Krytox lube set (GPL103 oil, GPL201 grease, Precision oiler)

[limmy]

All lube sets are sold! Thanks everyone!

High res photo album of the items for sale http://imgur.com/a/GOQ4m

Precision oiler and Krytox grease

Order status:

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== US orders ==
...
== Paid/Shipped US orders ==
bazemk1979 (paid/shipped)
boost (paid/shipped)
calavera (paid/shipped)
cgbuen (paid/shipped)
ekw808 (paid/shipped)
Goodfella (paid/shipped)
grips (paid/shipped)
habitualapse (paid/shipped)
hellocodes (paid/shipped)
ebacho (paid/shipped)
eyesmiles (paid/shipped)
gopanthersgo1 (paid/shipped)
ishtob (paid/shipped)
jdcarpe (paid/shipped)
MKULTRA (paid/shipped)
Photoelectric (paid/shipped)
orlando (paid/shipped)
ray4jc (paid/shipped)


== International  Orders ==
Turkishrambo (invoiced)
...
== Paid/Shipped International  Orders ==
Aranair (paid/shipped)
Broadmonkey (paid/shipped)
dragonken (paid/shipped)
n0rvig (paid/shipped)
raphdu57 (paid/shipped)
xauser (paid/shipped)

Pricing:
$15 plus shipping.
shipping is $3 for US
$8 for non-US

I have 12 sets for sale. I do have some spare containers, but unless you show interest in couple of hours, they are going to be packed and not opened until September.

What are included?
0.5oz bottle with 14g of Krytox GPL103 oil
1oz bottle
bottle caps with luer lock threads (one cap for each bottle)
27 gauge blunt luer lock needle
needle cap
luer lock cap
1 empty jar for mixing
1 jar with 5g of Krytox GPL201 grease




More information on the oiler (Please read if you are interested in the oiler)

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Description:
The needle gauge is small enough that GPL103 will not flow too easily and large enough that it has decent flow when the bottle is squeezed.

I experimented with several kinds of blunt needles. First, I started with what I can get easily and later ordered specialty needles. So far I tried 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 32 gauge needles. Large blunt needles that you can get in the market was too wide that it was hard to control the flow of low viscosity GPL103. As for the speciality blunt needles, 32 was too narrow for GPL103, 30 was okay but I had to squeeze pretty hard to get decent flow, 27 was best so far for GPL103.

The bottle is made of LDPE(soft plastic) and can be squeezed to control oil flow.

I also ordered needle caps and luer lock caps to go with the set. The needle cap covers the needle so the needle is not damaged accidentally, but it doesn't seal the container. For sealing purposes, the luer lock cap could be used.

The kit is not hard to get. It is just that vendors don't sell them in low quantities. Bottles must be ordered in 10 units, needles and etc must be ordered in 50 units. And the shipping!! So, I bought 50 and now I am selling the left overs.


Note on the cap of 0.5oz bottle:
When the cap is closed with a decent force, the cap slips from the threads on the bottle. So, I had to twist the cap up to a point where I felt a little insecure about leaking. During normal use, I could detect no or very little leak on the threads, so the cap could be fine. However, to get a better seal I applied PTFE thread sealant tape on the threads of the bottle. 1oz bottle cap do not have the same problem.


Here are specification of the blunt needles I tried:
IT grade
Green    21 gauge ID 0.033mm OD 0.838mm
Red      24 gauge ID 0.022mm OD 0.559mm
NT grade
Clear    27 gauge ID 0.016mm OD 0.410mm
Lavender 30 gauge ID 0.012mm OD 0.310mm
Yellow   32 gauge ID 0.010mm OD 0.260mm


Some useful links:
http://jensenglobal.com/ - where I ordered the set $80
http://www.precisionoilerplus.com/ - sample precision oiler $4
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190819577584 - 24 gauge needle with 1 oz container
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330693781563 - Krytox oil GPL100 1/4oz in volume $15
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230738981154 - Krytox oil GPL100 1/2oz in volume $25
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251186711912 - Krytox grease GPL205 1/2oz (14g) in weight $24
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=42316.0 - Krytox oil GPL103 GB jdcarpe $10 per 1/2oz
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=41112.0 - Krytox oil GPL103 GB Jocelyn $8 per 1/2oz

Some guide on lubing Cherry switches
Here is an illustration of where I apply different kind of lube. I used an image from GH wiki ( http://wiki.geekhack.org/index.php?title=Cherry_MX )



I dip the precision oiler into Krytox grease and get small amount of grease on the needle. I bring the needle to the sliding surface and spread the grease and oil at the same time. Key is to spread the grease thin so that the surface can get good spread of Krytox oil. Without the grease, the oil tend to form small drops instead. In my method, the sole purpose of the grease is to spread the oil nicely.

