oh. in that case, the soft material used for holee mod will not stick well to a lubed stem, and will detach from its location after a while (which might cause wierd feels and sound when this happens)

in general, the better practice is, it's better to do it right, then test it to make sure everything works properly, before full assembly. this is a habit that can save us a lot of time.

(previously i rushed a soldered build, including sticking individual switch pads on pcb, only to find out after it's done that its pcb did not work at all lol it took me hours to desolder, prepare and replace a new pcb with the same mod, resolder, etc. if i chose to spend 5 minutes to test the pcb with tweezers, none of this would happen in the first place )

lubes from keys.my are ok. in terms of lube, it's better to try out more options (e.g., for krytox gpl, they cover a wide range of viscosity) many attempt to make krytox gpl 205g0 as a go-to option, but in reality, it might not be a good option to achieve desired outcomes that you want.

I actually just did the holee mod for fun and also consider it as a practice. Did it on Womier K87 with provided stabs. I'm not using the keyboard anymore.

I'm happy with GMMK Pro and Aqua King switch (factory lubed). It produce a thocky sound which I like alot. Just need to re-lubed the GOAT stabs. GOAT stabs really named correctly as it mmeeehhhh.

I think I'll stick to the basic 205g0 lube first as I'm new. Just gonna apply it on stabs. Lazy wanna lube the switch.

This post has been edited by youngy: Dec 9 2021, 10:50 AM

yeah just do what you see fit.

right, you can start with 205g0. it will be your reference when you compare other lube options.

note that for aqua king, clean them up first with IPA, then apply thin layer of 205g0, in case you decided to lube them. if it's thick, it will make that switch 'draggy' during key travels, and it will take a longer time for this feel to go away.

Ya.. will definitely do that if I want to lube my switches. As for now... don't think I'll be doing it as I came from Gateron Brown and factory lubed Aqua Kings already feel and sound much better.

Surprisingly, Aqua King really has little stem wobble. Reckon it will be my main switch for very a long time.

Can't wait for my MT3 keycaps and hopefully it will give a deeper thock. Will be getting GMK laser from Drop next year. Damn, keycaps are expensive as hell. LOL

yeah it's just a heads-up only if you wanted to do it.

aqua king is indeed a better option if you looked for linear switches with minimal stem wobbles.

in general, 'you get what you pay for' is always valid, if you considered everything involved as a whole. custom key cap sets, like those from gmk/jtk/epbt, are expensive because of their limited availability, original and unique designs, layout supports, printing technology, and overall controls of qualities for such sets. all these need time and efforts from different parties to achieve best possible outcomes. in the case of gmk, they do have relatively affordable options that are outside of most of such limits, e.g., gmk wob, which they deliver mainly qualities in manufacturing.

then again, there are good alternatives if you're not picky. there are subjective base lines that you can draw among key cap sets in the market, to find out which sets are acceptable to you. it's a give-and-take, so it's really up to you to decide, based on budget, first-hand experience, and preferences.

If you're looking to buy new stabs you might want to keep an eye out for TX Stabs. Both Rebult and Keys are bringing in soon-ish on Shopee.

I actually wanted to own at least 1 GMK. Had my eyes on GMK Laser because it is still available to purchase at Drop. Dang, I join the mechanical keyboard late... else I will be able to get GMK Mecha 01.
It is really gorgeous.

yes, waiting for it

i think you will get at least one set eventually haha

I have this feeling as well. Spent too much in a month, need to take a breather before I start spending on GMK keycaps. Gonna wait for the next sales on Drop.

I should have gotten GMK Laser instead of MT3 but buy 2 for the price of 1 is an offer I can't refuse.

This post has been edited by youngy: Dec 10 2021, 08:29 AM

yeah that's a good deal that most were not willing to skip haha

--

i'm testing a 'partial' gummyworm o-ring mod on two of my tray-mount reference builds. basically this just means i install an o-ring on the bare bone units, then install them on their cases. i didn't file the pcbs/standoffs, so there is no flex/bounce like the original mod.



- this 'friction-fit mounting' is ok. it's screwless, but the bare bone unit can be secured nicely inside the case with just the o-ring. it needs some efforts to get the bare bone out of the case;
- in terms of typing feel, it does change, but marginal. (softer, with lesser vibrations, imo);
- the typing sound changed as well, but marginal also.

there are definitely rooms for improvement, e.g.,
- although i can use this mod with existing pcb-mount screw-in stabilizers, a snap-in, which have smaller foot prints, might be better to give space for gasket;
- there are also different materials, thickness, softness, and sizes for the o-ring used, although i suspect the differences are marginal also in terms of overall outcomes, compared to what i have now.

like i said, this is not the original gummyworm o-ring mod. it's more like a variant that is similar to the mod that uses tiny o-rings on top of standoffs in tray-mount cases, to provide gasket mounting effects. well, there is no magic here. the results from both are really with marginal differences only, compared to the usual tray mounting.

i'm ok with tray-mount. it has its own characteristics. however, i hope pcbs similar to merro60 will be available soon, so that we can have a different typing experience with the same tray-mount cases.

This post has been edited by horns: Dec 10 2021, 09:47 AM

Poison sudah start.

Waiting for my Q1 to reach me, hopefully by next week. Will be modding the board for sure


Attached thumbnail(s)

nice

right. these days, the options available to us are more friendly for customization than ever. they also come with parts that are optional for a build, but are ready if you wanted to include them.

with such convenience, it's really a waste if you don't experiment with different configurations.

Yup totally, experimenting with different switches and caps is gonna be fun.

Defo will be a time-consuming / expensive hobby, down the rabbit hole we go

yeah it takes time to gather first-hand experience for different configurations. until now, i still learn new stuff from time to time lol

I'm still waiting for Glorious MY to bring in Top Frame and Knobs. Gonna get few to match with my keycaps.

where did you get the o ring? and what is the inner diameter size?

i got mine from here at taobao, https://shop267743505.taobao.com/

the measurement is for 60%: cross section/thickness 3.5mm, outer diameter 165mm. however, while it works fine, o-rings with this outer diameter causes tensions to switches. it's better to get the ones with longer outer diameters.

i bought one off shopee and it was short
found one in tokopedia but then then need forwarder and the shipping cost was not worth it

165mm yours one is elastic to be pull around the board?

This post has been edited by cruzzmz: Dec 12 2021, 10:29 AM

yes, they are elastic enough to cover 60%



note that this bare bone has a full poron plate foam that doesn't provide space for the o-ring, and it uses pcb-mount screw-in stabilizers. while it's still working fine, this configuration might be less optimal, causing tension to switches at all four corners.

imo the better way is to have a plate foam mod that leave space at all sides for the o-ring. (i.e. leave all sides to be clear from foam)

again, my main purpose is to install bare bone securely inside a case without screws (friction-fit mounting). in my case, the cases are covered with thin poron foam also, including top side of standoffs. i use this way to minimize effects of hard spots due to fixed screw installation and standoffs in tray-mount cases. the typing feel is relatively softer, with relatively lesser vibrations when typing.

Bought a pack of KBDfans switch pad & stabs foam sticker.

Not sure if the switch pad will make my keyboard sound more thocky.

BTW... can I use WD 40 Specialist Contact Cleaner to wipe of the excessive lube on PCB?

edit*
Not gonna use WD 40 Specialist Contact Cleaner as it is bad on polycarbonate.

IPA 70% or 99% is better for PCB cleaning?

This post has been edited by youngy: Dec 14 2021, 11:16 AM