Re-create MX Super Blacks on Winkey?

[Internetlad]

after seeing this article

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Super_Black

I got the idea that possibly modding some sort of "ghetto super black" under the winkey on my rosewill board (which does not have a switch to turn off winkeys while gaming) might be a good option to help rid myself of those pesky tab to desktops in the middle of an intense session of keyboard slapping

Obviously one could try to obtain the original Super Black switch, desolder the MX Blacks on the Rosewill and solder on the Super Blacks, but wouldn't replacing the spring work just as easily and give the same result?

Would I need to desolder the switches to swap the spring regardless?

Is this a common practice already, or if it's not then Good idea/Bad idea, or other ideas?

[kwago]

You can replace the spring on the current switch with one from a ballpoint pen. I've tried it and it felt extremely terrifying with the amount of tension being held back by four little plastic arms. You've been warned

[AKIMbO]

You will have to desolder the switch on a Rosewill since the Rosewill is plate mounted.  I remember seeing a redditor r/mechanicalkeyboards replace the spring in one of his mx switches with the spring from a ball point pen.  He claimed the spring swap (from mx stock spring to ball point spring) created a huge resistance jump in the switch.  So that is possibly a good solution to the lack of mx super black availability. 

Edit: Ninja'd by kwago! )

[tp4tissue]

You can replace the spring on the current switch with one from a ballpoint pen. I've tried it and it felt extremely terrifying with the amount of tension being held back by four little plastic arms. You've been warned

)   one day, the fins on the slider crack, and it shoots out, taking out ur -left- eye.

[IvanIvanovich]

Why not just disable the stupid left winkey in regedit? Yeah, I am lazy approach guy. Or use my layout on GH60, problem solved since there is not left win at all.

[Internetlad]

Why not just disable the stupid left winkey in regedit? Yeah, I am lazy approach guy. Or use my layout on GH60, problem solved since there is not left win at all.

Believe it or not, I DO use winkey shortcuts. Possibly the only guy besides my boss who does.

Winkey D and winkey E are real timesavers if you don't have to reach for the mouse.

Is it a real concern that the ballpoint pen spring would cause a catastrophic failure on the housing of the switch? I had never truly considered that having "too much" spring could damage the housing. That being said, As i'd never heard of Super Blacks before yesterday and they're out of production from CC, I expect they would be pretty darn hard to get ahold of.

The wiki lists these keys as being Super Blacks:
Cherry G80-1600 Prog and Laser keys.
Cherry G80-2100 Cherry, Layer and Print Screen keys.
Cherry G80-5000 Windows keys.
Cherry G81-8308 Unknown keys.[1]

Seems like they had the same idea with the 5000. As I don't particularly feel like dropping 100-200 dollars on a keyboard to harvest 2 donor keys, though, i'm thinking the ballpoint pen spring workaround may be in order. For science.

[IvanIvanovich]

I use them too, but you don't need 2 winkeys. You can disable them independently and the right still works.

[Internetlad]

I use them too, but you don't need 2 winkeys. You can disable them independently and the right still works.

Yeah, that's actually not a bad workaround.  I *have* been looking for a project/reason to buy a soldering/desoldering station though.

TBH since my board already has blacks it's not a huge issue as is, but it happens every now and again and if it's a fast pace game it merits at the very least a string of profanity.

[Dubsgalore]

Super Blacks would be sooo cool to actually see and try out..

[Internetlad]

Super Blacks would be sooo cool to actually see and try out..

Somebody who isn't familiar with cherry switches might be able to take that wildly out of context.

[Dubsgalore]

Super Blacks would be sooo cool to actually see and try out..

Somebody who isn't familiar with cherry switches might be able to take that wildly out of context.

 )  lol should have added the MX

[tp4tissue]

Super Blacks would be sooo cool to actually see and try out..

Somebody who isn't familiar with cherry switches might be able to take that wildly out of context.

I think ur projecting here... race//sex didn't cross my mind with the previous sentence...

hm........//raise eyebrow

[Michael]

Super Blacks would be sooo cool to actually see and try out..

Somebody who isn't familiar with cherry switches might be able to take that wildly out of context.

