Build your own Mechanical Keyboard… the RIGHT Way
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
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It’s been a few years and things have changed drastically in the mechanical keyboard space. Come follow along and find out if Linus will finally ditch Cherry Browns and prebuilt boards.
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MUSIC CREDIT
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Intro: Laszlo - Supernova
Video Link: • [Electro] - Laszlo - S...
iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com/us/album/sup...
Artist Link: / laszlomusic
Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High
Video Link: • Sugar High - Approachi...
Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi/UxWkUw
Artist Link: / approachingnirvana
Intro animation by MBarek Abdelwassaa / mbarek_abdel
Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 geni.us/PgGWp
Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 geni.us/mj6pHk4
Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 geni.us/Ps3XfE
CHAPTERS
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0:00 Intro
3:05 Kit Contents
4:05 PCB
5:35 Stabilizers
10:55 Foam
12:15 Plate
13:00 Switches
16:38 Gasket Mount
18:00 Final Assembly
19:45 Keycaps
22:40 Typing Test
24:54 Outro 
Наука
I've been thinking of getting into custom mechanical keyboards and this video really helped me decide that I'm actually okay with prebuilt keyboards.
It's not for everyone, you need to be the type of guy who really loves small details and discovering new things.
And spending $300 to make your clicky keyboard sound less clicky
I’m mostly in it to build stuff that looks nice and then tweaking the sound and feel (within reason) to get them in line with what I’d expect to get for what I paid
I have a 40% that I’ll never actually use, it’s purely for display but it looks great. Might even get one or two more because imo there are a bunch of color that don’t work on larger boards. There’s just something neat about a cute little pastel brick
@@piyh3962 well thats what this video went for. You could go more clicky with an aluminum base plate, a none speed holed PCB, louder switches, etc. Most of the time you just change the sound profile to something you like more. The progression is generally prebuilt -> pricier prebuilt -> top end prebuilt/ self made.
@@vangough10 the ***type*** of guy 😂
never thought I’d see the day Linus steps into the actual custom mechanical keyboard scene
he did a few years ago and it was a disaster 💀💀
@@drakeyyy can you tell me which video actually? tks
cherry mx browns 💀
didnt they build full metal one ?
probably inevitable since it blew up a few years ago on socials and especially tiktok.
Whoever did the lighting with the employees holding their keyboards absolutely nailed it. Each person has a different colour light that is relevant to them, and it makes the shot look amazing. Such a small thing, but a massive effect IMO. Great job Light Person!
I didn't catch that the first time, but I went back 10s to screenshot the various employees proudly showing off their builds and noticed it then.
Looks like a Wes Anderson intro
Holy shit, you not only covered the basics but also intermediate aspects. Tape mod, holee mod, switch films AND split keyboards?! Plouffle did an amazing job writing this episode.
Hey {{3}}, I completely agree with you! Plouffle's article on building your own mechanical keyboard is fantastic. It covers all the essential aspects and even dives into intermediate topics like tape mod, holee mod, switch films, and split keyboards. It's great to see such comprehensive content. By the way, have you heard of the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule? It's a handy tool for maintaining a clean desk setup and beyond. Worth considering to keep everything spotless!
Lol, the ChatGPT advertising isn’t quite there yet
@@innovativeadvertising6463 Can't find that article?
I built my own mechanical keyboard in 1982. Here's how this went: I had a Z80-based computer, similar to the Sinclair ZX-80, which of course had a terrible membrane keyboard. I figured I could attach a connector to the computer's case and hack the wiring from the simple row/column matrix in its board. So I decided to build my own keyboard, then got in touch with a keyboard modules manufacturer for industrial applications, and ordered 40 individual modules + keycaps for my project.
A representative from the manufacturer reached back and said they were intrigued about what I was trying to do, so I told him about the idea. His response was that he'd lend me manuals, datasheets, layout patterns, etc, for the modules. He told me to take the material home, study it and propose a formal design specification for my keyboard. If they thought I knew what I was doing they'd sell me the 40 modules. If not, they'd prevent me from wasting my money. Fair enough, I thought.
So I went home and designed the keyboard, along with the double-sided printed circuit board, the plastic enclosure, the whole lot. A week later I showed up at their office building, with all the drawings and the recently-etched actual, ready to use PCB. They were so impressed that not only they did sell me the key modules, but also engraved, for free, the myriad of keycap markings (up to 2 different commands per key, in addition to the particular key's character). Not only that, but also on the spot, they offered me a job. Which I politely declined, as I had just landed a job as an analyst/programmer for a large financial corporation.
The keyboard served me for a couple of years, until, like everybody else, I started using a PC.
this is such an interesting story to hear. I guess the hobby dates all the way back
That's awesome
Absolute amazing and awesome idea
Do you have any images of it?
@@MrHack4never I still have the keyboard but I married and moved out of state down to southern Brazil, the keyboard is at my sister's home in Rio. Now thinking about it, I'm going to bring it back home on my next visit. So no images yet, but I plan to fix this.
Wow, huge props to the team. This was surprisingly an all-inclusive guide.
Hey, {{3}}! I totally agree with you. The HOTO Compressed Air Capsule seems like a great tool for keeping your desktop and other spaces clean. The dual-function and powerful blowing capabilities caught my attention, and the price seems reasonable too. It's definitely worth considering for anyone looking to optimize their workspace.
