Cherry MX Trampoline Mod!

[davkol]

To make a mechanical keyboard to feel mushy goes against its nature; in that case, just get a cheap rubber dome and forget you ever known that there are mechanical keyboards.

Please, show me all these rubber-dome Maltron-like keyboards.

[ideus]

To make a mechanical keyboard to feel mushy goes against its nature; in that case, just get a cheap rubber dome and forget you ever known that there are mechanical keyboards.

Please, show me all these rubber-dome Maltron-like keyboards.

You right! Get a super expensive rubber-dome instead of a cheap one, and forget about mechanical keyboards.

 

[davkol]

wat.

I'm not aware of any such dome-based keyboards. That's why I asked. Actually, there's the microTron at least, but it's very different and still mechanical in a way (Thorpe).

I prefer the feel of some domes or scissor switches at times, but getting/building keyboards with specific layouts/shapes and keycaps is far from simple. That's another reason to stick with discrete switches.

[Oobly]

Long term, hard bottom-out can hurt your fingers and joints, unless you learn not to do it. I get that some prefer it, but then the only reason to participate in this thread is for shortening the travel by using a hard material. Or trolling, but GH members don't do that, do they?

This mod really helps for those who are transitioning from rubber domes where you have to bottom out to actuate the keys. It prevents hard bottoming out and when used with tactile switches helps learn to reduce force at the tactile / actuation point so you're not pressing with force any more when hitting bottom.

I find linears feel weird with orings or trampolines, but I need them, since linears don't have the tactile bump to tell my subconcious to stop adding force. So I just don't use linears.

[asgeirtj]

Is the trampoline mod more silent than o-rings?

[davkol]

Is the trampoline mod more silent than o-rings?

Depends on material used, but the trampolines ought to be a bit quieter, at least in theory, because the impact happens inside the switch, not outside.

[Oobly]

Is the trampoline mod more silent than o-rings?

Depends on material used, but the trampolines ought to be a bit quieter, at least in theory, because the impact happens inside the switch, not outside.

Good answer. And in my experience yes, they are. It also depends a bit on your keyboard construction as to how much quieter / how they sound.

[asgeirtj]

Rubber should be the most silent material right?  Is there anything else to consider using for trampolines?

[Oobly]

Rubber should be the most silent material right?  Is there anything else to consider using for trampolines?

I've only used various types of rubber, but you could use anything you can fit I guess. Depends what feeling you're after. The shape of the material can affect the feel, too. I have used pieces cut from orings, rubber sheet cut with a hole punch and silicone balls from IMSTO. They all have slightly different feeling due to the softness and shape. The oring pieces are like very slightly curved cylinders, the ones cut with a hole punch looked like hourglass shapes, and the ones from IMSTO are balls. The balls give the most "sudden" stop, the oring pieces and hole punched ones are more "progressive". I think I actually like the oring pieces the most, probably because they're the softest, but they're hard to get consistent. For a balance of feel and consistency the hole punched ones were nice. If I could find a softer sheet of rubber to use, possibly even from Sorbothane, they'd probably be my favourites.

The balls from IMSTO are the easiest option, though, since they're available online and you just drop them into place, no cutting involved.

[ideus]

Rubber should be the most silent material right?  Is there anything else to consider using for trampolines?

I've only used various types of rubber, but you could use anything you can fit I guess. Depends what feeling you're after. The shape of the material can affect the feel, too. I have used pieces cut from orings, rubber sheet cut with a hole punch and silicone balls from IMSTO. They all have slightly different feeling due to the softness and shape. The oring pieces are like very slightly curved cylinders, the ones cut with a hole punch looked like hourglass shapes, and the ones from IMSTO are balls. The balls give the most "sudden" stop, the oring pieces and hole punched ones are more "progressive". I think I actually like the oring pieces the most, probably because they're the softest, but they're hard to get consistent. For a balance of feel and consistency the hole punched ones were nice. If I could find a softer sheet of rubber to use, possibly even from Sorbothane, they'd probably be my favourites.

The balls from IMSTO are the easiest option, though, since they're available online and you just drop them into place, no cutting involved.

How mushy the switches get with IMSTO's? when compared with the other options.

[asgeirtj]

Rubber should be the most silent material right?  Is there anything else to consider using for trampolines?

