Builds

This is where the bench work lives. Every build documented here was assembled, tuned, and typed on at my own desk — from the hotswap daily that serves as my value reference, to the aluminum 65% I soldered myself, to the budget 60% I deliberately keep stock as the “before” in every comparison.

Builds on this site follow a consistent method: one variable changed at a time, the same controlled sound recording before and after, and honest accounting of what each tier of spending actually buys. A $75 board, a $200 board, and a $400 board do not differ the way the marketing implies — the differences are in mounting style, stock stabilizer quality, and QC consistency, and I document exactly which of those your fingers will notice.

You’ll find full build logs (parts, order of operations, the mistakes included), hotswap-to-solder migration guides from real desolders on my own bench, and the cheap-mod series — tape mod, PE foam, force-break — tested with recordings instead of vibes. If you’re choosing your first board rather than building one, start with the keyboard picker or the start here page instead.