When Linus says his team is world class, you really see it in videos like this. Dense coverage of a rabbit hole hobby that stays interesting and informative. Props to the team, they nailed this one
Hey! I recently came across the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule and it seems to be a great tool for maintaining a clean environment. Its dual-function of vacuuming and blowing, along with multiple tubes and high-quality filters, make it a versatile option. Plus, the keyboard cleaning feature is a nice touch! Definitely worth considering for anyone looking to optimize their desktop setup and keep it spotless.
and how well he pack such an information dense topic into an interesting throughout video.
I think the script was very Plouffe and it was entertaining hearing Linus read it. With all the shots of the crew and their custom keyboards I thought there would be a portion where they each described what they use and why they picked it
^ If you see the 'HOTO' advertiser literally named 'advertiser' above, report commercial spam
would be good to mention about double-shot keycaps:
instead of being painted, some yecaps are made in a two layer plastic injection process to make the lettering (the outer layer of plastic is hollow where the letters are, and the inner fills that space up), so it wont wear out since it's not painted on top
Or, or, hear me out, they just took a double shot of tequila..
How a bot stole your comment… sigh
Or, and hear me out.
Injection molding is actually kinda bad and a dye sub for the legend is often much better than anything else.
Plus it almost always means you're getting pbts.
@@helloukw yeah that way you wont care about the keyboard XD
@@chromarush1749 dye sub also generally sounds better then double shot.
15:12 Some switches like the Boba U4s require pressing the stem down while you reattach the top housing (I used a pencil and pressed with the eraser end). Otherwise, the leaf of the switch will break which is 100% noticeable and the switch ends up mushy feeling
awww fuck
Edit: nvm. Mine are the Boba U4T
@@zekiz774 then you should still press it down. Simply pressing with your thumb is totally fine tho. Just make sure to actually push from the top as opposed to pressing down the top housing from the sides.
closing them at an angle also works.
…Okay I didnt know that but my U4s are pretty great. They are still tactile and stuff but I did notice on one of the switches that I lubed that the tactility was gone and felt like a linear. Maybe the leaf broke on that one?
@@BobbIehead Not quite broke, but you did bend it a bit.
Edit: or just overlubed the bump, that could be the case as well
This is pretty much exactly what I've been wanting from you guys. A well made, thorough guide on keyboard building.
Kudos.
Plouffe got me interested in the custom keyboard hobby on the ShortCircuit channel and I've been falling down the rabbit hole since. While I've only been in the hobby for a year now, I've already built multiple keyboards with different configurations, mounting styles, and modding. This video pretty accurately summarizes what I've learned from multiple RUclips videos and channels, and the hobby has really gotten more accessible now from even a year ago. Great job guys - you guys obviously put a lot of research and time into this topic and I think this is a great starting point to at least get people thinking about all the customization potential the hobby has. The intro shot with all the different keyboards for the various staff members was a great way to show that.
The hardest thing for me has always been figuring out which switches to use. There’s SO many options and nuances that you can’t tell without trying them. And I’ve yet to see much in the way of large sets of different options to try
There are customisable testers on websites like Etsy
blue switches. get loud. get clickin and clackin while you are attakin !
You WILL not be satisfied with your first choice. Better to get something reasonably cheap and then figure out what you don't like. I spent $80 on Panda Switches only to discover long term I did not like them. Now running $16 keychron Banana switches.
Alpacas are great linears for most people. Boba U4T are pretty good tactiles. But definitely see if you can't get a tester set to try things out yourself.
Ive always went for 20Yo Cherry MX Blacks or Gateron Pro V2 Milky Yellows. THE BUTTER IS REAL
This is actually insane! I always thought keyboard building was just about the aesthetic, I never expected this level of detail and customisation on the sound and feel of each individual switch and case. Incredible
Hey there! As a fellow tech enthusiast, I can totally understand your excitement for customizing keyboards. If you're looking to optimize your desktop setup further, I'd recommend checking out the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule. It's a handy tool for keeping your keyboard and other spaces clean. The multiple functions and versatile accessories make it a great addition to any tech lover's toolkit. Hope this helps enhance your tech experience!
^^^^
And what's unfortinate, is that reviewers obsess about sound. the same way phone reviewers turn there video into a camera review.
The forums will have loooong flame wars about the materials and fonts used in keycaps.
Great video for both beginners and enthusiasts. Beginners will learn almost everything they need to know, and enthusiasts will appreciate how in-depth and accurate the video is about custom keyboards.
It's amazing how much correct information and comprehensive coverage LTT has put together in a single video. It's really hard to get such a niche thing completely right by a generalist technical reviewer, so kudos on that and I don't think it's fair to nitpick ! We have to remember this video is not intended for keyboard enthusiasts, and is a great starting place for anyone looking to get into the hobby. Also I just realized how funny and useless some of the things we do in the custom keyboard community to a general user 😂 And how much of those knowledge I have gathered being in this hobby for so long, it was great to see everything squashed in a small video ❤✌🏼
Sad that the sex-bot who stole your comment has more likes, at least you got the LTT heart.