Also, I use Victorinox oil on the stem where spring is inserted. I put a small drop on it. I don't put as much attention when I apply the Victorinox oil since pressing the assembled switch a couple of times does a pretty good job of spreading the oil. However, you should be careful not to put too much lube.

Questions and Answers:
1. Are you going to separate a set?(only needle, for example) No. Sorry.
2. Can I buy more than 3 sets? Yes. But shipping will be more since I have to use a box insted of bubble mailer.
3. Did you try syringes? Yes. Squeeze bottle is much better.
4. How does the precision oiler compare to using brushes? I like the oiler better because I have better control over the amount of oil applied. Of course you could control the amount of oil using brushes, but I think it is harder than using squeeze bottle with a right gauge needle.
5. What about the other precision oiler in the above links? They may be okay if you don't care much about amount of oils(you will get large drops of oil), but from what I have experienced, I would certainly try this out.
6. How many switches can you lube with this set? According to my experiments, you can lube 4000 switches. Here is how I got the number: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44373.msg930717#msg930717

Thanks for looking.


Moving sale available until 6/21 8AM EST
No longer for sale maybe later:

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1. Cherry PBT lasered key caps. Partial set. $12 shipped within CONUS + extra shipping outside CONUS


4. Razer Armadillo Mouse cord holder $8 shipped within CONUS + extra shipping outside CONUS


5. Girldc's Punisher Gold $45 shipped within CONUS + extra shipping outside CONUS comes with a case, there are some blemishes but nothing major


6. Girldc's Ironman Black$70 shipped within CONUS + extra shipping outside CONUS comes with a case, I noticed some part of plating had come off, but it is shiny underneath the black plating. I suppose black plating was done over silver. See in the close up. Nevertheless, still looking good!

Sold items

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2. Cherry PBT blank key cap set. (note: stepped Capslock and off center spacebar, x1.25 bottom row mods) $32 shipped within CONUS  + extra shipping outside CONUS (sold to DarSee)


3. Cherry dyesub replica round 1 with RGB legends. $75 + shipping sold to Lbeuol

Moving sale round 2
I found more keyboards in my office!!

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Imgur album of the sale items: http://imgur.com/a/v0TEd#0

1. Cherry G80-8113 board without key caps (110+ Brown, 1 Clear, 1 Grey)  SOLD! $13 + shipping

I cannot desolder the switches. I would have to ship it as a board.
shipping from 14850 weighs 4lbs.
Postage calculator: http://postcalc.usps.com/Default.aspx?m=0&oz=14850

2. Two Dell AT101W boards. SOLD! $20 + shipping

One is very clean and lubed. I like it a lot.
Second one has yellowed keycaps. It is not lubed. You can feel the difference.
shipping from 14850 weighs 8lbs 12oz.
Postage calculator: http://postcalc.usps.com/Default.aspx?m=0&oz=14850

3. Cherry G81-700LPDUS-2 SOLD $10 + shipping

lubed with Kytox lube. More smooth than stock, but still MY switch.
If you like black switches, you might be okay using it. The board has hardware macro features.
Press all ctrl, shift, alt keys, then you can program any key that is outside of the main cluster.
Lasered black key caps. Nice and thick.
shipping from 14850 weighs 5lb.
Postage calculator: http://postcalc.usps.com/Default.aspx?m=0&oz=14850

I will include silver metal sticker sheet if you buy the G81 keyboard. The sticker is meant to be used to put legends on front side of key caps, like the one you see in HHKB. Font used in this sticker is very similar to side prints of HHKB (I would say 99% match)


4. Very nice USB to PS/2 converter aka Blue cube SOLD! $8 + shipping

Works very well with the above Dell keyboard. I heard IBM model Ms work very well with this converter.
New in original packaging.
shipping from 14850 weighs 3oz.
Postage calculator: http://postcalc.usps.com/Default.aspx?m=0&oz=14850

5.  Razer Armadillo Mouse cord holder SOLD! $3 + shipping

shipping from 14850 weighs 6oz.
Postage calculator: http://postcalc.usps.com/Default.aspx?m=0&oz=14850

I can combine shipping!

[n0rvig]

Grease? I'll take some!

[limmy]

Grease? I'll take some!

I plan to sell the grease with the oiler kit. Are you still interested? Please let me know.

[n0rvig]

PM sent with details

[habitualapse]

In for a set of A and of B.

[limmy]

How does Krytox 201 compare to 203 or 205?

