TechMet carbide

Our tungsten carbide inserts could to be processed Alloy steel, Tool steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, Cast iron and Titanium alloy. Working material as following:

All of those options are nicer but also require a wait (if they’re even available). There’s something to be said for Keychron producing enough quantities for immediate shipping. You also have to build those boards (the Q2 comes pre-assembled) but that might be part of the appeal for most folks. ↩︎

It’s been exciting to see the mechanical keyboard hobby explode in the last decade—I still remember how hard it was to get a proper keyboard with Cherry switches about fifteen years ago. I see the Q2 as a mass-market, ready-to-ship, budget offering for enthusiasts who might tinker a bit with a board (swapping out switches/keycaps) but balk at lubing/tuning stabs and swapping out different plates/foams. I imagine folks who want a true custom board will skip over this to something like the Mode Sixtyfive, Parallel Portal, or a Vega.5 I’m fairly certain I’ll end up in that territory, but more for vanity (that top-right key!) than necessity.

The threading tungsten carbide inserts are made of innovative cemented carbide raw materials commonly used for steel and stainless steel, so that the blade has excellent performance of high toughness, high wear resistance and high temperature resistance; It is processed with German technology, and the sharp edge is grinded, which is sharp, wear-resistant, not sticky and not easy to break; The special wear-resistant composite coating is adopted, with high surface finish, which extends the service life of the blade, reduces the cutting resistance and improves the working efficiency; The unique polishing blade design is adopted, and the details are adjusted for the steel parts and stainless steel, which makes the blade more durable and greatly improves the performance and cost performance.

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For the last year or so I’ve been using a Drop Alt 65% keyboard. It’s served me pretty well—it’s compact enough to fit in my desk tray, reducing my RSI. But over time there’s been a few nagging issues: the stabilizers rattle, and more annoyingly the board was prone to key chatter (doubling up characters). Pulling out and re-seating the switches would help for a time, but eventually I would get key chatter again. It began to feel like a game of whac-a-mole, where I’d fix one key only to have another one start chattering.

I got the Q2 in a barebone configuration, since I didn’t really care for any of the switch/keycap options, and I also got the variant without the knob, since I route audio through my Schiit Valhalla amp that has a nice volume knob.

A few months ago my friend Max sent me some five-pin Gazzew Boba U4 Silent tactile switches that I couldn’t plug straight into my three-pin Alt. The Q2 PCB is five-pin, though, so I dropped the Bobas in:2

2.Before installing the tungsten carbide inserts, the performance and purpose of the saw table must be confirmed to ensure that the cutting direction indicated by the blade arrow is consistent with the rotation direction of the saw table. It is strictly prohibited to install in the opposite direction. Wrong installation direction may cause the blade sawtooth to fall off, so as to prevent accidents.

Enter the Keychron Q2. When Keychron released their first custom keyboard—the Q1—I was interested, but it was just too large for my keyboard tray. So I was happy when Keychron decided to release a 65% version.1 I grabbed on on release day, and within five days it was at my door.

Tungsten threading insertsizes

3.After installation, it is necessary to confirm whether the central hole of the carbide blade is firmly fixed on the flange plate of the saw table. If there is a gasket, the gasket must be sleeved; Then, gently push with your hand to confirm whether the blade rotates eccentrically.

Except for the CAPS LOCK key, where I used a clicky Kailh Box White switch—it’s nice to hear that click when toggling it on/off. ↩︎

Ironic, given that my former Domani Studios teammates dubbed me “Thunderkeys” after I brought a mechanical keyboard in and hammered away on it. ↩︎

You’ll have to take the plate off to access the stabs, so this is probably something you’ll want to do before you put switches/keycaps on. ↩︎