How (un)safe is using plate-mount MX switches without a plate?

[davkol]

What the title says. Does anyone here have experience with using plate-mount Cherry MX (or clone) switches with neither a plate, nor the plastic pins for additional support in the PCB? Are the risks too significant, if the keyboard isn't abused beyond typing at a desktop?

Alternatively, what are viable ways to secure the switches, apart from lots of glue? If the PCB supports in-switch LEDs, would jumper wires soldered in there instead provide enough support?

[scottc]

I tried to mount a few plate-mount switches on a lone PCB before but found them a little bit too wobbly for my liking, so ultimately used PCB-mount switches instead. I'm not sure if it's feasible for you, but you could just swap in some PCB-mount switch bottoms from other switches. I did it with a surplus of used MX blacks that I had lying around. Not sure about the other alternatives you mentioned, I've never tried them.

[davkol]

Thanks. Outright wobbliness would suck.

I'm trying to utilize a PCB, that doesn't even have holes for PCB-mount switches. In particular, I have "universal" PCBs (with support for all ANSI, ISO and JIS) from various mass-produced keyboards in mind. My goal is to get JIS layout with ANSI Enter and maybe ISO left Shift, but without having to cut a custom plate.

[Wodan]

You will also get severe issues with switch alignment. Just the center nub and the two contact aren't enough to perfectly align a switch. Might still look okay with a 1u key but as soon as you put 1.5u keys on them they will just look shit.

I even use PCB mount switches for stabilized and bottom row keys in a plate mount build because I am unhappy with the alignment you get from plate cutouts larger than one switch.

[scottc]

Ah yeah, Wodan raises a good point. I hadn't thought of the alignment issue.

If you don't want to cut an entirely new plate, would it be feasible for you to the original plate? In my experience you don't need an exact cut for most switches, even filing a big hole the width of a single switch might do it. I'm finding it kind of hard to explain what I mean. For example, if you wanted to change ANSI left shift to ISO + the extra key. Lots of custom multi-layout plates work like this on the modifier row and work totally fine.

Basically you could modify the plate to do something like the left shift on this keyboard, ignoring the stabiliser cut-outs:

[Laser]

I even use PCB mount switches for stabilized and bottom row keys in a plate mount build because I am unhappy with the alignment you get from plate cutouts larger than one switch.

Yes, ideally I'd always use PCB mount switches *with* a plate, for a higher state of robustness

(I know, the opposite of the OP question)

[vvp]

Take an old steel plate and cut out one row of switches so that they are open from top xor bottom side (like a comb). Solder switches while they are inserted in your steel "comb". This should keep switches aligned. I would say that if the middle hole is tight then this (together with the solder joints) should be enough to hold the switch. If not then you can try to drop a super glue into the middle hole when switch is soldered. Or maybe use switches with diodes which have leads to solder on the other side too.

I do not know whether it really works. I did not try it myself.

[axtran]

You will also get severe issues with switch alignment. Just the center nub and the two contact aren't enough to perfectly align a switch. Might still look okay with a 1u key but as soon as you put 1.5u keys on them they will just look shit.

I even use PCB mount switches for stabilized and bottom row keys in a plate mount build because I am unhappy with the alignment you get from plate cutouts larger than one switch.

On boards with plate where the PCB supports PCB mount, when I'm using plate mount switches I always have a few PCB mount temporarily in place so that I can mount property. I then do a row and a column of switches before removing said PCB mount switches.

Furthermore, I'll tend to also SIP socket, for stability. I don't like backlight LEDs.


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