Lubed switches

[foxtrap614]

Hey all

 I just lubed two set of switches. Gateron black and yellow. This took some time and patience. But to be honest the results did not blow me away. Both switches did lose the scratchy feeling. They are smoother. But I feel not as smooth as i expect since they were smooth to begin with. Honestly they feel the same but without any scratchiness. I compared them to Alpacas and just for fun 45g topre. I have to say the Alpacas feel better. They are all smooth but the spring in the Alpacas feels better. topre 45g feels smoother then all of them and i find that weird since it is a tactile switch. This leaves me with the conclusion that springs type AND lubbing are important. Does anyone know what are the best springs. The Alpaca spring is very nice.

[Sup]

I do feel a big difference between unlubed and lubed Gateron switches. I don’t know how you apply your lube.

[Rob27shred]

I do feel a big difference between unlubed and lubed Gateron switches. I don’t know how you apply your lube.

To be fair people like us who get very into modding their switches probably have a much lower tolerance for scratchiness, spring ping/crunch, bottom/top out sound, etc.. Also the type & viscosity of lube makes a huge difference on the end results & OP did not disclose what type they used.

Hey all

 I just lubed two set of switches. Gateron black and yellow. This took some time and patience. But to be honest the results did not blow me away. Both switches did lose the scratchy feeling. They are smoother. But I feel not as smooth as i expect since they were smooth to begin with. Honestly they feel the same but without any scratchiness. I compared them to Alpacas and just for fun 45g topre. I have to say the Alpacas feel better. They are all smooth but the spring in the Alpacas feels better. topre 45g feels smoother then all of them and i find that weird since it is a tactile switch. This leaves me with the conclusion that springs type AND lubbing are important. Does anyone know what are the best springs. The Alpaca spring is very nice.

There really is no "best" spring TBH. IME once oiled most springs of the same weighting will be just as good as the other. There are a few outliers like the black springs that come stock in Aliaz switches (hot garbage IME), but for the most part whether they're stock or aftermarket springs, all things being equal, even switch modding veterans would have a hard time telling the difference between the two once they are both oiled. To answer your question though, I believe Alpacas use gold plated Durock springs at the 62g bottom out weight.

[foxtrap614]

I think it is the 62g weight I prefer. I used a thin lube that was not very thick. I did notice ping went away, but I am not big on sound. Since this was my first lube I might done some things wrong but it really is not that hard. This seems to be a personal thing. I just do not feel that much difference. The sound is much crisper though.

[foxtrap614]

Ok, switched out half to unlubed reds on the yellow board. tested the all three the switches. I do now notice a difference. I know this sounds weird but the reds are much harder to press down. While the yellow and blacks go down very smooth It is really satisfying going from unlubed to lubed. You can really feel the difference then. I still think topre is the smoothest. Is there a linear topre switch?

[HungerMechanic]

OK, first of all, Gateron Yellows are already fairly smooth. Not perfect, but smooth by Cherry standards. People who lube them to their preference tend to report a noticeable improvement still. So as you test your switches, you should be noticing improvement with the Yellows if lubed properly.

Switches take to lube differently. For example, most people report that some low-tactility switches like MX Brown and Aliaz don't benefit much from lubing. It can even remove their already-limited tactility. BOX switches, like BOX Browns, aren't usually lubed, and can lose their lube.

But heavier tactiles can benefit immensely from lube. MX Clears, for example, are stiff and scratchy. But if you wear them in for a month and then lube them, they become much nicer to work with. If you are using lighter springs to build Ergo Clears, then lubing becomes essential: the spring needs to clear the tactile bump while using less energy. Proper lubing then becomes an enormous factor. Likewise, if you are building Holy Pandas, you don't want to use them unlubed. Proper lubing makes an enormous difference to the typing experience with those as well.

Alpacas and several other Durock linears come with a light, but consistent factory lube. This prevents scratchiness and makes them feel smoother than many other linears. Regardless, people still film and lube the Alpacas. The film reduces wobble and improves the sound, and likewise the lubing is a factor in improving sound and optimizing smoothness. So the user modifications to the Durock switches, in terms of filming and lubing, actually become pretty decisive towards them becoming an endgame switch.

