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Author Topic: Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops  (Read 1186 times)

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Offline N8N

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Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 06:54:59 »
So I'm sitting here taking apart this POS board which is going to give its life so that I may have a kickass keyboard - I'm harvesting the clear stems and springs from it.

Obviously, it really does not matter how I clean the stems, but are the springs stainless?  (can I use hot soapy water and/or denture tabs like one would use for keycaps?)  Or should I soak them in lacquer thinner or...?

What should I use, if anything, to lube the clear stems before installing them in their new home?  (yet to be determined, but it looks like either a Filco - my original plan - or a WASD board.)
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline Findecanor

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  • Location: Koriko
Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 10:23:10 »
In reality stain-less steel does not exist. A more descriptive word is stain-resistant. It all depends on what the object is subjected to.
According to some people, Cherry changed the type of steel they use for their springs some time in 94-95. Switches that are newer than that are more resistant than older ones.
Personally, I would avoid doing anything to the springs.
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Offline N8N

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Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 10:53:38 »
Good to know, and I gotcha... just wasn't looking forward to having to sort all those little tiny springs out of a bowl full of little tiny springs and little tiny plastic doomaflatcheys.

What I may do is wash them, put everything in a glass container, then put it in the oven on "keep warm" to force dry them faster.

What do you all use for lube when reassembling, if anything?  I've seen mention of teflon before, or would silicone spray lube work better?  Thinking primarily of the slider part of the stems, obviously.

I'm assuming that it's OK to vacuum the PCB while the switches are disassembled?  (the contacts, I assume, are held in place bc they are soldered) I don't know why I am doing that other than I was thinking perhaps I might get blues and then put the donor board back together with blues just so I had a board with blues.  I know, silly...  Might even run the PCB through the dishwasher as donor was pretty filthy, but I haven't even cracked the case yet so I am assuming that what i'll see is those stupid paper ribbon cables that a) don't come apart and b) don't look like they'd hold up to hot soapy water very well.
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline N8N

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Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 11:17:33 »
Hah.  If I have to use mystical Asian spooge to keep my keyboard working nicely, I've selected my parts wrong.  Was hoping for something already found in my toolbox.  Am thinking of using the spray silicone unless someone suggests something that they've already used that works well.  My theory, which may or may not work in practice, is to simply build a board, put it together once, and use it for years with minimal maintenance other than an occasional vacuuming or crumb-shaking.  Thus freeing me up to obsess about other things.
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline RiGS

  • Posts: 1594
Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 17:03:47 »
Quote from: N8N;390398
Hah.  If I have to use mystical Asian spooge to keep my keyboard working nicely, I've selected my parts wrong.  Was hoping for something already found in my toolbox.  Am thinking of using the spray silicone unless someone suggests something that they've already used that works well.  My theory, which may or may not work in practice, is to simply build a board, put it together once, and use it for years with minimal maintenance other than an occasional vacuuming or crumb-shaking.  Thus freeing me up to obsess about other things.

http://www.kgcoatings.com/lubricants/kg-8-micro-p.t.f.e.-dry-lube/
This should work well for you as well.
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Last edited by RiGS; Jan 2011

Offline Findecanor

  • Posts: 5036
  • Location: Koriko
Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #5 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 18:02:36 »
I would also like to get a small bottle on the "Asian Spooge".
It is supposedly called RO-59, a type of PTFE (on of the several brand names for PTFE is "teflon") but which cures and bonds with the surface that it is painted onto. It seems to be available only in larger quantities, however so someone would have to organize a bulk order and rebottle the stuff for us to be able to get it.

There are other types of PTFE lubricants that are easier to get. You will have to be careful about the ingredients list, though. Solvents are bad for plastic, and I have also read that silicone could dry up and become abrasive, thus negating the purpose of using it.
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Offline RiGS

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Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #6 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 18:07:09 »
The stuff I linked is used by Koreans for lubing Cherry switches.
It is also spooge like, but widely available in the US.
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Last edited by RiGS; Jan 2011

Offline N8N

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Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #7 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 18:38:24 »
has anyone used tri-flo?  I think that is PTFE based, and I've already got some.  (comes in handy for locks and small mechanisms)
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline alaricljs

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Cheaning springs, stems, and switch tops
« Reply #8 on: Sun, 31 July 2011, 19:01:56 »
The amusing thing about that 'Asian Spooge' is that it is from a company in Massachusetts. Where it's actually made is a whole other question.
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Filco w/ Imsto thick PBT
Ducky 1087XM PCB+Plate, w/ Matias "Quiet Click" spring-swapped w/ XM Greens
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