I've only used various types of rubber, but you could use anything you can fit I guess. Depends what feeling you're after. The shape of the material can affect the feel, too. I have used pieces cut from orings, rubber sheet cut with a hole punch and silicone balls from IMSTO. They all have slightly different feeling due to the softness and shape. The oring pieces are like very slightly curved cylinders, the ones cut with a hole punch looked like hourglass shapes, and the ones from IMSTO are balls. The balls give the most "sudden" stop, the oring pieces and hole punched ones are more "progressive". I think I actually like the oring pieces the most, probably because they're the softest, but they're hard to get consistent. For a balance of feel and consistency the hole punched ones were nice. If I could find a softer sheet of rubber to use, possibly even from Sorbothane, they'd probably be my favourites.

The balls from IMSTO are the easiest option, though, since they're available online and you just drop them into place, no cutting involved.

How mushy the switches get with IMSTO's? when compared with the other options.

They're totally not mushy imo, but they shorten the travel distance for me to use

[ideus]

Rubber should be the most silent material right?  Is there anything else to consider using for trampolines?

I've only used various types of rubber, but you could use anything you can fit I guess. Depends what feeling you're after. The shape of the material can affect the feel, too. I have used pieces cut from orings, rubber sheet cut with a hole punch and silicone balls from IMSTO. They all have slightly different feeling due to the softness and shape. The oring pieces are like very slightly curved cylinders, the ones cut with a hole punch looked like hourglass shapes, and the ones from IMSTO are balls. The balls give the most "sudden" stop, the oring pieces and hole punched ones are more "progressive". I think I actually like the oring pieces the most, probably because they're the softest, but they're hard to get consistent. For a balance of feel and consistency the hole punched ones were nice. If I could find a softer sheet of rubber to use, possibly even from Sorbothane, they'd probably be my favourites.

The balls from IMSTO are the easiest option, though, since they're available online and you just drop them into place, no cutting involved.

How mushy the switches get with IMSTO's? when compared with the other options.

They're totally not mushy imo, but they shorten the travel distance for me to use

I just ordered some other stuff from IMSTO but I did not take the silicon balls, maybe I should just for the shake of testing them.

[swill]

Rubber should be the most silent material right?  Is there anything else to consider using for trampolines?

I've only used various types of rubber, but you could use anything you can fit I guess. Depends what feeling you're after. The shape of the material can affect the feel, too. I have used pieces cut from orings, rubber sheet cut with a hole punch and silicone balls from IMSTO. They all have slightly different feeling due to the softness and shape. The oring pieces are like very slightly curved cylinders, the ones cut with a hole punch looked like hourglass shapes, and the ones from IMSTO are balls. The balls give the most "sudden" stop, the oring pieces and hole punched ones are more "progressive". I think I actually like the oring pieces the most, probably because they're the softest, but they're hard to get consistent. For a balance of feel and consistency the hole punched ones were nice. If I could find a softer sheet of rubber to use, possibly even from Sorbothane, they'd probably be my favourites.

The balls from IMSTO are the easiest option, though, since they're available online and you just drop them into place, no cutting involved.

How mushy the switches get with IMSTO's? when compared with the other options.

I have used them on a couple boards.  I think the balls will feel less mushy than the other solutions because they are uniform and there is a limit to how much they can compact in the bottom of the stem.  I have not tried the 'cut o-ring' method, so I am not positive about this.

I will say that the bottom out is softer than if you put standard o-rings on Cherry profile keycaps.  I used Cherry profile PBT with o-rings for a long time.  I personally prefer the silicone balls, but that might also be because they work perfectly with the SA caps (no other dampening solution does).

It definitely shortens the throw of the switch (probably too much for blues because of the little extra piece at the end of the stem).  The shortening of the throw is the closest thing to a problem that I have with these.  It shortens it by just a hair more than I would like, but once you actually use the board a bit, you will completely forget about it.

Hope that helps.  For the record, I am using these again for my latest build project, so I have given this mod some real time...  For $3 you can't go wrong (if you already have something shipping)...

[ideus]

Rubber should be the most silent material right?  Is there anything else to consider using for trampolines?

