TLDR: No instructions came with the DIY kit, which is probably fine for the most part, but I had no idea wtf i was doing, so I wanted to post some info in case others were running into the same lack of how-to information when it came to simple stuff like "which wires do I solder to the usb-a/usb-c/aviator (gx16-4) connector?" or even "How to fish the cable through the paracord/techflex sleeving?" Also to see if any assumptions i made were wrong before I plug this into the Massdrop ALT keyboard that's en route.

​

Prior to attemping this, I haven't done anything electrical related anything, didn't own any of the tools other than a set of wire cutters and I basically didn't know what search terms to even search for.. so keep that in mind when reading. Also, ZapCables weren't taking orders when I wanted to make an order, so I figured "how hard could it be for a newb?" Wrong.

​

Things I still don't know:

- [solved: it works!] I'm not sure if my cable actually works because I don't own any USB-C devices other than a power bank that has a USB-C connection. I plugged it in to an ac adapter connected to the wall then connected it to the power bank and it turned on AND the cable didn't melt (hooray), so I assume power is working.

- I have no idea how to test if the rest of it works. I realized after I pieced this all together I probably could have tested the connections somehow, but I really don't want to dismantle this thing now. I'm planning to just plug it in to the ALT when it arrives and do a rain dance in the hopes that everything works.

​

Assembly Steps

​

Step 1: I bought a cheap soldering kit off of amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZ31W3M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and hoped for the best.

​

Step 2: Stripping the usb cable and incredibly tiny wires inside

- Wire Cutters/wire stripping tool: this worked fine for the USB cable casing, but not for the wires inside. For the inner wires, it only worked 50% of the time because I couldn't get the feel right and kept cutting the strands of the wires when peeling them off. I bought a wire stripping tool and the one i got didn't work as the wires were too small. SIGH.

​

- Soldering iron: i saw some people just melt the casing off, and this kind of worked, but because the already tiny ass wires were stranded (had even more impossibly thin wires inside), the plastic melted between the strands and it took just as long to clean it off before tinning the wire.

​

- What worked for me: I ended up figuring out I could use the soldering iron to melt the plastic away to create a notch where I wanted to start stripping the wire away. Once I melted around the wire, I used my fingers and pulled the plastic off, and the underlying strands of wire were clean and in tact.

​

Step 3: Tinning the stripped wires

- What worked for me: I set the soldering heat on the soldering iron to be around 350deg or a little less as I found any higher and the solder would burn and disappear before I could get it on the wires. I took the tweezers and twisted the strands so they would not come apart when applying heat. Then I heated up the twisted wire with the soldering iron and put the solder on it and moved it all around. Seemed to work.

​

Step 4: Soldering tinned wires to the connector USB-A connector

- I have no idea if I did this correctly. Even though the packaging for USB-A had the wires in order GND, D+, D- and VCC marked, it wasn't clear to me which orientation to have the connector so that the label made sense. I assumed if your wires are on the left, and the connector is on the right, then the top connection point on the USB-A connector was GND. The connection points weren't labeled sooooo I hoped for the best. Once that was done, i assembled the rest of the connector's metal casing. To solder, I added heat to the tinned wire and it connected. I was paranoid about having the solder spread to the other connection points (the USB-C connector has no barriers unlike the A) so i didn't add extra on top.

​

Step 5: Fishing the cable through the paracord/TechFlex

- There's some videos of how to do this for the paracord on youtube, but I couldn't find a way to hack it and make it faster, so i pushed it through one aggravating inch at at time. The Techflex was easy because.. well it can flex.

​

Step 6: Soldering the male side of the Aviator/GX16-4 to your USB cable

- I don't think it matters if you choose male or female part of the connector. I chose the male side because it was easiest to detach the cover (just unscrew it) and expose the solder points. First I threaded the cable through the heat shrink to the USB-A connector. You don't have to do this but I found not all of the heat shrink pieces I got could fit over the connector. Next, I threaded the USB-Cable with the paracord/techflex through cover that was just unscrewed and left it on the cable. Looking at the male GX16-4 solder points, they are labeled 1-4, and I chose the soldering points 1:GND, 2:D+, 3:D-, 4:VCC. You'll do the same for the female connector.

