not recommended.

Thanks for your insights, finally something more usable compared to the FB group. I don't plan to spray the lubricants on, but more like, wondering if it's suitable. My technique, if they are suitable, would be something I learn from Spray Painting spray cans, that is, to spray them into a container, then use a brush or applicator to apply them onto the areas needed instead. Just worried that they ain't exactly plastic safe, coz they aren't cheap, around RM30/can.

How so? Just because of the name "WD40"? It's NOT the regular Mineral Oil ones, the thing that raised my curiosity was the "PTFE"

the sprays dry quite quickly (in seconds), and it's said to be plastic-safe, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yatZaMrjzkQ

it's relatively cheaper tbh, compared to those recommended lubes like krytox mixtures.

https://imgur.com/a/lhLqo

you can go thru this album. Might be useful.

I'd rather go for something a bit more expensive like Krytox mix or one of those prepackaged mech keyboard switches lubes rather than putting something that can potentially damage expensive switches. Some dry up quicker, some leaves unwanted residue, some damages the plastic housing/metal leafs/springs.

This post has been edited by G_KeN: Apr 15 2018, 06:21 PM

agreed. for permanent builds, it's better to use better lubes, oil or grease, that have much better service life, and are safe for expensive switches and parts.

practically, cheap lubes do work. however they are usually considered as less optimal. i already have krytox oil and grease (105 and 205)

It is supposed to dry quickly, and leave behind a film of PTFE. Yes, it's cheaper than the Krytox, but more importantly, easily obtainable, if it works, that is.


Thanks for the link. Had gone thru the album, but just feel that none of the items are any easily obtained in Malaysia, which is why I'm searching for alternatives as I can't really wait for the lub to arrive before assembling my set. Which is why the search for alternatives.

Mind if I ask where did you get the Krytox 105 from? Online order I suppose? I agree the part where you said "cheap lubes do work, but less optimal (and might need re-application)"

it does leave a film. however it's really not easy to apply because it really dry up quickly. i have spoiled switches so just now i went to acehardware, got a can of wd-ptfe spray for simple experiments. (i use it for other purposes also)

i got my krytox lubes from taobao. yes, re-application if and when necessary.

Oh.. So you went to try it out at Ace Hardware just now? Thanks for letting me know. It seems that further reading does indicate that dry lube does wear out over time and hence needing to re-applying.

Care to link me on those Taobao Krytox? Gonna get some stuff anything, might as well ship it along.

yes they will eventually wear out. i think it's the same for krytox, but it just take longer time to wear them out.

firmware downloads for iKBC keyboards
https://www.ikbckeyboard.com/downloads

just updated my ikbc f87 rgb to the latest 1.1.18.

not sure what's changed, because there are no release notes. use it at your own risks. if you're unsure, DO NOT attempt it, as it might brick your board (and i'm not sure how to recover from bricked boards)

Anybody knows where i can get some plate mounted cherry stabs?

Just ordered a GMMK and heard that the stabs are pretty rattly.

you can find genuine plate-mount cherry stabs at ebay.

edit: forgot to mention this - for genuine cherry stabs, imo it's better to source from ebay (relatively cheaper; from sellers like doyu studio; i got few sets from them too)

This post has been edited by horns: Apr 16 2018, 04:34 PM

After using OEM keycaps onto my Vortex Race 3 in hopes that I type better, even I find something was wrong with my typing after a week of typing.
Mind you, I type a lot on my Ducky One, and Pok3r. So it really felt off to me.

I decided to put back my original DSA caps on them and started reevaluating and I found out that the keyboard height was too low for me.
Then it hit me! I decided to put raise the board by wedging a phone casing at the back at the board to increase the angle and I found out I was right.

So my question is.



Where on earth can I find a higher screw-able feet for this?

afaik the cone feet at taobao are of standard height, and the way they're secured is different.

