Desoldering, Mill-Maxing, And Why You Might Want To Learn Both
Thanks to StoryboardTech’s fantastic article, you finally learned how to solder! Or at least, you’re committed to learning. So, what’s next? Well, if you’re brave enough, why not learn how to desolder as well? And when you feel confident with that, how about Mill-Max? You don’t necessarily have to know or learn how to solder before learning how to desolder or Mill-max, but in my opinion, getting comfortable with soldering is a great step towards learning how to do the other two, and if you know how to solder, you can practice desoldering and mill-maxing to your heart’s content since you’ll already have the tools from learning how to solder! Well, at least most of the tools. Let’s start off with the good ol’ disclaimer section first, however. Disclaimer These are my own opinions and my own thoughts, and if I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that we all do things in slightly different ways. Whether it be deadlifting, desoldering, Mill-Maxing or even baking...
Jan 13, 2025
Top Left: CustomNeko (Bakeneko With Through-Weight) With KKB BoW And Accents, Top Right: Cannonkeys Bakeneko60 With GMK Norse, Bottom Left: Ciel60 With KKB Abyss, Bottom Right: Jixte60 With GMK Analog Dreams
When I first got into the hobby back in 2017, there was no way that I would’ve thought that I’d enjoy a 60% layout keyboard. Sure, maybe a 75% (I didn’t use the nav cluster for non-work situations, and when I was at work, I needed a numpad) in order to retain the function row, or, at the very least, a 65% where I had dedicated arrows, but a 60%? Absolutely no way! I need dedicated arrows! I need a function row! It’s funny how preferences change, huh? For the next installment in my “Why I Love” series (the first was the “Why I Love Prototype Runs And Helping Keyboard Designers” article I wrote a few weeks back), please allow me a bit of your time to explain to you not only why I love 60% layout keyboards, but specifically one of the simplest variants of 60% keyboards - the gummy O-ring 60% keyboard. Disclaimer:
Jixte60 PC With GMK Striker And Catto First, and foremost, please know that this is just one person’s opinion. As we all know, there is not one keyboard layout or mounting style that is the best or the favorite of everyone, and if you don’t agree with my preferences or think I’m way off base with something I’ve said, that’s totally fine! We each enjoy the hobby in our own ways, and what I enjoy may not be what you enjoy. That’s the great part about this hobby and other hobbies that we may have. There is no “one way is the right way” when it comes to keyboards, and that’s what makes the community fun and exciting - the sheer amount of possibility and freedom to express yourself. Please also know that if I talk about a specific brand or board, I wasn’t paid to say nice things or given free boards or items. I paid for every single one of my 60% O-ring boards that I’ve had in the past, and for the ones that I currently have at this moment. I also do not have (and never will) any sort of affiliate link, get any sort of kickback from any links (if any) that I post, and know that these thoughts are my own and never reviewed/edited by someone else before submitting. And, finally, keep in mind that I may make a mistake here or there (although, as always, I try to be as accurate as possible), or accidentally forget to explain an important part of history or an important aspect of 60% gummy O-ring keyboards. Definitely let me know if I do, but don’t expect me to be some sort of historian or know-it-all when it comes to this type of keeb. I’m just a normal guy who happens to enjoy this specific type of board, and love explaining why! And, after all, that’s what makes this hobby fun and the community so welcoming. At the end of the day, sharing what you enjoy with the rest of the community and hearing others do the same really drives home that as long as you’re happy, and enjoying the hobby responsibly and respectfully, that’s all that matters. Anyways, let’s kick this off with a brief section about the history of O-ring 60% keebs! History of Gummy O-ring 60% Keebs:
Courtesy Of zlobin356 From Geekhack Again, I’m not a keeb history buff, can pull out dates of when important things happened at the drop of a hat, or know about the Korean keyboard scene where a lot of the things we love about the hobby originated from, so I do apologize if I omit something or don’t go over everything. From my understanding, a lot of the history and inspiration of the current O-ring 60% keebs originate from or are built on the shoulders of the famous OTD 356mini that came out in 2010.
Courtesy Of zlobin356 From Geekhack OTD, or, “On The Desk,” is a Korean keyboard forum, and members of this forum/community came up with a line of keyboards that were dubbed “OTD” keyboards, with the 356mini being the one that’s kind of the “granddaddy” of O-ring 60% keebs. I’m not saying that it was the very first gummy O-ring 60% keeb (although, I think it was the first to use that type of mounting style), but it’s arguably the most famous one.