​

Special note: I emailed ZapCables because I was initially confused AF when I saw the GX16 connector and had no idea what to do. John promptly replied with the tip about the labels. Thanks John! He also mentioned they might be making their own tutorial which I think they should do because I found this hard given I don't have any experience doing this.

​

When the soldering was done, I connected the GX16-4 cover back to the male connector. Be sure not to twist the cable while you're re-attaching. I ended up tearing the wires off from over-twisting and proceeded to die inside when I realized I had to do it all over.

​

At this point, you have half the cable and it's pretty much the same for the other half EXCEPT that for the female GX16-4 cable, detaching the cover to expose the solder points requires you have an small screw driver to unscrew yet another miniscule screw. The set of tiny screw drivers I use for my glasses/computers was not small enough, I was able to find one that worked in a random set i had in the garage. The size was not marked, so I have no idea what to tell you guys :( If you manage to get it off, twise the cover 1/4 rotation to the left and then pull.

​

Step 7: Do steps 2-6 for the other side of the cable + female GX16-4 connector

​

If you decide to go this route and you also have no idea what you're doing, I suggest you definitely order a little more length for the usb cable/paracord/techflex. I got a 4ft cable, and in the end, with connectors on and all, i'm 3-4 inches short of 4ft because of all the mistakes I made.

​

I hope this helps someone who wants a nice cable but can't be bothered to wait.. but can be bothered to be frustrated by the assembly process.

​

*Edit: grammar/spelling*

​

EDIT: Update on the cable, some of the parts that i soldered between the cable did not have a good connection, bending the wire ever so slightly would cause the keyboard to connect/disconnect, so i probably have to redo the connections to the male/female gx16-4 connectors.

​

EDIT2: After a quick email to ZapCables, John mentioned that i had too much exposed wire that was touching (near solder points) and suggested I resolder with less exposed wire to prevent this from happening. Rather than do that and figure out how to desolder, I took some electrical tape and wrapped any exposed wire connecting at the solder points to the USB-A/USB-C/GX16-4 connector. Happy to say, it's all working and I am now successfully using this cable. 5/5 for ZapCables and John for help.

If you really want to learn, pick up a small kit like this, like 7 to 10 switches, and like 10 of any kind of keycap, and finally grab a soldering iron.


All that is around $50 total, and places like keeb.io have really detailed guides on how to assemble their PCBs. It's really not hard once you understand what to get, and once you've built even a small macro pad like that, you'll be able to build even hand wired keyboards no problem. They're really simple once you learn the basics! It's pretty much just legos, but really tiny and using a hot stick.

Is Preonic worth the investment?

I have a Planck rather than a Preonic but OLKB designs sturdy and reliable boards that are also very interesting.

I honestly think the Planck is like twitter. Having a very low word (key) count makes people more creative in how they express themselves. The Preonic is more like tumbler where more things can be done more easily.

Moving keys to other layers is fine due to the extra thumbable keys on the bottom row. The Preonic doesn't require as many layers because it has so many more keys, so the extra thumb keys aren't really necessary.

That said, it's a nice compromise.

Is it a good build for a beginner?

It's the same difficulty as any other keyboard build that has PCB components soldered on. All you have to do is add switches and through-hole solder them. It's definitely a fine way to learn to solder as long as you follow a few rules.

Most keyboard kits come this way with the exception of those like the Lets Split which you have to solder diodes and a promicro onto also.

The only thing More difficult is getting a PCB printed and buying diodes, resisters, and chips from DigiKey and then using a heat gun or oven to cook all the little things on.

What is a good soldering station?

Cheap ones will work fine. People around here seem to like the Hakko 888d which is what I use. The cheaper ones like this will also work fine. The extra $80 doesn't change much about how you work. Turn on the iron, heat stuff, sponge occasionally, don't touch it to your skin, then put it away safely.