Krytox grease are thickened Krytox oil with PTFE and the model number of the grease reflects what type of oil was used as base oil. For example, GPL201 uses GPL101 oil as base. All GPL grease has same consistency of NLGI 2, so they all have same consistency of peanut butter. However, since base oils are different the grease feels different.

GPL201 is slippery to touch and I think it is good base for mixing with Krytox oils if you want the mix to have low viscosity. I use the grease to paint a thin coat and then I use the oiler to apply Krytox oils. I think it works pretty well that way.

[VesperSAINT]

Just so you know, your imgur isn't working so we can't see any of the pictures

[Sai]

Just so you know, your imgur isn't working so we can't see any of the pictures

works fine for me though.

[jdcarpe]

I would like a set of A + B, please.

[VesperSAINT]

Just so you know, your imgur isn't working so we can't see any of the pictures

works fine for me though.

Still doesn't work for me I wonder what's up.

[limmy]

I guess imgur is having some trouble. Hopefully it gets resolved.

So far, 4 A+B sets have been claimed and I will send PMs to people who showed interest. I am going to ask $3 for shipping within US to cover some fees. I hope it is not a huge deal for you.

[jdcarpe]

Paid. Thank you, sir!

[SpAmRaY]

Ygpm I may be slow to respond in driving a few more hours

[limmy]

12 more of set B (Krytox 201 grease) available.

I ordered 0.5kg of Krytox 103 oil to bundle with the oiler kit, so if you do not have any Krytox oils, you might want to wait a bit until the oil is delivered to me.

If you already have Krytox oil, set A+B will be pretty useful.

[VesperSAINT]

12 more of set B (Krytox 201 grease) available.

I ordered 0.5kg of Krytox 103 oil to bundle with the oiler kit, so if you do not have any Krytox oils, you might want to wait a bit until the oil is delivered to me.

If you already have Krytox oil, set A+B will be pretty useful.

Will wait for oil Awesome.

[SpAmRaY]

paid!

[limmy]

Krytox GPL103 oil has arrived. I will contact those who PMed me about the oil.

[boost]

Krytox GPL103 oil has arrived. I will contact those who PMed me about the oil.

Show Image

Show Image

Woot!!!!!

[VesperSAINT]

I want some oil ~ How to do thisss. Maybe a complete set because I only have a small vial of already mixed.

[BunnyLake]

i would like a complete set if still available

[grips]

I, too, would like a set if still available.

[limmy]

I will send out PMs and update the OP by tomorrow. As for the oil, I am going to ask $8 for 14g(about 1/2oz in weight). A complete set of oil + oiler + grease is going to be 8+3+4=$15 plus shipping.

If you are interested in a complete set, please leave a comment here or PM me. I will get back to you by tomorrow if not sooner.

[VesperSAINT]

I'm going to be finishing my mod this week and if I need more, I'll be sure to order more from here!

[grips]

I am interested in the complete set. Thanks!

[orlando]

I'll take a complete set!

[Photoelectric]

Interested in a complete set, please!  This can be used for springs (oil) and stems (mixture)?

[limmy]

Interested in a complete set, please!  This can be used for springs (oil) and stems (mixture)?

For lubricating springs, I like to use Victorinox multitool oil. This oil is pretty thick and it works well in reducing scratchy sound and ping noise coming from the springs.

For sliders, I use thin coat of Krytox grease and then I spread Krytox oil on top of the coat. The grease coat would make the oil spread out nicely, but I don't think it would be 100% necessary. Krytox is pretty good for lubing the sliders, because it is pretty slippery and would not change(react with oxygen and etc) or become sticky over time.

It is never a good idea to over apply grease or oil. If you can see the blob of oil or grease, I think you are doing it wrong.

I hope my little guide and description was helpful. Thanks!

[Photoelectric]

It is.  But just to clarify one point: you would recommend Victorinox over formula 103 for springs?  Just wondering what the oil is for if you are saying it's not necessary.

[orlando]

It is.  But just to clarify one point: you would recommend Victorinox over formula 103 for springs?  Just wondering what the oil is for if you are saying it's not necessary.

I mix gpl 103 with the grease. I also use victorinox for the springs.

[limmy]

It is.  But just to clarify one point: you would recommend Victorinox over formula 103 for springs?  Just wondering what the oil is for if you are saying it's not necessary.

Lubing springs:
Yes. I tried Krytox grease, oil, oil/grease mix on springs, but I prefer Victorinox multi tool over them. I like the multi tool oil on springs for the following reasons:
1. It is CHEAP and easy to get (search ebay)
2. It is high viscosity oil(thick).
3. It reduces scratchy sound coming from springs and takes care of ringing sound (reduces vibration of springs)

I personally think any thick oil will do when it comes to lubricating springs. It doesn't have to be high-performance oil such as Krytox.

