Are keyboards rated for swapping keycaps?

[rowdy]

While I was swapping Miami and EK green keycap sets between my QFR and KeyCool at work today, someone asked how many keycap swaps they were rated for.

I paused for a moment in my toils and gave the question due consideration, before summoning my verbals skills and saying something informative and witty like "Er, I dunno".

MX switches are rated for 50 million presses.

Is there any rating or experience index of how many times the keycaps can be swapped?

I would think indefinitely, as long as due caution is exercised when removing the keycaps.

I tend to wiggle the keycap around in a very, very small circle as I am lifting it off - would that eventually loosen the stem?  Or cause other damage to the switch?  The wiggle is very, very slight - about as much as the keycap moves if you lightly rest your finger on it and move it from side to side without pressing it down.  Mainly because I don't like the idea of pulling the keycap straight up.

[SpAmRaY]

I think as long as your careful it is ok.

I think there is a fine line because some OEM's act like key swapping is bad and when you start talking about having problems they start asking if you've been swapping key caps, but why do they include key pullers etc.

It's a good question, I've also found recently all switches are not equal and neither are key caps in their ease of removal. I know there a are a few threads on it but some key caps are ridiculously easy and some extremely hard to remove, of course this also depends on the switch.

I do think if your not careful and take your time you can easily damage switches and even key caps when removing them.

[IvanIvanovich]

Some combinations are more prone to causing damage than others. Of course user error as well, which is what manufacturer is hoping to shift blame to the end user when asking such a question to avoid RMA. Lets pretend both the stem on the switch and the keycap is both perfectly manufactured... I will say at least hundreds of keycap on/off cycles on the switch. Perhaps less on the keycap side as it seems the female stem is more prone to wear and loosening. I've cracked or broken many more stems on the keycaps than on switch, but in every case it was very vintage boards/caps in the more than 20 years old range. I think they just become brittle, but poor storage is also a likely factor.

[C5Allroad]

Well is there a limit to how many times you can remove them and put them back on? Would the stem or keycap require almost no force to remove eventually?

[SpAmRaY]

Well is there a limit to how many times you can remove them and put them back on? Would the stem or keycap require almost no force to remove eventually?

It really comes down to the key cap manufacturer, material, profile, age and also the same with the switch. I've got some vintage blacks that you can pull caps off of with very light force with your fingers. But then I've got some clears that pull the switch tops when using GMK caps. Then I've got other clears that don't have that issue, it is very variable.

I highly doubt in normal use and again taking care not to carefully remove key caps, that you will have any problems.

[rowdy]

The comments about manufacturers avoid RMA is a good point.

I sorta figured there would be too many variables for anyone to put even an approximate figure on it.

But the question intrigued me, so I thought I'd ask

Thanks guys!

[IvanIvanovich]

I noticed this with vintage blacks too, it's very easy to remove keycap. It's a slipperier plastic, I am so sure of it. It's why they feel so much smoohter, slick plastic glide better inside the housing.

[hazeluff]

The comments about manufacturers avoid RMA is a good point.

I sorta figured there would be too many variables for anyone to put even an approximate figure on it.

But the question intrigued me, so I thought I'd ask

Thanks guys!

Mechanically, If you are pulling them straight upwards, i'd rate it more times than the keys get pressed.

But given how people actually pull them out, I'd say its in the hundred/thousands range. You're probably most likely going to damage the switch from forcing the stems sideways/angled.

I can't see any reasonable damage that could be done/wear on parts caused from pulling off keycaps. Key presses cause wear to spring/contacts. Pulling up can only wear the plastic if anything, and that stuffs more durable.

[rowdy]

Or unless pulling straight upwards over and over again weakens the clips holding the switch top on?

There was a thread recently about malformed DSA key caps causing the switch top to come off with alarming ease.

[elton5354]

Would lubing the stem be helpful then?

[rowdy]

Would lubing the stem be helpful then?

This is not something I was worried about, just a factor to take into account when removing keycaps in general.

I wonder if lubing would help with keycap sets that are tight?  And whether it might work in reverse for looser keycap sets.

[Linkbane]

As elton said, if one is afraid of a problem arising (which I could see on, say, PCB-mounted with very tight fits), perhaps putting a drop of lube in the keycap or using a q-tip on the stem would eliminate these problems, and shouldn't affect typing given that keycaps don't ever really move (in relation to the stem).

[Pacifist]

What about those rare instances where the stem gets broken off?

[rowdy]

What about those rare instances where the stem gets broken off?

Unless there is an inherent weakness in the stem, this is unlikely to occur unless the keycap is removed at a significant angle.

[SpAmRaY]

What about those rare instances where the stem gets broken off?

Unless there is an inherent weakness in the stem, this is unlikely to occur unless the keycap is removed at a significant angle.

I agree. I think you'd have to get pretty rough with a switch to snap the stem.

Possibly could happen easier with the DSA caps that had the tight fit problem.

[rowdy]

What about those rare instances where the stem gets broken off?

Unless there is an inherent weakness in the stem, this is unlikely to occur unless the keycap is removed at a significant angle.

I agree. I think you'd have to get pretty rough with a switch to snap the stem.

Possibly could happen easier with the DSA caps that had the tight fit problem.

There were some yellow (sigh) MX clone switches that were pretty fragile.  Apart from those I haven't heard of a genuine MX switch stem snapping.

[oaklandishh]

I own a snapped stem switch. Not sure how it happened. I got it that way from the previous owner, but it does happen to cherry switches.

[rowdy]

I own a snapped stem switch. Not sure how it happened. I got it that way from the previous owner, but it does happen to cherry switches.

No doubt it can happen (your board is evidence of that), but it seems to be the exception, fortunately.

[swill]

I am glad I read this thread.  I have a set of keycaps coming which I have read are very tight.  If they are, I will probably try using a little lube and see if that helps. 

[rowdy]

Here's some reasoning, from SP site: http://keycapsdirect.com/faq.php#22

"22. Why are DSA mounts so tight?
the DSA family was mainly created for industrial applications where customers required the keyboard to sustain a drop test of 4-6 feet, so the tighter the mount fit the better. These customers, unlike keyboard enthusiast, were not pulling keys on and off the keyboard."

Seems legit, but yikes!  Dropping a keyboard from 4-6 feet

[C5Allroad]

I wouldn't want to drop my keyboard from 2 inches.... I cringe.

[SpAmRaY]

Here's some reasoning, from SP site: http://keycapsdirect.com/faq.php#22

"22. Why are DSA mounts so tight?
the DSA family was mainly created for industrial applications where customers required the keyboard to sustain a drop test of 4-6 feet, so the tighter the mount fit the better. These customers, unlike keyboard enthusiast, were not pulling keys on and off the keyboard."

Seems legit, but yikes!  Dropping a keyboard from 4-6 feet

Good find rowdy. That needs to be put in the simple questions simple answers OP FAQ