Soldering rules for beginners

1. Don't hold the heat on any part for more than 5 seconds. If it starts looking like a mess, go solder other parts and let things cool off before coming back to fix it. Don't freak out about the speed, just be deliberate and have things ready before you start applying heat
   
2. Use leaded solder because it's much easier to melt and manipulate
   
3. Use rosin core, no clean solder so you don't have to futz around with flux or flux cleaner
   
4. Put the iron down when you're not using it. It is shaped like a pencil and we humans like to tuck those between fingers while manipulating things. Do not do this.
   
   There are a lot of little things to do to maximize soldering experience. You'll figure these out over time. I thing this short list is enough to keep your board intact and blood in your body.

You can get started now for pretty cheap. If you wanted to try and make an aux cable, you could follow my guide here, but I could recommend some cheaper materials so the up-front cost isn't so much.

I just bought some wire on Aliexpress that may be a cheap replacement for the mogami, and you can get a standard cheap soldering iron like this one if you plan on doing electrical work in the future anyway.

To start you need an iron and some lead solder
Link: ANBES Soldering Iron Kit Electronics, 60W Adjustable Temperature Welding Tool, 5pcs Soldering Tips, Desoldering Pump, Soldering Iron Stand, Tweezers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GXDQAbRAZ26TT

This $20 Kit on Amazon might be goo entry level... I have NO idea if the iron is any god but have seen people use them and they work fine. This one comes with a multimeter for a few bucks more. The tool you will find a lot of use for is that curved tweezer. It can open switches, hold components, pick up clipped resistor/diode leads etc.

​

If you have never soldered do NOT let an expensive keyboard be the first time... get some PCB's and resistors and then watch youtube videos of soldering... Pete from 1upkeyboards has tons... you might need to scrub through to get to the soldering or just search youtube for soldering videos. Soldering is not that hard but if you do not know what you are doing it is easy to scew the board up and ruining a board sucks.

​

Think twice, solder once... the biggest mistakes are not thinking it through and then you find you soldered the switches and plate BEFORE the stabilizers or the Pro Micro before switches and desoldering is a pita and is easy to burn the pads.

​

Try the Sweet16 or the 9Key first. You have to setup the QMK software no matter what so those are nice affordable ways to get a board built fast and then build and flash your firmware.

​

Have fun.

I use the Aoyue 701A+, but a lot of people really like Hakko irons, here, like the FX-888. Honestly, it really depends on how much soldering you're going to be doing. I really don't recommend spending $80+ on an iron if you're only ever going to solder one or two boards, because that's not very good value. A lot of people recommending irons forget that. If you only plan to do a board or two, I'd recommend something with a lot of value, like this. This is what I started on. Nothing special, but a lot of features for this price and it worked fine for my first two boards.

Some thoughts on the IPS:

• Install:
  
  • Toughest part is attaching the ribbon cable back to the AGS board. I found it was shorter than the stock ribbon cable.
    
  • Don't be scared to solder. Bought a $15 soldering iron off Amazon and practiced a bit on other stuff. Very easy to solder the wire to the board for brightness control, just need to be precise.
    
  • I bought my case from Retro Modding and chose to do the case modification myself with my dremel tool. Easy as well.
    
• IPS:
  
  • At first it was weird not having the pixelated look of the AGS-101 but, after seeing the two next to each other, I'm starting to love the pixel density of the IPS.
    
  • If you solder, you'll have 6 brightness options. Levels 1 and 3 are comparable to the AGS-101 and its two brightness options. This means the IPS is quite brighter at its highest setting, but also darker for sessions at night with no lights on. Great versatility.
    
  • I have experienced zero screen tearing as I received the new ribbon cable. That should not be a concern anymore.
    
    Overall, I think this really is the game changer everyone has been waiting for. I love my two AGS-101's but, with the prices rising and the availability of this kit, it's a no brainer. Again, I bought this cheap soldering iron and practiced a few times; that's really how easy the install is if you have steady hands. I cannot speak for this kit without the brightness options activated.
    
    Hope this helps!

I started out with this one.

ANBES Soldering Iron Kit Electronics, 60W Adjustable Temperature Welding Tool, 5pcs Soldering Tips, Desoldering Pump, Soldering Iron Stand, Tweezers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BFgFDbZKQ2TAX

The ferrule to tighten down the tips I accidentally screwed sideways and stripped the threads. So I can't use it anymore.

