Author Topic: Current consensus on switch films?  (Read 3719 times)

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Offline jcoffin1981

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Current consensus on switch films?
« on: Sun, 14 November 2021, 23:42:40 »
I am working on a new build using MX Browns.  I have a package of Durock switch films, but I'm not sure it is worth my time.  Granted, the switch is open anyway as I lube them.  I've tried a few and don't see any improvement in the wobble- the housing doesn't wobble at all to begin with.  While depressing the switch the slider makes contact with the bottom housing only, except when it returns to the starting position.  Any perceivable wobble is going to be the movement of the stem in the bottom housing.  The more I think about this the more I think I wasted 8 bucks for these and I don't think I need to waste time from my life inserting these.  Is there anyone who has noticed a real world benefit from using these?  Also, mine are only 0.15 and I would think 0.3mm thickness would be infinitely better if there was a benefit at all.
KPB V60 Gateron Browns and Leopold Keycaps.  Poker 3 with Gateron Browns and Poker keycaps.  Poker 3 with Cherry MX Browns, ABS keycaps and white LED's.

Leopold FC660M- my new favorite, right out of the box.

Offline MIGHTY CHICKEN

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 14 November 2021, 23:45:49 »
Some switches like it, doesn't change sound much, cherry housings are pretty tight already, its mostly JWK switches that "need" them, but tbh I wouldn't bother with them unless I happen to be buying something and there just happens to be some cheap nice films I could throw in the cart.

Offline Volny

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 15 November 2021, 04:19:34 »
As with almost everything related to switches, the answers you seek can't really be found on a forum, but through a blind test you perform yourself. Just stick 3 filmed and 3 unfilmed switches on a switch tester. Jumble them up, put keycaps on them, and test them out. Test for different types of wobble (north/south, east/west , while key is depressed, while key is up etc).... Or don't, and only test for the metrics you care about. For example I can't stand wobble when lightly resting fingers on keys, but am much more forgiving of wobble when the key is depressed - the two are entirely different, and many switches excel at one but fail at the other. Score each switch out of 10 on each metric, and average the results.

Whether filming helps or is pointless, either way the scores will give you your answer. And it'll be the only meaningful answer, because it will directly relate to your switches, what you personally can and can't feel, and what you personally do and don't care about. Anything anyone else can tell you will be subjective, or based on assumption or hearsay, or based on different switches, lubed differently, that have been opened more often or less often than yours, or filmed with different films, or will be the opinion of someone who is paying attention to different attributes to you.

For me, I've found that filming isn't worth the time in most cases, but I do it for certain switches or keycaps (eg. Artisans) where stem wobble is more pronounced, and I've found it to help a little. I've found that it can improve sound too, but I don't care much about sound.

Offline bkrownd

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 15 November 2021, 05:19:16 »
The more I think about this the more I think I wasted 8 bucks for these and I don't think I need to waste time from my life inserting these.

Well for your $8 you did still get the experience of experimenting with them.  ;D  I had kind of a similar experience in that I bought a couple packs of thin switch films and ended up finding out that my switches were already so tight they wouldn't close when I added a film in there. 

Offline QWER|key

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 15 November 2021, 12:27:31 »
If I can move the top housing easily, I film them. If I can't, I don't.  It really is that simple.

Offline Learis

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 15 November 2021, 15:52:02 »
From a vid I watched, it doesn't have much effect on normal good fitting switch housings. But there's oddballs in a batch that can have looser housing. In those cases, films can improve the sound (less scratch/rattlyness). So it's more like insurance in case your batch of switches comes with loose fitting housing (which there's most likely gonna be some). It provides a tighter fit to normalize the sound of all switches to be of good quality.

Here's an in depth video demonstrating all of that:


I've always filmed my switches just to be safe. Couldn't hurt, but if you genuinely don't notice a sound difference then there's not much reason to.
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Offline jcoffin1981

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 15 November 2021, 20:00:51 »
So, I do think that opening the switches will distort the plastic just a bit.  I found a few switches with a little play in the housing.  I can move the top housing just a little.  However, depressing the stem seems to not initiate any wobble.  I will try a blind experiment as was suggested.  Side by side I could not tell any difference and I suspect that blind I will not be able feel a difference either. 
KPB V60 Gateron Browns and Leopold Keycaps.  Poker 3 with Gateron Browns and Poker keycaps.  Poker 3 with Cherry MX Browns, ABS keycaps and white LED's.

Leopold FC660M- my new favorite, right out of the box.

Offline pixelpusher

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 15 November 2021, 22:46:50 »
So, I do think that opening the switches will distort the plastic just a bit.  I found a few switches with a little play in the housing.  I can move the top housing just a little.  However, depressing the stem seems to not initiate any wobble.  I will try a blind experiment as was suggested.  Side by side I could not tell any difference and I suspect that blind I will not be able feel a difference either.