I've only used various types of rubber, but you could use anything you can fit I guess. Depends what feeling you're after. The shape of the material can affect the feel, too. I have used pieces cut from orings, rubber sheet cut with a hole punch and silicone balls from IMSTO. They all have slightly different feeling due to the softness and shape. The oring pieces are like very slightly curved cylinders, the ones cut with a hole punch looked like hourglass shapes, and the ones from IMSTO are balls. The balls give the most "sudden" stop, the oring pieces and hole punched ones are more "progressive". I think I actually like the oring pieces the most, probably because they're the softest, but they're hard to get consistent. For a balance of feel and consistency the hole punched ones were nice. If I could find a softer sheet of rubber to use, possibly even from Sorbothane, they'd probably be my favourites.

The balls from IMSTO are the easiest option, though, since they're available online and you just drop them into place, no cutting involved.

How mushy the switches get with IMSTO's? when compared with the other options.

I have used them on a couple boards.  I think the balls will feel less mushy than the other solutions because they are uniform and there is a limit to how much they can compact in the bottom of the stem.  I have not tried the 'cut o-ring' method, so I am not positive about this.

I will say that the bottom out is softer than if you put standard o-rings on Cherry profile keycaps.  I used Cherry profile PBT with o-rings for a long time.  I personally prefer the silicone balls, but that might also be because they work perfectly with the SA caps (no other dampening solution does).

It definitely shortens the throw of the switch (probably too much for blues because of the little extra piece at the end of the stem).  The shortening of the throw is the closest thing to a problem that I have with these.  It shortens it by just a hair more than I would like, but once you actually use the board a bit, you will completely forget about it.

Hope that helps.  For the record, I am using these again for my latest build project, so I have given this mod some real time...  For $3 you can't go wrong (if you already have something shipping)...

I will send IMSTO an email, to check if my order left, if not, I will add some just to check them.

Edit: I just contacted him, I hope there is still time to add the balls bag 

[asgeirtj]

So I went to check out some hole punchers and I saw on which was 1/16", would that work for the hole? How big is the hole in a mx switch?  Also what materials would be best?  Didn't find rubber but i saw felt material and foam, would that work?  How about just paper?  And why not just use a liquid latex dampen bottom down sound?

[swill]

So I went to check out some hole punchers and I saw on which was 1/16", would that work for the hole? How big is the hole in a mx switch?  Also what materials would be best?  Didn't find rubber but i saw felt material and foam, would that work?  How about just paper?  And why not just use a liquid latex dampen bottom down sound?

If you go this route I would probably try to use a closed cell silicone or neoprene foam with about 30-50 durometer.  That's my hunch. If you want I can probably test it for you this weekend. I have a few different materials and I should have a small enough leather punch. I can try to give you a comparison between the IMSTO balls and the tests.

I have a lot going on right now, so I apologize if I am a bit slow.

[Oobly]

So I went to check out some hole punchers and I saw on which was 1/16", would that work for the hole? How big is the hole in a mx switch?  Also what materials would be best?  Didn't find rubber but i saw felt material and foam, would that work?  How about just paper?  And why not just use a liquid latex dampen bottom down sound?

Foam would work best out of those options. Felt would also dampen the sound, but I think it would feel weird. Could be worth a try, though. The hole is 2mm diameter, so 1/16" will fit inside, but may be a bit loose. I use a leather hole punch which has a rotating part with different sizes on.

There is a 0.8mm gap between the slider pole and bottom of the hole for tactile and linear switches, so if you use latex it has to be on a different part of the switch. I'd probably put it on the bottom casing where the flat part of the slider hits, but there are two reasons why I'd think twice about doing that:

1. It doesn't damp the force or sound as much as a rubber piece in the stem.
2. It's an open area and the latex layer could come loose too easily. In the top housing it's in a mostly enclosed area and under pressure the whole time a switch is at rest. This helps keep it attached and in place.

[asgeirtj]

 

So I went to check out some hole punchers and I saw on which was 1/16", would that work for the hole? How big is the hole in a mx switch?  Also what materials would be best?  Didn't find rubber but i saw felt material and foam, would that work?  How about just paper?  And why not just use a liquid latex dampen bottom down sound?

If you go this route I would probably try to use a closed cell silicone or neoprene foam with about 30-50 durometer.  That's my hunch. If you want I can probably test it for you this weekend. I have a few different materials and I should have a small enough leather punch. I can try to give you a comparison between the IMSTO balls and the tests.

I have a lot going on right now, so I apologize if I am a bit slow.

That would be most appreciated sir   Somehow it's my hunch that most materials will work but I will test it tomorrow. 

