Hot glue on desoldered switch holes saved my first build

My first custom keyboard build last Tuesday turned into a nightmare after I pulled a switch and lifted the pad clean off the PCB. Tried using a wire jump but kept messing up the trace. I was about to throw the whole board out when a buddy told me to fill the hole with hot glue first and then reinsert the switch leg. Worked like a charm, switch stays in tight and the connection is solid. No more floating pins or wobbly keys on that row. Has anyone else used hot glue as a temporary fix for lifted pads or is there a better way I should know about?

2 comments

2 Comments

janaf761mo ago

Oh man, I've been there with lifted pads too. That hot glue trick is actually pretty clever for a quick fix, but the person above is right about it being temporary. If you're gonna keep swapping switches long term, definitely look into millmax sockets - they're a total life saver for hotswap builds and way easier to install than you'd think.

lunah861mo ago

Hot glue is a terrible idea long term, it'll trap moisture and eventually break down into a conductive mess that shorts your board. Just solder in a millmax socket next time or buy a replacement PCB if you're going to keep swapping switches.