I upgraded to this and like it a lot. The only thing that stinks is you would have to buy a separate solder sucker.

Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FHgFDbX2G3J1V

I have this one now and I really like it a lot. I also use 60/40 solder. I hear people rant and rave about 63/37. Either way.

Pickups almost never fail - they're just a big coil of wire, there's not really anything to go wrong with them.

The first thing to check is obvious - is your volume or tone control rolled off? It sounds silly, but it's easy to overlook if you rarely use the neck pickup.

The next most likely problem is the pickup selector switch. Les Pauls use an open type of selector switch that's prone to corrosion, especially if it's infrequently used. Plug your guitar in, strum the open strings, then click the pickup selector switch up and down and listen to your amp. If you can hear crackling or intermittent sound, it's probably the selector switch.

Most switch problems can be fixed with a squirt of DeoxIT, but the switch may need to be replaced. If you can solder, it's a ten minute job and a six dollar part. If you can't solder, this is a good opportunity to learn - you can buy a basic soldering iron kit for less than $20.

Failing that, take it to a competent luthier. Guitar electronics aren't particularly complicated, so it should be a cheap and quick fix.

I bought a cheap soldering kit from Amazon for $17 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oedEzb5K4TWS4
Also a Dremel tool for sanding surfaces and cutting plastic https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BYRFH8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NfdEzbEYCCFER

Raspberry Pi zero w

Relay

Boards

Power Connector

USB Power

Solder kit

Tower Light

Wire diagram

Code in python not the best but that I got on phone.

!/usr/bin/env python2

import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import json
import base64
import requests
import datetime
import logging
import random
from time import sleep

logging.basicConfig(filename='ci-light.log', filemode='w', format='%(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s')

RED = 17
GREEN = 22
YELLOW = 27
global_state = -2
times = {
"1" : datetime.time(2, 0),
"2" : datetime.time(2, 15),
"5" : datetime.time(2, 30),
"3" : datetime.time(2, 45),
"4" : datetime.time(3, 0),
"5" : datetime.time(3, 15)
}

Pat= “{token}”
bauth = "Basic " + base64.b64encode(':'+pat)

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(RED, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(GREEN, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(YELLOW, GPIO.OUT)

def clearRed():
GPIO.output(RED, 0)
def setRed():
GPIO.output(RED, 1)
def clearGreen():
GPIO.output(GREEN, 0)
def setGreen():
GPIO.output(GREEN, 1)
def clearYellow():
GPIO.output(YELLOW, 0)
def setYellow():
GPIO.output(YELLOW, 1)
def clearLights():
GPIO.output(RED, 0)
GPIO.output(GREEN, 0)
GPIO.output(YELLOW, 0)

tests to make sure lights and relay are functioning as appropriate

def start_up():
clearLights()
setRed()
sleep(1)
clearRed()
setYellow()
sleep(1)
clearYellow()
setGreen()
sleep(1)
clearGreen()

Does little click and light dance to be passive aggressive. don't break builds

def put_on_show(times):
factor = 0.2
while (times > 0):
setRed()
sleep(factor)
clearRed()
setYellow()
sleep(factor)
clearYellow()
setGreen()
sleep(factor)
clearGreen()
setYellow()
sleep(factor)
clearYellow()
times -= 1
factor -= 0.015

blinks light

def blink_light(light_pin):
GPIO.output(light_pin, 1)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 0)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 1)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 0)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 1)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 0)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 1)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 0)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 1)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 0)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 1)
sleep(0.1)
GPIO.output(light_pin, 0)
sleep(0.1)

