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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: lakeboredom on Mon, 03 May 2021, 03:43:57

Title: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: lakeboredom on Mon, 03 May 2021, 03:43:57
Finally getting around to a build that has a plate supporting switch top opening. It's a brass plate in a top-mount case. What switches do you think would be the most useful in this situation?  I typically bend the top housing legs in slightly to regain their tightness when reassembling switches. Do you think Nylon or PC material housings can bend more without wearing?
Title: Re: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: Leslieann on Mon, 03 May 2021, 04:09:04
Nylon is far more flexible and able to bend, it's why we have nylon ropes and polycarbonate windows.
Both also have self lubricating properties, nylon moreso, nylon is also softer, offering a lower pitch sound but more prone to wear.

Keep in mind despite the plate, all switches will work on it however Kailh and Outemus open different and will not open.
Title: Re: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: lakeboredom on Mon, 03 May 2021, 23:14:33
Nylon is far more flexible and able to bend, it's why we have nylon ropes and polycarbonate windows.
Both also have self lubricating properties, nylon moreso, nylon is also softer, offering a lower pitch sound but more prone to wear.

Keep in mind despite the plate, all switches will work on it however Kailh and Outemus open different and will not open.

I'm leaning toward Gateron Inks for the deep sound with brass. And I'm okay with less tactility if I decide to put tactile stems in the Ink housings... I also have some POM Pandas. Maybe the lower pitched POM would be even better sounding on brass? Or maybe it's so different from brass that the sound won't be accentuated in a nice way... I know POM keycaps wear even less than pbt, but I'm not sure about their bend ability, like maybe the tops will become loose after being opened multiple times. It's tough because I've only ever used aluminum and fr4 plates up to this point.
Title: Re: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: Volny on Tue, 04 May 2021, 07:13:59
Nylon is far more flexible and able to bend, it's why we have nylon ropes and polycarbonate windows.
Both also have self lubricating properties, nylon moreso, nylon is also softer, offering a lower pitch sound but more prone to wear.

Though does that mean that nylon would be better because they can be more safely bent after losing tightness, or polycarbonate would be better, because it wouldn't lose as much tightness in the first place?
Title: Re: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: yui on Tue, 04 May 2021, 07:33:45
Nylon is far more flexible and able to bend, it's why we have nylon ropes and polycarbonate windows.
i think that there is an other reason for window not to be made of nylon, from what i remember it is not transparent, or am i wrong? being more flexible would be a positive for window, as they would be even less likely to break, and the frame should prevent it from bending?
i may be completely wrong though, i just thought about that reading the comment
Title: Re: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: Volny on Tue, 04 May 2021, 18:53:29
Wouldn't a flexible window warp and bend, and potentially fall out in strong wind?

I think fishing line is made from nylon, and it's very clear. A thin fishing line is very different from a window though, so not sure if the transparency would remain in the much bigger form factor.
Title: Re: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: Leslieann on Tue, 04 May 2021, 19:17:44
I also have some POM Pandas. Maybe the lower pitched POM would be even better sounding on brass?
POM is quite hard, it's going to be on par with Polycarbonate.

Though does that mean that nylon would be better because they can be more safely bent after losing tightness, or polycarbonate would be better, because it wouldn't lose as much tightness in the first place?
Both?
Both is good.

I think fishing line is made from nylon, and it's very clear. A thin fishing line is very different from a window though, so not sure if the transparency would remain in the much bigger form factor.
While you can make nylon transparent, I believe it's always a tad milky. I can;t recall anything being completely clear.

Title: Re: Switch top opening recommendations?
Post by: Volny on Wed, 05 May 2021, 05:13:24
I used to help my mum make cheap necklaces when I was a kid, threading beads onto fishing wire. I remember that stuff being practically invisible and super hard to find when it dropped on the floor. I always assumed it was what magicians used to make things appear to fly. Though I can imagine it might get milky as soon as you get thicker than a fraction of a millemetre