I’ve been lucky enough to build a bunch of really cool mechanical keyboards.
Most of which requires this thing.
Because mechanical keyboards of course have mechanical keyswitches that we need to solder
onto the PCB.
Even though I truly believe it’s a tool you should have around, and is a great skill
to have, it is an extra cost, and can be a little daunting.
Fortunately for some of you, hotswap PCB’s makes building a mechanical keyboard unbelievably
easy.
The hardest part is actually knowing what parts go with what.
There are keyboard kits that are available with the hotswap option.
For example, many of the RAMA WORKS keyboards have them, and just a bunch here and there
in customs.
Most of which are pretty pricey, and you’re usually set on that particular keyboard.
But for today, we’re going to be building a 60% form factor keyboard, which is the most
universal in regards to using different parts.
Meaning that we have more flexibility in how we want it to look, but more importantly in
price.
All of the stuff I have today is from KBDfans, which I think is the best place to start.
So let’s look at the parts I have for this build.
First up we have our plate which the switches are mounted onto.
Then we have our case.
Along with our feet and screws.
Sometimes KBDfans chuck in these little extras.
Here’s our keycaps.
Our stabilisers.
And our keyswitches.
And finally what makes this whole thing work, the PCB.
This is the DZ60RGB ANSI V2 hotswap PCB.
If you want just the standard 60% layout with the best compatibility, then this is the one
for you.
They also have other ones available, which vary in layout, and can include dedicated
arrow keys and such.
But that will force you to buy a compatible keyset which may cost more.
So these black plastic things are Kailh hotswap sockets.
This is what the keyswitch pins will go into, and create that connection.
For a normal keyboard build, we would have to solder the keyswitch pins to the PCB.
You may come across keyboards that are labelled as hotswappable, and come with Outemu keyswitches.
But those are only compatible with Outemu keyswitches.
The sockets on here are compatible with all MX style switches.
So that includes Cherry MX, Gateron, Kailh, Outemu, Durock, Greetech, whatever.
Do your research on keyswitches to try and get the best for you.
First step is to install your stabilisers.
These are used to support the longer keys, and are very important to the quality of the
keyboard.
So try not to cheap out and get the cheapest ones possible.
And I prefer screw in, rather than clip in, so that they don’t pop out.
The ones I have are GMK screw in stabs, and I got a 60% set, and includes 4 2U stabs.
One 7U stab.
And one 6.25u stab.
U refers to unit, where 1 unit equals 1 normal key.
The standard ANSI layout uses a 6.25U spacebar, so we will use that.
There’s a bunch of mods that you can do to your stabilisers which are optional.
But the one thing you absolutely need to do is to lube them.
Rattly stabs can completely ruin the feel and sound of a keyboard.
Dielectric grease is pretty easy to get, doesn’t matter what brand.
Another popular alternative is Super Lube.
You don’t need much as you’ll see, so it’s pretty cheap.
If they come assembled, pop out the wires, and dip the ends into the grease.
It’s hard doing it on camera, but just don’t overload it, as it will be sluggish.
The stab stems have 2 holes on one side, and the bottom hole is where you want to stick
the wire into.
Again, there’s other stuff that you can do, but lubing is the thing that will make
the biggest difference.
Now to install them.
You will find holes in the PCB in groups of 4.
And you can just imagine where they go.
You have the shift keys, spacebar, enter, and backspace.
As we are using screw in stabs, we have to screw them in.
Make sure you use the included washers, as that prevents any potential shorts.
Once everything is installed, make sure it’s all good, because they’re annoying to fix
later on when the switches are installed.
Next up, we have the plate.
This is what the keyswitches are mounted onto.
This is a 60% plate, and you can get these in different materials for different characteristics.
So I have brass which is a little heavier than aluminium.
You can get polycarbonate, carbon fibre, and other plastics.
But for a hotswap build, I would recommend a metal plate for stability, as the switches
aren’t soldered in.
The switches I have here are Kailh Box Jades.
One of the best things about building a mech is the freedom you have with keyswitches.
You do have to consider that this PCB has RGB backlighting, so if you want that to shine
through, you will need switches that have a window, a gap, or just clear housings.
Also, when looking at keyswitches, you’ll usually have a choice between 3 pin and 5
pin, which both work absolutely fine.
The only difference is that 5 pin have these extra plastic prongs that friction fit into
the PCB.
Kailh switches don’t come with those, but when possible, try and get 5 pin for that
extra stability, especially for a hotswap build.
We’re first going to put in a few keyswitches in the corners and towards the middle.
Press them in firmly, and they should click into place.
And this will provide a platform for us to put the rest of the switches in.
Then line up the pins with the holes in the PCB, and again push firmly until the switches
are properly in.
Sometimes when you put in a switch, the plate will go down.
Just make sure the plate is parallel with the PCB, and that the keyswitches are properly
in place.
