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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: link_tree on Tue, 18 December 2012, 21:38:00

Title: WASD sampler kit
Post by: link_tree on Tue, 18 December 2012, 21:38:00
what are your thoughts about this kit? is it worth it? does it actually helps to get an idea of how a full keyboard will feel?

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/wasd-sampler-kit.html

how are their keyboard in comparison to the other brands? (filco/leopold/cm storm/kbt pure/race/kbc poker)
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: nullstring on Tue, 18 December 2012, 21:40:51
I've never tried this, so maybe I shouldn't talk.
However: Most people say that an unmounted switch doesn't really allow you to get a realistic feel of how a key will feel on a board.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: eyesmiles on Tue, 18 December 2012, 21:46:41
I think its great to try out the o-rings with. I bought the kit awhile back. The price is pretty good to get a feel for things.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: TotalChaos on Tue, 18 December 2012, 22:22:31
I recommend WASD sampler kit, 40a O-rings and Keyboard.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 18 December 2012, 23:54:42
Highly recommended.  You can see all the keycap colours.  You can try some of the O-rings.  You get one of each common MX switch type (actually you can order the kit without the switches to save a few dollars).

Although just holding a switch in your hand and pressing it does not give you an idea of how a keyboard with that switch type would feel.

But, if you mounted the switch in a vise or similar, you would get a vague idea.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: davkol on Wed, 19 December 2012, 06:02:11
I've recently bought the sampler kit because of rings. I guess it has helped me... more or less. I already have quite a few keyboards including some PCB-mounted w/ Cherry MX Blue switches, so swapping switches isn't a problem either.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: Dgsbllx on Wed, 19 December 2012, 06:11:30
I bought a kit and i'd recommend it. Don't think it replicates how a full board will feel but you can get a rough idea of what the switches feel like. For the money i'd go for it.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 19 December 2012, 10:32:29
They should just give this kit out for FREEE... but limit to ONE per address...  business would grow faster.

It's like how drug dealers give you Free Coke the first time, and you just keep going back.  :p
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: TotalChaos on Wed, 19 December 2012, 11:17:58
They should just give this kit out for FREEE... but limit to ONE per address...  business would grow faster.

It's like how drug dealers give you Free Coke the first time, and you just keep going back.  :p
  I know what u mean.

I used to hate Brown and Blue switches.

But then I got my WASD sampler pack in the mail.

I liked all the switches and I immediately commissioned a custom board to be built containing all the switches on it at once.

btw: Does anybody know how thick the WASD 40A O-Rings are?  (2 different types) I need to know so I can make some homemade ones out of sheets of material.   For Keyboard Science Experiments.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 19 December 2012, 11:42:45
They should just give this kit out for FREEE... but limit to ONE per address...  business would grow faster.

It's like how drug dealers give you Free Coke the first time, and you just keep going back.  :p
  I know what u mean.

I used to hate Brown and Blue switches.

But then I got my WASD sampler pack in the mail.

I liked all the switches and I immediately commissioned a custom board to be built containing all the switches on it at once.

btw: Does anybody know how thick the WASD 40A O-Rings are?  (2 different types) I need to know so I can make some homemade ones out of sheets of material.   For Keyboard Science Experiments.


Careful, all that powder sugar could be dangerous.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: AGmurdercore on Wed, 19 December 2012, 15:24:41
btw: Does anybody know how thick the WASD 40A O-Rings are?  (2 different types) I need to know so I can make some homemade ones out of sheets of material.   For Keyboard Science Experiments.
On the website it says 0.4 mm for the thick once and 0,2mm for the others so this is correct i guess? Pls correct me if i am wrong :)
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: link_tree on Wed, 19 December 2012, 17:06:39
taken from the WASD website:
http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/cherry-mx-rubber-switch-dampeners.html
Model   Hardness   Travel Reduction   Color   Characteristics
40A-R   40A (Softer)   0.4mm   Blue   Softer landing for better shock absorption.
40A-L   40A (Softer)   0.2mm   Red   Sound reduction with minimal change in feel.
50A-R   50A (Harder)   0.4mm   Black   Firmer landing for more defined feedback when bottoming out
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: beefblast on Wed, 19 December 2012, 18:22:44
Thanks! This is a great little deal.
I've been wanting to try out some rings and keycaps with new monoprice 9181
Maybe my soon to arrive TG3 BL82 too.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: TotalChaos on Thu, 20 December 2012, 15:33:37
btw: Does anybody know how thick the WASD 40A O-Rings are?  (2 different types) I need to know so I can make some homemade ones out of sheets of material.   For Keyboard Science Experiments.
On the website it says 0.4 mm for the thick once and 0,2mm for the others so this is correct i guess? Pls correct me if i am wrong :)

