Well, it's happened - I finally built a custom keyboard that involved more than just me putting in switches and keycaps, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
To begin, this is not the custom keyboard I had referenced previously. That build is still an ongoing effort, and will be happening in the future. With that out of the way, I can jump more into this particular build.
For this build, I used the following parts:
- Tofu65 Case, Purple
- GZ65 RGB V2, Hotswappable
- Durock Stabilizers, Smoky
- Gateron Black Inks V2
- Case Foam
- Polycarbonate Plate
- Blue/Pink PBT Keycaps (temporary, will be replaced with GMK Star)
So, with the parts list known, let's get into it. I had been wanting to build a truly custom keyboard for awhile, and this was the perfect chance, as I had someone in mind to give the board to once it was done (even with the temporary components, as I will be easily able to give them the new keycaps when they arrive). So with everything finally having arrived, I sat down, turned on my Discord stream for friends and set off to build the keyboard.
I experienced a few hiccups along the way, mostly around portions of the build I had no experience with. Lubing the stabilizers was straight forward enough, and I was not modifying the Kiwi switches as they are going to be recalled and I will likely have to send them back anyways (and I wasn't planning to modify them to begin with). Once that was done, I was happily on my way and got the stabilizers screwed in (side note, I'm never going back to plate mounted stabs again, I just love this screw in versions so much more).
The first, and really the only, hiccup I hit was when it came down to the plate. I had never installed one before, and I wasn't sure if the plate sat right on the PCB or rested on the stabs before installing switches. Google was surprisingly not that helpful, but I eventually found my answer that it sits on the stabs and is in fact not right against the PCB. So with the stabs installed, I installed the rest of the switches, tested each switch (I had to re-bend a few pins back into place and re-insert the switch) and got everything installed into the case, including the foam along the bottom between the case and the PCB.
Overall, I really like the sound of the board, but I am looking forward to getting the linear switches I ordered installed, and the tactile Kiwis removed...I also cannot wait for the GMK Star set to get here, even if the current keycaps aren't that bad.
