Tag
#guide
14 posts in guide.
- Guides
How to Find Your Switch Preference With a Switch Tester
A practical method for discovering which mechanical switch you actually like — how to use a switch tester properly, why first impressions mislead, and how to translate a test into a confident purchase.
- Guides
Keyboard Sound Mods: Foam, Tape, and the Pursuit of Thock
An honest guide to keyboard sound mods — case foam, the tape mod, PE foam, and switch films — what each actually changes, how much, in what order to try them, and which ones are not worth the effort.
- Guides
Remapping Keys with QMK and VIA: A Beginner's Guide
What QMK and VIA actually are, the difference between them, how layers and key remapping work, and why programmable firmware is one of the most useful and overlooked features on a mechanical keyboard.
- Guides
Understanding the Mechanical Keyboard Hobby and Its Jargon
A plain-English orientation to the mechanical keyboard hobby — the vocabulary, the group-buy culture, the endgame myth, and how to engage with the community without getting overwhelmed or overspending.
- Guides
Hot-Swap vs Soldered Keyboards: Which Should You Buy?
A clear comparison of hot-swap and soldered mechanical keyboards — what each actually means, the real tradeoffs in cost, durability, and flexibility, and an honest recommendation for beginners and enthusiasts.
- Guides
How to Clean and Maintain a Mechanical Keyboard
A practical maintenance routine for mechanical keyboards — safe surface cleaning, a full deep clean with keycaps off, what is safe to wash and what is not, and a realistic schedule that prevents most problems.
- Guides
Troubleshooting Common Mechanical Keyboard Problems
A diagnostic guide to the most common mechanical keyboard problems — dead keys, chatter, stuck keys, wrong characters, and connection drops — with the actual fix for each, in order of likelihood.
- Guides
Build Your First Custom Mechanical Keyboard: Full Walkthrough
A start-to-finish guide to assembling your first hot-swap custom keyboard — parts list, the correct assembly order, the mistakes that brick a build, and a realistic time and difficulty estimate.
- Guides
How to Lube Mechanical Switches: A Careful Beginner's Guide
A step-by-step guide to hand-lubing mechanical switches — which lube to use, how much, the brush-versus-bag debate, and an honest take on whether the 2–4 hour project is worth it for you.
- Guides
Keyboard Stabilizers Explained: Why Your Spacebar Rattles
What stabilizers do, why stock ones rattle and tick, and the practical fixes — clip, lube, band-aid mod — that solve the single most common complaint about new mechanical keyboards.
- Guides
How to Choose Your First Mechanical Keyboard the Smart Way
A no-hype framework for buying your first mechanical keyboard: prebuilt vs hot-swap vs kit, the four decisions that matter, and the upgrade traps that drain money for no real gain.
- Guides
Keycaps Explained: ABS vs PBT, Profiles, and Why Boards Sound Off
A practical guide to keycap materials and profiles — ABS vs PBT, doubleshot vs dye-sub, and how Cherry, OEM, SA, XDA, and DSA profiles change typing feel and sound.
- Guides
Mechanical Keyboard Switches: Linear vs Tactile vs Clicky
A practical guide to mechanical switch types — linears, tactiles, and clickies — covering actuation force, travel, sound profile, and which switches are worth trying first.
- Guides
Mechanical Keyboard Layouts: 100%, TKL, 75%, 65%, 60%, and Beyond
A practical walkthrough of mechanical keyboard layouts — full-size, TKL, 75%, 65%, 60%, 40%, and split — covering what keys you lose at each step and who each layout actually suits.