Courtesy Of zlobin356 From Geekhack These days, they go for many thousands of dollars and are truly historical pieces in this hobby. I touched on this in my “How to Introduce the Keyboard Hobby to Others This Holiday Season” article, but I really do understand why there's an art and history aspect to this hobby, and the appeal of wanting to own older keebs (whether I find them being worth the aftermarket price they are is another story haha). Designers have built on the idea of 60% gummy O-ring boards and we eventually saw the likes of the Unikorn, Moontower, Bakeneko, and the dozens, if not hundreds of similarly-designed boards throughout the years, and we will continue to see these types of boards because of the reasons I’ll mention later on in this article. Okay, okay, I know I’ve been circling what actually comprises an O-ring 60% keeb, so let’s get into that now! What IS A 60% Gummy O-Ring Keeb?!
Timestamped To 1:07 If You'd Like A Visual Example These types of keyboards have a friction-fit O-ring (typically rubber or silicone, but I’m sure there are other O-ring materials that work as well) that can be stretched far enough to nestle in snugly between a plate and a PCB, essentially allowing you to just “plop” the internals (keycaps, switches, plate, PCB) into a 60% keyboard case. No screws are needed, and it’s arguably one of the simplest types of keyboards to build.
O-Ring Sandwiched In While not absolutely necessary (back in the day, you could use the O-ring configuration in a Tofu60 without actually having the mounting points), a lot of 60% O-ring cases nowadays have mounting points built into the case itself (or the case supports a way to implement some sort of mounting points) that match up with cutouts of the 60% PCBs where the O-ring actually sits on, so when you type, the o-ring allows the internals to give, ideally giving you a softer typing feel than, say, a tray mount (although, to be fair, I’m sure someone’s created a super soft typing feel with a tray mount 60%).
Mounting Points Matching Up With PCB Cutouts
Eclipse60 PCB This is not always the case, but most of the time, you can use universal 60% layout plates with whatever PCB is used. On top of that, there are many compatible 60% PCBs being sold or readily available. So, you can kind of see the appeal of 60% O-ring keebs when it comes to being able to source parts, which is great in my opinion! The o-rings themselves, the plates, PCBs (ones that support a JST connector and/or a USB-C port depending on what the case supports), and even a lot of the cases are interchangeable with each other, which is super cool. For example, I can plop the internals (keycaps, switches, plate, PCB) from one 60% O-ring keeb case to another. Of course, there are exceptions, such as cases that don’t share the same mounting points (although you’re still able to plop in the internals to a certain extent, not as ideal), or a case that only supports specific locations for the JST connector or only supports onboard USB-C, but it really is kind of cool to be able to take the “innards” of one keeb and put them in another’s case!
Moontower Listing There are a lot of factors that go into the price of a keyboard, and I can just as easily point out Unikorns, Moontowers, and even the 356mini in terms of being expensive, so what I’m about to say isn’t always going to be true. But, for the most part, you kind of have an expectation with price when it comes to these types of boards. Yes, the ones that have one or multiple brass weights or intricate designs will probably cost more, but there are many Bakenekos of both plastic and alu varieties that don’t cost a lot of money. Slap on an internal or external weight, or even have a case made by a manufacturer to create your own one-off won’t be AS expensive as, say, a larger board with a more complex design.
Can Go On Sale For As Low As $60 The fact that a one-piece 60% case is, generally, somewhat cheap/affordable before you go into adding weights and such makes these boards hover between the $100-$250 price range typically. Again, there are some that are more, but you have a lot of affordable options here with O-ring 60%s. And, if you keep your eye out for sales and opportunities, you can pick up an internal and external brass board that is pretty hefty for a pretty damn good price! That’s what happened with the Jixte60s that I bought.
Buy On Sale, Not Retail! Jixte60s Geon, one of my favorite keyboard designers and vendors, is even coming out with a variant that comes in either tray mount or O-ring mount, even one that’s a full brass board called the Pesante! He’s estimating that to be around the $260-$270 price range. If you quote a full brass Bakeneko-esque design at JLC, it can cost more than that. It makes sense since, obviously, you’re creating a one-off versus Geon selling many units, but the fact that a full brass O-ring 60% will, hopefully, be less than $300 is pretty cool in my opinion!
