Over the last few months I've managed to get a hold of some KBDfans T1 switches, as well some zealio V2s, Mint Pandas, and of course, some massdrop halos for stem swaps. I've tested a few combinations of each in an attempt to rig a new frankenswitch (and to test other well known switches like the Holy Pandas) My results are in, and are as follows
Zealio V2 (67g) - These did not work well with any of the other switches. I opted to keep them stock in the end (may be swapping out some springs in the future or lubing them). I liked these, they are certainly tactile. The bump was at the top of the key press. They mind me of a sort of tactile box clicky switch; both feel similar with the tactile event coming in at the top. To differentiate them from the KBDFans T1, they have a much faster return (possibly due to a heavier spring although both are measured at 67g). They're a good deal snappier post tactile event, and they feel smoother when compared to KBDFans Stock.
KBDfans T1 - Originally made to replicate "Holy Pandas" these felt very good, more tactile than the Zealio V2s, but only ever so slightly. There was a slight delay on the return - nothing at all to worry about when typing, but in a single switch to switch comparison the spring did seem to require me to lead off a bit more before it even started moving after being depressed. I had never tried a holy panda before trying these and I so I thought that this would be a good way to segway into the Holy panda - that and a cheaper panda-clone is never a bad thing given how expensive / rare they've gotten. Hopefully things change with the recent recreation of the holy pandas.
"Holy Pandas" (Halo stem / Panda Housing) - Before going into this I just want to state that my goal in getting to build these franken-switches was to potentially find the most tactile switch possible. The Holy Pandas have been touted as very tactile since their introduction. I have a few other tactile boards ala topre, but having to choose between MX style keycaps (no I'm not using sliders) and tactility I'll he hard pressed If I'll give up my MT3 and Sculpted SA profiles. I made my holy pandas with some 67g gold cherry springs, Mint Pandas from Novelkeys, and Halo stems from massdrop. They were awful. I tried lubing them, I tried using different springs, I tried a few different rounds to make sure that they were correctly put together. They were the least tactile out of the bunch here. Now, I'm not saying they're a bad switch (I mean everyone has their preferences), but the tactility was beated by 3 other switches in this franker-stein experiment. I could feel the long drawn out bump, but there was little to no tactile event. I guess these were not for me.
"Wei-los" "KBD Pandas" "
" (Halo stem / KBDfans T1 housing) - I am surprised. These were extremely crisp and the most tactile switch I've ever used. It reminded me of BKE Lights / Heavies. The tactile bump was at the top and there's a feeling of the switch "inverting" as you press down on it. Once you press through the tactile event, It almost feels as if the switch "jumps down". They feel lovely and are the best thing to come out of this. To make things better, I found that the slight delay in return in the KBDfans T1 is caused by the spring and not the contacts, so for good measure I swapped in a spring from my zealio v2 and although they have the same actuation force, the Zealio spring returns faster. What I created is an incredibly crisp switch with a lightning return. PERFECT for my little typing fingers. HOWEVER there was 1 downside to this combination. Due to the stem being so long it smacks into the bottom of the housing, now normally this wouldn't be a problem (I believe all variations of the holy panda do this) BUT in the batch (R1 clear & smokey) that I have, there's a tiny plastic dimple at the bottom of the shaft. If you depress the key and give it a stern little wiggle, you can feel the stem "popping" to the left and the right of that dimple. I remedied this by sanding it a bit so that it no longer made contact. The switch no longer "popped down" completely when depressed, but there was no effect on tactility (I mean... why would there be?).
To conclude the KBD Pandas are going into my next board, but I was wondering if I could ask for some help now regarding 2 things
1. Would sanding the bottoms of multiple Halo stems lead to discrepancies in the key feel of the switches? (I can't always sand away the "perfect" amount of material)
2. Where does Zeal get his springs? And where can I get some? I've heard that you can get some high grade springs from SPiRIT, but I've also heard that they're weighted differently than other springs.
3. What is the closest weighting (and if not exact does it require more or less force) if a SPiRIT spring to a 67g Zealio Spring?
These were really the only 4 worth talking about. The rest of the frankenswitches weren't bad, but these are the 3 highest ranking in tactility (and a Holy Panda for good measure)
Thank you!
