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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Harms on Fri, 04 April 2014, 00:36:28

Title: Stabs Question :)
Post by: Harms on Fri, 04 April 2014, 00:36:28

Hi everyone, how hard is it to remove keycaps from costar stabs vs cherry stabs? I'm afraid of buying a KB with costar stabs; that its going to be hard to remove the keycaps and I might break something. I'm asking this because I'm going to install o rings in all of the keys.

Speaking of o rings, why cant you put them onto the switch stem instead of the keycap? Lastly whats better a normal plastic keycap puller or a wired keycap puller? Thank you everyone for all the help :D.

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: Melvang on Fri, 04 April 2014, 00:38:49

Removing costar caps isn't bad just a slightly different process. 

Orings won't fit on the stem plus the cap bottoms on the stem cruciform and it would also prevent the switch from activating.

Wire cap pullers are far superior to plastic ones.  Plastic pullers have been known to scratch caps especially coated back light friendly caps.

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: rowdy on Fri, 04 April 2014, 00:39:00

Not harder, just a bit more fiddly.

From Costar you have only the centre stem fixed to the switch, with Cherry all three stems have to be removed at once.

But, having removed the keycap, with Costar you then have to extract the stabiliser thingies from under the keycap, whereas with Cherry you do not.

Installation is the reversal of removal process, with the fiddly bit of Costar having to hook the ends of the stabiliser bar through the clips under the keycap.

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: Melvang on Fri, 04 April 2014, 00:39:49

inb4 rowdy hehe

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: rowdy on Fri, 04 April 2014, 01:07:41

Quote from: Melvang on Fri, 04 April 2014, 00:39:49

inb4 rowdy hehe

I covered the installation process too :p

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: mougrim on Fri, 04 April 2014, 03:09:21

I found Cherry stabs more smooth... and in general they've more pleasant feeling.

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: ynrozturk on Fri, 04 April 2014, 06:47:27

Same, I prefer Cherry stabilizers.

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 05 April 2014, 00:07:35

I find Cherry stabs a bit stiffer than Costar, that is when using the same keycaps on several keyboards.

OTOH Costar stabs are more forgiving of slightly deformed modifier keys, especially the longer ones.

Title: Re: Stabs Question :)
Post by: Melvang on Sat, 05 April 2014, 00:10:26

Quote from: rowdy on Sat, 05 April 2014, 00:07:35

I find Cherry stabs a bit stiffer than Costar, that is when using the same keycaps on several keyboards.

OTOH Costar stabs are more forgiving of slightly deformed modifier keys, especially the longer ones.

I would have to agree with the second statement here.  Just by the design of the Costar stab they are much more forgiving with length discrepancies and bent caps (I'm lookin at you Mr. PBT Spacebar) than Cherry.  The only stabs I don't like the feel of is non-clipped Cherry.  Anything else is fine by me.