Eighty #391 - PCB Sandwich + Modded Kailh BOX Black Switches
BOX Blacks for now. Got some Gat Ink Blacks on the way!
Gib smokey switch housings pls.
Eighty #391 + Blank Black Keycaps - All Assembled!
The black of the case and the black of the keycaps do look a little bit off, especially under this yellow-ish lighting and from a top-down angle.
Eighty #391 Update - Switch Spring Switcheroo!
Ow my fingers hurt.
Finished this at 2:30 AM last night (this morning? ), but was tired and wanted sleep.
Send help pls, staying up late doing keeb stuff is becoming a bad habit.
Switch Spring Swap!
'Chew’s TKL Keyboards - The GMMK TKL + First Edition Eighty
Top: Kailh BOX Ancient Gray Switches. Bottom: Modded BOX Black Switches.
Kailh BOX Ancient Gray Switches - Lazy Pic #1
Modded BOX Black Switches - Lazy Pic #2
KBDfans × ai03 2-in-1 Aluminum Switch Opener + Switches
BOX Ancient Gray spring (left) is smoller than BOX Black spring (right).
Eighty #391 + Modded BOX Heavy Black Switches
Oh heeey! Lookin’ damn fine.
Stupid GMMK photobombing in the corner, grrr.
Modded BOX Heavy Black Switches - Up Close n’ Personal
Heavy switches in a heavy board.
Sound sample o’er at the LTT forum post, IDK if/how I can embed .MP4 on Discourse.
[Puts on dunce hat, sits in corner chair.]
Hotswap macropads/numpads like the GK21S (EPOMAKER, KPrepublic) seem to run for at least $100 for just the barebones kit (no switches, no keycaps). Couldn’t find a hotswap macropad/numpad for around $40 - $50, but I did find an Aliexpress listing for a YDMK Programmable Macropad:
Switches: Gateron (Blue, Brown, Black, Red, White, Yellow, Green), Kailh (Speed Silver, Speed Copper, Speed Bronze, Speed Gold, PRO Purple, PRO Burgundy, PRO Light Green).
Gateron Green (Clicky): 65g Actuation, 75g Bottom Out.
Kailh PRO Purple (Tactile): 50g Actuation, 70g Bottom Out.
Kailh PRO Light Green (Clicky): 50g Actuation, 60g Bottom Out.
PCB: Not Hotswap.
Keycaps: No Keycaps.
Price: $36.99.
Shipping: 1+ Month ETA.
This one caught my eye only because it came with Gateron/Kailh switches that maaay (or may not) meet your “heavy switch” criterion. There are other non-hotswap macropads/numpads that are cheaper (Filco, KBParadise, Leopold, etc.), but those seem to come with Cherry MX switch options only.
Gateron Ink Black Switch + Gold-Plated SPRiT Spring (150g)
Wasn’t expecting the Ink Black’s springs to be black as well. 'Chew approves.
[Promptly chucks black spring out for 150g gold spring.]
Switch Film
Other Ppl: [Puts switch film on switch housing. Simple.]
'Chew: [Boogles “How to apply switch films,” asks for help in Discord, FRETTING INTENSIFIES.]
Well, no significant difference that I can feel. Tried wobbling the housings with and without the films, but it’s a pretty tight fit either way. Might work better wonders with other, looser switches, though?
LE KEEB IS HEREEEEE excessive happi squealing noises
no pics b’cos kroambuk camera bad
GMMK Pre-Built with Gateron Brown Switches and Black Keycaps!
First Impressions (of both keeb and switches in general):
Hmm I didn’t expect the tactiles to be that loud when bottoming out and I am certainly not used to this low of an actuation force…kroambuk keys are harder to press down. Still not used to the layout b’cos of weird kroambuk keeb layout. Keycaps are doubleshot, legends are readable enough and the ones that seem to be printed on (mostly function keys) have some feel to them but since I probably won’t be using them often, doesn’t really matter to me. No silly visible branding either! RGB is also cool but it doesn’t really have that much of a use besides looking interesting when I want it to. Included switch yoinker kind of odd but it works fine… keycaps I just use my fingers cos no scratchy scratch for me! Better switches and keycaps probably coming soon™. Smol edit addition b’cos I somehow forgot: the incline and profile are a bit weird to me and I kind of want a wrist rest now. Oh and there’s barely any tactile feel to me but I brute force the keys all the way .-.
edit 2: the keycaps are a bit wobbly but it doesn’t affect much.
), but was tired and wanted sleep. 
(Not that it took that long lol)
[Shilling noises.] 