@@cts006 other bots like each other comments
Already seen unhappy comments about it, how do the enthusiasts mad at "oh you didnt cover this very specific and niche detail that is TOTALLY 100% important" not realize they are not the target audience
@@cts006 Yeah can't beat the bots dude 😅
@@AxisCorpsRep Totally! I mean they covered up to freaking force break mod in a session that starts on ground zero, how much more breadth can one session have 😅 I almost felt like this is a cheat code for someone starting with this video, for I had to go through a painful and expensive learning process to get some of those knowledges that this video is literally feeding like baby food ⌨️
This is such a huge step up from the last keyboard build video, great video and super helpful!
I really hope this video performs well because poured his heart and soul into this one to make sure it was best as it could be. Fantastic work. This is LTT at their very best covering a subject that a lot of people may not be aware of. Love, a keyboard enthusiast with like nine keyboards...
Hope you get well soon! You have given me so much knowledge and nerdy giggles over the years! Going through CC philosophy for the third time, simply because I find the topic and your presentation so interesting and thought provoking.
All the best from a viewer in Denmark..
Would be really awesome if the Lab got into the custom keyboard space by testing switches, foams, cases (and materials), key-caps types, etc. to put some numbers on all the discussions we have in the space.
They are definitely doing keyboard testing but when you get into custom ones it is a very subjective experience.
Linus was really not the correct person to host this video, He looked a bit out of his depth and not that interested.
you just increased the labs expenses by 50% lmao
I believe they are in the tour it seems they have the equipment to test switches. but beyond that I dont think its super feasible or too useful as most of the custom market is on group buy thus most people wont be able to buy most of what is released even if they wanted to especially prior to when the results come out.
@@krissi0013 I agree a lot. I think Plouffe would have been a significantly better host. He literally was in the background of the video saying stuff...
It feels like Linus is being held hostage by the hardcore custom keyboard gang in LMG 😂
I love how the keyboard community is here just happily inputting additional mods to do on keyboards and just geeking on about them😄 y’all are awesome
That's awesome! If you're into geeking out over keyboards, you might also enjoy optimizing your desktop setup. Have you considered adding the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule to your arsenal? It’s a compact and powerful tool for cleaning your keyboard and maintaining a spotless environment. Plus, it offers additional features like vacuuming, car cleaning, and inflating. Happy customizing! 🚀👨💻
I wish i had this guide about two weeks ago.
Just put my Tofu65 together last week. Typing on it now. This video helped clear up the last issues I had.
Although I'm pretty deep into the hobby, and most of this video was information I already knew beforehand, I definitely appreciate the depth and quality of this video for beginners. I've tried helping some friends customize and select good keyboard options, and I think from this point on, I might direct them to this video. I've seen plenty of introductory keyboard videos, but none of them were as comprehensive and helpful as this one, in my opinion.
and as LTT is a larger channel, newbies are more likely to gravitate towards them because of the brand recognition.
What's the benefit of building your own instead of just buying a prebuilt wooting or steelseries for example. Is it just a hobby or are there any actual benefits performance wise?
@Strider performance wise, no real benefits. however, you can build a keyboard that perfectly fits your needs. It's mostly a hobby, i do have a keyboard that, while not silent, is fairly quiet
@@PboiStrider it’s definitely a hobby. There’s a lot of prebuilt boards out there that are really good with different layouts. Glorious if you have a MicroCenter, Keychron, and Ducky to name a few. I think the benefit to me is you can change your keys out. Keyboard experts correct me if I’m wrong here, but you don’t have to run a full set of a certain type of key. So let’s say for typing you like browns, but for gaming you like linear. You can put linear in your WASD keys and get the feel you want for just those keys. While pretty much maintaining the typing experience you enjoy.
@@PboiStrider you could get wayyyy better value for your money avoiding “gaming” keyboard companies make and instead choosing to buy mechanical ones (or if you have the budget, build it yourself)
Something to learn: if you want more sound out of a board, avoid flex cuts
TRUTH
This
And if you get a flex cut you can tape the cuts with masking tape
@@rush2sk8 A much better solution is to use teflon tape to cover only the flex cuts. In case you don't want to apply the tape mod to your board, this can be much more desirable.
Hello, fellow Lewis Toh server member!
Happy to see this guide. The last keyboard build guide left something to be desired and I knew you'd get there eventually. Great job. Also need to know more about Sebastien's keyboard!
Great video, good coverage on the essential build and tips on how to make it better. Some things I notice a lot about keeb building is how fussy builders get, but now that there are more simplified methods, tools, and accessories to gain the same end result or benefit - don't be afraid to take the easier way. Like the lube for stabs, yeah totally inject it in if you feel like that's the amount you care for it. Still works, still keeps the stabs quiet.
Happy to see custom keyboards becoming mainstream enough to be a whole LTT video 🥲
It's 1am bruh
🙌
Squashy my king
Squashy, are you offended he failed to mention cement keyboards? Seems like LTT is behind the times.
Yooo Squashy!
