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Author Topic: Cutting down cherry springs.  (Read 3975 times)

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Offline Infinite north

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  • Posts: 162
Cutting down cherry springs.
« on: Tue, 18 May 2010, 18:03:53 »
I thought at some point I had found this done in the wiki or mod section but I can't find it now. that or I am crazy. could anyone point me in the right direction.
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Offline elbowglue

  • Posts: 583
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 18 May 2010, 18:45:10 »
Here is something about said spring cutting:
http://mykeyboard.co.uk/surgery/
I have not heard about anyone here cutting their cherry springs yet.  I'm not sure what it would do the force graph.

I have been interested before in possibly getting different aftermarket springs to put into cherry switches.  The "fake cherry" springs are slightly larger in radius in comparison with standard cherry switches, and they can go into cherry switches without difficulty.
Fake cherry discussion.
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My keyboards: Filco Cherry Blue Tenkeyless(daily home), Compaq MX11800 (modded to blacks), Compaq "MX 84u",  Wellington\'s Dampened Endurapro, Pinkalicious Filco Blue Cherry, Chicony KB-5191, Chicony KB-5181, Desko MOS 5023 UP "elbowglue" spos (modded to blues), Siig Minitouch (monterey blue), SMK-88 (blue cherries), Ricercar SPOS
Smallest to biggest keyboards in inches (Length X Height) - Length is most important for a midline mouse position
KBC Poker: 11.6 x 3.9 - HHKB: 11.6 x 4.3 - Siig Minitouch (Geekhack Space Saver): 11.6 x 6 - Deck/Tg3 82: 12 x 6 - Noppoo Choc Mini 12.4 x 5.3 - Compaq "MX 84u": 13.1 x 7.5 - Filco Tenkeyless: 14 x 5.3 - Cherry "ricercar spos" G86-62410EUAGSA: 14 x 7.75 - Topre Realforce 86u: 14.4 x 6.65 - Desko "elbowglue spos" MOS 5023 UP: 14.5 x 8.4 - IBM Model M Spacesaver: 15.3 x 7 - G80-1800: 15.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-125B: 16 x 7.3 - Compaq Mx11800, Cherry G80-11900: 16.25 x 7.5 - Filco Standard: 17.3 x 5.4 - Unicomp Endurapro: 17.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-135B: 18.3 x 6.0 - Cherry G80-3000: 18.5 x 7.6 - IBM Model M, Unicomp Customizer: 19.3 x 8.27

Offline Infinite north

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  • Posts: 162
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 18 May 2010, 20:25:32 »
Yeah, I just pulled apart a bic from the junk drawer and cut the spring in half to give it a whirl. It fit just fine, slightly larger. The thickness of the wire in this spring made the key a bear to actuate, I didn't bother to test it because I don't really see anyone thinking they need their keys that much harder to press. I suppose this could be handy for someone who presses a certain key on accident a lot.

The only use for it I could see was to try to cut the key travel down by making the spring around half the size of a cherry spring. Even then its still pretty solid to press down.
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Offline Infinite north

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  • Posts: 162
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 18 May 2010, 21:13:46 »
delving into this a bit deeper I started looking at tutorials on making springs online. Only thing is that they need tempered after being spun. Then looking a little longer I found associated spring raymond http://www.asraymond.com/spec/product.asp $30 minimum order then individual spring cost ends up running around $100 for 120 springs. So that shoots down that idea as well.
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Offline Oqsy

  • Posts: 861
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 18 May 2010, 21:23:32 »
Hmm...  does the price continue to decrease for larger numbers?  I bet you could get a lot of geekhackers to join in a group buy if you could get the price down low enough, the issue would just be agreeing on a spring design.  

I personally prefer the springs from cherry mx black switches(stiffest) with brown stems(moderately tactile).  So in my case I'd want to buy enough cherry black spec springs to supply my other cherry boards.  I can see agreement on the specs being the hold
up for a group buy, even if its through another company with better prices.  

Good luck in your quest to find the perfect spring! :D
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[sigpic]Currently in use: Rosewill RK9000 and CH DT225[/sigpic]
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Offline Infinite north

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  • Posts: 162
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 18 May 2010, 22:27:16 »
I will trade you black springs for your browns.
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Offline Oqsy

  • Posts: 861
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 22 May 2010, 01:30:11 »
Cool, how many do you have?  I've got all the springs from an mx11800 that I'd give up for some black springs without hesitation.  pm me if yr still interested.
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[sigpic]Currently in use: Rosewill RK9000 and CH DT225[/sigpic]
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Offline himynameisbunny

  • Posts: 154
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 22 June 2011, 20:30:16 »
Quote from: ripster;183938
My conclusion was that if the Cherry Corp or IBM engineers would have thought of a perfect spring they would have done it long ago.