The foam which i saw a the store was 2mm thick so I won't bother with that, I need something more along the lines of 1mm for my travel shortening needs.

Foam would work best out of those options. Felt would also dampen the sound, but I think it would feel weird. Could be worth a try, though. The hole is 2mm diameter, so 1/16" will fit inside, but may be a bit loose. I use a leather hole punch which has a rotating part with different sizes on.

I'm going to try out the felt and a paper, and maybe a sock .

I can buy a 2mm or 1.5875 mm hole puncher, which do you guys think will be better for the 2mm hole?

[swill]

So I went to check out some hole punchers and I saw on which was 1/16", would that work for the hole? How big is the hole in a mx switch?  Also what materials would be best?  Didn't find rubber but i saw felt material and foam, would that work?  How about just paper?  And why not just use a liquid latex dampen bottom down sound?

If you go this route I would probably try to use a closed cell silicone or neoprene foam with about 30-50 durometer.  That's my hunch. If you want I can probably test it for you this weekend. I have a few different materials and I should have a small enough leather punch. I can try to give you a comparison between the IMSTO balls and the tests.

I have a lot going on right now, so I apologize if I am a bit slow.

That would be most appreciated sir   Somehow it's my hunch that most materials will work but I will test it tomorrow. 

The foam which i saw a the store was 2mm thick so I won't bother with that, I need something more along the lines of 1mm for my travel shortening needs.

Foam would work best out of those options. Felt would also dampen the sound, but I think it would feel weird. Could be worth a try, though. The hole is 2mm diameter, so 1/16" will fit inside, but may be a bit loose. I use a leather hole punch which has a rotating part with different sizes on.

I'm going to try out the felt and a paper, and maybe a sock .

I can buy a 2mm or 1.5875 mm hole puncher, which do you guys think will be better for the 2mm hole?

You will want to use materials that will return to its original form once the key is released I think.  Also, you will want a material that will not degrade with usage like anything woven. My two cents anyway.

[asgeirtj]

So i found a place where you can buy neoprene rubber in my country

http://www.fossberg.is/?prodid=1434

I can buy a leather puncher which is 2mm with it (I'm assuming 2mm is better than 1.5875mm for this job)

the smallest kind of rubber sheet is 1mm however

and I'm actually worried it's actually too thick

because, I use cherry profile, and with that profile an o-ring is more severe on travel distance shortening, and I actually want travel distance shortening but very little it seems since 1mm o-rings are my favorite

according to your research here swill https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=53174.msg1186392#msg1186392 if I understand everything correctly, that means that the shortening of the travel distance is = 4.15 - 3.95 = 0.2mm with 1mm o-rings.  Well doesn't that mean that I would need a 0.2mm material for a trampoline mod for the same travel distance shortening? 

[Oobly]

So i found a place where you can buy neoprene rubber in my country

http://www.fossberg.is/?prodid=1434

I can buy a leather puncher which is 2mm with it (I'm assuming 2mm is better than 1.5875mm for this job)

the smallest kind of rubber sheet is 1mm however

and I'm actually worried it's actually too thick

because, I use cherry profile, and with that profile an o-ring is more severe on travel distance shortening, and I actually want travel distance shortening but very little it seems since 1mm o-rings are my favorite

according to your research here swill https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=53174.msg1186392#msg1186392 if I understand everything correctly, that means that the shortening of the travel distance is = 4.15 - 3.95 = 0.2mm with 1mm o-rings.  Well doesn't that mean that I would need a 0.2mm material for a trampoline mod for the same travel distance shortening?

No. There is a 0.8mm gap (on tactile and linear switches) between the bottom of the slider pin and the bottom of the tube hole when the switch is at bottom out, so 1mm material will touch at 0.2mm before bottom out and compress from there. If it's foam, you may find the switch still bottoms out (flat part of slider hits bottom case) once the foam compresses if you use 1mm.

On clicky switches, the slider pin has an extension which touches or at least comes very close to touching at bottom out, so if you want to do this mod on Blues, Greens or Whites you need a thinner piece.

2mm hole punch is the best size to use.

[asgeirtj]

I tried using a 2mm hole punch but it's troublesome because its exactly the same diameter and it's hard to push the rubber through the hole and the rubber and ends up turning sideways, i will test the 1/16" inch one and report back. 

regarding imsto's balls

http://www.imsto.cn/image/data/selicaball2.JPG

are they = 2mm diameter?