Geon's Discord
Simplicity: I want to preface this section by saying that I can only speak about the US vendors and market. I don’t know how accessible parts are in other countries, so please forgive me if I make it seem like parts are easy to find and are cheap if they are not for you because of where you live! I touched on this during the “What IS a 60% Gummy O-ring keeb” section, but I truly love boards where you can buy components and those components being readily available for the most part. Need a harder or softer durometer O-ring? There are many vendors like Cannonkeys or Graveshift where you can buy them. Need a universal 60% plate? The world is your oyster. Need a PCB of either hotswap or solder variety? You’ve got options there too (make sure the PCB cut-outs line up with the mounting points of the case, however, unless you’re okay with “forcing” it, but I don’t necessarily recommend it). With interchangeable parts, even though not every 60% O-ring case will be compatible with every PCB, there is definitely some carryover, which is fantastic.
GMK Cluck On Jixte60 Uhhh, okay, I just compared 60% O-ring keebs to chicken and rice, but I hope you get what I mean! Simple, classic, you know what you’re getting, and every now and then, you get that tandoori chicken with flavored/spiced basmati rice (an O-ring keeb with brass weights or a unique design)! Sound: I’m speaking in generalities here, because of course there will be O-ring 60%s that don’t give off as strong of a high-pitched sound signature, but for the most part, I LOVE how these boards sound. I know what I’m getting when I throw on KTT Roses on a PP plate into a 60% case just like I know what I’m getting with Cherry MX Reds or Blacks on alu. The O-ring mounting style, smaller footprint of the board as a 60%, and lack of a top case give off my favorite sound signature! Again, not every O-ring 60% keeb will give off this sound signature, but we know the general sound characteristics of these types of boards. But don’t just take my word for it, have a listen yourselves!
Feel: Arguably the biggest reason why people tried O-ring in their Tofu60s and why these boards are popular is the typing feel. I get a soft, bouncy typing experience even with using 70a (hardness measurement where 70a O-rings are firmer/not as loose as, say, 30a O-rings) O-rings. Is it the softest typing feeling I’ve ever felt? No, but that was horrible (1.2mm flex-cut plateless JRIS65 round 1). The board that offers my favorite soft typing feel currently would be either the QFRL100 or the Migra TKL in their bottom mount configurations, but O-ring 60% boards provide a very pleasant typing experience that isn’t “too” bouncy in my opinion. Some people even go a bit further with half-plate builds as well, but I’m very happy with even an alu plate in my Jixte60. Conclusion: Well, there you have it. My ode to 60% gummy O-ring keebs and why I love them. Simplicity, the keyboard triangle, price, you name it, and I can tell you why these types of boards fit my preferences for each of those categories. When I filmed my Jixte videos, I found that many people in the keyboard community also felt the same that I did, and I think the famous @cobertt also has similar feelings! In the end, however, there is nothing wrong with not liking 60% gummy O-ring keebs or 60% layouts in general. We all like different layouts, mounting styles, and types of boards, and as we all know, that’s what makes this hobby fun. Getting to chat about things we have in common, or sharing layouts with others that they may not be interested in buying or learning themselves, it’s hard not to smile when you hear or feel the enthusiasm of someone else explaining why they like what they like.
Courtesy Of zlobin356 From Geekhack At the end of the day, the hobby is all about enjoyment, and if you enjoy 60% O-ring keebs like me, I’d love to hear your thoughts either by responding to this article, or sending me a message on Discord (HubertTheMad#0073)! Thanks for reading, I love you all, and catch you next time.
Zlobin Sourced Pictures From These Sources: https://blog.naver.com/rhythemn/223324060373 , https://blog.naver.com/dyraos/220184284142 , https://www.reddit.com/r/CustomKeyboards/comments/par28b/otd_356mini_v1_in_black/ , https://imgur.com/a/08giQzN , https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/v3cs56/otd_mini_new_kit_otd_mini_prototype_brass_in_seal/ , https://www.kbdarchive.org/otd_archive/album_post.php?post_id=194944 , https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=5185 , https://blog.naver.com/elsuoo/80119205110
And From 에릭 (OTD), yab8433408, A7X, LightningXi, MonkaOmega, Eun, CDC (OTD), elsuoo