Checks the builds for D or T then determines if broken

will need to be updated to account for unit tests being broken to change to yellow

def check_builds():
buildDefs = "http://{tfsserver}:8080/tfs/defaultcollection/Development/_apis/build/definitions"
buildsUri = "http://{tfsserver}:8080/tfs/defaultcollection/Development/_apis/build/builds?MaxBuildsPerDefinition=1&deletedFilter=excludeDeleted&queryOrder=finishTimeDescending&resultFilter=failed,succeeded,partiallySucceeded&definitions="
s = requests.Session()
s.headers.update({'Authorization': bauth})
r = s.get(buildDefs)

json1 = json.loads(r.text)
str1 = ''
for x in json1['value']:
if 'D' in x['name']:
str1 += str(x['id']) + ','
elif 'T' in x['name']:
str1 += str(x['id']) + ','
buildsUri += str1

r2 = s.get(buildsUri)

json2 = json.loads(r2.text)

state = 0

print(r2.status_code)

for x in json2['value']:
if x['result'] != 'succeeded':
return 1

return 0

print('starting up')
start_up()
print('started')

main logic loop

while (1):
sleep(3)
logging.info('Checking builds')
print('Checking builds')

new_state = check_builds()

check builds

if (global_state != new_state):<br />
    global_state = new_state<br />
    print('State changed')<br />
    logging.info('State changed')<br />
    if (new_state == 1):<br />
            print('Broken state - check your builds')<br />
            logging.error('Broken state - check your builds')<br />
            put_on_show(12)<br />
            blink_light(RED)<br />
            setRed()<br />
    elif (new_state == 0):<br />
            print('All clear!')<br />
            put_on_show(12)<br />
            blink_light(GREEN)<br />
            setGreen()<br />
    elif (new_state == -1):<br />
            print('Unit tests are broken - check your builds')<br />
            logging.error('Unit tests are broken - check your builds')<br />
            put_on_show(12)<br />
            blink_light(YELLOW)<br />
            setYellow()<br />
else:<br />
    logging.info('No change')<br />

Also a random human! Good luck!

I had never soldered anything before either, but I got one just to mess with my printers. Being able to snip off and reattach connectors, or extend wires on fans or solder some LED strip lights or whatever is a nice thing to be able to do yourself. This kit is pretty much complete for basic soldering and has been great.

I bought this ages ago, great kit. link here: amazon product page 19$

I hear you, I OBSESSED over this for a few days. And I still got the first result on Amazon and wasted two days I could have been tinkering or doing anything else haha.

Here's the one I got.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZ31W3M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Looks like the price ticked up or I got a deal or something. Definitely get a helping hands or similar device to hold your projects, so incredibly helpful. Can find those at any hobby store or Amazon for cheap too.

How do I compensate when I'm using a lower end soldering iron? I heard the temperature doesn't stay hot as consistently as better irons- so do I have to just wait longer in between soldering each joint?

I got this one for reference:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XZ31W3M/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Get yourself one of these soldering kits. It has everything you need to get started with soldering (though I recommend using solder wick instead of the pump for desoldering.) Just be sure to tin the tips with solder to prolong their life and help with heat transfer, and never blow on a fresh blob of solder to cool it; it give the joint air pockets which can corrode and degrade the joint over time.

Get some Bourns 500k push-pull pots (I recently bought a pair for $16 from an Amazon marketplace seller) for both controls. You could wire them up to coil split each pickup independently (assuming they have 4 conductors) as well as to bypass the controls entirely, have one pickup active all the time, etc. They're incredibly versatile.

Also, some new pickups and a Switchcraft jack will help immensely.

I don't really wanna post the code for ethical reasons (I started with some basic Adafruit code for bluetooth and turned it into a full OS). But here's a feature list:

1. Bluetooth, where time, battery percentage, and location are automagically updated by a companion app (a modified version of this app by Nordic Semiconductor.)
   
   
2. A stopwatch, accessed by pressing the left button.
   
   
3. A flashlight, turned on by one of the switches
   
   
4. A "dumb mode" in which only the time is displayed, accessed by flipping the bottom switch
   
   
5. In the future, notifications.
   
   I used u8g2's u8x8 mode for the screen drawing, as it requires no ram.
   
