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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: turbocharged on Thu, 03 February 2011, 15:03:48

Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Thu, 03 February 2011, 15:03:48: Kind of in reference to this thread (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=14795) I posted about my GF looking for a slim keyboard...I have decided I am going to pick up a Cherry G84-4100 anyway. If she doesn't like it, I will keep it for myself (I'm actually hoping for this outcome).

Anyway, I am curious about two things before I buy one.
1) What is the length of the keystroke (both to activation and bottom out)?
2) What are the keycaps made of?

If the keystroke is 4mm like MX switches, there is no way that she will like it and I might not even buy it. Also, if I end up keeping it, I would like to dye the keys...so them being made of PBT would be nice. Thanks :).
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Thu, 03 February 2011, 15:11:27: Ok it looks like I just answered my first question, still need to know the key cap material though...

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/ml.htm

Quote
Mechanical

Life: >20 million operations

Total Travel: 0.118" (3mm), tolerance: -0.020" (.51mm)

Pretravel: 0.059" (1.5mm), ±0.020" (.51mm)

Operating Force: 1.587 ±0.705 oz.

Looks like 3mm total travel with the actuation point being at 1.5mm. (Acceptable for me to purchase..F'n huge tolerances though)

Also, interesting that it shows the operating force as 45g +/- 20g. Results in a strange force/displacement graph.

(http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/images/ml_force.gif)
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: Ascaii on Thu, 03 February 2011, 15:18:06: I popped a cap off my older beige/white 4100 and the keys are labeled "ABS"

Quote from: turbocharged;289429
Ok it looks like I just answered my first question, still need to know the key cap material though...

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/ml.htm

Looks like 3mm total travel with the actuation point being at 1.5mm. (Acceptable for me to purchase..F'n huge tolerances though)

Also, interesting that it shows the operating force as 45g +/- 20g. Results in a strange force/displacement graph.

Show Image
(http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/images/ml_force.gif)
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Thu, 03 February 2011, 15:26:18: Quote from: Ascaii;289433
I popped a cap off my older beige/white 4100 and the keys are labeled "ABS"

Thanks for the info. That is a bit disappointing...dyeing ABS is much riskier. Done it once successfully and once unsuccessfully...both were Dell AT101 keycaps.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 03 February 2011, 15:40:21: One thing to keep in mind, too, is that G84-4100s tend to have pad-printed keys. Some are lasered, but most of the ones that have popped up around here (including mine) are pad-printed.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Thu, 03 February 2011, 16:14:26: Quote from: itlnstln;289446
One thing to keep in mind, too, is that G84-4100s tend to have pad-printed keys. Some are lasered, but most of the ones that have popped up around here (including mine) are pad-printed.

Yeah I just noticed that while looking at the part numbers/descriptions on Cherry's website. The laser ones seem hard to come by...they are all new and in excess of $75.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: gore on Fri, 04 February 2011, 04:48:27: Try looking for a s/h one on ebay - I have 4 of them and I've never paid more than £9 for one.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Fri, 04 February 2011, 09:35:13: Quote from: gore;289665
Try looking for a s/h one on ebay - I have 4 of them and I've never paid more than £9 for one.

s/h one?
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: Parak on Fri, 04 February 2011, 09:46:09: Slightly handled :D
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: LordFu on Fri, 04 February 2011, 09:53:58: I just received one, and I like it.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Fri, 04 February 2011, 10:02:52: Quote from: Parak;289725
Slightly handled :D

ahhh gotcha...tough to find one for under $15 here it seems.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: keyb_gr on Fri, 04 February 2011, 14:13:42: Isn't "s/h" a typical abbreviation for "shipping + handling"? "Slightly handled" doesn't make much sense to me. I'd simply write "used".
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Fri, 04 February 2011, 15:31:32: Quote from: keyb_gr;289868
Isn't "s/h" a typical abbreviation for "shipping + handling"? "Slightly handled" doesn't make much sense to me. I'd simply write "used".

I was thinking the same thing but I knew there was no way he was talking about paying 9 GBP shipped. I guess I would refer to something "slightly handled" in my 'Merican wording "barely used."
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: Soarer on Fri, 04 February 2011, 15:50:07: In the UK, you'd talk about postage and packing (P&P), not shipping and handling.

s/h means secondhand.

I haven't seen any for a while, but I have bought a couple NIB for less than 20 GBP each, shipped. They had laser printed keys.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: gore on Sat, 05 February 2011, 00:17:55: Soarer is right on that one, sorry I thought that abbreviation was more well known. All the g84-4100's I have cost £9, and that's including the shipping, Its a bit of a gamble as to what condition you will get it in (one board I have is pretty beaten up but still functional, another looks like it is fresh out the box), but for that price you can't really complain! I guess the key to finding them is just constantly trawling ebay.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: imsto on Sat, 05 February 2011, 08:26:00: There‘'s PBT keycaps for 4100/Cherry ML switch.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Sat, 05 February 2011, 09:21:29: Quote from: imsto;290227
There‘'s PBT keycaps for 4100/Cherry ML switch.

OEM or aftermarket?
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: imsto on Sun, 06 February 2011, 21:06:37: Quote from: turbocharged;290246
OEM or aftermarket?

by cherry.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: turbocharged on Tue, 08 February 2011, 14:34:55: Well I found/purchased a G84-4100LPAUS-0 with laser etched keycaps today. Not sure if it will have PBT keycaps or not (hope so), but we will see. They still have one more available if anyone wants one.

Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290528741610#ht_1342wt_905

I offered $30 shipped and they said OK.
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: poxeclipse on Sun, 01 January 2012, 02:44:19: I have 3 G84-4100PPAUS, and some keypads are bitten up. I'm looking to replace them with lasered ones.
Any idea where I can get them from ?
thanks
Title: Cherry G84-4100 (ML4100)...Key stroke and keycap material?
Post by: REVENGE on Sun, 01 January 2012, 04:12:49: I imagine the dyesub version would have caps suitable for dying. You could say they're:

to dye for.