How to make Cherry stabilizer feel as good as Costar stabilizer

[litster]

Here is a video on how to clip your Cherry stabilizer to get rid of its mushy feel.  After this mod, my modifiers feel just as good as Costar's.

Apparently our South Korean buddies have been doing this for years.  Maybe that's why they prefer Cherry stabilizers. 

I originally read about this mod here. 

You can buy the pair of pliers I used in the video at mouser or Amazon.  I normally use these to cut diode legs after soldering.

[quake4mhg]

Interesting! Any video show how they compare after the clipping?

[litster]

Cherry put the "bumpers" in probably because they wanted to minimize the impact the stem put onto PCB.  So do it at your own risk.

[Glenn315]

How do you get that stabilizer out like that? Sorry, I'm a mechanical keyboard newbie.

[alaricljs]

If there is a plate then you should be able to remove the complete stabilizer by de-soldering the switch in question and then carefully removing the stabilizer.  If it is PCB mount, you squeeze the retention pins on the bottom of the board and push them out.  Continue extracting the stabilizer through the top plate.

If it is plate mount, there is a retention clip on the stabilizer on the edge toward the back side of the keyboard.  Push the clip in to release and pull the stabilizer up out of the plate.

To get the part in the video you will need to un-clip the stabilizer bar from the mounting brackets and extract the dummy key stem.

[Glenn315]

Thank you for telling me how, but it sounds kinda difficult..  I don't think I can do it. Gonna have to stick to the cherry stabilizers on my keyboard.

[alaricljs]

It's not hard if you're used to soldering and taking stuff apart.  There are a number of users here that offer unique services and this could definitely fit inside their capabilities if you wanted badly enough to get this done.

[MMB]

What if you never thought that costar stabilizers felt good to begin with?

[alaricljs]

Then something is wrong with you?  What is it that you're not liking about how they feel?  They effect the feel as minimally as I think is possible.  Do you want larger keys to feel different in some way?  Personally I think that a different feel is a negative.

[MMB]

Yes, clearly there must be something wrong with me. That must be it.

[The_Ed]

I prefer cherry stabilizers to costar. I wonder if I would like them better or worse if I tried this mod. I have a ziplock FULL of cherry stabilizers so I don't have to worry about ruining them.

[alaricljs]

Yes, clearly there must be something wrong with me. That must be it.

You asked, I'm willing to share my opinion

[damorgue]

Cherry put the "bumpers" in probably because they wanted to minimize the impact the stem put onto PCB.  So do it at your own risk.

I wonder if there is a risk of damaging the PCB even. The dummy stem is if anything shorter, which means that those tiny legs would hit the PCB before and flex a bit which would just distribute the impulse over a longer time span. Wouldn't the switch stop it anyway?

Has anyone had any PCB failures after doing this?

[metalliqaz]

I prefer the cherry stabilizers.  They seem quieter and smoother to me, and they are easier to switch keys.  Back to the topic though.  I think the PCB would probably be okay.

[Findecanor]

If you don't bottom out, then you don't feel the difference.
If you use any kind of dampening at the bottom of the stroke, then you don't feel the difference.

I use two kinds of Cherry MX switches: Blues -- dampened with orthodontic bands, and Cherry Clears -- which I never bottom out, so I don't need to do this mod at all.

[metalliqaz]

I try not to bottom out, but I often do.
The space bar happens to be the only key where I can really tell a difference between the stabilizers.  In my case I like the feeling of not hitting rock bottom because of the way I activate that key.  I slap the space bar with my thumb instead of the way I press keys deliberately with my fingers.  The Cherry stabilizers rattle less and my thumb has the slightest feeling of shock absorption.

[sth]

Cool. Glad this has it's own thread. I've been directing people to the kmac DIY thread for this.

[fruktstund]

Brought my Poker home from work today just to try this mod out, and boy, am I happy. Feels almost as good as Costar stabilizers now. Well actually, it feels better when used with Cherry doubleshots. Might be some kind of nocebo though, but I feel Costar stabilizers are a bit mushier when used with Cherry keycaps.

Something I was wondering about was if this mod would also work with plate mounted stabilizers, but I guess it does since people are talking about doing this on their KMACs.

[tp4tissue]

You guys can use as much margarine as you want, It won-t ever be real butter.

Will the real Costar, please stand up, please stand up..

[litster]

I bottom out when I type.  So having consistent feel between 1x keys and wide, stablized keys make my typing experience bet.  With this mod, both Costar and Cherry stabilizers are just as good to me.

[tp4tissue]

I bottom out when I type.  So having consistent feel between 1x keys and wide, stablized keys make my typing experience bet.  With this mod, both Costar and Cherry stabilizers are just as good to me.

Lies, all of it. fo shame. 

[alaricljs]

KMAC doesn't use plate mount stabs, however plate mount Cherry stabs use the same exact key-stem insert piece so yes the mod works there too.

[litster]

I bottom out when I type.  So having consistent feel between 1x keys and wide, stablized keys make my typing experience bet.  With this mod, both Costar and Cherry stabilizers are just as good to me.

Lies, all of it. fo shame. 

What do you mean?  You know better than me what is better for me?

[tp4tissue]

I bottom out when I type.  So having consistent feel between 1x keys and wide, stablized keys make my typing experience bet.  With this mod, both Costar and Cherry stabilizers are just as good to me.

Lies, all of it. fo shame. 

What do you mean?  You know better than me what is better for me?

I thought this was obvious

[litster]

The only obvious thing is you come across as a jerk.

[tp4tissue]

The only obvious thing is you come across as a jerk.

Oh please, did you not see the smiley? Here it is again

Also, a sexy jerk? 

[litster]

I see.  Let me try again.

The only obvious thing is you come across as a jerk. 

[tp4tissue]

I see.  Let me try again.

The only obvious thing is you come across as a jerk. 

I'm thinking, perhaps yes.

[The_Beast]

Super necro bump, but this mod is super simple and makes a huge difference. I just did it to my Dolch board, it's a night and day difference. The feeling of Costar, but without all the inserts and attachments to lose

[stancato9]

Necro bump. Can someone help me out.. I must be going crazy but does this not work with plate mounted stabs? I simply can not see the parts I am supposed to cut off. It looks very different from any of the pics I have seen.

[SpAmRaY]

What board is it from?

[stancato9]

What board is it from?

Poker 2. But I have some spare plate mount stabs right in front of me and they look nothing like the ones in the video or the deskthority thread.

[SpAmRaY]

What board is it from?

Poker 2. But I have some spare plate mount stabs right in front of me and they look nothing like the ones in the video or the deskthority thread.

Maybe they are different and don't need to be clipped.

[stancato9]

What board is it from?

Poker 2. But I have some spare plate mount stabs right in front of me and they look nothing like the ones in the video or the deskthority thread.

Maybe they are different and don't need to be clipped.

Maybe. I hope not though. I don't like cherry stabs at all in comparison to costar and would like to these to feel less mushy. 

Hopefully someone who knows / has done it chimes in.

[SpAmRaY]

Can you post some photos of what you have?

[stancato9]

Can you post some photos of what you have?

In September, I got in my uncle's car wearing sweatpants and unfortunately my phone fell out of my pocket and got run over when we pulled out of the driveway. I had a nice surprise waiting for me on the driveway when we got back to my house so I could go and get the phone that I had thought I forgot inside the house So now I only have a phone that doesn't have an SD card so I can't take pics.

Don't have access to any cameras either, so tomorrow I'll use my sister's phone to take one.

In the meantime I'll just look online for a pic.