I think ur projecting here... race//sex didn't cross my mind with the previous sentence...

hm........//raise eyebrow

[CommunistWitchDr]

I... I would actually like to try these on every key.

[Dubsgalore]

Super Blacks would be sooo cool to actually see and try out..

Somebody who isn't familiar with cherry switches might be able to take that wildly out of context.

I think ur projecting here... race//sex didn't cross my mind with the previous sentence...

hm........//raise eyebrow

my thoughts exactly

[Internetlad]

I... I would actually like to try these on every key.

I suppose a good test of how stiff they'd be would be to try to press a retractable pen with every finger, since that would be, more or less, the amount of resistance.

SUMMER PROJECT GO!

[mashby]

I'd really like to try one out as well. 

[Dubsgalore]

this would be actually super cool to make

super blacks on a 60%?

[Internetlad]

we can call it the HNNGGGGHHH

[sth]

we can call it the HNNGGGGHHH

)

one day, the fins on the slider crack, and it shoots out, taking out ur -left- eye.

[jabar]

when my board with Super Blacks come in I will compare to a ball-point mod with which my 8113 came.

[Dubsgalore]

we can call it the HNNGGGGHHH

imagine walking into the store

'70 pens please'

'for what?'

'...keyboards..'

 )

[esoomenona]

one day, the fins on the slider crack, and it shoots out, taking out ur -left- eye.

Show Image

Dreams are hopeless aspirations in hopes of coming true.

[MKULTRA]

I just take the keycap off of my left winkey.  Leave the switch exposed.  If I feel a giant gap I don't press.

[nsrexler]

You should look into switch locks, it's a little piece of plastic that you slip on top of the switch stem and it prevents the key from actuating. I can't remember where I've seen them for sale, but you can probably find some if you look around.

[Jagriff]

You should look into switch locks, it's a little piece of plastic that you slip on top of the switch stem and it prevents the key from actuating. I can't remember where I've seen them for sale, but you can probably find some if you look around.

You can find them here:

http://keycapsdirect.com/marketplace.php#

[Internetlad]

Like I said, I do still use the winkeys, but it's a big no-no to use them while gaming. I'd hate to have to take the locks off whenever i'm done a session.

[tp4tissue]

one day, the fins on the slider crack, and it shoots out, taking out ur -left- eye.

Show Image

Dreams are hopeless aspirations in hopes of coming true.

I don't get it, what is this picture here for...

In what way is she a Spring// Super // or even black...

is she black? I can't tell some black people from some Indians.

[Capitalistix]

we can call it the HNNGGGGHHH

)

one day, the fins on the slider crack, and it shoots out, taking out ur -left- eye.

Show Image

Not normally into black girls, but damn, shes really cute! However, what is her relevance to this thread? Unless youre trying to say shes a super black because shes a super hot/cute black girl? 0.o

[esoomenona]

ITT: people who don't know who Left Eye is.

t=121s

[Internetlad]

TBH I didn't get the joke either.

[Internetlad]

http://www.hdwallpaperspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sss3.jpg

UPDATE: Got in equipment to do some soldering. After some practice I'll try to break down my Rosewill with blacks and see if I can't do some keyboard science.

In the meantime, anybody have/know somewhere where I could get a handful of black switches? (Theoretically any tactical non-clicky would work as I'm replacing the spring anyways.)

[nubbinator]

http://www.hdwallpaperspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sss3.jpg

UPDATE: Got in equipment to do some soldering. After some practice I'll try to break down my Rosewill with blacks and see if I can't do some keyboard science.

In the meantime, anybody have/know somewhere where I could get a handful of black switches? (Theoretically any tactical non-clicky would work as I'm replacing the spring anyways.)

Hit the Classifieds, check out Mouser, Digikey, and a few other sites like that (use this for reference for part numbers) or use Octopart to see what sites carry them, search Taobao, or see if you can find some cheap donor boards. 

[jabar]

So,

the ball point pen mod (not sure what pen was used, I didn't do the mod) feel just about the same as a genuine Super Black on my G80-2100. A bit stiffer and less stable perhaps (it's due a Rip-o-Meter test), but extremely similar.

