Question about zinc caps

[xmagusx]

Someone's posted caution about Zinc caps:
http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1jnbsr/why_i_wouldnt_recommend_zinc_key_caps_photos/
Has anyone else had this issue?

[Tym]

Well I have had mine (WASD) set for a fair time now, about 6 months. A heavy use on my daily driver and so far they are still fine, someone mentioned once (can't remember who/where) that it was a reaction to crap on your fingers, but I don't know about that.

Basically, not personally had that issue, but I have seen a couple of examples of those who have.

[Obakemono]

I guess it depends on caps quality + user cleanliness 

[Photoelectric]

I wouldn't use them as my main alpha caps, but I've had them on arrow cluster keys and also Esc, and they've been like new after three months of use.

[SpAmRaY]

user cleanliness 

^^ this matters a lot

eating fried chicken while typing probably not a good idea

[tricheboars]

if the price of your zinc caps are too good to be true it is because it is too good to be true. i bet this is due to the caps being made out of aluminum with a zinc coating. the zinc coating was thin and wore off. thus this nonsense.

get some good caps and you will probably have better luck.

[MOZ]

if the price of your zinc caps are too good to be true it is because it is too good to be true. i bet this is due to the caps being made out of aluminum with a zinc coating. the zinc coating was thin and wore off. thus this nonsense.

get some good caps and you will probably have better luck.

Woa, they were made out of Zinc turbo. Zinc is cheaper than Alu and also heavier, which is evident form the keycaps, since I have both zic and alu caps.

[divito]

As others have said, it comes down the coating, your finger's cleanliness, as well as, those keys listed in the Reddit article are lettered. I imagine the lettering process makes it thinner in that area, which makes any oils, debris etc... have an easier time penetrating the area of the letters, as seems to be witnessed in the pictures.

I plan on doing zinc alphas, but of the blank variety, to help mitigate any potential issues with wear, on top of maintaining clean hands and the like.

[FrostyToast]

I used to be all over the idea of a board decked out with zinc caps, but then I slowly came to think that they looked kind of ugly.
Never once considered them again.

[Data]

That Reddit post links back to a Titanium key caps group buy on this board from last year.

We should do something like that again. 

[SpicyLobotomy]

From what I know there are 2 versions of the zinc caps, where the first revision would get screwed up from use. The second revision is supposed to be much more durable and I have not seen anyone posting issues with that one yet. Only time will tell I suppose.

[berserkfan]

From what I know there are 2 versions of the zinc caps, where the first revision would get screwed up from use. The second revision is supposed to be much more durable and I have not seen anyone posting issues with that one yet. Only time will tell I suppose.

Exactly. Is that MKC Round 1 or MKC Round 2?

[EvilOliv3]

Wow, I'm pretty sure there's more to it from looking at those pictures. The guy must be omitting something, he could be living unda da sea... No but seriously though, I don't see how, from normal use, the keys would degrade and rust like that.

[Data]

Skin pH varies between regions and cultures, but is generally mildly acidic (around 5.0 pH).  I'd assume this is sufficient to cause oxidation in the Zinc over the period of months described in that Reddit post, though it probably depends on the electroplating method as suggested by another user.  If the plating layer (probably chrome?) is very thin it would naturally wear with use, exposing the solid Zinc layer below to oxidation.

Just a guess, I'm no chemist.

[berserkfan]

Wow, I'm pretty sure there's more to it from looking at those pictures. The guy must be omitting something, he could be living unda da sea... No but seriously though, I don't see how, from normal use, the keys would degrade and rust like that.

One big killer could be him spilling mountain dew on the keycaps and not cleaning them off quickly enough. Mountain dew is acid.

[SpecTP]

I have a set of MKC red WASD and they wore out around 3months of heavy use.  No more legend and the corners have lost the red color.

[Puddsy]

Wow, I'm pretty sure there's more to it from looking at those pictures. The guy must be omitting something, he could be living unda da sea... No but seriously though, I don't see how, from normal use, the keys would degrade and rust like that.

One big killer could be him spilling mountain dew on the keycaps and not cleaning them off quickly enough. Mountain dew is acid.

All sodas are acid. Not only that, but strong acid as well.

[EvilOliv3]

Dude must off dipped his fingertips in salt water every time he used his board.

No one seems to mention that this guy carried on using the S and L keys to the point where it looks like a cat's butthole.... and then posted issue.
You would think he thought to post the issue, when he noticed the first sign of wear. Or at least swapped that s*** out, or wear some gloves, just to find out what was causing the problem.