Do I Need to Lube My Keyboard Switches?
Figure 1: Sometime around here is a good time to ask that question... If you’re new to the mechanical keyboard hobby, I have no doubt that planning your first keyboard build is a bit of a daunting task. To be entirely honest with you, it’s only a tiny bit less daunting for your second or even third keyboard builds should you stay around a little while longer. You’ve got the keyboard itself to worry about, stabilizers, keycaps, and even switches on top of all of the intangible marks you want your dream keyboard to hit. Switches are especially daunting right out of the gate as there’s just so many options out there to pick from – each with their own unique specifications, manufacturers, and more. Yet, in spite of all of these differences between switches, time and time again I find people always asking about lubing switches as one of their chief concerns when it comes to picking some up. With countless numbers of content creators talking about lubing switches, its no...
Apr 17, 2024
Up until earlier this year, I hadn't done any soldering for about 20 years. I had done some soldering for various projects in high school and university, but nothing as extensive as the ErgoDox.
Before I received the kit, I watched several videos for a refresher on soldering techniques, and watched the WhiteFireDragon video to get an idea of all the steps for building the ErgoDox. WhiteFireDragon's video is here:
I watched all 3 parts of the EEVblog soldering tutorials. The first one goes over tools for soldering:
. The second one goes over technique for typical components (such as chips and resistors):
. The third one goes over surface mount components:
.
After watching those videos, I decided to get a soldering iron that wasn't a cheap one from Radio Shack or Harbor Freight. I ordered a Hakko FX888D, but you don't need to spend this much, unless you plan on doing more soldering projects (like I have). I know others have assembled their ErgoDoxen with irons from Radio Shack.
Knowing the surface mount diodes will be tiny, hard to see, and hard to handle, I bought a set of Vetus precision ESD tweezers: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EINM5BC/, and an illuminated head-mounted magnifying glass: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UCODIA/.
For the surface mount diodes, I used WhiteFireDragon's technique of applying a blob of solder to the square pad. I did this for all the SMD locations on one board. Then using a flux pen, I added a bit of flux to the solder blob just beforehand. Then using tweezers, I positioned the SMD line side onto the solder blob, and heated both the solder and the SMD leg until the solder flowed and the SMD sank into the blob. I verified that none of these were cold solder joints. Then I went back and soldered the other side of the SMD. A multimeter is useful for verification of the diode connections and direction. I want to emphasize that the extra flux is important, to make sure the solder flows properly.
All the other components were pretty straightforward. I think I had the most trouble with the USB cable. I used a Dremel/rotary tool to cut away at the housing of the USB mini connector. Then I carefully stripped the cable sleeve off, and used the old-school technique of biting on the individual wires to strip them (bite down, then pull away). I tinned the individual wires before feeding them through the PCB, and soldering the other side.
One other thing I wanted to note was that the USB mini connector that gets soldered to the PCB uses more solder than expected. I ended up solder both the top and bottom.
There are kits that can be bought to learn how to solder. They include a small PCB and some components. I can't recommend any, but I know they are out there.
Good luck.