O-Rings + Lead Washers Under the Keys

[maltman]

I have tendinitis in my right arm. I got it from playing piano and coding. I bought a Kinesis Advantage but I want an even gentler ergonomic experience.

That is why I want to add some thick rubber o-rings beneath the keys. O-rings that are like 1mm thick that will take some of the strain off of holding down WASD keys during long gaming sessions (I remapped WASD to SDFC on the Kinesis Advantage because of the homerow-centered design).

I also want to put, behind the o-rings, small lead washers which will reduce the actuation force of the cherry browns even further. I'd like to shave off 5 grams or so through this method and hopefully the o-rings are tight enough to hold the lead up so I won't need glue

So here I sit, browsing Amazon and looking for good o-rings to purchase.

Can you, keepers of the keys, huscarls of hardware, spartans of the spacebar, sling some sage wisdom my way regarding o-rings?

[tp4tissue]

Hahahahahaha...


Do you get that pain in the back of your hand across the top and into the wrist ?




Typically, piano injuries are wrist related,  and no rubber dampening will help you.



You need a Tentable keyboard, like the ergodox..



Alot of beginner piano guys rotate their wrist very deeply to meet flush with the piano keyboard.


This is actually the same problem with the regular computer keyboards.


The handshake position is actually the most neutral angle for the wrist.  which is why tentable keyboards exist,  they bring your hand closer to vertical..



An ergodox thoroughly cures this problem at high tenting angles..

[hoggy]

I'm not sure O-rings are the answer - at least not completely.  You might want to take a look at Tim Tyler's work with modifying switches - http://mykeyboard.co.uk/surgery/

[maltman]

I'm not sure O-rings are the answer - at least not completely.  You might want to take a look at Tim Tyler's work with modifying switches - http://mykeyboard.co.uk/surgery/

Nice, this website seems to be right up my alley. I'll see how simple it is to modify a switch. I might try lead an O rings anyway because it's such a simple brute force solution.

edit: after reading the website I see that he said that the kinesis switches are frame mounted and so I'll have to solder to remove them... I think I'll stick with what's at my pay grade. Still thanks for introducing me to this glorious Merlin of the keyboard. It's cool too see that such a bad ass dude also uses the kinesis advantage. I think that this board is going to lead me down the rabbit hole. I may already be too far down.

[hoggy]

Tim comes across as a nice guy, I'm sure he'll help out if you have questions.  Also, kinesis might sell you empty PCBs if you ask Natas206.

[maltman]

Turns out that adding lead under the keys is pretty silly. I did the math and I would only be able to fit a few grams of lead which wouldn't make much of a difference for the effort. I have installed two .4mm O rings and I think it helps especially for gaming.

I may have to shoot Tim an email sometimes, though I am not worthy.

Right now I am thinking about selling the Kinesis on Ebay and grabbing a split keyboard. These keys are a little scratchy (it's a used keyboard) and the angles and the height make my left wrist hurt a little I think. A nice flat keyboard with fresh easily removable switches and variable tent seems wonderful to me. After that I might do some tim surgery to lower actuation force as much as possible.
My ultimate goal is just to have a comfortable keyboard experience and to exasperate my tendons as little as possible while coding and typing. I care not for aesthetics or the "feel".

and tp4tissue, what do you know about tenting a piano? 

[hoggy]

If it is the angles causing left wrist problems, you could look at splitting the kinesis.

[tp4tissue]

and tp4tissue, what do you know about tenting a piano? 

I'm actually shopping for keyboards right now to tent them and play them..

but the problem is all weighted hammers work on the gravity principle.. so they go a bit weird if you tent the piano..

[maltman]

Could cut piano in half and put it on ramps, but In a lot of music both hands are at same end of the piano. I think the piano will never be ergonomic. Aw well, the design has worked pretty well for the past 500 years all things considered.