[asgeirtj]

So i bought a new hole puncher which is 1,585 diameter and is a confetti puncher, it worked great.  However my materials failed me. everything henceforth is 1,585 in diameter and the values are the thickness :1mm rubber is too small, it doesn't dampen the sound.  I tried cutting an 1.2mm o-ring but the travel distance reduction was a tad too much.  foam didn't work well since the material gives in so much that 2mm and 2x 2mm balls of it didn't dampen the sound.  my felt was 1mm so that was too small to do anything.  I might try out 1.5mm rubber sheet but maybe  the trampoline mod is not available in my travel distance preference. 

[ideus]

Have you ever consider that micro switches based on cross-point contact mechanisms with springs are designed with no rubber parts for a reason?

[davkol]

Have you ever consider that micro switches based on cross-point contact mechanisms with springs are designed with no rubber parts for a reason?

Persistent troll is persistent. I like that.

[asgeirtj]

OK so update, I bought 1.5mm rubber but they turned out to be too thick for the cherry mx switches, that is they reduced the travel distance too much for me, not everyone will agree with me though.  I'm using 1,585mm diameter puncher so the ball is 1,5mm x 1,585mm

So then I read this from Oobly in the Zealio GB thread

First off, there's another difference between these and "genuine" MX. The slider rod and tube are slightly different and they leave a smaller gap at bottom out (eyeballing it, it looks closer to 0.5mm compared to the 0.8mm of "genuine" MX). Which means trampoline modding these requires different thicknesses of material. The balls from IMSTO result in too much loss of travel and increased "mush". I'll be posting more about this in the trampoline mod thread, but so far it looks like slices of orings do the best job.

So I decided to check the 1mm again and with the zealios this time not original cherry mx, and the first impression is that they might just be about perfect!  the correct distance shortening and it does dampen the sound.  One thing that irks me though: the dimensions are 1mm x 1,585mm, one would think that the higher dimension would be the controlling dimension, that is the material thickness which makes the difference, but it hasn't really been like that in my testing.  For example with cherry mx the 1,5mm x 1,585mm was too much of a travel distance shortening and 1mm x 1,585mm did not damp the sound and had no (noticeable) travel distance shortening even though it had the same "controlling dimension"

Another thing, one would however think that 1mm x 1,585mm would be troublesome since it isn't the same however the goes into the switch hole, that is if it's vertical or horizontal.  it's quite hard to get the same alignment every time, and it could be that the material would move around with each keypress and change it's alignment (though I'd also believe that it would be quite stable since 1,585mm is quite close to 2mm (I'm not even sure if the hole has 2mm inner or outer diameter to come to think of it though) and rubber is quite "sticky" if that makes sense.

I will need to experiment with the 1mm x 1,585mm in about 10 switches to see if they are consistent.

[swill]

Can you post which switches you are testing with as well?

[ideus]

Have you ever consider that micro switches based on cross-point contact mechanisms with springs are designed with no rubber parts for a reason?

Persistent troll is persistent. I like that.

Since when stating a fact is trolling, or maybe you are the trolling judge.

I will try the balls mod as soon as I get IMSTO's order; but, that does not change the fact that no discrete mechanical switch has been designed with rubber components.

[swill]

Have you ever consider that micro switches based on cross-point contact mechanisms with springs are designed with no rubber parts for a reason?

Persistent troll is persistent. I like that.

Since when stating a fact is trolling, or maybe you are the trolling judge.

I will try the balls mod as soon as I get IMSTO's order; but, that does not change the fact that no discrete mechanical switch has been designed with rubber components.

I didn't think you were trolling.

[ideus]

Have you ever consider that micro switches based on cross-point contact mechanisms with springs are designed with no rubber parts for a reason?

Persistent troll is persistent. I like that.

Since when stating a fact is trolling, or maybe you are the trolling judge.

I will try the balls mod as soon as I get IMSTO's order; but, that does not change the fact that no discrete mechanical switch has been designed with rubber components.

I didn't think you were trolling.

At least, that was not my intention. I just thought out loud about an actual question I have for my self.

[asgeirtj]

Can you post which switches you are testing with as well?

Mx clears and zealios purple

[unoab]

that does not change the fact that no discrete mechanical switch has been designed with rubber components.

What about SKCM damped alps, does that count?