As far as Topre goes, I've always found that the EC switches have a tactility that is present through the entire keypress. So this contributes towards a feeling of 'smoothness' because it's not just a scratchy linear with an interruption [bump] somewhere along the way. Nonetheless, people often lube Topre, because they think it makes it smoother and sound better. I personally thought that lubed 45 G silenced Topre was great. It's an entirely different mechanism, and the rubber-dome is providing tactility consistently throughout every stage of the keypress.

For a more 'linear' Topre, you might want to try Niz Plum switches. I reviewed a 45G keyboard with them here:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=106707.0

I want to try 35 G next, as that is probably closer to the resistance provided by MX light tactiles.

[HungerMechanic]

I forgot to say about the springs that springs are as important as the switch itself. You'll feel the impact of the spring nearly as much as the way the switch is designed. When I put stiff 68 gr Spirit springs in a linear or tactile, I end up noticing the spring more than anything.

You need to lube springs. It might be more important than lubing switches in some cases. That horrid Aliaz spring will ping and crunch, and should be lubed if not thrown out. The Alpaca spring is pretty inoffensive, but I find it a little lifeless. Instead, I put 65 g stainless Spirit springs in mine, and they are great. More pushback, and I'm less likely to bottom-out. They feel more lively.

If you get ahold of an H1 switch or a Tangerine V2, it's close to an Alpaca, but uses a different spring. Durock uses 67 in many of their linears, and it's actually the Alpaca that's the exception here. I wanted an Alpaca with a slightly heavier spring, and I think that's basically what a Mauve or 67 gr Tangerine is. Except I'm using my own springs.

Different springs, when lubed, may feel similar if they are the same weight. But there are variations. TX and Spirit springs are a little different in weight and intensity. Plus, there are variants like Progressive and Slow springs, which change where force is distributed in the spring. The stock spring in Cherry MX Clear is a special kind of spring that intensifies as you get closer to bottom-out, in order to discourage bottoming-out. So the way the spring is configured can noticeably change the feel of a switch.

One of the important things to take away from this discussion is that you should lube your springs. If nothing else, lube your springs. Springs contribute to ping and scratchiness, but this can be dampened with lube. If you are ever using Cherry housings, you will thank yourself for lubing your springs.

[foxtrap614]

Thanks for all the feedback. It was very helpful in determining how my switch lubbing went. I believe i did not do it very well as i did not lube the springs that much. I will re try lubbing the springs as well. I also will look into getting some better springs for the blacks. T

[HungerMechanic]

You might want to look into "donut dipping" and "bag lubing" as two of the less labour-intensive methods. Although they may be less-effective as well.

Springs don't need much lube at all. They just need to be lubed properly.

[ddrfraser1]

Hard to polish a turd. (A little harsh but not that harsh)

[lolafineday]

Btw, dont know if anyone has said this but, lubing switches is also mostly for the sound. And lubing for smoothness is only on cheaper switches really. Maybe gat yellows and such. But if you are getting bad results maybe try less lube, then slowly add up.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

[treeleaf64]

Lubing spring does not change smoothness that much

Lubing makes a big difference for sound and feel!

Maybe you are not lubing correctly in the right places, or you are not using the right lube

Alpaca have 62g if you want to buy separate spring

[Leslieann]

The advantage of lube changes depends on the switch, scratchiness (browns), binding (Kaihl Pro Purple) and stiction* (Box Jade), together they can make springs feel softer as well as change sound. Some switches are really good out of the box (Zeal v2) but others such as the Pro Purple almost require lube to be usable (the binding was insane and hurt my hands).

Springs you mostly need to lube the ends, many only do the bottom, some do top and bottom, some do the whole thing. The only reason to do the whole thing is either laziness or to help with extreme ping. Too much and too thin and it can eventually pool in the bottom.


*Stiction is the static friction that needs to be overcome to enable relative motion of stationary objects in contact.   This is one area where Topre has an advantage.