   ​
   
   Here are my parts:
   
   Voltage regulator (takes 8.4v down to 5v)
   
   22pF capacitors
   
   16MHz Oscillator (required for standalone board)
   
   DIYMall blue OLED
   
   Knockoff Arduino Uno
   
   Adafruit UART-Capable bluetooth module (makes sending data easier)
   
   Spare ATMega 328 processors
   
   Li-Ion" 9V" (8.4v) batteries (rechargeable)
   
   Switches
   
   9V battery clip
   
   Soldering Kit
   
   Elegoo prototyping PCBs
   
   Jumper wires (makes life easier & tidier)
   
   Elegoo Starter Kit (Comes with LEDs, resistors, and buttons)

This is the one I bought and so far it’s been great.
Check it

I haven't tested this one myself but it seems like this is some good bang for your buck:

https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M

I bought the soldering iron and the replacable tips on ebay, but they're coming from China so it'll be a while before I can vouch for them hope this helps a but.

I've got through about 8 keyboard builds/rebuilds with a generic $20 kit off Amazon and it's still holding up. Like, this'd be fine if you're not willing to drop $100 on something you may rarely use. Or most of the cheap adjustable ones on there.

Check out this guide, watch a couple soldering tutorials, switch soldering is some of the most basic stuff.

Soldering is an extremely valuable skill for this sport, is cheap to get into (this twenty dollar kit is more than sufficient), and will allow you to take advantage of cheap RC packs from HobbyKing and re-solder them yourself. It's definitely worth the mild investment in time, money, and effort.

Would something like this be good or should I avoid it?

I've had my eye on this one

awesome. thanks so much for all of your help! i think this is the last question i had. going to wait a couple days and then start ordering parts:

• 60%, layout, underglow, white LEDs, holtites, QMK
  
  
• ORG60: $22
  
  
• Aluminum case and plate: $68
  
  
• Genuine Cherry stabs: $10
  
  
• Kailh Box Red or Heavy Yellows: 21
  
  
• White LEDs: $6
  
  
• Holtites: $30. Opting for these over KBDfans' offerings
  
  
• DSA PBT keycaps: $57
  
  
• Soldering kit: $18
  
  
• Total: $230ish
  
  Soldering kit has 5 levels and will be used to solder LEDs and to help fit holtites in.

Headlights (you only need one pair. the cutoff is outstanding)

Map lights, license plate lights, running tail lights, and side marker lights

Reverse lights

Front turn signals (accessible from under the vehicle - pin remover and 10mm socket needed)

Rear turn signals (requires tail light disassembly)

Turn signal resistors (required to prevent hyperflashing; soldering is recommended)

Brake lights (requires tail light disassembly)

Daytime-running lights (pliers needed)

Trunk light and dome light

It's super simple. If you have no interest in learning how to do it I would find someone with a soldering iron and have them do it. I bought this kit and all you would do it use a bit a solder to connect the two holes. A 20 second job.

Sorry nobody responded to such a simple question on this subreddit about mice. Apparently most people here don't care or know much about the hardware in their mouse. So I guess I'll be the one to answer your question.

Those are just standard 3 pin micro switches you can find on any ordinary mouse. In my opinion they're all similar, Omron, Kailh, Huano seem to be the more common ones. The ones on the Divina series are all Huano and you can buy them on HERE, yes they're all from China because that's where they are all made.

You'll need basic solder / desolder skills to replace them, it should only take you about 30 min -1 hour or so of watching YouTube videos. But I'd get something to practice with first. Most important is to learn how to desolder using Solder Sucker you can look up a ton of tutorials on Youtube. You can find a full solder kit on amazon for under $20 if you're in the US, it should have everything you need for a quick job. Link here

Once you know how to replace a simple mouse switch you'll save a lot of money by not having to buy another full mouse if a switch ever malfunctions, a lot of people just throw away their old mouse and buy a new one if the "clicks" somehow stop working but really it's most likely just the simple mouse switch they needed to replace.

While it isn't possible to replace the switches without soldering, the solder job is a lot simpler than it seems. Just watch a good tutorial and get a decent 20 dollar solder kit off amazon and you'll be set. It's a good skill to learn. This solder set is amazing and actually comes with a solder sucker which you need to replace a switch anyways. I've used it hundreds of times and it's held up very well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5pV3Bb60EXNJ0

I bought the cheapest soldering kit on Amazon and it's lasted me through like 9 builds/re-builds so far. Still working fine. Something like this. I don't know exactly how accurate the temperature dial is, but it seems to be about right on mine.

