Build Journal
Long-form technical articles on switches, tuning, parts selection and repair. Every guide pairs with the calculators so you can move straight from theory to numbers.
20 of 20 articles
Troubleshooting a Dead Key: A Systematic Diagnostic Path
A structured elimination method for dead keys, chattering, ghosting and boards that will not enumerate, ordered from the cheapest test to the most invasive.
812 words · 8 min read
Wireless Keyboards: Latency, Battery Life and What You Give Up
Bluetooth versus 2.4 GHz receivers, real polling behaviour, battery sizing, and the practical trade-offs of building or buying a wireless custom board.
862 words · 9 min read
Keyboard Ergonomics That Actually Matter for Long Sessions
Typing angle, wrist extension, key weight and break cadence examined with practical targets, and why negative tilt beats almost every accessory you can buy.
852 words · 8 min read
Cleaning and Long-Term Maintenance for Custom Keyboards
A maintenance schedule that keeps a board feeling new: safe cleaning methods for keycaps, plates and PCBs, plus when relubing and stabilizer service are due.
835 words · 8 min read
Group Buys Versus In-Stock: Buying Without Regret
How group buys work, why they take eighteen months, what interest checks and extras rounds mean, and when buying in stock is simply the better decision.
821 words · 8 min read
Desk Mats, Feet and Resonance: The Surface Under Your Board
The desk is part of your keyboard's acoustic system. How mat thickness, case feet and desk construction change sound and typing feel, and what to change first.
832 words · 8 min read
Recording and Reading Sound Tests Like an Engineer
Sound tests are the main way builds are judged online, and most of them are misleading. How to record a fair one and how to interpret somebody else's.
850 words · 8 min read
Hot-Swap or Soldered: Choosing a PCB You Will Still Like Next Year
Socket durability, sound differences, repairability and cost compared, so you can pick a PCB based on how you actually plan to use the board.
814 words · 7 min read
Firmware, QMK and VIA: Remapping Your Keyboard Without Fear
What firmware actually does, how VIA differs from compiling QMK, and the layer and macro patterns that make small layouts genuinely usable.
869 words · 8 min read
Soldering Your First Keyboard PCB Without Ruining It
Iron temperature, solder choice, joint inspection and desoldering recovery — a complete first-timer walkthrough for building a soldered keyboard safely.
899 words · 9 min read
Spring Weights and Swaps: Matching Force Curves to Your Hands
Actuation force, bottom-out force, progressive versus linear springs and long springs explained, with a practical method for finding the weight that stops your fingers aching.
885 words · 9 min read
Custom Cables Explained: Length, Connectors and Whether They Are Worth It
How to measure the right cable length for your desk, what aviator and detachable connectors change, and an honest look at whether custom cables improve anything but looks.
837 words · 7 min read
Plate Material Guide: Brass, Aluminium, POM, FR4 and PC Compared
Stiffness, density and damping differ enormously between plate materials. Here is what each one does to flex and sound, and which combinations are worth building.
868 words · 8 min read
Mounting Styles Explained: Tray, Top, Gasket and Everything Between
How the plate and PCB attach to the case decides flex, typing feel and sound more than almost any other choice. A practical comparison of every common mounting style.
978 words · 9 min read
Keycap Profiles and Materials: Picking a Set You Will Not Resell
Cherry, OEM, SA, XDA and DSA compared by height and angle, plus what ABS, PBT, doubleshot and dye-sublimation really mean for durability and sound.
863 words · 8 min read
Foam and Dampening: Tuning Case Acoustics Without Killing the Sound
Case foam, plate foam, PE film and tape mod compared by what they actually change in the frequency response, and how to choose thickness for your specific case.
855 words · 8 min read
Stabilizer Tuning: Ending Spacebar Rattle for Good
Clipping, lubing, band-aid modding and holee modding explained in order of impact, with a realistic account of how much each step actually improves the sound.
877 words · 8 min read
Choosing a Keyboard Layout: 60%, 65%, TKL or Full Size
Desk footprint, key availability and muscle memory compared across the common layouts, with the trade-offs nobody mentions until you have already bought the case.
895 words · 7 min read
How to Lube Switches Properly Without Ruining a Whole Batch
Grease selection, brush technique, coverage targets and the mistakes that turn a smooth linear into a sluggish mess — plus how much lube a full board actually needs.
830 words · 8 min read
Switch Anatomy Explained: Every Part That Shapes How a Key Feels
A component-by-component breakdown of a mechanical switch, and how stem, spring, housing and leaf each change the sound and feel of a finished board.
891 words · 7 min read