[ideus]

that does not change the fact that no discrete mechanical switch has been designed with rubber components.

What about SKCM damped alps, does that count?

Good point. They have two rubber inserts each.

[heroinbob]

I just found out about there being a name for what I've been calling internal dampening (trampoline mod). 

I use Ninjaflex (flexible 3d printer filament) for my internal dampening.  Very cheap if you know someone with a spool - not worth buying a spool just for this mod.

Its critical that you cut the pieces with a razorblade at identical lengths for uniformity across switches.

I superglue the "piece of flex filament" to the bottom of the stem for consistency.

I found a project on thingiverse for a miniature razor chop plate (think a miniature old-school paper cutter, but uses an industrial razor blade instead).

The silicone balls looks a lot easier though.

Paul (HB)

[ideus]

I just found out about there being a name for what I've been calling internal dampening (trampoline mod). 

I use Ninjaflex (flexible 3d printer filament) for my internal dampening.  Very cheap if you know someone with a spool - not worth buying a spool just for this mod.

Its critical that you cut the pieces with a razorblade at identical lengths for uniformity across switches.

I superglue the "piece of flex filament" to the bottom of the stem for consistency.

I found a project on thingiverse for a miniature razor chop plate (think a miniature old-school paper cutter, but uses an industrial razor blade instead).

The silicone balls looks a lot easier though.

Paul (HB)

It sounds interesting for someone that has the time available to spend on this project; for practical reasons, I will try to silicon balls, I was able to ask IMSTO to include them in a previous un-shipped order I made.

[Oobly]

that does not change the fact that no discrete mechanical switch has been designed with rubber components.

What about SKCM damped alps, does that count?

Good point. They have two rubber inserts each.

Also the new MX "Silent" switches. Same principal as the Alps damped. If they brought out "Silent" Clears in RGB cases and 62g springs I may be tempted to try those... The new "white" linear is finally using a different spring to both Reds and Blacks, right in the "goldilocks" zone for MX switches (from the charts shown it looks like 62 to 65g), so there is actually some hope of this eventually happening. With new molds for both case and slider they have a chance of being a lot smoother than current batches of MX, too.

1mm is too thin on stock MX tactile and linears to have much effect, since there'll only be around 0.2mm of movement after contact. This will probably not be enough to resist much force and so you'll still bottom-out the switch (slider flat parts will hit the bottom case).

I haven't measured it yet, but the gap on Zealios is around 0.3mm smaller, so 1mm may work fine with them. I've been playing around with oring pieces slightly thicker than that, maybe 1.2mm and I like the feel. I use about 1.5mm on Clears.

I tried IMSTO balls cut in half, but they're a bit too thin. They make contact, but don't provide enough resistance as they deform.

@Paul, nice to see someone else come up with the same idea I don't bother gluing my pieces as they have no way to escape the hole and stay oriented just fine. It's hard to cut orings to exact length as they're curved, so it's nice to know of other materials that can be used. Hole punched rubber sheets, balls from IMSTO, cut orings and now... flexible 3D printer filament Looks like nice stuff for creating custom protective casings for gadgets.

[ideus]

I am waiting for the "balls" - IMSTO's balls - to get them mailed and I will try them, I think the different stems and spring modules may have a synergistic effect with the balls to make them work better; therefore, I am planning to try different combinations.

[asgeirtj]

So I realized that using my 1mmx1,585mm rubber pads won't work since they move inside the switch and change from horizontal and vertical so the feeling changes all the time.  I know that it's perfect horizontal so 1mm width is what I'm looking for.  So I just need to buy a 1mm hole puncher.

Or. I can buy some 1mm diameter balls.  From a short google I found this http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Factory-direct-sale-white-or-black_60196027577.html?spm=a2700.7724838.30.1.j2k2Dc
these are rubber not silicone, I wonder if it will make much of a difference?

[Oobly]

So I realized that using my 1mmx1,585mm rubber pads won't work since they move inside the switch and change from horizontal and vertical so the feeling changes all the time.  I know that it's perfect horizontal so 1mm width is what I'm looking for.  So I just need to buy a 1mm hole puncher.

Or. I can buy some 1mm diameter balls.  From a short google I found this http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Factory-direct-sale-white-or-black_60196027577.html?spm=a2700.7724838.30.1.j2k2Dc
these are rubber not silicone, I wonder if it will make much of a difference?

