So I finally started to do a build with my Nexus sliders. I had been sitting on them for a while not sure what to do with them so probably none of this is really new...
Due to the issues with clicky Alps I decided to use these with some orange Alps I harvested from an AEK. And when I was building the loose switches you know what, they actually felt really good. In some ways they actually felt better with the new top housing and slider than they did before, but then they weren't exactly new switches starting out. But I was feeling pretty about the whole thing and proceeded to make a board's worth of loose switches...
Then I put keycaps on them. Yikes.
The binding is horrible. This is with GMK caps so maybe other kinds are better, but I consider these completely unusable at this point. Whole build is on hold now as I try to figure out what the heck to do with these things because I sure as heck don't want to type on these switches as they are...
Edit:
So I tried some SP SA caps in them instead of the GMK caps and the difference is night and day. They feel fine with the SA caps. But I really don't understand why because when I compare the actual stems of the two sets of caps I can't hardly see any differences. I guess the GMK stems might be a tiny bit wider, maybe that's all it takes.
Bottom line: Do not plan on using GMK caps with Nexus sliders, at least not without some top housing modifications.
Just thought I'd offer my opinion:
The Nexus top housings are a failure - they change the feel of the switch too much, and for clicky switches they neuter the click. On top of that they bind horribly.
However, Nexus sliders in original Alps housings are excellent. I'd recommend using original Alps housings and filing the opening wider as required. It takes a while to do though, I definitely underestimated the time I'd need to file down 68 Alps tops. And make sure to blow out the plastic dust when you're done since you don't want to make your switches scratchy.
I have a full 68 board with Nexus orange Alps (and modded Alps tops) on Cherry profile caps and they feel good. They still do change the feel a bit though, the tactility is a bit more rounded than on original orange Alps, which is a slight downgrade to me, but on the other hand the big stabilised keys feel like Topre now.
I also tried putting blue Alps click leaves in some of the switches for testing, and they are even better. Despite the issues some people seem to be having with clicky Alps, if you use original (but modded) Alps tops, clicky Nexus Alps are amazing - they feel just like original (probably because the click leaf keeps the tactility feeling 'sharp').
If you plan on using these with Cherry stabilisers, do note that the keycap actually doesn't sit all the way down on the stabiliser stems, so if the keycap's fit on the stabiliser is a bit loose, and you push the key on one side all the way down, the other side might pop up. Might be better to use Costar (or Alps stabilisers with the Nexus inserts).