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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: mashby on Thu, 13 June 2013, 12:24:59
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I have a Poker with MX-Black switches and I tend to really smack the spacebar and I'm looking for ways to minimize the sound. I added three 50A-R O-Rings (http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/cherry-mx-rubber-switch-dampeners.html), the black ones, and that didn't seem to help much. I'm still getting a plastic like slap.
This isn't a unique or different sound from what I'm accustomed to with the SP spacebar, just one I've finally decided to do something about. I may just have to take the keyboard out of the case and look under the key cap to see what causes it, but that would take work, so I figured I'd ask here instead. :p
Any suggestions?
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I have a Poker with MX-Black switches and I tend to really smack the spacebar and I'm looking for ways to minimize the sound. I added three 50A-R O-Rings (http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/cherry-mx-rubber-switch-dampeners.html), the black ones, and that didn't seem to help much. I'm still getting a plastic like slap.
This isn't a unique or different sound from what I'm accustomed to with the SP spacebar, just one I've finally decided to do something about. I may just have to take the keyboard out of the case and look under the key cap to see what causes it, but that would take work, so I figured I'd ask here instead. :p
Any suggestions?
the black rings doesn't dampen much at all.. and You should record the mysterious "slap sound".. I've not heard any spacebar sound described as you have.
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Try a heavier spring imo. I smack my spacebar too (only key I bottom out on), but it makes a nice solid sound. Maybe it's the upside down thick PBT? :p
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Try a heavier spring imo. I smack my spacebar too (only key I bottom out on), but it makes a nice solid sound. Maybe it's the upside down thick PBT? :p
upside down doesn't change the sound from my experience..
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Could the concave bar be serving to amplify the noise? Maybe stuff some noise dampening foam or something in it and see if it quiets it?
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I'm using a stack of o-rings (but I have an OEM-profile aluminum spacebar at the moment): a fat o-ring, followed by a 50A thin o-ring. I also add small squares of teflon tape into the spacebar stems. All helps to dampen the sound of metal quite a bit, where it mostly just sounds like a soft thump in normal use. Some combination of that is probably good for plastic too.
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I just got in some MX-Grey switches, so I'll be taking apart my Poker this week and swapping it out. When I do, I'll take a closer look at exactly what is causing the sound.
I think it's just the sound the spacebar makes, coupled with the Cherry stabilizers, but I'll take some video too to see if I can better identify the cause of the sound.
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I just got in some MX-Grey switches, so I'll be taking apart my Poker this week and swapping it out. When I do, I'll take a closer look at exactly what is causing the sound.
I think it's just the sound the spacebar makes, coupled with the Cherry stabilizers, but I'll take some video too to see if I can better identify the cause of the sound.
try clipping your stabilizers. It makes it feel and sound much more like costar stabilizers.
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Did you also put O-rings on the stabilizer contact points? I have red O-rings and it just makes a thock sound, and it would be still loud if I only put a ring on the center one.
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If it was costar stabs then I would be concerned with bent stabilizers, but with cherry, I guess your best bet would be getting a heavier spring and stop smashing the key. Also, could someone redirect me to a guide on fixing costar stabs?
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My Poker (also with blacks) also has a quite loud space bar, but I find the noise seems to be on the way back up rather than the initial slap. I release the space bar quite quickly so it gets the full force of a black thrusting it triumphantly into the air, until it hits the top of the switch and sounds out a plasticy slap.
If I can find my soldering iron I will change the switches around on the space bar to see what different switches sound like.
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They are cherry stabilizers and the sound is on the down stroke and is not a slapback. My schedule has changed, so I won't be able to play with changing out the switch and testing a few things until next weekend. :-[
I appreciate everyone's feedback and suggestions though. Keep them coming!
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Try a heavier spring imo. I smack my spacebar too (only key I bottom out on), but it makes a nice solid sound. Maybe it's the upside down thick PBT? :p
Swapped out the MX-Black with an MX-Grey and that definitely solved the issue. It's not a much more solid "thunk" which matches the best the rest of the keys.
I bottom out when I type and the spacebar is not exception. Now that I've been typing on the board for a week it has a very consistent and solid feel, which I like very much.
Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions and ideas.