So, don't bother trying to harvest from ancient rare G80s.

[Internetlad]

It's pretty cool that you can confirm that, I really didn't think we'd get anything that official. On the other hand this IS geekhack. . .

[Photekq]

I think I might try out this pen mod.

[Halverson]

Gotta find the perfect pens. My only attempt became an ultra mega superblack. Spring was crazy heavy.

[Internetlad]

Gotta find the perfect pens. My only attempt became an ultra mega superblack. Spring was crazy heavy.

as somebody noted, the biggest concern there (for me, at least) would be breaking the housing. That's why I want to get my hands on a few black switches just in case.

[Rule16]

If you're lazy like me and have soft landing pads from EK lying around you can put 3 under the windows key a.d it makes it extremely heavy, like a super black.

[Internetlad]

If you're lazy like me and have soft landing pads from EK lying around you can put 3 under the windows key a.d it makes it extremely heavy, like a super black.

That's actually a pretty good workaround. I'm more into doing the project for the sake of doing the project, but as far as a ghettomod, that's a good one.

[Rule16]

If you're lazy like me and have soft landing pads from EK lying around you can put 3 under the windows key a.d it makes it extremely heavy, like a super black.

That's actually a pretty good workaround. I'm more into doing the project for the sake of doing the project, but as far as a ghettomod, that's a good one.

Yeah mostly the only reason I did it that way was because I don't know how to solder... If I did I definitely would have done the pen spring one or found a real MX Super Black somewhere.

[clickclack]

Hi Internetlad-

There are a few quick and easy ways to do this that I've tested before.

-You can stretch a normal black spring out and that will easily make it harder to depress with the added bonus of you being able to "tune" the resistance a little bit.

-You can glue in an additional spring under the keycap that will press down on the top housing of the keyswitch.

- You can add a tiny bit of an eraser or similarly hard-ish rubber for under the key stem in the key switch for that added resistance in they key stroke.

All of the above will work and quite well depending on your specific desired outcome or needs.

-cc out!

p.s. For your particular situation my personal recommendation would be the first method since it's simple and rather effective.

[Internetlad]

incidentally if i'm looking for replacement switches for my rosewill, is there a difference between PCB and Plate mounted style switches or is it the same switch, just mounted differently?

Basically, if i'm looking to replace my switch, do I need to specify that I need plate mounted blacks?

[nubbinator]

incidentally if i'm looking for replacement switches for my rosewill, is there a difference between PCB and Plate mounted style switches or is it the same switch, just mounted differently?

Basically, if i'm looking to replace my switch, do I need to specify that I need plate mounted blacks?

PCB mounted have plastic stabilizers, plate mounted do not.

[Jocelyn]

PCB mounted have plastic stabilizers, plate mounted do not.

Ehhhh? I could be way of base here, but I thought both Cherry PCB and Plate mount have plastic, while co-star do not.

[Jocelyn]

Silly Tapatalk lol

[nubbinator]

PCB mounted have plastic stabilizers, plate mounted do not.

Ehhhh? I could be way of base here, but I thought both Cherry PCB and Plate mount have plastic, while co-star do not.

Talking about the switch housings, not Cherry and Costar stabilizers.  PCB mounted have those two extra little plastic pegs/legs for stabilizing the switch housing while plate mounted switches don't (like in this picture).  Of course you know that though.

[Jocelyn]

PCB mounted have plastic stabilizers, plate mounted do not.

Ehhhh? I could be way of base here, but I thought both Cherry PCB and Plate mount have plastic, while co-star do not.

Talking about the switch housings, not Cherry and Costar stabilizers.  PCB mounted have those two extra little plastic pegs/legs for stabilizing the switch housing while plate mounted switches don't (like in this picture).  Of course you know that though.

Oh gawd, time to make coffee. Sorry lol

[jabar]

I think those nubs are better called pegs instead of stabilizers. Your ontology is confusing!

[nubbinator]

I think those nubs are better called pegs instead of stabilizers. Your ontology is confusing!

Well, they are there to secure and stabilize the switch on the PCB.  As long as you say switch stabilizers instead of cap stabilizer you should be able to easily distinguish the two.