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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:24:59

Title: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:24:59: hello, I have a cougar attack 2 with cherry mx RED switches, I painted it white, lube my spacebar and change keycaps and cable (i use some keycaps from my ajazz ak33) and looks decent :D

but i have that problem with SEVERAL keys, but specially with the "i" key, when i press it too hard or i press on the edge, look the video, in some cases get stuck down :-X :eek:

idk why, this does not happen in my others kb (razer blackwidow x chroma with greetech switches, ajazz with ajazz blue sw)

on my g610 orion brown (cherry mx brown sw) it happens only in the "o" key

it's like the housing of cherry swithes NOW are less hard, this does not happen on my cousin quickfire tk with cherry red switch

How can i fix it? :(
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: Tactile on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:30:03: Are the housings fully snapped closed?
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:32:50: how can i check it?
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: Tactile on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:38:08: Quote from: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:32:50
how can i check it?

Pull and remove whatever you need to in order to see the top and bottom of the housings and also grab the bottom to test if it will wiggle side-to-side. Watch the bottoms while you press on the sticking keys to see what happens.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: xondat on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:39:05: Have you tried different keycaps on the sticking switches?

Have you tried no caps and seeing if the stem gets stuck?

Keep going through all the variables and figure it out.

Quote from: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 15:32:50
how can i check it?

Take the keycap off, the top bit of the switch shouldn't be sticking up.

(https://www.keychatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/keychatter_2015-09-04_19-00-21.jpg)

Should look like that.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 05 November 2017, 17:36:56: Hrrrrmmmm... that's real weird..

my guess is the stem might've cracked..

Don't worry though.. you can just super glue it..

If it' gets stuck in the cap when you go to remove it, this part will be kind of hard.

Overall.. the only solution if the glue fails.. is to buy a new switch, and solder in the new switch..

Again , not hard.. but you gotta watch a few videos on soldering to get the timing down.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 18:04:33: everything looks perfect, no cracks and they go up and down perfect :mad:
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: _rubik on Sun, 05 November 2017, 18:45:29: Quote from: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 18:04:33
everything looks perfect, no cracks and they go up and down perfect :mad:

You most likely broke the lower half of the slide and not the entire casing. You need a heavier switch and a lighter touch if that is happening.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 05 November 2017, 20:28:05: did you try a different keycap on that switch, maybe it's the keycap.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: SpAmRaY on Sun, 05 November 2017, 20:36:54: did somebody try lubing the switches? I had a second hand keyboard once that did this and the previous owner didn't lube the switches properly.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 05 November 2017, 20:48:30: Quote from: SpAmRaY on Sun, 05 November 2017, 20:36:54
did somebody try lubing the switches? I had a second hand keyboard once that did this and the previous owner didn't lube the switches properly.

Tp4 never lube.. works fine.. never had a problem.

Except with Razer.. because their caps were so cheap, it had plastic burrs that grindded inside the switch.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: _rubik on Sun, 05 November 2017, 21:49:52: Quote from: tp4tissue on Sun, 05 November 2017, 20:28:05
did you try a different keycap on that switch, maybe it's the keycap.

Highly doubt it's the keycaps. The switch will bottom out at the same point not matter what caps are on it.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: benjafull on Sun, 05 November 2017, 22:17:40: Quote from: SpAmRaY on Sun, 05 November 2017, 20:36:54
did somebody try lubing the switches? I had a second hand keyboard once that did this and the previous owner didn't lube the switches properly.

never, i only lube the spacebar stabilizer
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: OfTheWild on Wed, 08 November 2017, 16:36:14: Thats what a switch does when the post is broken inside.

(https://i.imgur.com/0zptEET.png)
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 08 November 2017, 18:05:54: Quote from: OfTheWild on Wed, 08 November 2017, 16:36:14
Thats what a switch does when the post is broken inside.

Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/0zptEET.png)

/Mystery solved..

Soldering a new switch is the only way to fix this.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: _rubik on Wed, 08 November 2017, 18:22:37: Quote from: OfTheWild on Wed, 08 November 2017, 16:36:14
Thats what a switch does when the post is broken inside.

Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/0zptEET.png)

Are we 100% it snapped? or is it just a bent up spring? It seems like it would take some SERIOUS typing to snag a post. Also wouldn't the OP hear a rattle in the switch housing / have trouble typing sometime?
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: OfTheWild on Wed, 08 November 2017, 18:33:41: The switch stem cant move like that as long as that post is in place. It rides inside a tube in the base of the housing. I mean we wont know for sure until he pulls the switch, but I have run into this before. Vintage switches that are brittle are susceptible to this or switches that had an impact damage like from being in a pile having things stacked on top.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: _rubik on Wed, 08 November 2017, 18:44:47: Quote from: OfTheWild on Wed, 08 November 2017, 18:33:41
The switch stem cant move like that as long as that post is in place. It rides inside a tube in the base of the housing. I mean we wont know for sure until he pulls the switch, but I have run into this before. Vintage switches that are brittle are susceptible to this or switches that had an impact damage like from being in a pile having things stacked on top.

Ah right, he probably snapped the post when it was bottomed out.
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: benjafull on Sun, 26 November 2017, 13:12:25: how weird, the keyboard and the key write perfect, go up and down without problems, but I know what it is probably :(
Title: Re: Cherry MX RED Problem
Post by: ander on Wed, 29 November 2017, 17:15:38: OP: Reds are pretty light. Have you tried MX Whites (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_White), or putting heavier springs in your Reds?

MechanicalKeyboards.com – boards with MX White switches (https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=49)