Is grease necessary?
I said in previous post something is not 100% necessary. I meant grease. Oil only lube job worked just fine for me. Grease helps and with grease you could get better results, but using grease is more risky in that using too much could change feel of switches quite significantly. Using grease has similar risk of using high viscosity oil on sliding surfaces. When it is used properly it should help, but if not it could be disastrous. 

How about Krytox?
Before trying Krytox, I tried several kinds of lube and grease. I can say this for certain that Krytox was the best among the lube I own. I think Krytox shines on large sliding surfaces.

I began my journey for lube because my 5-year old HHKB needed a lube job. I started with different lube I could get for cheap, but they didn't help much. Failing to find good enough lube for cheap, I turned my attention to high-end lube. Since I heard good things about Krytox at KBDMania, I tried them although price tag was pretty high. Krytox worked well and I stopped searching for better lube.

TL;DR
No need to use expensive Krytox on springs.
Krytox is especially good on sliding surfaces.

[limmy]

All paid orders have been shipped!! Order status in the OP is updated.

[MKULTRA]

So this is all you need to lube switches correct?

[limmy]

I would add Victorinox multi-tool oil or any high viscosity oil for springs.

But other than that you should be good to go with this set.

[jdcarpe]

Got mine in the mail the other day. Thanks for this, limmy!

[MKULTRA]

And you still have some in stock right?

[limmy]

I do have oil.

I will have to go get some more containers for grease.

I don't have any extra needle for sale though. The only needle you can get is what is included in the set.

[MKULTRA]

How many switches on avg will these sets do?

[limmy]

How many switches on avg will these sets do?

A good question. I lubed 20 red switches and I used about 0.05g of oil and 0.01g of grease. The scale I used is cheapo ebay digital scale, so margin of error could be large, yet I think it is good enough to answer your question.

Using conservative measurement of oil and grease used (say 0.06g and 0.02g), the set is enough to lube 4666 switches with oil and 5000 switches with grease. So, you should be able to lube about give or take 45 full keyboards.

http://imgur.com/a/zed65#0
I took some pictures during the process and added some descriptions.

I would like to announce that
1) 12 more grease set is now available.
2) 61 lubricated and stickered Cherry MX switches are for sale. I am asking for $27 + shipping.

[limmy]

Some pictures from the album ( http://imgur.com/a/zed65#0 ):

Measurements before..


Measurements after 20 switches..

[Photoelectric]

Got my kit today--thank you!

[limmy]

Got my kit today--thank you!

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I am glad the set arrived with no problem. And that's a great photo of the set!

Try out the grease by putting a small amount on a surface and spread them out. You will feel the magic if you rub your fingers over the surface. I use it on my hard surface mouse pad and it works pretty well.

[metafour]

2) 61 lubricated and stickered Cherry MX switches are for sale. I am asking for $27 + shipping.

Are these just standard reds?

[Broadmonkey]

Got my set the other day. I use Blacks and can't really feel a difference. Maybe I am doing it wrong.
I added some grease on the sliders and legs and then added the oil with the oiler. I only used a small amount of grease and enough oil to cover the whole slider. Maybe it's because I haven't lubed the springs yet 

[limmy]

2) 61 lubricated and stickered Cherry MX switches are for sale. I am asking for $27 + shipping.

Are these just standard reds?

Yes. They are from Poker, hence 61 switches.

Full disclosure: One stem is kind of worn out due to metal caps, so I am going to include a few black switches.

Got my set the other day. I use Blacks and can't really feel a difference. Maybe I am doing it wrong.
I added some grease on the sliders and legs and then added the oil with the oiler. I only used a small amount of grease and enough oil to cover the whole slider. Maybe it's because I haven't lubed the springs yet 

Press the key caps from side or press corners of larger non-stabilized keys. Those are the places where it is easy to notice the effect. I hope you find it useful.

[metafour]

Was hoping you swapped in some new springs. Like 62g.

[limmy]

Was hoping you swapped in some new springs. Like 62g.

I have extra springs. 100 springs for $4 sound good? You have choices of 55g or 62g.

[metafour]

I have springs, switches and stickers. I just don't have them put together. Or the lube that you have. Was just hoping that you happened to have stickered and lubed the 61 switches with 62g springs. Thanks though!

[limmy]

I see. Then you should get my lube set and lube them yourself. haha.

Anyways, good luck with your search.

[grips]

Thanks, limmy! I received my package today. Now I just need to find some springs and your lubing guide.

[SpAmRaY]

Received mine today! Thanks!