Spectre Clack Mod:
There are multiple sources of noise in keyboard switches, and one is the up-stroke/return. This mod effectively silences the up-stroke/return by padding the inside top of the switch case with a silicone-like substance commonly used in the automotive world as form-in-place gasket.
Permatex Right Stuff is some heavy duty gasket maker that I use to seal engines in especially difficult/troublesome areas like the intake manifold end seals on my modified small block V8. It goes where you want it (with some coaxing in our use case), stays where you put it, and it's intended to resist all manner of lubricants, vibration, heat and cold, it stays soft over time by design, and it seems to stick pretty well to ABS. What it does not do is stick very well to the switch stem plastics.
Warning: this stuff is super messy. If you get it on your clothes... Just don't. There is absolutely no way you'll ever ever get it out. If you burn that shirt in an attempt to kill it with fire, the fabric will be ash before the goop is even phased. If you get it on anything remotely porous or textured, same thing. If you get it on something smooth and allow it to cure, the only way it'll come off is in the rare scenario wherein that smooth thing simply doesn't allow it to adhere very well. If you get it on something smooth and wipe it off quickly... You stand a chance.
You can find this stuff at any FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store), and this particular variety is about $20 for a can of the size and variety pictured above and used herein. One can is enough for two or three engines, so I imagine it should handle... Oh... Maybe a million keyboards; two million if you go light. There are other sizes though, so look around. Additionally, there are other varieties for different automotive applications that may vary the resulting sound/feel. The generic term for these, if you were to ask at your nearest FLAPS, is silicone RTV (room temp vulcanized), and it's available for applications such as water pumps, resistance to different varieties of hydrocarbons, and temperature ranges from 200° or so (the water pump stuff) up to >2000° (exhaust sealant). I want to say some of the ultra-high temp stuff may have copper in it, and may thus be electrically conductive, so in addition to the temperature range being completely unnecessary it's probably also not good from an electrical perspective should some manage to get loose in the key housing. Note also, it doesn't stick well to grease/oil. It's entire reason for being is to repel it, so... You get the picture.
In order to do this mod, you'll need the following:
- Keyboard switches
- Your choice of RTV; Permatex Right Stuff is suggested
- Whatever means you prefer for disassembling switches
- Whatever means you prefer for degreasing switches if they're lubed
- A large eyeglass screwdriver
- Paper towels to work on and contain the mess
Here is a video showing what the stuff is like to work with:
Here is a video showing the application process:
The end result is that the key at rest will be a fraction of a millimeter or so lower. The difference in travel, feel, and sound is very much like having an o-ring on the keycap, only it the top of the stroke instead of the bottom. If you allow the key to spring up at full force, it will still make a noise (though less than an unmodified key), but in normal typing the sound is all but gone. You can vary the effect by controlling the amount used. A very light amount will dampen the sound/travel/feel only slightly, and you can get pretty heavy with it. It cures to a texture/hardness very much like silicone.
Here's a video demonstrating the texture of this specific variety of RTV when it cures.
Sound test/demonstration:
