a pre-assembled case
please do not peel off the internal film unless you'll put it back after inspection and photo shoots
check external surfaces for dents, scratches and blemishes over 2mm
daughterboard and JST cable installed on the case (do not remove)
PCB and plate of your choice (and extras too)
a set of 80% owlstab
3 foams
plate poron
PE sheet
case poron
rubber feet x 6
aluminum artisan x 1
you need to prepare
take out the entire keyboard and flip it upside down
test the pcb
use a pair of tweezers to connect the two legs of each hotswap socket from the back side of the PCB or if it's solder, connect the two solder pads for each and every key until they all turn pink (credit: Yan)
if any of them doesn't turn pink, pm Syrah in Discord or email [email protected]
now detach your PCB
flip the keyboard body upside down on your deskmat or cushion
take out 8 screws using the H1.5 bit/allen key (if you find problems at this step, please reach out to Syrah in the discord or via [email protected] immediately; DO NOT KEEP TURNING if you cannot get enough grip
put on the rubber feet to protect the bottom case
place the case aside and take out the PCB, PE foam and stabs
place PE sheet on the PCB (use stab cutouts as positioning reference)
lube the stabs and install them on the PCB, (DO NOT FORCE THE WIRE IN), also note that you only need either the red washers or the shims under the screws, not both unless it's loose after installation if you got a r2 or r3 unit, this step should be much easier and please remember to put in the wire tray to reduce noise due to wire wiggling
take out your plate poron foam and cut the spacebar foam loose as the red lines indicated
put the spacebar foam and plate foam (if preferred) on
for hotswap PCB, you can now install the standoffs x3 (optional)
standoffs
bottom cap head screws on the back of the PCB
put on the plate
install flat head screws on the plate
put on the switches
put on the plate if you decided to skip the stand offs
for hotswap PCB, you need to hold the back of each socket while shoving in the switches, please make sure the pins are straight and switches are sitting vertically while being pushed in; do not force it in when you feel too much pressure on your hand, make sure the direction is correct and check the edges of your switches to see if it's too big (especially for Gaterons) or if the pins are bent during the installation
for solder PCB, first a few switches will be hard to solder and they are also crucial to help align your PCB, plate and foams
start from the corners
do R. F. Y. H. I. K, [, ', delete first to avoid concave or convex plate/PCB (POM will still be concaved a little since it's too soft but will become flat in a few days)
finish the edges
note that the non-stepped caps is in reversed direction
mount the rest switches (and solder up)
wear the gasket socks
sit the PCB and plate combo on the mid frame - thicker side is the top/north side as indicated in this picture
take out the top case and put it on top of the mid frame
HOLD and flip the entire thing and install the six screws
if you want to put on the case foam, do it now and make sure the foam around the arrow keys sit flush
close the back case
CAREFULLY HOLD the entire thing and flip back, be careful it's HEAVY
lift the top+mid case
align the JST cable in the trough - perhaps stick it with a small tape because if it doesn't sit flush you might not be able to close the case
plug in the JST cable on PCB - do not force it, gently push it in with your thumb and index fingers (DO NOT USE THE COLOR OF WIRE AS REFERENCE, AIM THE PINS BEFORE INSERTING)
HOLD the keyboard and flip it back, again, very carefully please
install the 8 case screws in diagonal orders (do half for the top left → half in for the bottom right → half in for the bottom left, etc.)
plug in USB and enjoy!