Let's Discuss MX Compatible O-Rings?

[mattlach]

Hey all,

I recently placed an order with MechanicalKeyboards.com for a couple of keyboards and some o-rings.   It turns out the o-rings were backordered and delaying the entire order by a month, so I canceled them.   It's a bummer as I was looking forward to testing them, but on the plus side, now I have more time to decide which O-Rings to get.

The board is a first gen Ducky One with tactile Cherry MX Clear switches. (I originally wanted tactile white switches, as I like my switches heavy, but I couldn't find a board I liked with them)

I want to put O-rigs in it to make the volume level more suited for use in an open office environment.   I am coming from 20 years of typing on Model M's so I am a heavy typer and always bottom out every keypress HARD.

So, the O-rings come in different durometers and different thicknesses.   I think I have decided against the thicker (0.4mm) O-rings as I have read they limit key travel quite a bit, and I don't think I'd like that.   So, 0.2mm it is.   As far as which durometer to chose, I am not sure.

The goal here is maximum noise absorption for a heavy bottom out typist.   Part of me is saying that softer O-rings would be more absorbent, but on the other hand, if they are too soft, I'd just smash them flat while typing, and bottom out straight through them, which kind of defeats the point.

Too hard - on the other hand - and they won't be absorbent at all...

Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts here?

[mattlach]

So, after posting this, I found a thread I hadn't originally found while searching, which was helpful.

O-Ring and Dampener Reviews

I went ahead and ordered the 40A-L Red O-rings from Amazon.   A little overpriced, but I wanted them to arrive quickly with prime.

I will post back with my take on them once both he keyboard and o-rings arrive and I have had a chance to test them.

[derznation]

I got the same dampeners for my Gateron Browns and I hardly notice any sound dampening at all. 
I also tried the .4mm o-rings and they were actually too thick the point where it was difficult and unreliable to actually get the keypress to register.

Hopefully you have better luck than I did!

[Kavik]

I have only tried one kind of o-rings, the thicker blue version of the ones you got. I used them on MX Blues and MX Reds. I thought they made the MX Blues much quieter, but also more annoying because they only had the high pitched click without the deeper clack. I used them for a maybe six months and then switched them to my reds, which I left on for probably a year or two. I have since taken them off the reds just for variation. They made my reds very quiet.

I actually liked making the keystroke shorter with the thicker o-rings because I thought the 4mm travel felt weird when I first switched to mechs. It felt as though there was a long "no man's land" that caused me to make errors when typing. Now, the long travel doesn't bother me as much, but I think it did improve my typing accuracy on linears (at least at the time).

Just my experience for what it's worth.

[ddot]

The keycaps you use will also make a difference.  Something like DSA without the cross braces will allow the o-rings to push up higher into the keycap.  But something like GMK that has the cross braces will force the o-rings to sit lower.  A thicker o-ring on DSA may feel similar to a thinner one on GMK.

Personally I've moved on from o-rings to the QMX/Zealencio silencing clips.  Here's one thread that talks about them a bit.

And if you have the time to wait for the shipping, the o-rings are also available for cheap on ebay.  (They will be harder than the 40A durometer one from WASD ones though, for better or worse.)

[tp4tissue]

I am coming from 20 years of typing on Model M's so I am a heavy typer and always bottom out every keypress HARD.

I get where you're coming from, but you shouldn't, less bad for the keyboard than your hands.

I'm a chainsmoker, a carton a day, 20 yrs, Now I am going onto cigars.

[mattlach]

The keycaps you use will also make a difference.  Something like DSA without the cross braces will allow the o-rings to push up higher into the keycap.  But something like GMK that has the cross braces will force the o-rings to sit lower.  A thicker o-ring on DSA may feel similar to a thinner one on GMK.

Personally I've moved on from o-rings to the QMX/Zealencio silencing clips.  Here's one thread that talks about them a bit.

And if you have the time to wait for the shipping, the o-rings are also available for cheap on ebay.  (They will be harder than the 40A durometer one from WASD ones though, for better or worse.)

This is interesting.   Being fairly new to Cherry MX type keyboards, I didn't realize the keycaps differed so much between eachother.

I haven't received the first gen fullsize Ducky One these are to be used with yet.   The listing says it has PBT keycaps, but doesn't mention the type or show any pictures of what they look like on the bottom.

I guess I will find out when it gets here.

[ddot]

LPWL used to have a vendor forum here and a webpage with a bunch of info.  Unfortunately he seems to have disappeared.  You can still find his help page on the wayback machine.  No pictures, but there's still some info there.