The word "perfect" is pretty relative. What the Cherry engineers think are the bees knees may not necessarily go down well with us.
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Offline The Solutor

  • Posts: 2262
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 23 June 2011, 05:47:54 »
I tried to made a springless board: a BL82 with just the protective membrane and no springs (not that bad) but still haven't tried to experiment with shortened springs, is in my to do list anyway.

BTW I already did it (successfully) on some mice.

http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:18531
« Last Edit: Thu, 23 June 2011, 05:52:10 by The Solutor »
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Offline eyesnine

  • Posts: 99
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 23 June 2011, 06:04:00 »
I tried this on some MX browns and it works well. I haven't done the whole board, but I might at some point. I did a couple of keys and they still work fine.

If I remember rightly, cutting the spring down to 11mm makes the action really very light. I think they are 15mm springs? I don't remember the exact numbers. Just use a ruler and a decent pair of wire nippers - it's not hard at all. Keep taking 1mm off at a time until you get what you're looking for.

I have a bunch of MX clear boards and I would really like to put some MX brown springs in them, or better yet some custom lighter springs. It seems to me that if enough people were on board we could get the price per spring down fairly low.
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Offline The Solutor

  • Posts: 2262
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 23 June 2011, 06:08:07 »
Quote
I have a bunch of MX clear boards and I would really like to put some MX brown springs in them


It's really worth, beige/ergo clears switches are the best [not]available in the cherry world.
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Offline eyesnine

  • Posts: 99
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 23 June 2011, 06:10:46 »
Yeah... I need to order the springs to make it happen, though.

The only MX brown keyboard I have I use everyday, so I'm not about to dismantle it for an experiment.
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Offline himynameisbunny

  • Posts: 154
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 23 June 2011, 09:16:04 »
Quote from: eyesnine;365977
It seems to me that if enough people were on board we could get the price per spring down fairly low.

That's right. Sixty had a group buy going on at one stage but material problems meant he had to look elsewhere. That was the last report anyway. I'm waiting to hear back from him regarding any technical info he may have so I could chase it up if he doesn't have time.

Either way, very interesting post. If I had a brown board to spare I'd give it a go.
« Last Edit: Thu, 23 June 2011, 09:17:44 by himynameisbunny »
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Offline himynameisbunny

  • Posts: 154
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #13 on: Thu, 23 June 2011, 09:25:41 »
Quote from: ripster;366078
Alas.  Most Geekhack Mods and Group Buys are as likely to reach completion as Amy Winehouse and her comeback album.

Doesn't it all really depend on availability of part, demand, and the organisational skills of the person organising it?

Are there other examples of GBs failing? I'm on my tablet, I'd look for myself otherwise.

P.S is that your actual post count ripster?
« Last Edit: Thu, 23 June 2011, 09:28:09 by himynameisbunny »
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Offline False_Dmitry_II

  • Posts: 1107
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #14 on: Mon, 01 August 2011, 11:41:03 »
The only way one like this would work would be if you gave one spec of spring that people could buy.

Tell everyone else who wants different to get what's leaving the ppl's boards who gets them. I don't really see the point of a buy for springs of the same exact specs (unless you got it to like $10-20 for the set) of cherry switches, because you could just get a different cherry board.

I'd personally want something in between. Has anyone done a long term cut the springs thing? I'd be worried about longevity of spring after that's done to it.
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"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin (11 Nov. 1755)

Offline The Solutor

  • Posts: 2262
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #15 on: Mon, 01 August 2011, 11:49:50 »
Quote from: False_Dmitry_II;390959

I'd personally want something in between. Has anyone done a long term cut the springs thing? I'd be worried about longevity of spring after that's done to it.


I'm not so sure that a spring cut and stretched will be softer than the starting spring.

Anyway you should not concern about the durability rather about the evenness.
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Offline The Solutor

  • Posts: 2262
Cutting down cherry springs.
« Reply #16 on: Mon, 01 August 2011, 12:41:25 »
Quote
Only Koreans and EU forums talk about "smooth" springs like they were low tannic merlot.


N1 Italian(or French) wine expert on the planet ?
« Last Edit: Mon, 01 August 2011, 12:43:28 by The Solutor »
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