I’m so happy this video exists. This video is actually really good and shows that whoever wrote this (probably plouffe) knew exactly why they were talking about and did their research. This is a major improvement from past keyboard videos from Ltt and other big creators who you could tell weren’t into the custom keyboard hoppy that much. Great vid
Yeah, it was Plouffe, tells you on the end card
@@techjan3247yea, but I was busy watching the video when I wrote the comment
If you saw his intel upgrade vid, you can see he’s a keeb enthusiast. Knew right away he was behind this lol
Plouffe is a mechanical keyboard god
My favourite from a decently big channel was someone looking at a 96% mechanical board and saying “hmmm, only 96% of these keys are mechanical…I’m guessing these two keys over here are the non-mechanical ones” 😂
Keep this in mind if you have Cherry profile keycaps: If your PCB has sockets where the LED is facing north instead of south (facing away from you instead of the USB port), you might experience switch-to-keycap interference which will end up feeling mushy, or like you're getting less travel than you're supposed to. Getting different keycaps, o-rings, a different PCB, lower travel switches (
I think buying a already built one would be betyer lmao
@@amirsaad8256 then you miss the fun of the building the thing yourself 😆
12:10 I tought he was about to sneak in a sponsor bit.
Ahaha. Me too. We've been traumatized enough 😂
I bought my first mechanical keyboard around a year ago. I didn't want to faff with doing everything myself, so I just got a prebuilt one for $80-ish off amazon. It's super heavy and when I took it apart, I found out that the plate is actually 3mm steel. Super rigid and no give at all. Definitely a higher pitch sound and not thocky at all like a lot of these custom keyboards are.
I’m actually surprised that Nick wasn’t the one to present this video, but I guess that goes back to what you said about not wanting to go *too* overboard.
Being able to flash your own firmware on the keyboard has been super useful for me. I have a special key combo that I can quickly press to de/reactivate the whole keyboard in case my cat starts walking on it.
YES so happy yall made this vid. As a custom keyboard fan I love to see it. Im rocking this build,
-Bella rgb from kbd fans w the sound dampening pad it comes with and a brass plate.
-lubed and filmed Gateron black ink v2 switches(krytox 205g0 and 105 for springs)
-Durock v2 stabs lubed with Krytox 205g0(and maybe dielectric grease for the bar, I forget).
-Whale pbt keycaps from Kinetic Labs.
-And a lil black Gengar custom key on my escape key
Curious to see what everyone else is using!
I'm glad Linus finally put out a very well detailed video on keyboards. A lot of this is basic information when you are deep into the hobby but can help lots of beginners. Hopefully this gets more people into the hobby.
Hey there! As a fellow tech enthusiast, I totally get your excitement about building and customizing PCs. If you're looking to optimize your desktop setup, have you considered the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule? It's a compact and powerful vacuum with blowing capabilities, perfect for maintaining a spotless environment and keeping your keyboard clean. It's a handy tool that I've found reliable and reasonably priced compared to other brands. Happy tech-ing!
I would say the only thing you missed are two mods to reduce/stop ticking of your stabilizers. First one is just making sure the wires are level and the bits that go into the stabilizer housing aren't twisted (you can use pliers to fix this if they are twisted). The second one is adding a bandage/whatever padding available to the PCB where the 90 degree bend is on each side of the wire. Ticking is caused by the wire hitting the PCB unevenly, so doing these two things would make your stabilizers sound wayyy better.
But nonetheless still a great video! It covered a lot more than I thought it would in just 25 minutes in a way that is easily digestible for most people. I even learnt some new things like the existence of bowl gaskets lmao.
As someone who used to heavy into this hobby, this was a very well done video for people who want to dip their toes and a get a full scope idea of the process, even down to more niche things like force break mod. Great job LTT team!
Love to see you using our artisan keycaps. I am a big fan of your channel.
Really intuitive video - got into this hobby about 3 months ago and it's been a great learning journey but a video like this should have helped me to no end if I was just learning!!
You guys managed to condense into one video what most Keyboard channels can’t convey in an entire channel.
Most hardcore keyboard channels focus on subjects waaaay beyond introductory information like this, into the realm of keyboard pron. Viewers of those channels talk about things like 3D printing keyboard cases, switch actuation points, and wacky ways to modify tonal properties.
@@3forte oh for sure, but it’s rare to see a keyboard channel actually give you such well rounded info to begin your keyboard journey.
I mean cause those channels audiences already know this stuff
This is such a great introductory video for beginners into this hobby. Love the summary of good info here. I can tell there is some serious thought behind what is said here - Great vid.
Both yes and no... The way the switches were lubed is not "correct". You generally want to use very little lube to make sure you dont make it feel mushy or make it completely silent because of overlube.
But decent enough info in this video for a beginner
It's been a long time since I've seen Linus that concentrated on the screen prompter 😅 nice to see you tackle something you don't know jack about ! Learning is always a blessing!
I built my first custom keyboard a couple months ago and it was so enjoyable. Got a Momoka65, unfortunately had an issue with a PCB on it, so going through an RMA right now, excited to rebuild it though again!
This covered a lot. Really good job. Some ppl do topic specific videos on just switches or mods and this was an great way to get someone info on just about everything keyboard related.
Just a piece of personal experience: Do your research with group buys, I've been waiting on a set of keycaps since January last year (ePBT Fall), so for a lot of people it might be a better choice to get some keycaps which are available immediately or have a good track record with quick turnaround
As a keyboard hobbyist I think you did a great job explaining it all!
