I've accidentally created "budget Topre".

[fateswarm]

I put tons of high viscosity synthetic grease on a Cherry Brown.

I think I might try this on more of the keyboard.

I've done F9, F10, F11, F12 with it and it feels a lot like a "thock" set compared to the rest of the keyboard now when mashing them.

It's like lightweight Topre.

edit: I wonder if clears would be best for it.

[TwistedMentat]

edit: I wonder if clears would be best for it.

The consensus among Ergo-Clear users (as well as those who lube their Clears but keep the stock springs) is that a lighter oil-type lubricant works best for smooth, crisp action, and a thick greasy substance deadens the properties of the switch and is generally undesirable.  However, personal preference accounts for much with regard to mechanical keyboards.  The only way to know if it's right for you is to try it.

[PointyFox]

Putting a rubber spill guard under light weight MX keys also makes them Topre-like.

[sth]

nothing will make cherry MX topre-like because there is no cup rubber to find oneness with.

[metalliqaz]

There can be only one Topre

[Schattendolch]

nothing will make cherry MX topre-like because there is no cup rubber to find oneness with.

lol. true that

[PointyFox]

nothing will make cherry MX topre-like because there is no cup rubber to find oneness with.

lol. true that

What?

[typo]

gee whiz. let a cherry be a cherry. they are fine in their own right even if they feel different than topre. why does everything have to be a topre? I mean like ferrari and Lamborghini are both tops. they share the same spot in my mind. for the record I have more cherry boards than topres but that is just cost. until I bought the deck.....

[PointyFox]

I think I'm missing something.

[dante]

"works as great in my keyboard as it does in the bedroom!"

[jabar]

if someone designs a rubber cup over, say, plate mounted switches I'm sure it would feel something similar. It's all about the smooth action. and thock.

[esoomenona]

I don't undettand wht the battle with Topre is!? Let's think about this. First, we're cheaper. Second, we get all teh cool ****. **** Topre.

[sth]

Second, we get all teh cool ****.

cool, as in a 4' tall spoiler and Type-R stickers on a 2003 ford focus zx5

[esoomenona]

Stickers make you faster. Enjoy your 50 WPM, bro.

[PointyFox]

if someone designs a rubber cup over, say, plate mounted switches I'm sure it would feel something similar. It's all about the smooth action. and thock.

That's what I was talking about.  They make those, and I have one. 

[REVENGE]

if someone designs a rubber cup over, say, plate mounted switches I'm sure it would feel something similar. It's all about the smooth action. and thock.

That's what I was talking about.  They make those, and I have one. 

It's similar in spirit, but not the same.

[SpAmRaY]

I put tons of high viscosity synthetic grease on a Cherry Brown.

I think I might try this on more of the keyboard.

I've done F9, F10, F11, F12 with it and it feels a lot like a "thock" set compared to the rest of the keyboard now when mashing them.

It's like lightweight Topre.

edit: I wonder if clears would be best for it.

You should post some video with sound typing on these!

[fateswarm]

Basically, to be more serious about it, MX Brown technology is inherently enormously "multi-scratchy". For a single key press, several different friction events appear to occur of a plastic-on-plastic nature that create an amalgam of noise, synthesized from the several weak forces. In practice, the key, especially in unison with other keys, sounds like an "old toy", it's plastic-on-plastic sex.

One can even be more forceful about it and try to press a switch while also inflicting force on either of 4 horizontal directions. In all 4 directions the force of friction applied is enormous for the size of the small key.

Result? The switches must always be oiled. The opinions differ on how, but I think those keys are by inception so scratchy I see no argument at all at how non-oiled they could be better (I would discount 'nostalgia/used to it' type opinions).

edit: And I think the tactility event remains even with high viscosity oils.

[fateswarm]

You should post some video with sound typing on these!

I have sound of 4 keys being mashed and 4 oiled keys being mashed:

http://83.212.111.36/1.m4a

One can notice the plastic-on-plastic "searching in my LEGO bag" sound being diminished on the oiled keys.

Sure, oiled keys, especially with highly viscous oils, aren't anything perfect since inevitably you're going to get some sort of 'dampening' one way or another, but the switch technology is deficient by inception in terms of scratching anyway that I think if you do not cover the tactile event you're improving it.

edit: PS. I believe the crappy phone mic I used for those is incapable of getting lower pitches. It doesn't sound that much different in reality, but the sound of oiled switches should  be slightly lower/deeper (since they also indirectly make the steel plate of the board generate lower frequencies).