* this is a revised version of the brief walk-through that i have posted before. i cannot edit that post anymore due to thread locking so i put all the updates in this post.
* i do use others' posts for better illustrations. all credits to the original content owners.

change logs


this is the brief walk-through on how to build your own 60% custom CIY/modular boards with arrow keys from scratch, based on a gk64 pcb. the final build of mine is like this:



in general, the main advantages of a CIY/modular board are that it makes custom board building very convenient to anyone (i.e. you can enhance the board further with switches and stabs of your choice, applying mods, etc., with minimal efforts). it provides on-the-fly switch hot swapping, so it's very convenient to replace faulty switches, or try out lubed and mixed switches, or swap all switches with other sets.

60% is a custom option that has the most diversified choices of parts, including switches, cases, plates, and stabilizers, compared to other form factors. here is the best part: one of the more common and affordable pcbs for 60% customs is the dz60 pcb. with this pcb, you can basically build a permanently soldered custom, with gk64 layout. however there are things that are available on gk64 pcb, but not on dz60, e.g. dz60 has no per-key smd leds (you can install led on each switch), while it has smd leds at the bottom side (for under-glow effects).

note that i'm not comparing this to custom boards with soldered switches. imo soldered builds are still the best option for custom boards, because soldered switches provides additionally solid reinforcement of physical structure to a board in the long run. however, i think a modular board is much better than key switch testers, so as to give a better idea to individuals on the actual typing experience (with a functional board), before you decided to use the combos in permanent builds, with higher-end and more expensive parts.

for assembly of this custom build with gk64 pcb, you just need three tools:
1. keycap puller
2. switch puller, https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=542535561635
3. a philips-head screw driver (a cheap box set found in computer shops will also do the jobs fine)

base parts that you need (sources: taobao, kbdfans, kprepublic; you should source for possible cheaper parts from elsewhere also)


just like any other soldered custom builds, you can get these parts at your own pace. once the parts are complete, you can go ahead and complete the assembly.

the assembly process is simple, and very straight forward (with some basic mods to make it relatively better)


that's about it actually. usually you can complete all the above in under 15 minutes, or less. (if you minus time-consuming tasks like switch lubing and mods. you can always apply them later, if you want)

--

additional notes

1. lubes


2. switches


3. stabilizers


4. compatible top plates and cases


5. proprietary driver/software and firmware


6. some shots, based on the custom version, in comparison with stock/prebuilt gk64


This post has been edited by horns: Sep 22 2019, 12:44 PM

sennin32 on ebay (doyustudio) sells genuine cherry stabs, ive gotten a couple from him and he's super friendly, free intl shipping is a huge plus as well
and yeah GMMK is notorious for the rattly stabs, but tbh get some thick lube and lube the stabs properly and you will enjoy a world of difference, I personally use Permatex Dielectric Grease over Super Lube but you can find Super Lube at Ace Hardware

THERE IS NO END GAME

nice haha yeah there will never be an end game lol

This is very good information! Thanks again for this write up!

haha you're very welcome bro. i have found out some other stuff during my tests; will add them in whenever i can recall the findings.

all this while parts that i used are readily available, and are relatively affordable. however, the outcomes are relatively solid to me.

some parts are costly because those are what i want. e.g. 5-degree case (you can use generic cases), switches (you can use gateron), and key caps (you can use other caps). the case is the most expensive among the essential parts.

as a bonus, you can learn most basics about mkbs in one-go. this one money cannot buy

edit: varmilo with cherry mx black is here.

as i suspected, black in varmilo va87m is also smooth af; better than my ikbc f87 with the same switches. the best thing is still the space bar and modifiers. zero rattles, as always (four boards obtained from different time frames, different switch types, but with same level of great qc)



btw antaras your videos are getting popular if we searched for gk64 at youtube lol! one of the replies have a nice tip: spraying plastidip into the space bar cap. (taping off all the holes first) i have plastidip, so.. later i will test lol

This post has been edited by horns: Apr 19 2018, 04:09 PM

This post has been edited by quovadis123: Apr 19 2018, 04:57 PM