A possibly crazy idea -- variable force Cherry board

[akerasi]

So, I've been collecting cheap Cherry keyswitch boards lately. Soon, I'll have POS boards with Browns and Clears, and a weird (but brand new and with doubleshots) Italian server keyboard with Blacks. Seeing some of the posts on this forum about modded keyswitches, I think once I get the last one (Browns board is in the mail, I have the other two), I've been thinking about doing a variable-force Cherry board, along the lines of the Topre boards, using Clear stems with Browns springs for pinky keys, Blacks for the next few rows over, and leaving the center ones (Index-finger keys) as the original Clears. Is this crazy? Has anyone done this before? If so, what was your experience?

[itchyBlood]

i like this idea.  do it.  
please please keep us updated.

[BiNiaRiS]

There was a thread on this awhile back. Someone did it already.

[jpm804]

I would think you would want to stick with all linear switches instead of using brown switches use red switches.

[guilleguillaume]

I would use MX Black with MX Reds only! I'm sure it will feel nice.

[akerasi]

To clarify, the plan currently is all Clear stems, using the 3 different spring types. I like my tactility; this is for typing, chiefly. I figured someone had done something similar before, but my search-fu wasn't successful.

[komar007]

To clarify, the plan currently is all Clear stems, using the 3 different spring types. I like my tactility; this is for typing, chiefly. I figured someone had done something similar before, but my search-fu wasn't successful.

That is a very good idea. I was thinking how this would feel some time ago, but didn't have other spare springs than from clears.
Keep us updated. I'm hoping to read about your impressions;)

[mbc]

i usually try to put blues under caps lock, num lock etc to hear if i missclick them

[RiGS]

Check this out.

[akerasi]

Check this out.

That does look remarkably similar to my plan, just using Blue stems rather than Clear stems. Thanks for the link!

[Findecanor]

I don't think that it is going to be much of a difference, because you are using clears. Most of the resistance before the actuation point is from the bump on the slider -- not from the coiled spring.

There are also fake Cherry switches that supposedly have a spring that has a stiffness in-between those of Black and Brown/Red/Blue.

[pitashen]

Not crazy and not new. It is even commercially available, such as Ducky.

[itlnstln]

Not crazy and not new. It is even commercially available, such as Ducky.

Ducky uses different switches, but not the same switch with different forces.

[pitashen]

Ducky uses different switches, but not the same switch with different forces.

Different switches mean different forces. Isn't the overall goal is to obtain variable forces? And what OP is thinking is essentially creating different switches thru modding (swapping out springs and stems).

[itlnstln]

Different switches mean different forces. Isn't the overall goal is to obtain variable forces? And what OP is thinking is essentially creating different switches thru modding (swapping out springs and stems).

Perhaps, but it also means different feels.  I wouldn't want blues, clears, browns and blacks all on the same 'board.  Not only are they different forces, but they have different tactility profiles.  The idea is to have one tactility profile at different forces.

[akerasi]

Perhaps, but it also means different feels.  I wouldn't want blues, clears, browns and blacks all on the same 'board.  Not only are they different forces, but they have different tactility profiles.  The idea is to have one tactility profile at different forces.

Exactly. I'll report on how well it works in a week when I get the last pieces to do it, and after I have a bit of time to play with the Browns board as-is (I haven't experienced Browns before...)

My mechanical experiences have been as follows:  Black Complicated Alps (Wang 724), White(or blue? Not sure, didn't open it) Complicated Alps (Northgate Omnikey... NOT mine, owned by my aunt since the 80s new and treated well), Buckling Spring (once owned a Lexmark labeled board, getting an IBM-labeled in the mail with the Cherry Brown), Cherry Clears, Cherry Blacks, Cherry ML, and Cherry MY (please don't throw things, I got it before I knew what mech keyboards were really. IMO, they're not as bad as you say, and are greater than almost any true dome, but lesser when compared to anything mech I've tried).

I'm also thinking about replacing my laptop's keyboard with an ML-switch laptop board (yes, they do exist, although I haven't yet seen one with Windows keys), and at some point I want to try Blues, and possibly track down some of the weird switches like NEC or Space Invaders. But, if my mod goes well, I think that'll end up my daily driver. Still deciding which case to put it in, got to wait til I see what shape the POS board is in. I like the POS board because they're NKRO, and the server board only 2KRO, but the touchpad on the server board is nice and the doubleshots are made for its layout (so, as long as I don't mind Italian label keys, then I'd have a fully doubleshot keyboard with good switches, but 2KRO). If I use the server board (which is a G80-11908HRMIT), I definitely will have to do something about that spacebar, too. It's WAY too heavy. I believe it may be more of a stabilizer issue than a switch issue, though, which may make it difficult to figure out.