I needed this video last year but am I so glad its out now. It's taught me so many things I didn't realize about the space.
Getting a hotswappable keyboard first and down the road upgrading keys and whatnot seems like the best option to me. Something like the rk84 and then changing stuff as you sit fit.
I recommend the RKH81 over the RK84, and out of the box needs almost no mods and it's still hot swappable with hands down the BEST stock stabs.
@hatchlord tbh you can't go wrong with an RK board nowadays
@@zunk4435 You can go wrong... because it's not VIA compatible. Considernig how user friendly VIA is, not having QMK/VIA firmware is a deal breaker for me. I barely use my GAS67 for this reason...
Better to go with the Keychron V-series, at least those things can be easily modded and can sound great with the right keycaps and switches.
@@matasa7463 With the H81 being a 75%, if you don't need function layers that aren't there, it's alright. I personally don't use VIA because I really don't need to. If it is a dealbreaker, it is. But as a budget entry board, it excels for $80 ish
@hatchlord I love my RK68. It was impressive out of the box, and even better with small upgrades. I actually lubed the stock linear switches and they're wonderful. Then I replaced the stabs and replaced the keycaps with thick PBT caps from Aliexpress, those probably made the biggest difference. RKs are great boards if you want something affordable, nice out of the box, and very easy to mod. I think the only thing lacking might be software, which I personally haven't messed with much. But honestly I'd take something like an RK over a Corsair keyboard any day.
i see the keyboard ytbers crying already
Chill. Yea... But chill
Why? And how do you know? You haven't even finished watching the video 😂
Ong, Linus is killing me
You know glarses is gonna do a video about this
Why? The video is good
Thanks Linus. I built my first keyboard with the help of this video. I went with a Epomaker Cidoo 65 V2, Durock shrimp switches and a set of blue gradient keycaps from epomaker. I love the switches because they are tactile yet silent which just blows my mind.
Interesting that this video dropped today because I just picked up yesterday (for free) a JMB Hi-tech from the 90s (or 80s I'm not 100% sure). It has these really weird key switches that people call space invaders switches because of how they look, and it feels really nice to type on. The switches are very clicky, but not in a super annoying way. They click on both the up and down stroke of the key, which actually makes typing sound nicer (in my opinion) because the clicks come in such quick succession that it almost sounds like rainfall. It's also super retro with the beige color scheme that everything had back then, and it connects with a 5 pin DIN. The profile is something that I've never seen before either. It's kind of similar to the Cherry profile but with a much more aggressive slant in the lower rows and deeper divots in the top of the keycaps. It also has no super keys (windows keys). Full 103 key as well.
Thank you Linus and thank you, Plouffe! You guys made a great video and the whole lub and building a keyboard makes it a lot more understandable to me now!
You guys should do more videos like this. Simple how-to videos help me understand things better and when I go to buy my own to build stuff!
Doing it the syringe way may be fast (and is how many premium keyboard makers do their lube), but they can end up making the stabilizer key sort of sluggish, because the thick grease can add a bit of resistance. It also isn't all that reliable or consistent.
Also, for lubing springs, I personally prefer the bag lube method - use one of the tiny ziplock bags that comes with your electronics or keyboard materials, put the springs in there, and a bit of lube, and close it up. You can then shake it until homogeneous, and then you can let the air out, and with the bag flattened out, rub the lube into the springs to make them more evenly coated.
You will need film when there's a lot of housing wobble, but not all switches use the same switch film! The original thickness is for Cherry switches, which are known for their horrible housing wobble, but some switches need thinner switch film.
A bit of correction for the Force Break mod (by Keybored), the main point is really to stop case resonance. You only really need to deal with that for materials that have strong case resonance. As such, you just need a very thin layer to cause the vibration waves to change as it hits a different material.
Nice video, LTT! I'm currently happy with my Ducky One Three with a customized set of keycaps, but when I invariably get the bug to customize this is a great introduction. Might I also suggest an addendum trying to introduce different switch varieties for people who haven't progressed this far? Personally, anything above the basic cherry MX (color) is still pretty overwhelming as someone just getting into the hobby.
I love my 65% frozen llama. I lubed the stabilizers and switches a few weeks ago, and it's awesome! I wish I could've added screw-in stabilizers, but it's a fair compromise.
This video is a fantastic intro to people getting into the mech keebs scene. Well done guys!!
gotta say as someone who has been invested in this hobby for the last several years, this was a pretty good video from a general tech channel. the points were all covered fairly well and while there are criticisms as with every kind of video, i’d say this is a better keyboard video for a much broader audience. it gets a pass from me 👍
Look around you, because I've been looking around me for a minute and have yet to find a person who asked
@@zenreeio13IIIlI I asked
@@zenreeio13IIIlI hi, that'd be me
@@zenreeio13IIIlI Is that normally how people respond to you when you say anything?
