Introduction
Hi y’all. So you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of TikTok sound tests, Discord discussions, and late‑night Reddit scrolling. Now suddenly you’re ready to grab your own custom board. Problem: the hobby feels like alphabet soup—PCBs, RGB, PE foam mods, hall‑effect, gasket, you name it.
I’ll try to ease some of that confusion. Below is the TKM cheat sheet for picking a first build you’ll actually love, featuring both stuff we stock and stuff we like. No fluff, no filler—just straight commentary from someone who’s purchased more keycaps than he’ll ever admit.
1️⃣ Decide Your “Why”
Before hunting parts, pick a vision:
| If you care most about… | Think about… |
|---|---|
| Convenience and value (no soldering, minimal tinkering) | Rainy 75 – a pre‑built that comes almost perfect |
| Premium feel & endless customization | Mode SixtyFive – an in‑stock blank canvas for serious tinkerers |
| Gaming edge / hall effect technology | Made 68 Pro – hall‑effect switches + rapid‑trigger magic |
2️⃣ Pick a Layout You’ll Actually Use
65–68 %
- Mode SixtyFive & Made 68 Pro live here
- Arrows? ✅
- Numpad? ❌ (who uses those anyway?)
75 %
- Rainy 75 sits in this sweet spot
- Adds top‑mounted F‑row and a column of nav keys
- Zero learning curve coming from a laptop/tenkeyless
3️⃣ Choose Your Switch Personality
If you’re new, start with something that fits your sound + feel goals today.
| Switch | Why We Recommend It | Sound / Feel Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Modded Cherry MX Blacks | Vintage scratch, unique sound when filmed & lubed | Premium, well-rounded |
| Gateron Jade Pro | All‑rounder & hall‑effect compatible (Made 68 Pro loves these) | Buttery and marbly |
| TTC Neptune | Perfect for Rainy 75—thock without hollowness | Deep, satisfying |
| HMX Yogurt | Clack fiends rejoice—bright, crisp, addictive. (Can be marbly with foams and other mods) | High‑pitch CLACK |
| TTC Frozen Silent | For stealth working in shared spaces | Dampened, near‑silent |
4️⃣ Mod Paths (Optional but Fun)
- Tape + PE foam mod – cheap, knocks out hollowness in minutes.
- Stabilizer bandaid mod – banishes rattle. However, newer stabs don’t require and actually suffer from too much lube/modding
- Force‑break mod – tiny strips of Poron between case halves; eliminates ping from metal keyboards.
Final Thoughts
Building your first board should feel like your first big LEGO set—equal parts excitement and mild chaos. If you hit analysis‑paralysis:
- Stop in. We’re right across from Pacific Mall; try everything before you buy.
- DM us. Pics of your desk? We’ll match the board.
- Start simple. You can always chase the next grail switch, but you can’t buy back wasted weekends of rebuilds.
Thanks for hanging out, y’all. Now get building—and when that first thock hits? Show it off in our discord so we can hear it, too.
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Modding Kit Build Guide