Not yet, but I’ve been meaning to at some point 
I do have a few boards to build, but I already have a lot of switches 
Hopefully in the near future I’ll find a suitable project to get those switches for
I hear ya. I have far too many switches. I’m not sure if the better solution is to sell some, or buy more boards 
I don’t think it’s ip certified like Kailh since they don’t share any internal specifications.
Anyway, if u like them u will probably like the Ink Box to.
Hotswap is the way. I have 3 or 4 keebs I actually use, two that I use regularly - but I’ve collected more than a hundred full sets of switches. (If you do decide to sell some, though, I’m pretty much always looking to expand that collection.)
One of those daily keebs has a different set of switches in it almost every week. Most times I’m putting something new into it over the weekend - but sometimes I return to solid favorites just to enjoy them.
Part of me wants to build a keeb for every set of switches I own… the other part of me has a mortgage. 
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Better yet, having a fleet of hotswap boards to maximize modding pleasure. And having two identical hotswap boards makes effect of a mod is easier to tell.
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Pretty much my endgame state.
Can confirm, aforementioned fleet of hotswaps is mostly KBD67Ls.
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Yup. I think we have the same idea about what true endgame looks like.
A delicious dilemma of sort that comes up with such setup is when one of the boards ascends into godly perfection. Question is do you continue tinkering with it to, somehow, make it even better or leave it as is.
My Cream board was just that. I opted to leave it as is. Had too many instances where restoring a board to last known good state didn’t feel the same.
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Aye. I’ve just run into that recently myself not long ago; one of my 67L’s has reached its “final form” aside maybe from messing around with the stab tuning. The configuration is just right for my intended use-case, so I don’t plan on changing it.
I’d been using mostly linears in this board for quite a while - *nixdork Boba LTs, then TTC Aces for a month or so - but I ended up going with a silent tactile. I’ve settled on TTC Silent Bluish Whites for this one, but only after removing the silicone weight I’d previously installed. They felt too harsh and I was ready to put in the Frozen Silent linears, but decided to try the SBWs without the weight…
This is another reason for multiple of the same model; so there’s still a comparison / tester platform around when one of them “graduates” - ha!
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I think a lot of the switches I own are pure fomo, but they were still purchased in the pursuit of the perfect experience of that switch type. What it has lead to, with linears anyhow, is drastic diminishing returns. Honestly, even if I found that perfect switch, I wouldn’t want every board populated with them (variety being the spice of life and all that).
I appreciate hotswap, and have budget-leaning boards like the bakeneko in which I have no problem using as a tester for new experiences. But I don’t like to put wear on the sockets of more expensive boards (or frankly the switch legs/leaves) so they don’t get used for switch rotation. I view the hotswap utility on those boards, say the U80-A, as an easier way to “rebuild” the board if I really hate the set-up or have to replace the stabs, instead of having to bust the desoldering gun out.
Also, a hotswap configuration is a bit limiting for different plate and PCB experiences. It’s not ideal for say, a half plate, flex cut PCB set-up, or a plateless build with a gasket mounted PCB like the Thera. Then there is the issue with many boards only offering a soldered PCB option altogether.
I think the best solution to my very first world problem, is to consolidate my switches, and in turn my boards, into the most premium and unique experiences for my tastes. But that seems like a lot of work that I won’t do, lol. Know thyself, amiright.
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Yes, definitely!
Topical coffee ramble:
While most of my boards have sockets at this point, I only rotate switches frequently in the one I think of as a tester - and I picked that one specifically because it’s easy to take apart quickly.
Most of the rest I don’t think of as “hot-swap” so much as “solder-free” - customs for sure, but also some of the middle market ones. Not just for longevity, but because of some feature(s) that would discourage frequent use of the sockets;
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Plastic case threads that will wear much faster than the sockets (pre-revision NK65EE)
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A tight plate that will chew up switches (pre-revision NK65EE, TES68)
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An expensive or hard to replace PCB (Grid 650, Ikki68)
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No easy / non-destructive way to disassemble and support the sockets from below while installing switches (Mojo68)
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Stock plate with fairly loose grip that can easily wear and become more loose (KBD67L R1)
On one hand, the 67L is an ideal tester on paper because replacement PCBs are easy to find and aftermarket plates are, too - but the assembly process takes me 2-3 times as long than with the Portico because of the recessed torx screws, and aftermarket plates being held by the switches.