If you clean the surfaces well, you could try doing as Paul does and superglue them to the bottom of the pin. May not hold well, though, as they deform when pressed, so they may detach from the glue, but probably worth a try before ordering a bunch of balls. They mention the hardness measurement type (Shore A), but not the actual hardness, so I'm not sure how they'll compare.

[asgeirtj]

Update: I bought a 1mm hole puncher, seems to work perfect as a first impression.

Of course, the thing isn't perfectly round or anything but it should be approximately well shaped to do it's work consistently I think.  Of course, it jumps around a lot inside the switch and switches orientation, but that shouldn't be a problem I think.  I don't see any reason why I shouldn't try it on a whole board, please tell me if you think otherwise  

[switchnollie]

Very interesting, think I'll give it a try later today!

[asgeirtj]

Just finished a board with latex & trampoline mod as I mentioned I was going to do.  The trampoline mod seems consistent, I don't notice any incosistencies, and the travel distance reduction seems roughly as much as 1mm o-ring would do with cherry profile caps (maybe a tad more travel reduction but I don't think I mind it).  The board is silent as hell also,  I'm still deciding if I prefer it or not.  Should be very cool for a work environment though, which I'm going to use it for.

[ideus]

Just finished a board with latex & trampoline mod as I mentioned I was going to do.  The trampoline mod seems consistent, I don't notice any incosistencies, and the travel distance reduction seems roughly as much as 1mm o-ring would do with cherry profile caps (maybe a tad more travel reduction but I don't think I mind it).  The board is silent as hell also,  I'm still deciding if I prefer it or not.  Should be very cool for a work environment though, which I'm going to use it for.

Post a video, or it never happens...

[asgeirtj]

Here is a potato video showcasing the latex mod on the ultra silent board with the trampoline mod (actuation happens on the inside so it's quieter than o-rings) and lubed zealios

feature=youtu.be

My verdict on the mod:

I don't like it.  Sorry. 

1.  I think it makes the board too silent.  I dislike the stock clack on mx but I like some auditory feedback like with the upstroke sound, well it's not necessarily about the feedback but about the feeling of satisfaction that you are getting some work done which comes from the keyboard sounds. 
2.  It feels like it gums up the switch, it makes it somehow mushier.  The upstroke is now soft instead of hard and it gives you a mushy feel.
3.  The audio kind of reminds me of topre/rubber domes right now, which I dislike
4.  The mod is really hard to make consistent and I feel it might have a slight effect on travel distance in some cases

and for the trampoline mod: it also makes the switch mushier compared to o-rings I feel.  It also has a little bit more travel reduction than 1mm o-rings with cherry profile caps.  Which I dislike. 

I will be removing the latex and trampoline mods and will keep using my 1mm o-rings.

[slushi]

Here is a potato video showcasing the latex mod on the ultra silent board with the trampoline mod (actuation happens on the inside so it's quieter than o-rings) and lubed zealios

feature=youtu.be

My verdict on the mod:

I don't like it.  Sorry. 

1.  I think it makes the board too silent.  I dislike the stock clack on mx but I like some auditory feedback like with the upstroke sound, well it's not necessarily about the feedback but about the feeling of satisfaction that you are getting some work done which comes from the keyboard sounds. 
2.  It feels like it gums up the switch, it makes it somehow mushier.  The upstroke is now soft instead of hard and it gives you a mushy feel.
3.  The audio kind of reminds me of topre/rubber domes right now, which I dislike
4.  The mod is really hard to make consistent and I feel it might have a slight effect on travel distance in some cases

and for the trampoline mod: it also makes the switch mushier compared to o-rings I feel.  It also has a little bit more travel reduction than 1mm o-rings with cherry profile caps.  Which I dislike. 

I will be removing the latex and trampoline mods and will keep using my 1mm o-rings.

Thanks for the video. Just to clarify, you have both the silicon balls as well as the o rings around the top of the switch?

[asgeirtj]

I don't use imsto's silicone balls if you are referring to them (they are too big for me) I use my own 1mm x 1mm rubber neoprene.  I also use the latex mod discussed earlier in this thread (which you could call o-rings for the top of the switch, they silence the upstroke)

[swill]

Here is a potato video showcasing the latex mod on the ultra silent board with the trampoline mod (actuation happens on the inside so it's quieter than o-rings) and lubed zealios

feature=youtu.be

My verdict on the mod:

I don't like it.  Sorry. 

