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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: dekerf on Sun, 14 June 2009, 23:20:38

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: dekerf on Sun, 14 June 2009, 23:20:38

Hello all, ok first post!

Great forum, I stumbled by here awhile ago and decided to pick up an ABS M1 from the Canadian portion of Newegg's site. It's my first mechanical keyboard and I love it. However, I found this youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=befAQ6BVNGM) of a DSI-85 with "force-reduced" switches. I think if I could do this with the M1 it would be even more comfortable to type on but I'm not sure whether this is possible with the black alps sliders. There is another video here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKnoJui9Z7I&feature=related) on how to do it. I'm wondering, if it is possible, if some special tools are needed or other materials (in the video the guy is applying some kind of liquid to the key after he takes it off). Thanks for any info. Cheers!

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: zwmalone on Sun, 14 June 2009, 23:37:46

I'm not sure about that on the ABS but the liquid is RO-59... (I don't have a link but Sandy was talking about it in a thread a while back...)

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: wellington1869 on Sun, 14 June 2009, 23:50:52

welcome dekerf.   'force reduction' just means he removed the "click leaf". thats easy to do.  The liquid he applied is 'smooth aid' which is some kind of lubricant.  We've had good results with either silicon grease or "dry" teflon spray (the latter is better). Both are not oil based, so probably better for the board and its plastics and rubbers.

Look in the keyboard mods section of the site, there are a number of threads on opening up alps switches and modding them (including removing click leafs). There's a couple of threads there on tools for opening up the switch.  Its all fairly easy to do, you can play around with your M1 quite a bit.

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: zwmalone on Mon, 15 June 2009, 00:24:15

Quote from: zwmalone;96367

I'm not sure about that on the ABS but the liquid is RO-59... (I don't have a link but Sandy was talking about it in a thread a while back...)

Not the post I was looking for but:
http://geekhack.org/showpost.php?p=74514&postcount=34

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 15 June 2009, 09:45:23

Quote from: ripster;96422

Candlelight Forums (the Flashlight guys) swear by the stuff. Crazy people, a whole forum devoted to Flashlights! I'm going over there now to post:

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.  Flashlights?  They have a whole forum on flashlights?  Then I remembered that the builder of my house recommended glass for better lighting, and, well...

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: dekerf on Mon, 15 June 2009, 17:59:40

Thanks for the reply's. Looks like this could be do-able. Is it just me or is getting the key caps off the switches on this thing really hard. I'm afraid of breaking it. What's the best way to get these off? A butter knife and prying them off or maybe some kind of needle-nose pliers though I bet they'd scratch a lot. Also, is the gel or lube or teflon absolutely necessary?

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 15 June 2009, 18:52:08

Quote from: dekerf;96551

Thanks for the reply's. Looks like this could be do-able. Is it just me or is getting the key caps off the switches on this thing really hard. I'm afraid of breaking it. What's the best way to get these off? A butter knife and prying them off or maybe some kind of needle-nose pliers though I bet they'd scratch a lot. Also, is the gel or lube or teflon absolutely necessary?

They're hard to take off, especially alps. You can lever them off with two screwdrivers, gently but firmly. Or shape a paperclip into a keycap lifting device. But if you want to save yourself a LOT of time (esp if you're working on the entire board), then you need to buy this, which is the best tool for this sort of thing:
http://hooleon.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=AC-999-0039&Category_Code=KT-P&Product_Count=2

It'll save all: your fingers, your keyboard, and your time. :)

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: IBI on Mon, 15 June 2009, 18:56:04

Quote from: dekerf;96551

Thanks for the reply's. Looks like this could be do-able. Is it just me or is getting the key caps off the switches on this thing really hard. I'm afraid of breaking it. What's the best way to get these off?

If they're availible in Canada then a keycap pulling tool will make it much easier. If you can't get one then be very careful with the large keycaps, I did manage to break the right shift on my dell.

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 15 June 2009, 19:09:13

Quote from: dekerf;96551

What's the best way to get these off?

The aforementioned trick with two flat-head screwdrivers on each side of the key works well.

Title: ABS M1 Questions
Post by: zwmalone on Mon, 15 June 2009, 19:26:40

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=5090&

Decent keycap puller design