On my Keychron K3 (and any low profile keyboard I guess), the orings make a HUGE difference. It's the only "mod" I did to my one, and it's night and day. It sounded a lot plasticky when bottoming out (meaning all the time since it's low profile), and now it's basically silent. Low profile keyboards don't make much rebound noise, so the orings make a huge effect. It's slightly mushy at the bottom, but it makes the keyboard more confortable in my opinion. I'm using 2-2.5mm thick orings (I believe). You could use slimmer ones if you prefer. I think I'll lube the switches, but I can't find the time yet. Oh, btw I'm using mint optical switches. They're harder to press browns, basically. I did a 118WPM run with this, it's amazingly fast and accurate, while very silent. Requires more hand strength but well, that's useful for being better at guitar playing ahah
It’s great to see you guys cover such a wonderful hobby! The video was very thorough, well presented, and a great into for beginners. Well done!
A couple critiques:
It’s generally good practice to support the hotswap sockets from underneath when inserting the switch. Just added security against potentially separation from the pcb. Secondly, for the tempest mod, aka tape mod, it is generally recommended to use a painters tape with a non-conductive adhesive.
Thanks Linus and team for all you do! ❤
As someone who owns so many custom keyboards and has been doing this for over 3 years, I think it was a pretty good video. You covered a lot in a very small amount of time, but it was easy to follow.
Eyo Frank. What u doing here lmao. It's Prism LMAO. This video is quite awesome IMO. They did not mention wire balancing tho.
@JaimeTorres-jf3bf Hey, man! Funny to see you in the comments. Lol I watch LTT here and there, but I heard some people in the NK server talking trash, so I had to watch it. It wasn't bad at all. Maybe except the switch lubing. They used way too much lube.
@@FranktheTank319 Wassgoood. I don't see any trash to be talked about. They did an awesome job! This wasn't an actual lubing video so I see no issues with that. Alexotos still has the best video for that.
@JaimeTorres-jf3bf Yeah, I really don't see any major things that they missed. I'm glad they seemed to be unbiased, especially when talking about keycaps. Most new people will say ABS is trash, and PBT is the best, but they gave good and bad points for both. Pretty refreshing tbh. And it's somewhere a lot of eyes will see it, so maybe more people will decide to get into it. Especially since their board sounded very nice.
To anyone looking to do the holee mod - you can buy pre-cut poron strips that are waaaayyy better and more consistent than cutting plasters. I'd highly recommend those. Or better yet get Tx stabilisers that do it all for you
Honestly (and I hate that this isn't a thing, especially for the spacebar) they should just make boards and PCBs so you can use extra switches instead of stabs. Would be way easier and probably sound better, only thing you'd have to consider would be spring weight as you may want 3 lighter springs that add up to a nice overall actuation force...
Don't holee mod in general, any stab can be great (except maybe crappy durock v2) if lubed probably, for example with XHT-BDZ and 205
@@friedrichvonbargen5561 Yeah I find the Holee Mod to be rather inconsistent and really frustrating. I tried it and because of the bandaid material, it was sluggish.
There's NO point of doing the holee mod anymore. TX, Stabees, GMK, Durock, and more have moved away from needing to add bandage, tape, or stickers. With these new stabs you hardly need lube.
@@Kriss_941 Using switches will still make it so that one side will teeter more than the other if pressed unevenly, hence why the stabilizer holds up both sides. Sure, in an ideal world stabilizers would be painless (well, they kind of are already, especially TX stabs, owlstabs, those fancy new GMK ones... maybe 30m of lubing on a 60% versus the several hours of switch lubing), but they've existed in mechanical keyboards since the 80s for a reason. The basics of how and why with the basic mechanical keyboard function has been solved for decades, there's little to enhance on the raw function for now, and it's pretty much just tuning minute details built on top of the original foundation at this point. On top of that, stabilizers are much thinner than switches, so all stabilizer-ready keycaps are made with that in mind, meaning all keycaps would have to re-adapt to this new standard, rendering older keycaps obselete, since the spacing on the PCB would not allow for adjacent switches that close to each other, you have maybe 2mm between each 1u switch in the standard already.
In a "technically you said it so technically it exists" kind of move, there are more and more PCBs with the option to split your backspace, both your shifts, and in some cases spacebar to potentially rid yourself of all stabilizer headache. Maybe less common with hotswaps, but ever so present with solderable PCBs, but I know soldering isn't for everyone.
I'm glad you put this out on your final run... It'll always be here now and will be one of most referred to guides for starters.
I got a fecker Alice 80 on Amazon for like 110-120 used a couple months ago and later got some glorious pandas and lubed each one. Possibly the best quality of life purchase I’ve ever made when it comes to sitting at the desk. And this was also my first board I’ve ever gotten in the two years that I’ve watched before getting mine, the hobby has gotten really approachable along with being “affordable” to most people who’ve found themselves in this weird hobby.
Overall, if you’re thinking about grabbing a starter board under a hunge, go for it, there’s tons of options, the higher end stuff is for later when you’ve found that you really like throwing money down a bottomless pit of pre orders that get to you in two years(yes some can last that long)
So I legit bought a non hot swappable keyboard, and had my first introduction to custom keyboard making. I might be a little addicted now. (Also your guys's video about different switches, amazing!) I set up to make the thuwmpeist keyboard ever and I love it
so built 2 keyboards so far and never bothered with modifying my stabilisers. but after that close up and audio boosted segment with the unmodded vs modded, im defo going to mod them in the future. really nice addition to the video
Highly recommend trying out owlstabs from OwlLabs. I’ve always had difficulty completely removing ticking, but owlstabs have always been completely silent for me.
