geekhack Community > Keyboards
Spray Lubing switches - A guide
envyy24:
Since when recommending good practice gate keeping? In fact it is not only good but the best practice so far, any one offering you spray lubing service???
ddrfraser1:
--- Quote from: jamster on Tue, 25 August 2020, 04:02:47 ---The inability to identify nuance in this thread is mindblowing. All because people didn't welcome another Youtube video about a quick and dirty keyboard 'life hack' with open arms.
--- End quote ---
Well more it came about because people saw the video and started asking if this was a good idea. I’ve got some switches and boards that are damn near impossible to get apart so I wondered if this could be a good solution. The steel series apex pro is one I can’t figure out how to open. Monterey switches are others that are difficult but not impossible. I would never consider spray lubing ordinary switches and I certainly won’t try it on the difficult to open switches either.
However, after reading the hilarious reactions to this thread, all I want to do is get out my discarded cherry switches and spray lube ‘em just so I can confirm ‘oh yeah, it totally ruins them’
A point on the youtuber. Pretty sure he says in the video that these are just crappy switches on a crappy board and he is just experimenting ie, he doesn’t recommend it. I think that’s great. We need more experimentation. We learn as much or more from what doesn’t work.
Another point, he also introduced me to a method of applying dielectric grease to stabs with a dental pick/brush thing. Again, this is an intentional short cut on a cheap board and he’s not really promoting it as an alternative to properly lubing stabs. However, again, this was the perfect thing for me to try on my stubborn, apparently unopenable steel series apex pro. Link to results:
I’ll probably do it to another board that I built years ago before I learned about lubing stabs as I can’t be bothered to desolder the whole thing.
jamster:
--- Quote from: ddrfraser1 on Tue, 25 August 2020, 08:22:58 ---
--- Quote from: jamster on Tue, 25 August 2020, 04:02:47 ---The inability to identify nuance in this thread is mindblowing. All because people didn't welcome another Youtube video about a quick and dirty keyboard 'life hack' with open arms.
--- End quote ---
Well more it came about because people saw the video and started asking if this was a good idea. I’ve got some switches and boards that are damn near impossible to get apart so I wondered if this could be a good solution. The steel series apex pro is one I can’t figure out how to open. Monterey switches are others that are difficult but not impossible. I would never consider spray lubing ordinary switches and I certainly won’t try it on the difficult to open switches either.
However, after reading the hilarious reactions to this thread, all I want to do is get out my discarded cherry switches and spray lube ‘em just so I can confirm ‘oh yeah, it totally ruins them’
A point on the youtuber. Pretty sure he says in the video that these are just crappy switches on a crappy board and he is just experimenting ie, he doesn’t recommend it. I think that’s great. We need more experimentation. We learn as much or more from what doesn’t work.
Another point, he also introduced me to a method of applying dielectric grease to stabs with a dental pick/brush thing. Again, this is an intentional short cut on a cheap board and he’s not really promoting it as an alternative to properly lubing stabs. However, again, this was the perfect thing for me to try on my stubborn, apparently unopenable steel series apex pro. Link to results:
I’ll probably do it to another board that I built years ago before I learned about lubing stabs as I can’t be bothered to desolder the whole thing.
--- End quote ---
I don't think that anyone has reasonably said "OMG you will totally 100% roooon ur switches," it's more like "this is really not a good idea if you value your board, because you can't control it, you are likely to screw things up long term, and if you do, it's a total write off." Most boards are not suddenly 'made' through lubrication. It's a mild improvement with a finite lifespan- it's not like lube stays in place for decades, it just rubs away eventually. The risk/reward is really questionable.
If I had a board I didn't care about, I'd be willing to give it a shot too just to see what happened. I would fully expect it to feel better (well, smoother, I would not have high hopes for tactility, which is something I value a lot). But I also wouldn't insist 'gatekeeper elitest because you don't agree with me.'
I agree that experimentation is good. But so is reasoning, and an understanding of the principles involved. Basic things like knowing what a solvent actually is, and what it's going to do to existing lubrication is, are also pretty key. Latching onto external authority over an an effort to understand (in this case very, very simple) principles is never a good thing.
--- Quote from: ddrfraser1 on Tue, 25 August 2020, 08:22:58 ---Another point, he also introduced me to a method of applying dielectric grease to stabs with a dental pick/brush thing. Again, this is an intentional short cut on a cheap board and he’s not really promoting it as an alternative to properly lubing stabs. However, again, this was the perfect thing for me to try on my stubborn, apparently unopenable steel series apex pro. Link to results:
--- End quote ---
That was an 8 second video, was it what you meant to post? It only showed him pressing some keys.
I've always lubed stabs the lazy way- just take the keys off and use a syringe to jam some grease in there. Stabs are not at all delicate like switch internals so I am not worried about extremely tight tolerances or foreign materials (grease doesn't flow like lube). And if I apply too much, it's pretty easy to clean out.
ddrfraser1:
--- Quote from: jamster on Tue, 25 August 2020, 08:52:26 ---That was an 8 second video, was it what you meant to post? It only showed him pressing some keys.
--- End quote ---
That was me. Just showing the results.
As far as lubing stabs, I like to grease the sliders with teflon grease, bandaid mod the plate, and clip the feet. These things are worth additional effort.
Leslieann:
--- Quote from: ddrfraser1 on Tue, 25 August 2020, 08:22:58 ---Well more it came about because people saw the video and started asking if this was a good idea.
--- End quote ---
We had one person try shoving lube down the sides, someone linked a video, two people asked if it was safe and then I got private messages asking about it as well.
That may not seem like a lot but it all happened in only about 2 weeks.
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