just did my first mill max mod today, and the result is kinda mix. i am using 7305 as well. the bit i used was T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 and some ph00 to counter sink. by the time i manage to insert the 7305, i fell like i already ruined the hole. I was being super careful as well. The fit was snag, which is nice. but i just felt like the pcb i am working with just doesnt have enough trace in there to finally grab to the milmax socket. I tried again, the enlargement is actually easy with the T bits, the counter sink with ph0 is not too bad, but end up another fail as well ( the pcb wont even register the click, meaning the trace is broken within the pcb, bore out too much material even tho i barely manage to insert the thing. So here is what i tried with different approach. instead of modifying the pcb, i modify the milmax socket. I am not going to insert the millmax like it suppose to, I am going to put it on AFTER putting the switch on. meaning the flange will sit underneath the PCB not above. However the flange is too big that i almost covers up all the ring (the metal ring around the hole where solder goes), so i have to modify that flange, but i do not want to remove it fully since that would make solder way easier go into the socket. So i only trimmed part of the flange (just sand it), put the switch on, put the socket on, and solder it that way. The risk of fking this up is significantly lower, and the switch should still have decent contact with the socket. But do check clearrence with in the mouse case so the socket wont touch the bottom of the mouse. And if your switch somehow isnt sitting tightly, just bend the legs a bit so it kinda jams in there good. (just a bit). for me the second method is way easier, almost risk free, and very easy to revert to the original PCB state (literally just remove the socket). However I do feel like the 7305 isnt design to be used this way, it is too long for sitting like that, also flange modification is needed. it is 2023 now, all keyboards almost hotswap, screw all accessible. high end mouse still like 20 years ago, have screws hidden and not able to swap switch let alone it came with shit ones.
ordered some sockets from digikey and switches from aliexpress bout to do this at some point g603 is a great mouse for this mod, the shell comes off and instant access to the switches, almost like it was made for this
I was gonna do it myself but just bpught one from fox for the gpx so save the trouble. I like how the gpro switch pc is sperate so you can have multiple pcbs.
Merry Christmas and Great tutorial 😆 Also, what's the name of the desoldering gun? Super interested in that because I want to salvage some mx switches soon lol
Hi! I accidentally rip off the solder pad on one of my mouse right click. And now it doesn't work. Is there anyway to fix the contact trace of the pcb of the mouse?
What mouse is it? I’ve never run into that issue With a mouse PCB. You should theoretically be able to follow the trace and jump it, but there won’t be very much space in the housing, unlike when it happen with a keyboard :/
A few tips to anyone who decide to hotswap mod his/her mouse after this video: Apply some rubbing alcohol underneath mouse feet to soften glue then you can easily remove them without damaging. You can do without solder sucker by duck taping/clipping something heavy to the switch and then heating all 3 pins at the same time either by using 2 soldering irons with one having wide enough tip to heat 2 pins at once or just by applying a lot of solder and rapidly switching between pins with wide tip, preventing solder from cooling down. Once solder is liquid on all 3 pins, the switch will fall down. Don't forget to use enough flux and be careful not to overheat or you can damage PCB/switch. Use very thin long conical diamond file to enlarge holes in PCB, you can buy it for cheap as "diamond jewelry reamer", it's more safer and accurate than using torx screwdriver, enlarge evenly from both sides. Avoid breathing PCB dust! Use m1.3x3 brass rivets instead of mil max sockets, they're dirt cheap and work just fine, just solder them in like sockets. They lack any locking mechanism tho, but you can bend central pin of the switch just a little if it's too loose inside rivets. They also have lower profile and if it's still too high you can additionally flatten the head. Make sure to push the rivet against something heat resistant when soldering it in to ensure it sits as low as possible.
So I have a serious problem... I was trying to speed up the process by using a drill to widen the holes. It was going well, until the 2nd to last hole where it peeled up the wiring leading to the underside of the middle hole on the left mouse switch (the exact switch I was fixing). It didn't go passed the bottom hole, is it still salvageable? 😱
To be honest, I’m not sure! I don’t know where mouse PCBs’ traces run, and while it should be theoretically possible to jump there might not be enough room in the enclosure :/
0305 tin is longer in length and has a thicker lip which can cause clearance issues. 7035 gold is shorter and has a much thinner lip that makes it sit flush with the pcb.
@@MakerMods Could be, however while the left hotswap button alrdy works without the hotswap pcb soldered in the right one doesnt work at all, or only registers some clicks :(
So if I want to swap my switches I don't need to solder and resolder again it's hot swap just remove and install new ones after ? . And I'm in texas let me know if you do the service I'll just send it out your way haha
Totally agree. I think if they just made the pcb holes slightly larger then it wouldn’t even be difficult. Or slightly redesigning the PCB to use a type of kailh hotswap
@@MakerMods totally agree, just need tiny bit bigger, we as user can even finish up the job adding sockets.....this is such a pain in the ass. the room for error is almost not existed, and sometimes the PCB hole is just way too small to even do this mod, since after boring, all the trace will be gone, and there will be nothing for the millmax socket solder to.
If a switch breaks, or starts double clicking, you can then just take the old switch out, and put a new one in, no soldering required. It's like a hotswap keyboard socket.
@@MakerMods Yeaaah it looks like the t5 or t6 was wider than the copper pad to begin with and it took it out real quick. I tried copper tape, and exposing more copper in the pcb, but nothing worked. Oh well, wasn't really the best shape for me anyway. Lesson learned, some pcb's just don't have enough contact area for this mod to work.
@@MakerMods Can you clarify something for me please? Because I'll eventually want to try this mod on another mouse. @10:53 I think I misunderstood you here. So the goal is not to get the copper to "wear off" but just be flattened? I noticed the very thin copper beginning to peel up and thought "oh this is what he means by that copper coming up, I'm supposed to get rid of that for the sockets to sit right. So I actually need to leave some, as it's responsible for making contact?