That cut to the second Sponsor segue was just perfectly timed. Nice job!
Glad to finally see this video from this channel. Custom mechs are such an accessible way for people to make their gaming or work from home set up suit their needs, often at a cost less than the standard prebuilts (that is until you fall down thew rabbit hole and end up with 5 different boards)
"acessible" sure...if you A: care that much, B think it's fine to ripped a new one on hand building it. Those parts add up.
The video doesn't state this but sometime, cheaper hot swappable keyboards used outemu pin size instead of standard pins size which is smaller. So you probably need to either bent the pins or just cut it shorter when it doesn't fit. That or just buy switches with outemu pins like Akko, WS or well, Outemu.
One thing I wish was said in the video is that VIA does not support more robust RGB customization and that using QMK directly is most likely going to be the only solution to get a more custom desired look out of a QMK/VIA keyboard which does require some coding knowledge.
Really comprehensive guide, didn't expect that! For people thinking about building their own keyboard I also recommend watching TaehaTypes guides especially when it comes to lubing switches.
Awesome guide! I'd love to see Linus talk about more vintage keyboards (Alps switches, old IBMs, Haul Effect), I feel they are underappreciated and quite interesting.
LOL, I love how keyboard nerds managed to get back to rubber domes as the hottest new tech.
I'm not a keyboard guy, I don't get the appeal. This video showed me that building your own keyboard pretty much looks like (To an outsider) building one of those Gundam models with the never ending supply of little pieces and details. So mad respect for the people that do both!
Think of it as building your own PC. It will look, perform and have the exact components you want.
@@thearousedeunuch isn’t the main point of building your own PC actually so that you can upgrade modularly and don’t have to pay a building fee
@@jamismiscreant7514 these two are both main points :D
not only have I never gotten the appeal of mechanical keyboards but I absolutely hate to type of them. I don't want some massive keys with tons of travel, my idea keyboard would literally be not a keyboard at all, like those "laser keyboards" that use to be a trend, however I would want some type of feedback to know I actually pressed a key.
If I could get a keyboard for my computer that functioned exactly like my phone's keyboard that would be best for me. A flat piece of glass with a haptic engine for feedback.
@@jamismiscreant7514 That depends on why you build it for. I built mine for ease of maintenance over, say, a laptop. However, a lot of people take looks and specific components into consideration. Not everyone does it to save a few bucks on having someone do it for you.
One note to new custom keyboard beginners: Be careful while lubing the switches, improper lubing or lube just between the metal leaves can result in keychatter, which makes your switch push two characters to screen even if you pushed it just once. If you're unsure of how to properly lube, like Linus said, there are many good prelubed switches and information is easily accessible. Thank you for Linus and his team on putting together this video, I don't know what it is but I love watching keyboard customization videos. Maybe it's something I never really thought of as an option and now that I've learned all the ways I can make keyboards mine, it's so exciting. Btw it's a slippery slope, so welcome if you just started the hobby, say bye bye to your wallet, you probably won't see it as much anymore...
It's amazing how many hobbies take your wallet with them😂😂😂
That bit about keychatter is incredibly useful, that probably explains why I have a very rare double character insertion, I think usually on D. I'll have to try and remember which keys its happening on when it pops up.
@@Patchnote2.0 You're welcome. I learned this after many other keyboard builders told they have had this problem happen and it's always the self lubed switches, and after they stopped lubing switches the problem was history. Kinda makes sense though, because some people who searched this saw from a datasheet that Crytox, which is mostly used in self lubing, is a little bit conductive, and if you get it between the leaves, they would sometimes make a slight electrical contact when they should not. I'll be sticking to prelubed or quality switches that aren't a must to lube. There are plenty of good switches that are surprisingly good out of the box. One other reason for this behavior can also be a switch that has been used a lot, where a little bit of the inner plastic shaves away and the plastic dust gets inbetween the contact leaves, making it so the contact isn't perfect always. Also could be a loosened hotswap socket or a bad solder joint. The easiest fix if you have a hotswap keyboard is to just replace the switch and see if it happens again, or if you don't have extra switches, switch one with some other and see if the problem moves or is persistant in one place. After that you'd know if it's the switch or the socket. Hotswap sockets can also be tightened with tweezers. Hopefully you'll find your answer. These problems aren't that impossible to figure out and fix, so you'll get it right eventually 👍
Awesome video. I think we were all waiting for something like this. I would say, one thing missing, is mention the difference between 3 pin and 5 pin switches, and some keyboards have 3 pin. Would you ever do a video on showcasing some of the more popular linear switches, ranking their smoothness and sound? You last switches video show cased the tangerines, but there are a lot more options for high-end switches since then. Also mention which switches work well pre-lubed, and which are lube recommended. Thanks!
I don’t think it’s ever been more obvious that Linus is reading directly from a script. Would’ve been nice to have someone else do it, but this is LTT.
This is one of the first time I feel like Linus does not know what he's talking about and is just reading the prompter, but the effort is appreciated and it's quite funny to see someone that does not care at all about custom boards hosting the video while enthusiasts are supervizing in the back. Also a lot of useful and accurate infos compared to all the previous custom keyboard videos in the past on this channel so great job on that.
