too stiff to comfortably type on for long stretches of time. It will probably be a pretty big shock going from MX brown to �panda clear�.

That is very true but since I am a rather heavy handed typer I actually like the panda clears though ergo clears are a very nice.

[TrulyNolan]

She wanted something like her 6GV2 but something that felt stronger. She likes the feel of Blacks and Reds, but she likes the sound of the click from blues, not so much the typing experience. When I showed her clears, she wanted something with clears, but still wanted something similar to her 6GV2, so I thought about Panda Clear.

[ideus]

I am confused now, is the keyboard for you, or for her?

[TrulyNolan]

I am confused now, is the keyboard for you, or for her?

For her. It's a present, I'm just trying to figure out how to make this possible and what I need.
I have a Unicomp keyboard.

[ideus]

I am confused now, is the keyboard for you, or for her?

For her. It's a present, I'm just trying to figure out how to make this possible and what I need.
I have a Unicomp keyboard.

Yeah but you said this:

That is very true but since I am a rather heavy handed typer I actually like the panda clears though ergo clears are a very nice.

[TrulyNolan]

I am confused now, is the keyboard for you, or for her?

For her. It's a present, I'm just trying to figure out how to make this possible and what I need.
I have a Unicomp keyboard.

Yeah but you said this:

That is very true but since I am a rather heavy handed typer I actually like the panda clears though ergo clears are a very nice.

Jersen said that, not me.

[berserkfan]

She wanted something like her 6GV2 but something that felt stronger. She likes the feel of Blacks and Reds, but she likes the sound of the click from blues, not so much the typing experience. When I showed her clears, she wanted something with clears, but still wanted something similar to her 6GV2, so I thought about Panda Clear.

Based on your info I think Panda clears will work. Sounds like a big woman though!

[TrulyNolan]

She wanted something like her 6GV2 but something that felt stronger. She likes the feel of Blacks and Reds, but she likes the sound of the click from blues, not so much the typing experience. When I showed her clears, she wanted something with clears, but still wanted something similar to her 6GV2, so I thought about Panda Clear.

Based on your info I think Panda clears will work. Sounds like a big woman though!

Hahaha, no, she's a wee girl. Just types really aggressively.