Buying quality's never a bad idea, but you really don't have to if you're not using it a ton.

https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M?crid=1NQ8NYDFHTHAE&keywords=soldering+iron+kit&qid=1539188799&sprefix=soldering%2Caps%2C1057&sr=8-5&ref=sr_1_5 This would be a great little kit for you.

Seconded, also consider this kind of thing: https://www.amazon.com/Aven-17010-Adjustable-Circuit-Holder/dp/B00Q2TTQEE/ - it's invaluable for PCBs. Just populate from one side, add something to hold stuff in place (like gaffa tape, or bend one lead, or clip on a sheet of paper, etc), turn over the PCB and start soldering away. I wouldn't want to miss mine.

Any soldering iron 40+W where you can regulate the temperature should do, I own a nice station but when I don't feel like breaking it out because it'd take longer to set it up than to do the job I use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ set to 350°C. Just make sure to clean and tin your tip regularly and it will do the trick just fine Oh, but ditch the solder and get a few spools of good rosin core solder of different gauges, it's not expensive but worth it. In my experience, the solder that comes with kits like that mostly works as a deterrent.

If you're not planning on buying all-included kits also get a few spools of stranded core wire of different colors. You could use solid core wires but those tend to break if they're getting bended from movement without showing it. With stranded core some strands may break but as others don't they'll continue to work. Invisibly broken wires (i.e.) inside the isolation) are a *beeeeep* to debug.

Also, a set of tweezers are great to have, especially the kind that holds stuff together per default, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Curved-Tweezers-Cross-Jewelers-Soldering/dp/B000OVPG9A/ (only an example, I'd get a tweezers set that contains one like that).

In my experience a tool set like this one is great to have: https://www.amazon.com/Haobase-6Pieces-Double-sided-Soldering-Assist/dp/B01DLX6V3C/ - especially the bending tool is great to have, as it allows eg to bend the leads of a LED without running the risk of breaking the LED itself. It's also great in order to clean up mistakes, helps with desoldering and such

Speaking of desoldering: desoldering braid is a must. A desoldering pump can be useful, too. And yes, practice soldering and desoldering until you can do both without destroying anything.

If you're not going to buy pre-drilled enclosures then you very likely want a) a center punch and b) stepping drill bits. Those let you drill holes in all kinds of sizes without having to buy lots of drills.

Last but not least a wire cutter is a must

ANBES Soldering Iron Kit Electronics, 60W Adjustable Temperature Welding Tool, 5pcs Soldering Tips, Desoldering Pump, Soldering Iron Stand, Tweezers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1yxIDb03XRX8S

Making cables is easier than it sounds, and soldering isn’t difficult - but you’re right that you want to buy a decent iron at the bare minimum.

That said, a variable wattage soldering iron can be had for like $20 if you know where to look, consumables like solder and flux are super cheap and you don’t need a big soldering station if all you’re doing is making cables. If you’re curious hit YouTube and get an idea of whether or not you think you can handle it.

Soldering Kit

Cable Kit

That’s $50 worth of stuff and you can build six cables at whatever length you want. I think that’s still cheaper than lava cable at that rate and if you need more later you still have the equipment.

This is the iron i ordered. Comes with 5 tips. Looks like a couple are pretty small. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZ31W3M/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

Not sure if you still need help, but from what you describe, I think that this is a great kit for you. It's cheap and provides enough power to do what you need to do.

oh lol the ebay link wasn't there for some reason when I originally replied, now I see it clearly says °C on the dial

Anyway, I've heard the one you linked is fine for quick soldering work. It would probably work for you, but that stand is kinda iffy in my opinion. I would prefer a wire stand that encloses the entire iron so that it's a lot harder for it to fall off and burn something. For a cheap-o set, this one seems pretty okay and is cheaper and probably better than the eBay one: https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Electronics-Adjustable-Temperature-Desoldering/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MP976EM3NYM02Y0YG0FM

I got a Tenma 21-10120 soldering station from my local MicroCenter for around $60. It has a digital readout and shows not only the temperature you set but also the actual current temperature of the iron. It didn't come with anything else, though, so I had to also get solder core, desolder pump, solder wick, wire cutters, and for the heck of it a brass tip cleaner. Altogether, my set probably came to just under $100.