Meanwhile the Portico has 5 basic screws and a stock FR4 plate with an almost just-right amount of grip on the switches. The negative to using it as a tester is that over time the plate will wear a bit and not grip switches as well, especially if you pull a bunch out without fully releasing the clips - and there’s not nearly as much aftermarket support as with the KBD67s. Still - for me, that particular board hits the sweet spot of quality and convenience to be a great switch testing platform.
Once I find a switch that works well with the rest, I tend to leave them in place.
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Got another set of NK Creams. They looked the same as the OG set but I think they may have changed the mold. Firstly, the housing is now too tight to be filmed. I like that. Secondly, they sound slightly different. Just as loud but the twang sound, made when stem hitting the top housing after a keystroke, is not as loud.
I think they may have reduced the overall housing by a fraction to address complaints about the switch requiring a lot of pressure to insert into plates.
With my well-worn Cream set now relieved from duty, I can make a Cherry Pie board. Got a lot of polished Cherry Black boards so I can afford to taint one of them to spice up my rotation.
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So you were sufficiently convinced by the frankenswitches that you’re going to build some, I take it? I ask because I have some Creams that I’m not going to use in their stock form and I’ve been considering making something like that.
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Yup. Cherry Black w/Cream stem clearly stood out soundwise in a tester. Jury is still out on how it be in-use though. Half-suspecting it may sound tad harsh in-use.
UPDATE1: Happy to report that Cherry Pie came out very nice. Didn’t stray much from Cherry Black sound but tastefully louder and more crisp. Doesn’t sound harsh. I did have to replace already long 16mm spring with 18mm one bc slightly heavier top improved the feel of this frankenswitch.
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My adventure with linears shows no sign of ending. Still enjoying the board with Cherry Black w/Cream stem frankenswitch.
Next frankenswitch I’m looking to do is Tealios with Cherry top (체뚜틸?). My Tealios board is not hot-swap so I’ll need to do some testing to make sure I’ll like the combo before desoldering. When in doubt, always go with hot-swap option if you’re into tinkering.
Springs - I’m no longer interested in extra long springs (> 16mm) or multi-stage springs. 16mm is just right for me.
Switches - Cherry Black and NK Cream remain my favorites. They need more work to bring them up to usable condition but well worth the effort IMO.
Plates - I’ve been enjoying FR4 plates a lot lately. Brass and POM are nice but finding great sounding combo is harder where FR4 sounds good without trying much.
Keycaps - I liked Ural Cyrillic set from 21kb enough to order a second set: a Blue Hangul set. Like CRP, their thick walls go really well with Cherry Black. Only issue I have with it is the surface which is decent enough but not as pleasant in-use as CRP and ePBT.
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Started doing something I haven’t done before since I got my second board: use a board for longer than handful of hours. I’ve been switching keyboard every few hours. I think that contributed to my buying habit.
For now, I am going to pick a board each day and use it throughout the day unless I find something wrong with it. If that works well enough, keep extending interval up to a full week of use. Not entirely sure if it’ll work out but I think there is something to learn from trying.
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Oil Kings I received yesterday was rather mundane when tested and remained so in use except their consistency started to shine. Switches smoothness was just a tad above Gateron Pro X1 and even sound was disappointing but, for reasons I’ve yet to fully comprehend, lower pitched dull yet consistent sound across the board somehow sounded pleasant to me. Guess I’m still learning…
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Getting some clues after a full day on Oil King. It’s more thock than clack and reminiscent of a Tealios brass plate build (this build is burger-mount Brutal 60 with FR4 and poly-fil). It’s a classy sound and feel. With a build like this, it’s just spring and lube dancing in light rain. Liking it a lot, enough to wonder how North Pole switch, which I think is in the same direction, might be like.
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I’m planning to rebuild my F2-84 soon with oil kings on a FR4 half-plate. My current config is MX Blacks on full alu leaf spring plate.
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Oil Kings apparently need a bit more time for lube to fully settle. Now they’re slippery smooth which is not quite skating smooth but still above and beyond normal smooth. If you can figure out what I’m trying to say, you are imagining things.
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Still enjoying FLCMMK Ice Mint + NK Cream bottom housing frankenswitch, particularly its 50g 20mm spring. It’s just perfectly balanced for me and springs from mStone with similar spec doesn’t even come close.
I wish its manufacturer would retail their springs somewhere. It’s amazing how much difference spring can make.
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