Since the hotswap holes are quite small, it’s important to make sure that the pins are straight
before putting them in.
The hotswap sockets forces us into having just the one layout, so there’s no variety
in the bottom row, so you don’t need to worry about putting keyswitches in the wrong
place.
And you should end up with something like this.
All the switches are in as far as they go.
They’re all level.
And the PCB is parallel with the plate.
And finally we get to how we want it to look aesthetically.
Here I have the 60% TOFU.
Probably one of the best budget options for an alu case.
Available in a bunch of colours, and has a stunningly simple design.
And this is where doing a 60% build in particular becomes very useful.
There are a tonne of cases available for this form factor.
This is a tray mount design, meaning that we have these standoffs on the bottom of the
case.
And this is the arrangement that you want to find.
So this is 88USD which is pricey, but good value for what you get.
But you can get a really cheap plastic case for 15 bucks or less.
There’s wooden cases if you want that look.
The frosted acrylic ones are really cool, but this PCB does not have RGB underglow.
But yeh, you have so much choice.
Just make sure the standoffs and USB hole are in the correct spots.
And last but not least.
The keycaps.
The common theme with building a standard ANSI 60% is its compatibility.
Pretty much any keyset will fit on this.
I have this XDA PBT set, which doesn’t come with the numpad and a bunch of other stuff.
50 bucks, so not too pricey, but again, you can definitely buy a much cheaper set.
If you’re building in another form factor, you will need to have a closer look at keycap
compatibility.
For example, the right shift key will often be a 1.75U for other compact sizes, which
is also included here.
And that’s the build done.
Plug it in, and it’s ready to go.
If you want to change anything with the layout and customise the different layers, which
you may want to do with compact form factors.
You will have to download and use QMK.
That’s quite a bit to get through, so I’ll leave a link in the description about that
stuff.
So now that it’s all built you can play around and check if it’s all working good.
I’m pretty lazy, so I’m only doing that now, but you should test before you put it
together.
If a key isn’t working, then that means the keyswitch probably isn’t in properly,
and a pin is bent.
And here’s the beauty of hotswap.
You don’t need to desolder, which is just a massive difference.
To remove a keyswitch we need to press the two clips inwards.
I didn’t include one in my order, but you should buy a keyswitch puller, not to be confused
with a keycap puller.
Otherwise, you can use like a flathead screwdriver to press the clips in, and then lift the switch
up.
You can then replace the keyswitch.
Or if it’s just a bent pin, just straighten it up, and it’s good to go.
I recommend to order a few extra keyswitches.
This build uses 61 keys, but I ordered 70.
Anyway, as said before, these are Kailh Box Jades, which are a super clicky switch.
Nice and loud as expected.
This does cover the sound of the stabilisers, but you could also hear that there was no
rattle because I lubed them.
Rattly stabilisers are particularly noticeable in tactile and linear builds, as the sound
doesn’t mask the rattle.
There are a few downsides to hotswap, in which traditional solderable PCBs are better.
You don’t get much variety in the layout.
Normally you’ll have various options on the PCB for different sized spacebars, split
backspace, and other little things like that.
They are stable, but soldered connections are stronger.
It depends on the keyswitch as well.
Kailh switches are pretty tight on the plate.
Don’t be too reckless when putting switches in and out.
They should be fine, but if a socket falls off, you’re gonna need that soldering station
after all.
And lastly, there’s not as much choice.
I picked this PCB because it’s a 60% and fits with a whole lot of stuff.
They also have a 65% PCB that fits with a few cases.
But when you start looking at more options, it starts getting pretty complicated, and
there’s just so much to cover.
There’s a bunch of custom kits that do have hotswap PCBs, but many are available through
group buys and are expensive.
Then you might think, why not put this PCB into another keyboard.
With a 60% custom it’s definitely very possible, but you have to consider the port placement,
the mounting design of the keyboard, and just a lot of other stuff.
What I wanted to do in this video was to provide the foundations in what you should be looking
for, and a lot of that has to do with learning about and working out what is compatible with
what.
But if you want something that is affordable, while also having a bunch of options, do a
60% build.
This build was pretty expensive though, being around 300USD.
This is cheap relative to like all other custom mechanical keyboards, but 300 bucks is 300
bucks.
It’s a lot of money for something that you can get for 10 bucks.
Everything besides the PCB can be downgraded.
Get an aluminium plate, instead of brass, Get a plastic case, instead of the aluminium
TOFU case, and save like 70 bucks.
You can get cheaper keycaps as well.
So I hope you can see what’s possible.
I can’t go through all the viable combinations for compatibility, but hopefully this gives
you that foundation to build from.
I do recommend KBDfans for beginners as they are a dedicated mechanical keyboard store,
they have everything, and have decent prices.
I’ll put a link in the description to a spreadsheet with links for some simple options.
If you have any questions, chuck em down in the comments.