My First 60!

[cmb5286]

Well I thought that I would foray into my first DIY 60% board. I have been reading extensively about PCBs, switches, cases, etc...

I just bought a GH60 off of techkeys.us so that takes care of the PCB. I shouldn't have to worry about keycaps since I have Granite, Pulse, and Nantucket on order.

I have a WASD V2 with MX Browns at the moment and like the tactile feel of them, so that leads me to switches. Leaning towards Purple Zealios. I've read that if you're a fan of Browns, that the 62g are probably the way to go. Let me know if I am off base here.

So that leaves me still needing:

• Plate
• Stabs - Plate vs PCB mounted. I don't really have a preference here. I have Costar on the V2, but heard they can be a pain with SA keycaps
• Case

I believe I can setup the board with RGB? Though not sure.

Hopefully I can keep this thread updated throughout the build process.

[SKD]

I've learnt very recently that the GH60 PCB doesn't support backlighting, not without some mods which nobody has done, so no RGB.

[DanielT]

It's a very nice board to start in the 60% world
Cases you can find really cheap on aliexpress, plate is optional on 60% boards, it's more of taste thing, PCB mount is very good on 60%.

GH60 has limited lights support but compensates with complex layouts and you have plenty of options for firmware.

[cmb5286]

It's a very nice board to start in the 60% world
Cases you can find really cheap on aliexpress, plate is optional on 60% boards, it's more of taste thing, PCB mount is very good on 60%.

GH60 has limited lights support but compensates with complex layouts and you have plenty of options for firmware.

I've learnt very recently that the GH60 PCB doesn't support backlighting, not without some mods which nobody has done, so no RGB.

Oh well. RGB is nice but not a priority. I guess since lighting is out, it kind of makes an acrylic case unnecessary since no light will be emitted.

[DanielT]

Yep, no sense in buying an acrylic case. GH60 is the kind of keyboard you can take with you at work, at school, it will never fail you and it's not flashy
I really like mine.

[cmb5286]

Yep, no sense in buying an acrylic case. GH60 is the kind of keyboard you can take with you at work, at school, it will never fail you and it's not flashy
I really like mine.

 

I'm seeing a lot of aluminum plates on Aliexpress. Are they pretty much all the same if they're a 60%? I guess that brings up another question. Do you all prefer PCB mounted or plate mounted boards? I like how solid my V2 feels so I'm leaning towards plate mounted for this build. That also brings up another question: Costars or Cherry stabs?  So many questions lol.

[need]

Yes, same.
Plate mount for linear switches.
PCB mount for tactile switches.
Both work just as good, as long as you clip the cherry ones.

[DanielT]

It's a mater of taste, I like PCB mount linear switches. You have to experiment yourself, there is no rule, it's just what is good for you that is important.

[cmb5286]

Ordered this keyswitch tester from MaxKeyboard to figure out what switches I wanted. While I liked the clicky MX Blues and Whites, I actually settled on 65g Zealios. In the end they were smoother and quieter than the MX Browns or Clears.

I was playing with it last night while I was watching tv and my wife kept rolling her eyes when I tried to explain the difference between linear and tactile. They "all feel the same" to her. 

Also my GH60 from Techkeys.us should be arriving today. Now all that's left is getting stabs, case, and plate(if needed).

I also ordered a Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station. What should I have it set to when I attempt to start soldering?

[need]

Ordered this keyswitch tester from MaxKeyboard to figure out what switches I wanted. While I liked the clicky MX Blues and Whites, I actually settled on 65g Zealios. In the end they were smoother and quieter than the MX Browns or Clears.

I was playing with it last night while I was watching tv and my wife kept rolling her eyes when I tried to explain the difference between linear and tactile. They "all feel the same" to her. 

Also my GH60 from Techkeys.us should be arriving today. Now all that's left is getting stabs, case, and plate(if needed).

I also ordered a Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station. What should I have it set to when I attempt to start soldering?

Show Image

This series on soldering is really nice:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s

I think even at 40watt is pretty safe.

[frosty]

try this video, it's really good and taught me how to solder.

this video shows how to use a desoldering pump, pretty useful when u needa desolder some switches. i usually wait a little longer (~2 seconds) before sucking the solder up to ensure that all the solder in the joint has melted and i can get good coverage over the joint.

cheers!

