'Bounciest' tactile switches

[jamster]

Not sure if switch questions go here, but I'll give it a shot.

I'm looking for switches for a numpad. Currently using Outemu Silent Skies for the board, but the way I use a numpad is a bit different- I prefer to slam the keys with a fair bit of enthusiasm and would like a 'snappier' feel to that section of the board. The perfect mechanism would be Buckling Spring, but that's not possible, so I'll settle for a snappy high feedback tactile (not moving to clicky). Still would prefer medium weights springs, so nothing that moves into MX Grey territory, as I prefer a definite bottom out when slamming keys.

So far the sharpest candidates are NK Box Royals and Everglide Jade Blacks (Everglide is slightly less snappy than the Royals, but also lack the weird secondary bump of the Royals). I've got a couple of samples in my numberpad already and they seem good.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

[lakeboredom]

Holy Chickies are pretty snappy. They like to snap back up too, so very responsive.

[treeleaf64]

Look to see if you can get progressive spring , they have a rebound type thing.

[HungerMechanic]

Put regular OUTEMU Sky [Tao] stem into a TTC Gold Brown V2 housing. They are extremely 'bouncy.'

Also, MX Brown stem in a YOK Panda housing with 60 gr spring. lube with 205g0.

These will both be medium-tactile, but will be very bouncy.

Lubed MX Clears with these 60 G springs:

https://www.1upkeyboards.com/shop/parts-and-tools/parts/gold-plated-springs/

have a pretty strong return.

[treeleaf64]

Those are quite expensive for springs. But yeah, can recommend both of those options.

[Leslieann]

They're about middle for spring costs.
The coating can (at least in theory) help with ping compared to other springs.

[HungerMechanic]

Just to be clear, the MX Brown Pandas I experimented with used MX Brown stems inside a YOK Trash Panda housing. [Any YOK Panda housing should work.] I used the spring that came with the YOK Trash Panda housing, which was 60 gr. Not the most refined, but very bouncy.

The OUTEMU Sky tactile stem in a TTC Gold Brown V2 housing is crazy bouncy. Just put the Sky stem in the TTC housing, including the TTC spring, which is a snappy 50 gr actuation / 60 gr bottom-out [I think] spring. Lightly lube the spring, don't bother lubing anything else.

The MX Clears with the unusual 60 gr [actuation] spring supposedly bottoms-out around 62 gr. You'll want the 60 gr. I think you can also get them here:

https://www.amazon.com/110pcs-lot-Gold-plated-Springs-switches-Replacement/dp/B072M2B2JT

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32815563971.html

It's snappy, but the least bouncy.

[jamster]

Thanks everyone.

Some options to look into. Fortunately I can get parts from China to experiment with fairly easily.

Any suggestions for off the shelf switches vs swapping parts? The only thinks I've come across so far happen to be great, but unfortunately they are clicky (box navies).

I hindsight, what I'm really looking for, is something close to bucking spring. But I understand that's probably totally unrealistic... people stick with Model Ms for a reason.

[HungerMechanic]

Off-the-shelf, your options are fairly limited. You know about BOX Navies, so you probably already know about BOX Jades, which I find at least to be crisp.

In the realm of silent tactiles, 62 gr Zilents are kind of snappy. They are highly tactile, and the dampened bottom-out and strong upstroke will give some impression of snappiness and bounciness.

[jamster]

Off-the-shelf, your options are fairly limited. You know about BOX Navies, so you probably already know about BOX Jades, which I find at least to be crisp.

In the realm of silent tactiles, 62 gr Zilents are kind of snappy. They are highly tactile, and the dampened bottom-out and strong upstroke will give some impression of snappiness and bounciness.

On a recommendation elsewhere on GH, I bought both the Box Navies and the Jades and put one of each into a tester. Initially I thought I'd found some amazing BS replacement, the Box Navy was snappy and had a nice, deep click.

Then I discovered it was an outlier, the other nine Navies all had a much higher pitched click. Maybe I should take them apart and see if buggering about with the internals can reliably change the pitch of the click.

[HungerMechanic]

I'm sorry to hear about that QC variation, lol!

[Surefoot]

for "most bouncy" i would say this is the Box Hako Royal Clear, if not going to heavy clickies such as the Pale Blue / Pink / Navy.

[HungerMechanic]

I just found out that TTC Gold Brown V2 stems can get pretty bouncy inside regular OUTEMU Sky [teal] housings using what are probably 62 or 68 stock springs [or maybe 60 gr TX].

They are meant to be bigger Browns instead of Clears, I think, so they are pretty bounchy in those Sky housings. Plus, it looks like Mint Chocolate ice cream.

Should be fine for number entry.

Also, I'm finding that OUTEMU Sky (non-silent) stems can become pretty bouncy in many tactile housings. [Sky, T1, TTC Gold V2, maybe Everglide].