[Mod] HHKB Pro 2 O-ring Modification

[mikelanding]

I had did the modification to silent the HHKB Pro 2.

The Material:
Got these colorfull O ring (rubber). There are from my orthodontist. OD is around 6mm. Not sure about the thickness. Maybe around 1mm



Pull out all keycap first and put them in Order:


Open these 3 Screw:


We are in! Uncrew 17 nos small screws:


I arranged them in order.


PCB is now detached.


Some shot taken under my DIY lightbox



Picture of Keycaps with O-ring and No O-ring



 


The result is very good. Reduce the noise quite significantly.
I took a video and upload to youtube.

Shift key = No O-ring
Command and ALT key = with O-ring

Credit to this site (in Chinese Language): http://www.pcwaishe.cn

[thegunner100]

The real question is.... how do they feel?!

[mikelanding]

The real question is.... how do they feel?!

The feel is great. Bottom down is the same feel. The different part is then the key bounce back. No more the "slight metal click sound". I dont know how to describe them.. :S

[Glod]

Thanks for the share, I just ordered my HHKB a few days ago and this is an interesting mod to consider trying in the future; seems undo-able which is good.

[longweight]

I can't see a video link?

[mikelanding]

I can't see a video link?

Here the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=euPwFAMhNW0#!

[tp4tissue]

wow perfect fit. NICE.

[longweight]

Maybe I should try this before buying a type s!

[mikelanding]

Maybe I should try this before buying a type s!

I would get a Type-S!

[baylanger]

That's a great idea ...

I manage to spot quite identical orthodontic colored and non-colored elastic latex bands on eBay 3/16" (4.8mm).  I was going to order the 1/4" but I ended up ordering the 3/16" (4.8mm) to stretch them enough so the thickness of the ring at the end would be between 0.3mm - 1 mm, I'd like ~0.5mm but I don't have the o-ring in front of me yet.

After ordering the orthodontic rings, I spotted on Amazon.com "Light Baffle" that is 1/32" (0.8mm).  If you ever look inside a camera with a mirror, this material is the thin layer that protects the light to go behind the mirror.  I'm posting the link below for those you might want to "craft" the o-rings :

Amazon : search for => Light Baffle, .03125" - 1/32"  <= there's 1 model with adhesive on single side , sold by Micro-Tools.
Micro-Tools USA (part # LB132)  : http://www.micro-tools.com/store/P-LB132/Light-Baffle-03125--132.aspx
Micro-Tools EU : http://www.micro-tools.de/  , search for "light baffle".

Any repair camera center should be able to provide you that material.  Note : 1/32" => 0.79mm

I do have a concern with the elastic band, will they dry overtime and break?  I know standard elastic do dries and then break easy.  The orthodontic "o-ring" uses medical latex.  There are many ways to do latex and all end product have different specifications.  I might end up ordering the "camera mirror light baffle".  In USA on Amazon the size is 10" x 10" x 1/32" -- more than enough for 60 keys.

PBR

[o2dazone]

Sorry to un-earth this thread, but it's a bit more relevant than hopping from one thread to the next.
A question for the OP: How did you remove the plungers from the top frame? For the keys with stabilizers, they slip right out, but pushing the plungers out with force, a little tip of the plunger that holds it in place comes off...



The little notch on the outside of the plunger. A small sliver of it comes off when I push the plungers through the bottom. I don't think this is much of an issue in terms of using the board. The plunger is sandwhiched between the top housing and the rubber dome, so there's no fear of it coming out. But still though it was interesting.

[tp4tissue]

Sorry to un-earth this thread, but it's a bit more relevant than hopping from one thread to the next.
A question for the OP: How did you remove the plungers from the top frame? For the keys with stabilizers, they slip right out, but pushing the plungers out with force, a little tip of the plunger that holds it in place comes off...

Show Image

The little notch on the outside of the plunger. A small sliver of it comes off when I push the plungers through the bottom. I don't think this is much of an issue in terms of using the board. The plunger is sandwhiched between the top housing and the rubber dome, so there's no fear of it coming out. But still though it was interesting.

well, I'm pretty sure you can pull them out without significant' damage..

But the point is,, if you're bothered, JUST CUT THEM.. they're not needed anyway.

[o2dazone]

Completed this mod per this tutorial and made a video. Big difference, especially after the typing, I run my fingers over the board. The biggest difference are the stabilized keys. A lot less bar rattle.

White one is 3.5 years old, black one is 4.5 years old

anywho, pretty cool mod, almost no difference in feeling, and big difference in sound

[tp4tissue]

Completed this mod per this tutorial and made a video. Big difference, especially after the typing, I run my fingers over the board. The biggest difference are the stabilized keys. A lot less bar rattle.

White one is 3.5 years old, black one is 4.5 years old

anywho, pretty cool mod, almost no difference in feeling, and big difference in sound

Is that you in the video?

