A Geek Goes Flying

I was getting unintended double-input on the space bar on my blacked-out “Mac symbols” Tokyo60 (with the Kailh Box Hako Royal Clear switches ), so I decided to swap the spring with one from a Kailh Box Navy ( I made the same swap on a Durock Silent Shrimp used under the space bar on another keyboard , with great effect). The first swap was simple. This one, not as much; the switch sort of fell apart when I opened it, so I pulled another apart to see how to put it back together. To my astonishment, I got it right the first time; the switch is back working, and nicely stiff now. Yay for decent tools. Opened the Navy switch first to harvest its spring. See that little green thing in the switch housing? Not where it’s supposed to be. Another switch opened; that’s where that green thing is supposed to be... It gets sandwiched between the white plastic bit and the housing. Like this. Used this tool to put it back where it belonged.

Done. I mean, it’ll probably always be a work in progress, but I’m done tweaking the space for now. Really happy with how everything came out. The workstation corner. The workstation corner and new sofa (featuring the Labrador) The Mac Pro (etc.) battlestation itself. The wire shelves, storage boxes, Tokyyo60 keyboards, headphones on stand, and radiator. The Desk: UpLift. UpLift Desk Redoing my home workstation (again), finally with a sit-stand desk (I’ve been meaning to do this for years , like, I found a Facebook post from 2014 asking for recommendations, back when my other furniture only provided a tiny space and UpLift didn’t have anything that would fit). I love my Sipo Mahogany 72x48" desk at the office (from 2016), so ... I started with a 48x24" solid wood UpLift desk from their clearance section , with an October coupon code. Went with the regular (non-commercial) V2 C-frame in black. Added the Advanced Comfort Flush keypad (the memory feature is worth $39 to me, v...

Navy switch opened I built a Tokyo 60 using the Durock T1 Silent Shrimp switches and the Drop+Matt3o /dev/tty MT3 keycaps (with Apple kit, natch). I like it a lot, as a silent tactile board, but I was getting the occasional, annoying, double-space-bar activation and/or, just by grazing the space bar, inadvertent actuation. At least one reviewer has encountered issues with “weak springs” with this switch and their solution was to swap in a Cherry MX Clear spring. Me being me, I decided to swap in a spring from one of the several Kailh Box Navy switches I have surplus. I’ve never done this before. I found this switch opener tool , which was advertised to work with Kailh switches, and confirmed it would also work with the Durock. This YouTube video shows just how easy it is; literally just position the switch on the opener and then press down. Pop, off comes the top. Couldn’t have been easier. And the Frankenswitch works exactly as I’d hoped: The spacebar requires just enough effort...

Keychron K10 in the middle of swapping to pale blue switches I was finding the GMMK full-sized keyboard with Kailh Box Navy switches a nice change, but also quite fatiguing after even just a few hours of typing. The Box Whites are way too light. The Pinks ... might be, too? Jades are pretty close to Navy switches. So I figured I’d try the Pale Blue switch again (I have them on a GK705, one of the first boards I setup almost exactly 2 years ago, but I don’t really use it much, it’s not a great board). (Hmm. I forgot I first setup the GMMK with Pale Blues ?). I don’t know if the switches have changed, or if using them with a Keychron ( K10J3 , RGB hot-swap aluminum, came with Gateron Browns that didn’t suck as much as I remembered (typed on them for a few days until the Pale Blue switches arrived) is that different, but, these are stiffer than I remember. Definitely lighter weight than the Navy switches, with a soft but distinct click as I type. Anyway. I like it so far. I’m definitely...

Assembled laptop table with 11" Air, K6, M535 Never could quite get the Foldable Laptop Desk to balance properly on my sofa, and it kept things in too close to my chest in any case. The LapGear MyDesk is fine for what it is, but a bit awkward, and if a laptop isn’t compatible with the Air 75, doesn’t provide a mechanical keyboard option. Also, not the best for head position / sight line. Now, though, I’ve assembled the GOAT. The original plan was to get any adjustable height ‡ desk ( e.g. ) and bolt a VESA mount ( e.g. ) to it. But that just seemed clumsy, too/top heavy, and overkill (my svelte Apple hardware just doesn’t require the hardware to support > 17 lbs). This solution appealed as it extends over the couch and has a built-in pole for VESA mounting. I started with the Viozon Floor Stand for Laptop , UP-8T, which provides a 1.5" diameter pole that holds the desk surface. I measured the space under my sofa and confirmed the 0.6" thick feet would slide underne...

The balcony iMac has moved inside for the winter. The Labrador is, at 2 ½  years old, still not to be trusted. The combination has my dining room table sharing space between the tree and the iMac. I just set everything up to be as comfy as possible. Pictured: The  Bose QC35 II  headphones, a very competent wireless headset for calls, Zoom meetings, etc. (Though of course, now apparently superseded by the QC45 model.) Minor annoyance: After about 3 years of light-to-moderate use, the leather on the earpads is starting to flake off. I have Wicked Cushions replacements on the way.  Keychron K8 with Kailh Box Jades (swapping to Boba U4 RGB 62g switches in an RGB / Aluminum K8 , as soon as they get here). Got this monitor stand with built in USB hub and wireless phone charger on a Black Friday sale. Cheap Bluetooth laser mouse (a $20  Insignia NS-PNM3B8BK , works surprisingly well; side button functionality enabled with SensibleSideButtons ). Noble Fir 5'...

So apparently I’m building a Royal Kludge RK71  (stock: White, RGB lighting, brown switches; found one in condition “Good - Acceptable” for pennies), with Kailh Hako Royal Clear switches. (Discontinued and on sale.) Found the switch tester I picked up a while ago, and it was - kind of as expected - between Box Royal switches and the Hako Royal Clear, and the Royal Clears felt just a little bit better. Night and day compared to the Box Browns  (and I’ve tried, and hated, “regular” brown switches from Cherry, Gateron, Outemu, etc). A full keyboard with the tactile switches should be interesting, the form factor is good for this application (and it has a Mac layout built in as a layer, with Command/Option legends on the meta keys). This board is soldered, not hot swap, so the soldering station gets a chance to continue to pay for itself. At least now I have experience and confidence ! Other peoples’ videos: Royal Kludge RK71 v2 Review How to Disassemble a Royal Kludge RK71 Up...