[cmb5286]

Ordered this keyswitch tester from MaxKeyboard to figure out what switches I wanted. While I liked the clicky MX Blues and Whites, I actually settled on 65g Zealios. In the end they were smoother and quieter than the MX Browns or Clears.

I was playing with it last night while I was watching tv and my wife kept rolling her eyes when I tried to explain the difference between linear and tactile. They "all feel the same" to her. 

Also my GH60 from Techkeys.us should be arriving today. Now all that's left is getting stabs, case, and plate(if needed).

I also ordered a Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station. What should I have it set to when I attempt to start soldering?

Show Image

Show Image

This series on soldering is really nice:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s

I think even at 40watt is pretty safe.

try this video, it's really good and taught me how to solder.

this video shows how to use a desoldering pump, pretty useful when u needa desolder some switches. i usually wait a little longer (~2 seconds) before sucking the solder up to ensure that all the solder in the joint has melted and i can get good coverage over the joint.

cheers!

Thanks for the tips fellas. Hopefully I can try my hand at soldering this weekend. Zealios should be here Tuesday so I can try next week. I ordered a dozen extra in case I mess any up or worse melt housings.

[cmb5286]

I've been slacking on this build lately, but here are some pieces that I have received so far.

GH60 from Techkeys.us.



65g Zealios from 1upkeyboards.com.



Granite keycaps from Massdrop.



Weller WLC100 from Amazon.



All I'm waiting for now is a plate and case from Ebay and Cherry stabs from switchTop Keyboards. Hopefully the plate and case ship quickly from Taiwan. 

[Jeu]

Looks good! I'm a little behind you but ordered a bunch of stuff to build my first 60%/DIY mech myself.  Do you all think the WLC100 is sufficient and safe for soldering switches and the like or it would be a better decision to get a WES51 or Hakko FX888.  Saving the money would be nice but I don't wanna burn a bunch of stuff learning! Looking forward to some other first timers progress so I can learn before my materials arrive 

[cmb5286]

Looks good! I'm a little behind you but ordered a bunch of stuff to build my first 60%/DIY mech myself.  Do you all think the WLC100 is sufficient and safe for soldering switches and the like or it would be a better decision to get a WES51 or Hakko FX888.  Saving the money would be nice but I don't wanna burn a bunch of stuff learning! Looking forward to some other first timers progress so I can learn before my materials arrive 

Yeah I haven't gotten a chance to test it out quite yet. Waiting for my plate to arrive before I solder in all the switches. Obviously there are better options (more expensive) out there, but I think this will be fine for me. If others feel differently, please feel free to chime in.

[cmb5286]

Finally got my plate and case from Taiwan yesterday. I think I was a little overzealous putting this thing together because I put all the switches in before the stabs. Needless to say, I had to take all the switches out only to find out that my plate doesn't support plate mount cherry stabs. So put in an order for pcb mount ones that should be here next week. 

Here's a picture before I realized my mistake...

[SKD]

Very nice! I am liking browns more and more and I wish I got the Zealios. I have a second 60% in the post but I'm putting gateron clears in them as my fav switch is linear.

Have you decided what case to use yet?

[cmb5286]

Very nice! I am liking browns more and more and I wish I got the Zealios. I have a second 60% in the post but I'm putting gateron clears in them as my fav switch is linear.

Have you decided what case to use yet?

Coming from MX Browns, I am really liking the Zealios. Nicely weighted and smooth. It also seems like the bump is much further up in the travel. Could just be me though.

Well after about a month and a half in shipping, I finally received my case and plate from Taiwan. The overall quality is very good and I don't think it was absurdly expensive for an aluminum plate and case. Tried my hand at soldering last night and voila, I have a working keyboard. I did have a bit of trouble getting my PC to recognize it, but a little research and we were up. I didn't really have a ton of time to create a .hex for it, so I just found one from here that will work for now. When I have the time to go back and fiddle with the Fn layer, I will.

I will say this. This has been one of the most rewarding projects that I have tackled in a while. It may not seem like much, but I am hooked. I am already looking at other boards to build to support this habit. Thanks for the help all!!