a cruel turn, but all looks to end well.
with some tips from Justin on where to look, I tweaked, cleaned, and got the vc working. then I made the leap to a single switch (dp3t) and got it to work as I hoped in conjunction with easyclk!
however.
the months of wiring and rewiring, checking , taking apart, and rechecking have caught up to my little fella. though I tried my level best to be careful with the ribbon connector each and every single time, I have found that it has given up the ghost and will not allow me to close the unit without freaking out. it works if you leave it juuuust so, but breath on that ribbon and it gets nasty.
so. I thank everyone for the help. I'll be hitting ebay for another dmg for the transplant. maybe I'll order some glow in the dark silicone buttons in the meantime. hopefully pictures and a video sooner than later.