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White alps: dissembly and attempted silencing
alpslover:
--- Quote from: Chloe;15336 ---I'm wondering if the narrower leaf can move around in the housing.
--- End quote ---
not any more than the wider ones, because the housing is designed to hold them more or less in place:
http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/macally/sw_comp.jpg
wellington1869:
--- Quote from: itlnstln;15344 ---The click from the leaf does not bother me much, so if it is such a PITA to replace the leaf, I might skip that part in my Northgate mod. I am much more concerned with the top and bottom clack. Thanks for the pics (you're making my job easier ;) ).
--- End quote ---
hey itln, well it might be different in the northgate if the switch construction is different. Would be worthwhile to try it on one key and see.
Also another easier option is removing leaf altogether; if you wanted silent no-tactile version (with the dampers).
(wouldnt no-tactile version with dampers be pretty close to topre? does topre have tactile bump?) (update: to answer my own question, topre has a very slight barely-noticeable tactile bump)
wellington1869:
--- Quote from: Chloe;15342 ---
How much electrical tape did you use to dampen the click? I tried with one layer over the click bump on the leaf and didn't really notice much difference. With three layers the click is much quieter.
--- End quote ---
I just used one layer and the click nearly vanished! Though it was a long-ish piece that ran nearly the full length of the leaf (from hammer to about 3/4 of the way to the end) if that made any difference.
wellington1869:
--- Quote from: Chloe;15345 ---I like the click. It would be nice to fix the clack, I think it would sound much better without it.
--- End quote ---
chloe and itln, sounds like aek dampers would fix top/bottom clacks, but the following also sort of works. On my smk85 I put a rubber washer on the underside of the alps keys (on spacebar and backspace which had bottoming clacks that were too loud) and the bottoming clack is pretty much gone now (and you get a soft landing too). No noticeable difference in key height or function.
Top clack remains but it is relatively mild compared to bottom clack. The resulting sound pretty much sounds like topre on those two keys.
Worked really well, so as an alternate to the dampers that might work too.
I also ordered a bunch of tiny rubber bands used on braces (got 100 of them for $3 w/ free shipping on ebay :) ) and will try those in place of rubber washers as well.
Rubber washers were .17 cents each. For 110 plungers on a normal board, thats actually over $17! The tiny rubber bands, if they work, would accomplish the same for about $3. :)
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