1.  I think it makes the board too silent.  I dislike the stock clack on mx but I like some auditory feedback like with the upstroke sound, well it's not necessarily about the feedback but about the feeling of satisfaction that you are getting some work done which comes from the keyboard sounds. 
2.  It feels like it gums up the switch, it makes it somehow mushier.  The upstroke is now soft instead of hard and it gives you a mushy feel.
3.  The audio kind of reminds me of topre/rubber domes right now, which I dislike
4.  The mod is really hard to make consistent and I feel it might have a slight effect on travel distance in some cases

and for the trampoline mod: it also makes the switch mushier compared to o-rings I feel.  It also has a little bit more travel reduction than 1mm o-rings with cherry profile caps.  Which I dislike. 

I will be removing the latex and trampoline mods and will keep using my 1mm o-rings.

You did both the trampoline mod (ball in the stem) and the latex mod (to silence the upstroke), right?

[asgeirtj]

Here is a potato video showcasing the latex mod on the ultra silent board with the trampoline mod (actuation happens on the inside so it's quieter than o-rings) and lubed zealios

feature=youtu.be

My verdict on the mod:

I don't like it.  Sorry. 

1.  I think it makes the board too silent.  I dislike the stock clack on mx but I like some auditory feedback like with the upstroke sound, well it's not necessarily about the feedback but about the feeling of satisfaction that you are getting some work done which comes from the keyboard sounds. 
2.  It feels like it gums up the switch, it makes it somehow mushier.  The upstroke is now soft instead of hard and it gives you a mushy feel.
3.  The audio kind of reminds me of topre/rubber domes right now, which I dislike
4.  The mod is really hard to make consistent and I feel it might have a slight effect on travel distance in some cases

and for the trampoline mod: it also makes the switch mushier compared to o-rings I feel.  It also has a little bit more travel reduction than 1mm o-rings with cherry profile caps.  Which I dislike. 

I will be removing the latex and trampoline mods and will keep using my 1mm o-rings.

You did both the trampoline mod (ball in the stem) and the latex mod (to silence the upstroke), right?

yes

[Oobly]

The latex mod should have truly minimal effect to the feel and travel since it's literally a paper thin layer of material. In any case, you can't "feel" the upstroke, only hear it. It's also really consistent on my own switches, since it's such a thin layer. What material did you use and how did you apply it?

Neoprene is "mushier" than solid rubber, so that will contribute to the mushy feel. Both the material and the shape affect the feeling. If you want a harder bottom out, either use something that fills the hole more completely or use a harder material. If the piece fills the hole when compressing it will stop the slider moving further, since most rubbers are flexible, but not really compressible. This is also why the balls feel different to the oring pieces, even though they're very similar hardness.

Kudos for trying the mods and finding your preference, but I feel that you could make them work better for your preferences with some changes.

I agree, the audio is similar to silenced Topre and I find the bottom-out feel with oring pieces has similarities, too. But I still much prefer the tactility of Clears / Purple Zealios to Topre, so I like the mod on Zealios. After trying a few different versions the sliced red silicone orings still feel the best to me. I already gave a preview of the sound with my video earlier in the thread.

[asgeirtj]

The latex mod should have truly minimal effect to the feel and travel since it's literally a paper thin layer of material. In any case, you can't "feel" the upstroke, only hear it. It's also really consistent on my own switches, since it's such a thin layer. What material did you use and how did you apply it?

Neoprene is "mushier" than solid rubber, so that will contribute to the mushy feel. Both the material and the shape affect the feeling. If you want a harder bottom out, either use something that fills the hole more completely or use a harder material. If the piece fills the hole when compressing it will stop the slider moving further, since most rubbers are flexible, but not really compressible. This is also why the balls feel different to the oring pieces, even though they're very similar hardness.

Kudos for trying the mods and finding your preference, but I feel that you could make them work better for your preferences with some changes.

I agree, the audio is similar to silenced Topre and I find the bottom-out feel with oring pieces has similarities, too. But I still much prefer the tactility of Clears / Purple Zealios to Topre, so I like the mod on Zealios. After trying a few different versions the sliced red silicone orings still feel the best to me. I already gave a preview of the sound with my video earlier in the thread.

I used liquid latex and used a brush to apply it.