I spent a bunch of time this weekend making a number of different franken-alps switches by mixing in parts from newer matias switches (right now only quiet clicks, but I'm tempted to get some clicky switches and mess with those too).
Using the terminology that Platy originated I'm calling the process of mixing in matias qc components as "smoking" (due to the gray color of the slider).
I used Orange, Salmon and Damped Cream switches in two different configurations:
- Partial Smoke - Replace the tactile leaf with a quiet click tactile leaf.
- Full Smoke - Replace the tactile leaf and spring with the quiet click tactile leaf and spring
Additionally I make what I'll refer to as the "complicated quiet click" which swaps the entire guts of a quiet click into a damped cream saving only the complicated switchplate.
Overall I was actually really impressed with the results, with my three favorites being: Partially Smoked Orange, Fully Smoked Salmon, and the Complicated Quiet Click.
Partially Smoked Orange - The slightly lighter spring along with the older model switchplate in the oranges made for a very nice compliment to the newer and crisper tactile leaf from the quiet click.
Fully Smoked Salmon - This was a super crisp and slightly aggressive switch. The combination of later model complicated switchplate, the quiet click's tactile leaf and the undamped slider makes for a super crisp and crunchy feel. I think in the long term it would actually be easier (and cheaper) to use SKCM Whites as the donor. I'll have to look into it.
Complicated Quiet Click - This and the
fully smoked cream were pretty similar, but I prefer the dampeners on the quiet clicks (could be age related). The end result is a slightly less wobbly (the switchplate on a qc has only one touch point on the slider) and more consistent feeling quiet click.
I'm going to build my first Alps Party board with Complicated Quiet Clicks and see how I like it vs. my v60 with quiet clicks.
Action pic!