How to make smooth super-soft-tactile Alps from tactile M...

[7bit]

Today, I opened a Matias Alps tactile switch, going be Ripster unbeatable guide ( http://imgur.com/a/elAFF/noscript ).

First, I tried to swap in an MXBROWN spring, but without luck. The diameter is a little too large to fit into the switch.

Then, I removed the 2 dampener, put it together and got a super-tactile-smooth switch.

The dampeners are there to dampen the tactility a bit. Now I opened it again and left the leaf-spring away. I expected no tactility anymore. But the way the contact is closed gives a little bit tactility and now, the switch is super smooth and almost as light as an MXRED.

MatiasAlps_minus_unnecessary_parts.jpg (32.17 KiB) Viewed 6471 times

Edit: The thing with the dampeners is nonsense. I just tried. All they do is dampeneing bottoming out and topping in (or what it is called).

[Muirium]

Aren't those dampers meant to soften the bottoming out and topping out sounds? (And are therefore awesome?)

Try making a damped clicky. Or a damped linear. You've got the switches lying spare…

[7bit]

Yes.


I think they add one effect: The starting point is a bit lower and therefore the tactility is a bit more dampened.

What I would like to have is a lighter spring for the clicky switches. They are between greens and blues.

Or maybe the leaf-spring contributes to the force.

[Muirium]

Someday, someone (Matteo??) must get or make a spring winding machine…

[andrewjoy]

This is very interesting, if its possible to make a dampen liner switch from this i will be so tempted to see if i can design a game pad similar to the N52 but with mechanical switch. i would do it with MXred but as much as i like them they are too scratchcy, i don't know if going for ghetto reds with vintage backs would be better as i hear vintage blacks are smoother.

[7bit]

You need indeed vintage black stems to have them smooth.

I've got to compare my linear Matias Alps with "vintage reds" ...

[andrewjoy]

send me all your linear alps !

or vintage blacks

[Muirium]

Don't game pads need analogue sensors? The last one I mastered did not, but that was the Super Nintendo. All these goddamn thumb sticks and triggers the kids are playing with these days.

[andrewjoy]

not a controller a pad like this

[7bit]

send me all your linear alps !

or vintage blacks

You can order them from CherryMX:

ALPSML 123
your e-mail address
ADDRESS
your shipping address


You get a free leaf-spring (with which you can turn them into tactile Alps) for each switch!

[jacobolus]

Green Alps switches are nicer than your Matias franken-switch version. Also much nicer than any linear MX switch (“vintage” or modern).

[andrewjoy]

Problem with that is green alps are super super rare

And let me guess 7bit that leaf spring is already installed into the alps switch right

i am thinking that possibly the best option is lubed vintage backs with a red spring or a custom spring thats even lighter

[7bit]

If you order the ALPSML switches, I remove the leafs and ship them with the switches.


These are no Frankenstein-switches!


They are like a sports car with silencer and catalyst removed!

[skrsh3r]

Linear clears from olymipia typewriters are just as smooth as green alps to me, you just need to find cheap switch donor and change springs to your liking, as for greens i got 100+ springs laying around if someone wants them ill give them for free.

[Muirium]

100+ green Alps springs? Intriguing…

[skrsh3r]

Mu if you want them i can send them to you for the price of shipping, had them laying around for quite some time now i wanted to use them for my alps custom but i just can't find nice keycaps for that project so i decided to go mx way with linear clears.

[Muirium]

I've got caps but no switches. Where did the rest of the switches go?

[skrsh3r]

i got them from poorly stored board, even after cleaning every switch they were still sticky and not as smooth as my other boards with green alps so i got springs and stems and threw away rest of the parts.

[DiodeHead]

Hi guys.

7bit, are the dampeners what makes a matias clicky diferent from the quiet version ?

Someday, someone (Matteo??) must get or make a spring winding machine…

like this one ?

http://educypedia.karadimov.info/library/springs.pdf

well, for making like 100 spring for a complete keyboard, i think we are better off with some cnc design, but for one or two to start experimenting that pdf has good info on the topic.

Mu if you want them i can send them to you for the price of shipping, had them laying around for quite some time now i wanted to use them for my alps custom but i just can't find nice keycaps for that project so i decided to go mx way with linear clears.

T_T I also have the keycaps for my first project, the donor an acer keyboard with acer switches ¬¬, when i took apart the escape key y thoght, ou yeah my lucky day alps swtches for a custom build, until i found this :



aaaaaa, menbrane, jajaja.

[Muirium]

Same here. I've a reasonable set of dyesub PBT caps from an Acer I'd like to make much more useful than that poor rollover Acer keyboard can handle!

I'm thinking of a 60%, which takes about 65 switches I think, for the HHKB/Poker hybrid layout I have in mind. If there's enough, we could split them.

Are green Alps sliders part of their magic? You mentioned you kept those too, skrsh3r?

[DiodeHead]

haha nice, my layout takes 52, i´m considering a lot the idea of using an analog stick or something like that, as rkml posted some time ago, i´ll try to post my proyect this evening.

[skrsh3r]

I don't know if it's just the sliders maybe they just stopped applying lube at some point since my greens have some dry lube on them and blacks don't.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Dry lube on green Alps but not black Alps? Is it something that's visible in a photograph? If so, be sure to include that on the wiki. In fact, include it even if it's some other green switch.

I've posted photos of my amber Alps sliders with some dark grey substance on the slider — I can only guess that it's the dry lubricant Sandy reports seeing on blue Alps, as his photos don't depict anything recognisable to my untrained eyes, while the substance on the sliders I have is very visible.

[7bit]

Linear clears from olymipia typewriters are just as smooth as green alps to me, you just need to find cheap switch donor and change springs to your liking, as for greens i got 100+ springs laying around if someone wants them ill give them for free.

Are the green Alps springs lighter than reds?


The white Alps springs (from Ortek MCK-142Pro) are a little lighter than reds when mounted into a leaf-free Matias, while the original Matias spring is slightly heavier.

[skrsh3r]

Greens are somewhere in between reds and blacks leaning towards reds, Daniel stuff on my greens is grey-white if that helps.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Does it show up well in photographs?

[jacobolus]

Green Alps are the perfect weight for a linear switch. Not as light as MX red, and much smoother than any MX switches.

[andrewjoy]

I want green alps

[7bit]

Me too!

I want to test the difference beween my ALPSML and ALPSGREEN.

[jacobolus]

By the way, Matias themselves are planning to sell linear switches with no tactile leaf and a slightly different spring.