PPS I suspect oiling on MX technology would work best with a very strong tactile event and a slightly strong actuation force which probably doesn't exist in the market. That way the tactile event will transform from being too strong to just being sharp and actuation force would slightly decrease to 'normality'.

[PointyFox]

You should post some video with sound typing on these!

I have sound of 4 keys being mashed and 4 oiled keys being mashed:

http://83.212.111.36/1.m4a

One can notice the plastic-on-plastic "searching in my LEGO bag" sound being diminished on the oiled keys.

Sure, oiled keys, especially with highly viscous oils, aren't anything perfect since inevitably you're going to get some sort of 'dampening' one way or another, but the switch technology is deficient by inception in terms of scratching anyway that I think if you do not cover the tactile event you're improving it.

edit: PS. I believe the crappy phone mic I used for those is incapable of getting lower pitches. It doesn't sound that much different in reality, but the sound of oiled switches should  be slightly lower/deeper (since they also indirectly make the steel plate of the board generate lower frequencies).

PPS I suspect oiling on MX technology would work best with a very strong tactile event and a slightly strong actuation force which probably doesn't exist in the market. That way the tactile event will transform from being too strong to just being sharp and actuation force would slightly decrease to 'normality'.

I think eventually the friction will wear smooth key mechanisms and they will produce less high-frequency noise like the oiled keys.

[fateswarm]

You should post some video with sound typing on these!

I have sound of 4 keys being mashed and 4 oiled keys being mashed:

http://83.212.111.36/1.m4a

One can notice the plastic-on-plastic "searching in my LEGO bag" sound being diminished on the oiled keys.

Sure, oiled keys, especially with highly viscous oils, aren't anything perfect since inevitably you're going to get some sort of 'dampening' one way or another, but the switch technology is deficient by inception in terms of scratching anyway that I think if you do not cover the tactile event you're improving it.

edit: PS. I believe the crappy phone mic I used for those is incapable of getting lower pitches. It doesn't sound that much different in reality, but the sound of oiled switches should  be slightly lower/deeper (since they also indirectly make the steel plate of the board generate lower frequencies).

PPS I suspect oiling on MX technology would work best with a very strong tactile event and a slightly strong actuation force which probably doesn't exist in the market. That way the tactile event will transform from being too strong to just being sharp and actuation force would slightly decrease to 'normality'.

I think eventually the friction will wear smooth key mechanisms and they will produce less high-frequency noise like the oiled keys.

Nah, those plastics are inherently scratchy. You won't turn them into glass eventually. If it was metal on metal, maybe, but those, I doubt it.

In fact, even metal-on-metal needs oils, as cars have demonstrated. (and their burnt engines if they lack oil)

It appears direct forces of a discreet part on another discreet part will inevitably be scratchy and rubber domes avoid it by being only one discreet part that does the whole motion, or holds the structure in one piece.

[PointyFox]

You should post some video with sound typing on these!

I have sound of 4 keys being mashed and 4 oiled keys being mashed:

http://83.212.111.36/1.m4a

One can notice the plastic-on-plastic "searching in my LEGO bag" sound being diminished on the oiled keys.

Sure, oiled keys, especially with highly viscous oils, aren't anything perfect since inevitably you're going to get some sort of 'dampening' one way or another, but the switch technology is deficient by inception in terms of scratching anyway that I think if you do not cover the tactile event you're improving it.

edit: PS. I believe the crappy phone mic I used for those is incapable of getting lower pitches. It doesn't sound that much different in reality, but the sound of oiled switches should  be slightly lower/deeper (since they also indirectly make the steel plate of the board generate lower frequencies).

PPS I suspect oiling on MX technology would work best with a very strong tactile event and a slightly strong actuation force which probably doesn't exist in the market. That way the tactile event will transform from being too strong to just being sharp and actuation force would slightly decrease to 'normality'.

I think eventually the friction will wear smooth key mechanisms and they will produce less high-frequency noise like the oiled keys.

Nah, those plastics are inherently scratchy. You won't turn them into glass eventually. If it was metal on metal, maybe, but those, I doubt it.

In fact, even metal-on-metal needs oils, as cars have demonstrated. (and their burnt engines if they lack oil)

It appears direct forces of a discreet part on another discreet part will inevitably be scratchy and rubber domes avoid it by being only one discreet part that does the whole motion, or holds the structure in one piece.

Then why are vintage mx blacks so smooth?