Semi-related, always wear eye protection when soldering. I also use nitrile gloves to reduce the risk of lead poisoning. I still wash my hands after solder work, but that's mostly to clean the sweaty feeling off my hands from being in gloves.

I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M

It's cheap. It's chintzy. But it works just fine, and for occasional DIY stuff, it's perfect.

If you're just going to be soldering switches, most any basic soldering kit will do fine. You should also get some Super Lube and Band-Aids to lube your stabilizers. Zealios are going to be the closest switch to Holy Pandas that you can find on kbdfans, though the different spring weights do change the feel a lot. You should order a switch tester pack with the different weights to get a feel for what you like.

Wow, thanks for taking the time to explain this to me in detail, I really appreciate it. I fixed the link for the power supply, but it's basically just a 12V 5A (60W) power supply, so I think it should be sufficient.

I'm planning on picking up a soldering iron since I don't have one, I was looking at this set.

Just so I'm clear, when I want the panel on, I send 5V to the MOSFET to open it, and to control the "brightness" of the panel, I use PWM?

It's too much fancy junk stuck into a non-ergonomic handle with a way too long working distance. It also isn't grounded, unless you connect that ground terminal to something, and if it's powered from a laptop supply could have RF transients of 100-300V at the tip, which could destroy ESD-sensitive components. If you do ground it, you could still have problems if your ground lead has high RF impedance.

You can do everything you need to do with a cheap plug-in iron like this one, recommended a couple days ago by another redditor:

https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=pd_ybh_a_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RKKZHK5HD74K1HXDXG04

I wouldn't even buy one of those for field work, because I have a butane-powered iron that works just as well and isn't ever going to have a CPU crash.

That said.. people do use them and find their performance acceptable so they can't be completely garbage.

you'll pretty much have to get a soldering kit but they are pretty cheap on amazon.

There have been a few posts in /r/DIY recently about making them (this or this for example) reading the comments there will probably help. /r/RetroPie/ will also be a good resource, people are always posting their latest builds. I haven't done one like this personally but reading those makes me think I could if I wanted to.

As for 3D printing, check your local library. I know a few locally are starting programs for making stuff with a 3D printer and there are lots of plans for a case online (here for example)

I know I really didn't answer your question but hopefully I was helpful. Look forward to seeing what you end up making!

I own this one, it's alright, especially if you're not planning on doing a ton of soldering

What about these? Which one do I pick?

ANBES Soldering Iron Kit Electronics, 60W Adjustable Temperature Welding Tool, 5pcs Soldering Tips, Desoldering Pump, Soldering Iron Stand, Tweezers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_6D-BCbR2BG953

Anbes Soldering Iron Kit, [Upgraded] 60W Adjustable Temperature Welding Tool with ON-OFF Switch, 8-in-1 Screwdrivers, 2pcs Soldering Iron Tips, Solder Sucker, Wire Cutter,Tweezers,Soldering Iron Stand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GJNKQ8W/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_hF-BCb4RY4RZZ

Or do you pick something else entirely?

Is this soldering kit any good?

https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538618726&sr=8-1&keywords=solder+kit&dpID=51cIDrNtObL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I want to get a cheap kit and practice de/resolding my old CM board and eventually buy a higher end kit. Will this kit be enough or do I have to go with something more expensive?

Both of those options seem overly complex considering my skill level and the size of this PCB which is about 1/2” wide. I bought duplicates of everything though because I anticipated messing up somewhere.

The tip is the smallest of this set:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTLZBHQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Juq1Cb4ZV5CJP

The iron is this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_SMq1CbW3YJ15W

The solder is this:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/590-4885-227G

Follow on, they're cheap: https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549820394&sr=8-3&keywords=soldering+iron

Any opinions on this ANBES soldering kit?

Looking to jump into the world of self-built mechanical keyboards but don't want to purchase a higher end kit that I may or may not use.