Linus has said in the past he doesn't get custom keyboards, which is why an enthusiast like Ploufe does their reviews. Ploufe wrote this to be as easy for a newbie to follow and to be easy for Linus to explain as someone who is not an expert. And, they did a pretty good job
i’ve been into custom keyboards for a while and i can say this is a great guide for someone who just wants to get into the hobby
I needed this a few months ago, crazy how many KB channels there are with no walk through builds
Never would I expect to see Linus getting into the custom mechanical keyboard realm. I'm so happy this video exist, it's such an awesome and detailed video!
14:25 14:44 Though the amount of lube used on the switch hurts my soul
He's been posting custom keyboard stuff for like a decade.
Glad to see that LTT is giving this hobby the attention it deserves! Can't wait to have all the keyboard discords blowing up with newbies asking for help haha
Great video! it will be great for beginners to the hobby. Thanks!
On smaller comment when inserting the switches in the hotswap PCB is to hold the PCB both from the front and the back, specially holding the hotswap socket from the back to make sure it isn't accidentally pulled of from the PCB when inserting the switch
Best tech tips I've seen in a while. Great job!!!
This will age beautifuly. I hope you'll make good money over the years with this video, just like with "the last pc guide".
Keep it up guys ! I am exicted for more labs content and for the Corsair-dude as the CEO ❤
Loving these videos about keyboards
I’ve literally started learning about custom keyboards like two days ago, thought it was super niche, was not expecting an LTT video on it at all
Your lighting and framing people deserve raises. Absolutely nailed this video.
A few more things to keep in mind:
- When lubing your switches, it's easier to go back and add more lube than it is to go back and remove lube. Less is more. This applies to the stabilizer housings too.
- Generally it's a good idea to put the feet onto the case before doing anything else, especially if you don't have a deskmat to put it on, as this can greatly decrease the chance of getting scratches on your new expensive keyboard, as long as the feet don't cover any screw holes.
- Don't do this: 18:56 (use a deskmat!!!)
- If you want an easier time lubing your switches, I'd suggest looking into a gem holder. You can use it to hold the stem while lubing.
- Enjoy your new keyboard :)
I'm rather fond of my custom keyboard, which goes a bit of a different route. No kit. No PCB, but just hand-wired matrix across the keys wired to a Teensy, and then for the frame I have two laser cut acetal pieces, that sandwich an outer frame made from 4 nickle-plated square steel rods, with M2 threaded holes to allow little screws to secure the plastic panels rigidly. Threading M2 holes in steel is sure an experience.
This is by far the most user friendly and helpful keyboard video I’ve seen. Thanks so much. ❤
Really nice guide, quick note the painters tape creates a very different sound compared to just adding random foam into your case. Painters tape (at least in my experience) makes the board louder and more 'crisp' sounding.
I'm kinda surprised that there is so many people saying this video showed why you should buy a mass manufactured keyboard. but thats the thing, if you kill a switch, you can just swap it out with one that works. I've wasted so much money on keyboards. This video has made me WANT to build. Thanks LMG team if you are reading this! Loved it! I want more!
Fyi, there are mass manufactured keyboard that features hot swappable, for example the ducky one 3
@@Torphage That definitely makes sense why I would have been surprised that people were so negative... cause it's kinda not negative 😂
Unless they sell completely assembled keyboards, they either make it cheaper or fk off. I'm not their low-income monkey/machine.
*eye roll* have you tried to desauder and resauder a mechanical switch, bonus points if the KB still works.
When even the most hardcore of OCD keyboard nerds say that's a great way to have a KB fail...
And just because it's mechanical doesn't meen "oh JUST yeet a dead switch..." cheep (chinese sourced enforced youth labor camp) KBs generally do a dumb thing of soldering the key switches to the PCB for whatever braindead reasons. It's only kind of recently market pressure is sloooowly phasing in hotswap keyboards. Untill (or iff) that's normal: gotta budget, and good luck with that in the US, the economy is taking a dump on the POTUS bead.
The editing on this video is amazing!!!!
the amount of B rolls and extra stuff that just make the video look amazing!
I hope you could do the same for other videos, because that's quality
Just built this keeb, 60g bowl mount and no foams, it feels and sounds amazing. I think this is my fav keyboard ive built so far
Glorious 90% for me. Installed Oil King in it at first but missed the tactility currently with Boba U4Ts and a frankenswitch U4T housing with a Oil king stem for the spacebar. This keeps the bar silent and lets the LED pass through like the rest of the keys.
Hey Alex, how about a Water-cooled keyboard?
Hello fellow beginner keyboard person reading this. Please just remember: this hobby is 100% preference based. If someone is bugging you about using foam or any other “cheap” mods on your board, then they aren’t a true member of the community. You do YOU, have fun and welcome🎉😊
Gatekeepers everywhere, man...
@@Tarets every hobby has the elitist people unfortunately. But the Custom Keyboard community for the vast majority isn’t plagued by them thankfully. I love the community more than the hobby itself
you guys got the best timing ever! 😍
I started looking into keebs last week and THIS is exactly what I needed.
Excellent summary!!! Love this type of content!