Make sure when you test you put them in a board and mount keycaps.  Then press them quickly like when you type.  Most likely you'll notice one of them has a louder clack on return.  That's what happens with loose tops.  There is absolutely, without a doubt, a huge improvement in sound for some switches. 
« Last Edit: Mon, 15 November 2021, 22:52:01 by pixelpusher »

Offline jcoffin1981

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 16 November 2021, 16:12:42 »
So, I do think that opening the switches will distort the plastic just a bit.  I found a few switches with a little play in the housing.  I can move the top housing just a little.  However, depressing the stem seems to not initiate any wobble.  I will try a blind experiment as was suggested.  Side by side I could not tell any difference and I suspect that blind I will not be able feel a difference either.

Make sure when you test you put them in a board and mount keycaps.  Then press them quickly like when you type.  Most likely you'll notice one of them has a louder clack on return.  That's what happens with loose tops.  There is absolutely, without a doubt, a huge improvement in sound for some switches.

I will do this.  Thanks.  Will update. 
KPB V60 Gateron Browns and Leopold Keycaps.  Poker 3 with Gateron Browns and Poker keycaps.  Poker 3 with Cherry MX Browns, ABS keycaps and white LED's.

Leopold FC660M- my new favorite, right out of the box.

Offline Rob27shred

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 16 November 2021, 18:43:39 »
Personally I film almost all my switches for the more uniform sound films give most switches. Also opening a switch definitely loosens the fit between the top & bottom housing. So in my mind, if I'm opening them to lube I might as well film them to ensure my switches are as uniform as possible. There are outlier switches like the first few versions of JWK/Durock switches we seen that absolutely need filmed cause the housing fitment is so loose & NK Creams which have such tight fitment of their housings you'll struggle to close them with even thin films. IME the .3mm gasket films like Deskey films work the best as they can squish down a bit & fit a wide range of switches well. Although since you got Cherry switches which have pretty decent housing fitment the .15mm films will do their job just fine with them. Ultimately I agree with whoever said to film a few switches & put them in a tester with some unfilmed switches to see how you personally feel about them, before you go through the trouble of filming a whole batch. However I would suggest using them if my advice was asked.

Offline jcoffin1981

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 17 November 2021, 20:37:55 »
Personally I film almost all my switches for the more uniform sound films give most switches. Also opening a switch definitely loosens the fit between the top & bottom housing. So in my mind, if I'm opening them to lube I might as well film them to ensure my switches are as uniform as possible. There are outlier switches like the first few versions of JWK/Durock switches we seen that absolutely need filmed cause the housing fitment is so loose & NK Creams which have such tight fitment of their housings you'll struggle to close them with even thin films. IME the .3mm gasket films like Deskey films work the best as they can squish down a bit & fit a wide range of switches well. Although since you got Cherry switches which have pretty decent housing fitment the .15mm films will do their job just fine with them. Ultimately I agree with whoever said to film a few switches & put them in a tester with some unfilmed switches to see how you personally feel about them, before you go through the trouble of filming a whole batch. However I would suggest using them if my advice was asked.

So I cannot feel a difference between the lubed and non-lubed switches.  However, they do sound different.  The non-filmed have less of a clack on the upstroke than the filmed ones.  They also sound more uniform after filiming.  I've gotten the hang of it and can do it pretty fast now, so I will just do the whole batch.  Don't know that it really helps, but it can't hurt.
KPB V60 Gateron Browns and Leopold Keycaps.  Poker 3 with Gateron Browns and Poker keycaps.  Poker 3 with Cherry MX Browns, ABS keycaps and white LED's.

Leopold FC660M- my new favorite, right out of the box.

Offline yuppie

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #11 on: Mon, 22 November 2021, 22:32:43 »
I love them.
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Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Current consensus on switch films?
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 23 November 2021, 14:32:39 »
MIGHTY CHICKEN is right. Cherry switches don't benefit as much from films, as their housing tightness is not terrible.

Many JWK switches absolutely do need films, and benefit significantly.

I have a number of filmed Ergo Clears, and it seems that the benefit, as others said, is that it seems to make them more consistent overall. Since you are opening up the MX Clear to build the Ergo Clear, using films can bring the tolerances back to a more standardized level, although you might not notice.

Films do help with SP Star Meteor Orange, which are a lot like MX Browns. But that may be because their housings are something similar to JWK. Or the fact that I like to match Cherry tops to Meteor Orange housings, in which switch film would then help make the switch more consistent. With stock Cherry switches, the results may not be as impressive.