[Pretendo]

You know what might be worth a try, if you achieve great technical prowess and have enough switches left over?  Create a board that allows you to easily switch out certain switches and place in others!

Make, say, the "W", "A", "S", "D" and nearby gaming keys detachable so you could switch them from linear to non linear depending on your current use!  It would probably be more expensive than just buying two different switched boards, but definitely bragging rights!

[akerasi]

You know what might be worth a try, if you achieve great technical prowess and have enough switches left over?  Create a board that allows you to easily switch out certain switches and place in others!

Make, say, the "W", "A", "S", "D" and nearby gaming keys detachable so you could switch them from linear to non linear depending on your current use!  It would probably be more expensive than just buying two different switched boards, but definitely bragging rights!

It probably wouldn't be that expensive, and I'd have the parts, but I just don't see a need for myself. You see, I don't really game (gasp! I know!). Mostly, I just type. A lot. I have the equivalent of two full time jobs which are pretty much typing jobs. Doesn't leave much time for computer gaming, and when I do have free time, I prefer social, in-person forms of gaming. Or playing with keyboards to make my workday easier.

[akerasi]

Well, all the parts are here, and as soon as my keycap puller arrives (tired of pulling keys without a decent puller) I plan on modding up my boards. My end plan is to have the pretty terminal board with doubleshots as my general-use board, with Ergo Clears for the pinkies, Panda Clears for the ring fingers, and standard Clears for middle/index finger keys. With what I have left over, I think I'm also going to make one of the Cherry POS boards into a gaming board, since they are NKRO. My plan for that is Ghetto Reds for the gaming cluster at least, and Blacks for the rest of it. I'm not sure how many Ghetto Reds I'll use for it. I plan on playing with it and deciding by trial and error. I may have to stress test it in Netrek (I used to play a lot back in the day).

[akerasi]

Mod is done. Short version: it's exactly what I thought it'd be. Clears that don't hurt my smaller fingers anymore (my pinkies were in noticable pain after too long on the board the Clears came from). As for the longer version, I think tomorrow (or late tonight if I'm that bored) I'll post a wiki about my experiences with both mods (the variable force, which is the most interesting, and the mildly interesting tearing apart of two LPBUS boards to make a really good gaming board with mostly ghetto reds. That one's still in progress, literally starting it now. Will probably be done by morning)

[akerasi]

Wiki on my mod is up here.

[akerasi]

Nice mod.  Too bad it's in the Wiki subforum.  That subforum is sure getting crowded.

Thanks for the compliment. It seemed the sanest place to put it; I'm still kind of a noob here, and never sure where to put things yet.

[Deverica Wolf]

This sounds like an interesting idea. I will have to try it out for sure, it could make typing more fun! I think they would all have to be either clicky, bumpy or linear. Otherwise it would be weird soundwise. I wonder how close you could get it to a Topre...

I am doing something like this for my gaming keyboard. I am using Blacks right now. Great for WASD, right, but Blacks don't too crap for me when I reload or go prone. I want stiff feedback like a Clear, it just feels right. And maybe making crouch into a Red switch for a faster reaction. And the numbers for weapon select into Blues/Browns. I have lots of ideas for the perfect shooter keyboard...

[akerasi]

This sounds like an interesting idea. I will have to try it out for sure, it could make typing more fun! I think they would all have to be either clicky, bumpy or linear. Otherwise it would be weird soundwise. I wonder how close you could get it to a Topre...

I am doing something like this for my gaming keyboard. I am using Blacks right now. Great for WASD, right, but Blacks don't too crap for me when I reload or go prone. I want stiff feedback like a Clear, it just feels right. And maybe making crouch into a Red switch for a faster reaction. And the numbers for weapon select into Blues/Browns. I have lots of ideas for the perfect shooter keyboard...

My mod uses all Clear stems for the same level of tactility (bumpiness) across the board (pun totally intended), with the varying force being entirely based on the springs.

I've never really done much FPS gaming, so I can't really speak as to what would be best for that. My gaming keyboard is mostly made for Netrek, as that's the only keyboard intensive game I play (the others just use arrow keys and one or two buttons; usually 2d shooters like Kobo Deluxe). Netrek involves a lot of fast button presses across basically the entire left half of the keyboard (the amount of keys most have in their keymaps is bloody insane if you aren't used to it), and as due to the nature of the game you often end up with your hands in odd, nonstandard positions depending on what you're doing at the moment, I decided just to make them all Ghetto Reds. There isn't usually much penalty for an accidental doubletap in Netrek, so I mostly wanted a board that's easy to tap at quickly for that one.