Noob Keyboard Q's

[VanHagar]

Howdy all,

First let me say that if this is posted in the wrong place, then I apologize in advance, as I'm new to the forum. I have a couple Q's if someone doesn't mind offering their advice:

1) I was thinking about buying a used QFR or Filco. Is it possible to de-solder the switches and swap out the old plate for one of the custom ones which is on sale at MechanicalKeyboards.com and just reuse the PCB and switches?

2) If I reuse the same PCB as mentioned above and use a custom plate, can I install Cherry stabs and have it work with the QFR or Filco case?


Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[TalkingTree]

The Filco PCB is pretty much universal, it allows you to split the Backspace and the Left Shift for sure, although you need a few things to do the magic.

1. A replacement controller, for the stock one can't be reprogrammed, as far as I know.
2. Since the Filco PCB has through-hole diodes, some 1n4148 diodes to enable the new switches.

You program the new controller with the TMK firmware. Alternatively you can replace the PCB entirely with one that fits the case; namely, the Phantom PCB.

Can't tell anything about the QFR.

[jaffers]

Yes you should be able to do all that. I don't know why talking tree is talking about reprogramming things, that's completely unnecessary if you are using the PCB how it is and just swapping the switches stabs and plate

[TalkingTree]

I don't know why talking tree is talking about reprogramming things, that's completely unnecessary if you are using the PCB how it is and just swapping the switches stabs and plate

I'm talking about adding new keys, that seems the goal of VanHagar.

[jaffers]

I don't know why talking tree is talking about reprogramming things, that's completely unnecessary if you are using the PCB how it is and just swapping the switches stabs and plate

I'm talking about adding new keys, that seems the goal of VanHagar.

It doesn't seem like he wants to add new keys if he is reusing the pcb

1) I was thinking about buying a used QFR or Filco. Is it possible to de-solder the switches and swap out the old plate for one of the custom ones which is on sale at MechanicalKeyboards.com and just

reuse the PCB

and switches?

2) If I

reuse the same PCB

as mentioned above and use a custom plate, can I install Cherry stabs and have it work with the QFR or Filco

Sounds like a case and plate swap with cherry stabs

[VanHagar]

Wow, thanks for getting back to me, guys. 

Yes, jaffers picked up on what I was throwing down. I want to have a TKL board that lets me open the switches to swap out springs, stems, etc. I really want to put a Phantom PCB into an aluminum case. However, I thought I could get by for now by cannibalizing a relatively inexpensive TKL case. If I could use one of the custom plates, which, if I understand this correctly, have little notches on the corners of each switch area, then I could customize the switches on the fly.

So, I thought if I can get a used board and just reuse the (1) switches, (2) the case, and (3) the pcb (or install a Phantom pcb), then I would have a relatively cost effect solution until I am ready to drop the cash on an aluminum case.

However, I have a dirty secret... I'm a junkie for Cherry stabs, lol. I don't want to spend $120 on a used Leopold for the case and stabs when I could throw a few more bucks into it and get the aluminum one.

I hope all of this makes sense. Would you just go ahead and bite the bullet for the aluminum case and get it over with? I have experience with soldering, so I feel confident I can do the job (along with WFD's videos).


Thanks for your help


TLDR: I want to make a custom TKL board, but I thought it might make more sense to cannibalize a used board and reuse as many parts as possible to save some cash, as long as I could add Cherry stabilizers (b/c I'm addicted to them, lol). I just don't know if the parts will fit together like I want.

[xtrafrood]

Wow, thanks for getting back to me, guys. 

Yes, jaffers picked up on what I was throwing down. I want to have a TKL board that lets me open the switches to swap out springs, stems, etc. I really want to put a Phantom PCB into an aluminum case. However, I thought I could get by for now by cannibalizing a relatively inexpensive TKL case. If I could use one of the custom plates, which, if I understand this correctly, have little notches on the corners of each switch area, then I could customize the switches on the fly.

So, I thought if I can get a used board and just reuse the (1) switches, (2) the case, and (3) the pcb (or install a Phantom pcb), then I would have a relatively cost effect solution until I am ready to drop the cash on an aluminum case.

However, I have a dirty secret... I'm a junkie for Cherry stabs, lol. I don't want to spend $120 on a used Leopold for the case and stabs when I could throw a few more bucks into it and get the aluminum one.

I hope all of this makes sense. Would you just go ahead and bite the bullet for the aluminum case and get it over with? I have experience with soldering, so I feel confident I can do the job (along with WFD's videos).


Thanks for your help


TLDR: I want to make a custom TKL board, but I thought it might make more sense to cannibalize a used board and reuse as many parts as possible to save some cash, as long as I could add Cherry stabilizers (b/c I'm addicted to them, lol). I just don't know if the parts will fit together like I want.

Yea I think you'll be ok with that switch plate. A few boards out in the wild use it with Filco PCBs. How are you able to order the switch plate separately? From what I see it's only available as an add on to the phantom kit package

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/4dalje/photos_who_wore_it_better_modern_selectric/

Photo from the same Reddit thread.. ("White Filco, Zealio 65g, Filco PCB, Phantom Plate" - Not my photo)

[jaffers]

Wow, thanks for getting back to me, guys. 

Yes, jaffers picked up on what I was throwing down. I want to have a TKL board that lets me open the switches to swap out springs, stems, etc. I really want to put a Phantom PCB into an aluminum case. However, I thought I could get by for now by cannibalizing a relatively inexpensive TKL case. If I could use one of the custom plates, which, if I understand this correctly, have little notches on the corners of each switch area, then I could customize the switches on the fly.

So, I thought if I can get a used board and just reuse the (1) switches, (2) the case, and (3) the pcb (or install a Phantom pcb), then I would have a relatively cost effect solution until I am ready to drop the cash on an aluminum case.

However, I have a dirty secret... I'm a junkie for Cherry stabs, lol. I don't want to spend $120 on a used Leopold for the case and stabs when I could throw a few more bucks into it and get the aluminum one.

I hope all of this makes sense. Would you just go ahead and bite the bullet for the aluminum case and get it over with? I have experience with soldering, so I feel confident I can do the job (along with WFD's videos).


Thanks for your help


TLDR: I want to make a custom TKL board, but I thought it might make more sense to cannibalize a used board and reuse as many parts as possible to save some cash, as long as I could add Cherry stabilizers (b/c I'm addicted to them, lol). I just don't know if the parts will fit together like I want.

Zeal sells stabs https://zealpc.net/collections/accessories/products/pcb-plate-mount-cherry-stabilizers

as well as gon

[ghostjuggernaut]

I tried to do this a few months ago. I could not get the plate mounted stabs to stay locked in. Idk if I had bad stabilizers or what, but none of them stayed in place. Just a fair warning to you before you start. I ended up selling it all and keeping the stock PCB and stabilizers.

Good luck.