Noob questions on KUL ErgoClear modifications

[jamster]

So I'm about to start an ErgoClear mod on a KUL ES-87 and have a couple of questions that I figure that, despite being embarrasingly noobish, are better asked now before I start taking tools to the board.

First, after opening the case, I now have a sandwhich of three layers: PCB - metal plate - Cherry switches.

I know that I need to get the metal plate out in order to open up the switches- is this accomplished by desoldering all the switches? Common sense kind of says "duh, yeah", but is there anthing else involved? I can't see any way to pull all 87 switches through the plate.

Secondly, one of my gripes about the Clears is that they feel slightly rough. I've read a passing comment or two about sanding down one of the surfaces, but having pulled apart a spare switch, can't see anything that is a candidate for sanding. Am I missing something obvious? Perhaps the faint molding line on the side? Though I would've expected that the friction surface would be the side with the tactile bump.

[iAmAhab]

Your instinct is correct, you need to desolder all the switches to separate the pcb and plate. Afterwards you can pop the switches out from behind.

[MAR82]

Code: [Select]

Secondly, one of my gripes about the Clears is that they feel slightly rough.
You could try to use some lube on them, since you are planning on turning them into ErgoClears it would be the best time to do it (since you are already opening all the switches)

[C5Allroad]

Over time they'll smoothen out.
My browns were ricey feeling. Now it's like a smoother bump lol. My board is older than my little brother s g710+. Feels. A lot smoother. Albeit browns but similar in the sense that it smoothens out.

[Defect]

I have a board with 62g Korean ergo clears that are lubed and a few with 45g cherry ergo clears.

New clears are rough and sandy feeling.  But lubed ones lose a lot of crisp tactility.

My favorite clear stem is one that has been used, and then slightly lubed on the sliders but not the tactile leg.

[jamster]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I'm already going to lube it, just waiting for the delivery of lube to arrive. In the meantime, as I'm already taking everything apart, is there a surface to sand to get rid of the gritty feeling?

I de-soldered all the switches from the PCB today (!@#$ plate mounted keyboards). Certainly not a task for a beginner (i.e. me), I suspect. Desoldering using a trigger hand pump was painfully, painfully slow and unreliable. One switch was so problematic that I damaged the PCB and broke one of the printed connections. Fortunately I was at a commercial electronics lab and someone repaired it for me.

What I assumed to be the standard desoldering approach (but with a trigger pump instead of the bulb pump) here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ_2GxeR4Es) just wasn't working. The guy who helped me out showed me a couple other techniques, but the one that was vastly faster involved one person desoldering both switch joints at once (an iron in each hand) concurrent with the other person pulling the switch from the other side of the board with a pair of needle nose pliers. This method took perhaps 5 minutes to clear the entire board.

I didn't think that I was so completely inept with an iron (I've done DIY LED light builds before). Either I'm way worse at this than I thought, or desoldering switches requires more than simple beginner skillz.

Have other people found this process much simpler?

[Defect]

Holding an iron to both pins and pulling the switch will not work for plate mount boards where the switch is snapped to the plate (notice the little tabs on the switch housing).

When I was assembling my most recent project, I forgot to add stabilizers before setting the switches and plate.



They weren't event soldered...and were a MASSIVE pain to remove from the PCB and plate.  Fingers are still hurting from pushing and pulling the switches out while my friend pushed in the tabs.

I just use a solder sucker in my left hand and iron in my right.  No issues and pretty fast.

[jamster]

Holding an iron to both pins and pulling the switch will not work for plate mount boards where the switch is snapped to the plate (notice the little tabs on the switch housing).

<snip>

I just use a solder sucker in my left hand and iron in my right.  No issues and pretty fast.

Two irons on one side, needle nose pliers (or I guess a hand if it doesn't get too hot) pinching the switch tabs on the other side. Really, really fast working this way but it needed two people.

Solder sucker was a complete pain for me- I kept getting tiny bits of solder left between the switch pins and the hole in the PCB which kept the switches stuck to the board. I guess this is one of those YMMV situations.

[Defect]

Hmm..I get that left over solder every now and then.  Mostly when I mod old boards that seem to have used a weird kind of solder.  I just melt my own back on there, let it mix, and grab it with the sucker.

On my board, pliers would not have been enough and would have scratched the plate badly.  I had to pull from the top with pliers AND push the bottom (lot of force) just to get them out.  The pins were too thick for the PCB and the plate seemed to grab pretty tight as well.  I guess that method could work but in general I think desolder first, pop later is a better option


Good luck though.