[o2dazone]

Completed this mod per this tutorial and made a video. Big difference, especially after the typing, I run my fingers over the board. The biggest difference are the stabilized keys. A lot less bar rattle.

White one is 3.5 years old, black one is 4.5 years old

anywho, pretty cool mod, almost no difference in feeling, and big difference in sound

Is that you in the video?

Yeah, I took it last night after doing the band adjustment. I'll take another video with "MagicMeatball"s Type S here at work. And compare the two. But doing a side by side comparision, the sound is almost exact, and the feeling is off by about 1 to 2mm (the throw is slightly less on the modded, the Type S must be using thinner plunger dampeners)

[o2dazone]

After spending a little more time on the modded HHKB, MMB's Type S, and a plain old regular HHKB, I personally prefer the Type S feeling more. The rubber bands add a couple mm to the distance, and the shorter throw on the modded hhkb is a little weird. The Type S also has this, but to a lesser extent. If I can find the time, I'd like to try the baffle/punch suggestion. Anyone have a link to the original tutorial of that? I believe it was a japanese page...

edit: found! http://www.geocities.co.jp/kousaku_situ/silent_realforce/srf-pata1.html

[tauburn]

Would those type of o rings work with cherry keycaps as well or are they too wide in diameter?

[o2dazone]

It's a different kind of dampening. Topre switches you're dampening the rebound "up" on the keycap. With Cherry switches, you want to dampen the rebound on the "down", where the keycap meets the pcb/plate.

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/cherry-mx-rubber-switch-dampeners.html

You can get these at all places though, I'm sure there's cheaper ones. From what I used (40, 50, 70 and 80), they all had some effect on the feeling, so I removed them. But if "quiet" is your ultimate goal, these will take care of a lot of it. But note, it will effect key feeling slightly. And it will not silence internal clicks like blue cherries

Has anyone been able to successfully silence a non clicky cherry without affecting keyfeel?

[o2dazone]

also from this post http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/best_article/1339790

I noticed some other things about the regular vs the type s - more than the obvious dampening washer that goes around the plunger




The "feet" of the plunger seem to have some sort of sleeve on them. Possibly to reduce wiggle noise? You can also tell the "tab" at the top of the plunger is shorter on the Silent than the regular. I'm not sure if this is to compensate for the reduced throw due to the silencing washer, or if it was just a generic design change. Interesting.







The "silent" housing looks to have less play in the moving plastic pieces. From the bottom, you can tell there's less room between the plunger and the housing it sits in. On the 'top' photo, there is less gap between silent and regular.

[o2dazone]

I ordered a couple things from Amazon a few days ago:

Punches: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KE17JO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rubber: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005584QJI/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Something to note, the punches don't do 9mm and 12mm like hasu had suggested in another thread. Unfortunately, due to ****ty Imperial system, I was stuck between sizes. I knew this going in, and adjusted accordingly.

I was up late last night punching 120 holes (60 x 2) into thin rubber, but I did document the process with photos, so I'll post that up along with a video. Unfortunately, I no longer own an unmodified HHKB, so maybe if MMB is nice enough to let me use his Type S for a side by side, we can do that instead Noise-wise is about the same. The thin rubber (.02") makes so that there's no noticeable change in throw. Also, because the rubber is not rigid, I ended up repunching 10 or so 'washers' because they were off center, and gripping the plunger on the upstroke/downstroke. (twss)


edit: I'd also like to note, I never used a punch before. I figured you placed it on cardboard or something, and hammered it. But I found the rubber to be so thin, that simply twisting the punch about half a rotation sliced the rubber into perfect circles. A lot less blunt smashing, and a lot quieter. YMMV

[o2dazone]

Not to steal the thunder of mikelanding (purely for making it easier for others to find methods searching through this forum), I posted photos of my bad hackjob, and attempt at copying mikelanding are here http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40582

[Michael]

Excellent info, bro2dazone.

[o2dazone]

Thanks brocaps, yeah that doesn't work...

[mikelanding]

Not to steal the thunder of mikelanding (purely for making it easier for others to find methods searching through this forum), I posted photos of my bad hackjob, and attempt at copying mikelanding are here http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40582

Nope problem at all. Nice info you got there.

[Icte]

Incredible! Will definitly use this mod instead of paying a $130 extra

[beartung]

real cool！bro

[RESPRiT]

real cool！bro

Impressive necro

[lonedruid]

**** you guys , having good time with your hhkb yea? make me miss my hhkb so much. My brother using it at his house. I wont be modding my hhkb. How do you muster the courage to unscrew your 300 dollar board? 

[Smasher816]

Well now that this thread has been unburied from the grave...

Hopefully the OP doesn't mind if I "steal" some of those pictures. I have seen a few people ask how to open the HHKB case and these do a good job at showing that.