I got the inspiration for this mod here:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=19844.0I'm not sure if anyone has made a full keyboard with these modified stems before, but I spent a good part of my day doing it, and I think they feel great. I basically cut strips of plastic and used them as spacers to lock the white part of the stem at the lowest point.
What this does- Moves the actuation point closer to the top
- Removes the clicky sound
- Increases resistance, because the spring will be more compressed. (Not as heavy as blacks though)
- Reduces overall travel
- Reduces clack sound from bottoming out. (I think because it's landing on the white piece before it bottoms out)
How it feelsTo me, it feels most like a smoother, more refined green alps switch. For those that haven't tried green alps, I don't know how else to describe it. Having the actuation bump at the very top makes it feel completely different than any other existing Cherry switch. The closest thing I can think of to compare it to is mx clears, but with an even (perceptually) larger tactile bump (because it's at the top, you can't plow through it.) And also o-ring modded, because of the reduced travel and bottoming out noise.
What to look out forSo for anyone who decides this might be something they'd want to try, I have a few tips. Getting the plastic pieces cut to the right thickness is very hard. I cut most of the pieces so that they're slightly tapered. Then I slid them in until they fit just well though to remove any wiggle in the white part of the stem. Anything too thin, and the stem will not feel solid, and the key might still make a click sound. Anything too thick, it puts a bend in the white part of the stem, making it push outward into the housing, and the switch will feel sticky. There was a lot of trial and error before I got the spacing pieces right. The gap between the two pieces is about 1.25mm.
How I did itCut some strips
![](http://i.imgur.com/85o4TXS.jpg)
Slid them in between the two pieces of the stem.
![](http://i.imgur.com/pPiAXWV.jpg)
Chopped off the excess with a razor blade.
![](http://i.imgur.com/3QYgRct.jpg)
Compared to a stock blue stem.
![](http://i.imgur.com/Oe3dO6u.jpg)