Guys, guys, the 0.2mm and 0.4mm numbers on WASD website are how much it reduces key travel.  Not how thick the actual O-ring is.  There is a big hollow space under your OEM keycap that the O-ring fills.

Does anyone know the mcmaster-carr partnumbers of WASD O-rings?  That might tell us how thick the O-rings are?

Various rubber sheets cost around $100.00 so I want to get the right thickness, or close to the right thickness on the first try.  I don't want to have to try 10 different sheets. :)

I don't mind sacrificing $$$ for Keyboard Science but I want to sacrifice them in an intelligent manner.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: link_tree on Thu, 20 December 2012, 15:45:04
but it reduces travel by the amount of the width of the ring...
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: davkol on Thu, 20 December 2012, 15:57:53
but it reduces travel by the amount of the width of the ring...
Nope, there's certainly some deformation. But we know the material, hardness etc., so it shouldn't be hard to do the math...

...or maybe it's easier to just take that calliper out of the closet...

edit: ~1.4 mm; BTW it's a torus
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: TotalChaos on Thu, 20 December 2012, 16:25:49
You deleted one of your messages... the one I was trying to quote... and now changed ur original msg from "1.2 to 1.5mm" into "1.4mm".  Now I am more confused than ever.

Using my mad dictionary skillz I have learned:
Quote
caliper: an instrument for measuring the distance between two points (often used in the plural).
I never owned one of those.  I'm such a n00b.

Does 1.4mm mean that all WASD O-rings are the same thickness?  And the one 40a O-ring deforms more that the other one so it only reduces travel by 0.2mm?  While the stiff 40a O-ring deforms less and therefore reduces travel by 0.4mm?

Someone who deleted their msg ;) made a good point about the O-rings being in the shape of a torus which means they would deform more easily than an O-ring cut out of a flat slab of rubber.  Drat!  I was thinking my custom made 10a extrathick O-rings would deform a lot while gently raising the force curve.  But having a flat surface on both sides will negate the softness somewhat.  I donno how much tho...  Darnit!
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: davkol on Thu, 20 December 2012, 16:32:20
I merged my posts.

I'm not able to measure the difference between blue and red o-rings with my caliper, but to make it simple, it's somewhere around 1.4–1.5 mm, the difference is rather small. Yep, the shape of torus.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 20 December 2012, 17:37:32
edit: ~1.4 mm; BTW it's a torus

Or a donut.  See CC for donuts that go on top of the keycaps ;)
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: TotalChaos on Thu, 20 December 2012, 17:41:26
edit: ~1.4 mm; BTW it's a torus

Or a donut.  See CC for donuts that go on top of the keycaps ;)
What does "CC" mean?
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 20 December 2012, 18:30:16
ClickClack - a Geekhack user of some fame.

Founder of the Clack Factory.

Inventor and artist of Clack Factory skull keycaps.

All-round good guy :)

And recently inventor/artist of donut keycaps.
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: link_tree on Thu, 20 December 2012, 22:11:26
ClickClack - a Geekhack user of some fame.

Founder of the Clack Factory.

Inventor and artist of Clack Factory skull keycaps.

All-round good guy :)

And recently inventor/artist of donut keycaps.

donut keycaps? google search turned nothing but some images of hello kitty and dounts
Title: Re: WASD sampler kit
Post by: rowdy on Fri, 21 December 2012, 03:57:17
donut keycaps? google search turned nothing but some images of hello kitty and dounts

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=24466.msg728017#msg728017

He teases us a lot ;)