Any reassembly tips for SMK second gen switches?

[mountainblocks]

Last year I pulled the SMK white tactile switches from a pretty crusty Desktop Bus Keyboard with the intention of putting them in a modern build. Some of the switches felt pretty good and others were super gritty, so I knew I'd need to open them up and clean them before they'd be any good to use. It took me a minute to figure out how to crack them open, but when I did everything kind of fell out in a jumble of pieces. I messed around for a while trying to put it back together and finally just said "**** it" and used some pristine SMK blues in my build instead. It felt like some sort of sadistic puzzle attempting to reassemble a simple switch. Surely I'm missing something.

Have any of you figured out a good way to reassemble these? Got any tips? Am I just wasting my time or is it worth trying to open them all up and clean them?

[Leslieann]

I asked about this before and the answer I got was "don't take them apart".

And yes, I realize that doesn't help with your situation, nor did it help with mine (same situation). Basically best I can tell is never remove them (especially when desoldered), buy the best keyboard you can find ($$$) and if you absolutely must clean it use a sonic cleaner to clean them without disassembly.

[mountainblocks]

I asked about this before and the answer I got was "don't take them apart".

And yes, I realize that doesn't help with your situation, nor did it help with mine (same situation). Basically best I can tell is never remove them (especially when desoldered), buy the best keyboard you can find ($$$) and if you absolutely must clean it use a sonic cleaner to clean them without disassembly.

Yeah, I kind of figured that would be the answer. Lesson learned.

I wonder how they were assembled at the factory...

[Leslieann]

Machines with lots of teeny clampy fingers probably.

[pixelpusher]

I haven't messed with the clicky ones, but I've lubed an entire board of linears.  It stinks but it's not too bad once you get in the groove.  The wire bar goes in first, in the slot closest to the slider.  Then you put the part with the other pin and the contact leaf in behind that (but the leaf goes in front of the first pin you inserted).  Next you put the slider in and move it past the leaf.  Then put the spring into the stem.  Hold that assembly (switch upside down) in one hand and, in the other hand, position the bottom of the switch so that the spring is inside of the very slightly raised ring that holds it in place.  Once you are sure it's there, slowly close the switch, pushing the two pins from the top assembly down through the base of the switch until it clicks.  If it feels mushy, the spring isn't seated right.  If the switch doesn't return, you didn't get it past the contact leaf.  You'll have to reopen it and try again.  At least they are super easy to open with some flat blade tweezers.

[mountainblocks]

I haven't messed with the clicky ones, but I've lubed an entire board of linears.  It stinks but it's not too bad once you get in the groove.  The wire bar goes in first, in the slot closest to the slider.  Then you put the part with the other pin and the contact leaf in behind that (but the leaf goes in front of the first pin you inserted).  Next you put the slider in and move it past the leaf.  Then put the spring into the stem.  Hold that assembly (switch upside down) in one hand and, in the other hand, position the bottom of the switch so that the spring is inside of the very slightly raised ring that holds it in place.  Once you are sure it's there, slowly close the switch, pushing the two pins from the top assembly down through the base of the switch until it clicks.  If it feels mushy, the spring isn't seated right.  If the switch doesn't return, you didn't get it past the contact leaf.  You'll have to reopen it and try again.  At least they are super easy to open with some flat blade tweezers.

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I'll give it another go when I'm feeling patient enough. I feel like these tactiles have the potential to be good enough to warrant the effort. At least I know someone's done a full board and lived to tell about it.  What did you use to lube the linears BTW?

[pixelpusher]

I used 3204.  Chyrosan said his linears came lubed but mine were totally dry.  I applied it to all edges of the slider and it made a great difference.  I’m not sure how it will hold up to dust over time.