Wow, that’s clean!
I’m guessing those are Topre keycaps, or did you swap the stems to be MX compatible?
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Topre, but they do have MX versions:
https://kbdfans.com/products/ic-kbdfans-x-biip-extended-2048-keycaps-set?variant=33816045355147
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Built this one up with Epsilon switches today
Decent65 in copper suede cerakote. Sounds really nice.
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DCS Delftware on my Kara. Enjoying the caps but making the move back to a staggered layout from a split ortho makes me feel like I’ve never used a keyboard before in my life lol
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FC980C - this board is helping me understand the love people have for their Topre. The stabs are rather rattly in its stock form, will need to peruse the Topre modding threads and have a go at remediating it!
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what weight domes? I’m guessing it’s 45, but I have a 35g 980c and it’s the bee’s knees.
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BuddyOG at unrealkeyboards has some nice guides. My 2¢ is start out under-modded and add more and see what you think. I have 2 topre boards; one ringed, lubed, landing-padded, stab tuned, gasketed, and dome swapped, and another that is stock silenced with 3 coats of ro-59 on the sliders and some stab tuning, but otherwise stock.
I started out with the fully modded board, and for the second build tried to stay true to stock for sound and feel, and I’ve found that over time I prefer the stock feel.
Finally, ymmv, but I’ve found the 45g domes vary between builds, so my 980c felt a little mushy, and my 660c feels a lot more crisp. Something to keep in mind as you get to know your board.
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I agree with roos on this. Just lube the rails, stabs, and PCB. Leave it as stock as possible.
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Yep, 45g stock domes for this! So far the only modification’s an aftermarket Hasu controller, but I’m looking at doing some mods for it
@rooski15 @chono thanks for the excellent modding advice! Indeed I do enjoy the stock experience thus far, it’s just the stabilizer rattle that I would like to fix, thinking that some lubing would help with it 
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The stabilizers are lubed from the factory but I always find it helps to use something thicker like dielectric grease. There are guides out there for using heat shrink or tape to further quiet them too.
IMO the major difference between SKCM damped creams & damped whites is the housings mostly. They are definitely much thinner than the housings creams have. I noticed this taking apart some damped whites I pulled out of an AEKII. I held a bottom housing up to my light to see something better on it & noticed the light was actually coming through the plastic! I pulled a damped cream, orange, & salmon to see if their housings did the same thing. They did not, their housings are completely opaque, even under fairly bright light. I also suspect ALPS may have changed to cheaper plastic mix for the housings when they made the change to damped white instead of damped cream. At least that is my somewhat educated guess on that, LOL!
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Makes sense. The whites feel a bit better/smoother to me but that’s most likely bc they are in better condition than the creams.
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Ok, so here’s a macro shot of the SA Godspeed return key. These are some crispy legends.
Also, all that lint/dust…I cannot see any of it with the naked eye, but it’s swaying me towards acquiring an keyboard vacuum…
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Not the same as a vacuum, but I find these little rocket bulb blower things work well. Can usually be had for a couple dollars.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/232166946198-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
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The bulbs have been in use for a very long time - the rocket look is more recent. I guess somebody designed a bulb with legs so it wouldn’t roll around, and then thought, “you know there’s not much else I’d have to do to make this look like a cartoon rocket…”
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The thing is that it’s VERY similar to another device used for water…
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