I just bought a bunch of Tealios from @Zeal. But I also bought a board with Holtites installed, as well as the Kira coming soon… hopefully! My question was, to turn PCB mount switches to plate mount, they say I just have to cut off the two tabs. But I really don’t want to ruin my almost $1 per switch permanently. Is there any solution for this? As far as I know the Kira is also plate mount. Am I just out of luck? Is it possible to buy just the bottom housing or something? Thanks, I’m really new to all this so I’m not sure how to even begin looking for the answer to this question.
Snipping the two nubs doesn’t really “ruin” the switch. Yes, it prevents you from using a PCB-only setup without a plate, but that’s not a huge deal imo because almost every kit will have a plate included. You may have to spend some extra time making sure the switches are aligned in some circumstances, like on the bottom row when there’s a multi-layout support.
Zeal does sell 65g? switches without the nubs iirc.
Don’t snip the nubs/tabs on the switches. If the PCB on which you plan to use the switches has the extra holes to accommodate them, then you don’t have to go through the pain. Like @hineybush suggested, most kits have a plate and hence there’s no need for you to snip those nubs, just yet.
In short, all you need to check for is whether the PCB you plan to use with Tealios has extra holes for those nubs. Only then take a call to snip them or not.
The PCB might have the mount holes for the legs, but even then in my experience Zealio legs are a super snug fit and it could still be a struggle to get in there. If you do have to clip the legs, I recommend getting a gallon size ziplock and doing the snipping inside the baggie so you don’t have plastic bits all over the place.
Like others have said, there’s no need to clip. In fact, most people prefer ‘PCB mount’ switches even when using a plate as it helps with stability and alignment.
My question was, to turn PCB mount switches to plate mount, they say I just have to cut off the two tabs. But I really don’t want to ruin my almost $1 per switch permanently. Is there any solution for this? As far as I know the Kira is also plate mount. Am I just out of luck? Is it possible to buy just the bottom housing or something? Thanks, I’m really new to all this so I’m not sure how to even begin looking for the answer to this question.