Silenced my HHKB Pro 2!

[dustinhxc]

Hey everybody! I was going to originally post in the HHKB Topic but I ended up taking too many Photos!
It took me 3 hours total including taking photos and doing everything to how I want it done in the end. Enjoy!

3/16" Medium Neon Dental Bands. Seperated the Orange and Yellow for Candy Corn! and Pink and Purple because they rock!


2018 Update: Use a Krytox lube. Techkeys sells Tribosys 3204 (a Krytox™ GPL 204 grade 0 lube) at the moment. Thanks to Michael BRO, he stated that you can best achieve lubing by applying it like so:



In the case slider housing slots. Evenly and not over doing it. A qtip or the applicator stick from techkeys would work great.

Also instead of dental bands you can use kbdfans silence x stickers or the sliders and foam discs from a type s hhkb or silent variable Realforce.




Removed all of the keycaps





Removed the 3 phillips screws



Unplugged wire harness, Removed 17 I believe, smaller phillips screws



Popped the Plungers out by gently pressing the opposite end of my small screwdriver into them (it is a small ps3 screwdriver)
First 3 rows I did orange and yellow, plungers are the same direction on each hole not like stock they were random





Did pink and purple for the bottom 2 rows
The stabilizer plunger just pops out the same direction and push forward towards you









Used EK MechLube 2 to lube the stabilizers



Be careful, the springs and rubber fall off in certain areas of the circuit board



Re assemble, make sure plungers are facing down when re screwing circuit board screws

Finished product, sorry couldnt get the right lighting tonight..









Mod Price factor 10/10
Mod Satisfaction 10/10

Actuation presses are just a tad shorter but the sound is way more soothing, the Thock is beautiful and no high pitch rattle anymore. Love it!
It is like rain drops dropping everytime I type and it feels very smooth to type on.
Now I have a silenced HHKB Pro 2 in Black and had enough money leftover to spend on a CC instead of the special plungers
Mod is definitely worth the time and obviously the price!


Quick video I shot on my iPhone 5. You can view in HD on Youtube.
HHKB Pro 2 45g 3/16" Medium Dental Bands and Leopold FC210TP MX Browns w/ Red O-Rings

[Puddsy]

Too bad you can't see the colors of the bands.

[Michael]

Very nice... but you didn't lube the sliders, only the stabilizers? :O

[sprit]

How this is the O- ring band?   Nice Job !   

[dustinhxc]

Very nice... but you didn't lube the sliders, only the stabilizers? :O

Thank You, dang it Im a noob to all of this, Im not sure what you mean?

[SpAmRaY]

I didn't realize anyone actually used the lube from ek

[dustinhxc]

I didn't realize anyone actually used the lube from ek

haha I dont know any better, what kind do you like ?

[Michael]

Very nice... but you didn't lube the sliders, only the stabilizers? :O

Thank You, dang it Im a noob to all of this, Im not sure what you mean?

You lube the slider groves on the faceplate of the HHKB that guide the sliders up and down. In these groves:


Use a mixture of Krytox 205 grease and 103GPL Krytox oil.

[dustinhxc]

Very nice... but you didn't lube the sliders, only the stabilizers? :O

Thank You, dang it Im a noob to all of this, Im not sure what you mean?

You lube the slider groves on the faceplate of the HHKB that guide the sliders up and down. In these groves:


Use a mixture of Krytox 205 grease and 103GPL Krytox oil.

Show Image

Thank You! :) I appreciate it! I was searching as you posted that and only found MX info. Thanks!

[Sniping]

Very nice... but you didn't lube the sliders, only the stabilizers? :O

Thank You, dang it Im a noob to all of this, Im not sure what you mean?

You lube the slider groves on the faceplate of the HHKB that guide the sliders up and down. In these groves:


Use a mixture of Krytox 205 grease and 103GPL Krytox oil.

Show Image

I'm still interested in this mod, seems like a way to make Topre even smoother than stock. Will kawa's Thick Krytox Lube Kit work fine as a substitute for the 205 and 103GPL mix?

OP: Great mod! Can you post a short video clip if you can? I just like having more videos of these silencing mods so you can compare between silencing methods and get a better sense of what it sounds like irl

[dustinhxc]

How this is the O- ring band?   Nice Job !   

Dental Bands! Skinnier then the o-rings. Thank You It sounds amazing!

Too bad you can't see the colors of the bands.

Yeah, it is cool knowing they are underneath but it would be neat if you could see them with the keycaps off. I want to swap my plungers with the purple ones even though youd only see them with the keycaps off as well. All about that customization! 

Too bad you can't see the colors of the bands.

Very nice... but you didn't lube the sliders, only the stabilizers? :O

Thank You, dang it Im a noob to all of this, Im not sure what you mean?

You lube the slider groves on the faceplate of the HHKB that guide the sliders up and down. In these groves:


Use a mixture of Krytox 205 grease and 103GPL Krytox oil.

Show Image

I'm still interested in this mod, seems like a way to make Topre even smoother than stock. Will kawa's Thick Krytox Lube Kit work fine as a substitute for the 205 and 103GPL mix?

OP: Great mod! Can you post a short video clip if you can? I just like having more videos of these silencing mods so you can compare between silencing methods and get a better sense of what it sounds like irl

Sure I can film a clip soon, thank you!

[kelske]

Those BlueLounge Kicks!

[dustinhxc]

Those BlueLounge Kicks!

haha Yeah! I love them Thanks to CPTBadAss for showing me the link!

[jinxedx84]

looks good I envy your HHKB

[dustinhxc]

looks good I envy your HHKB

Thank You! Awe, yeah it is everything I imagined it would be and now it sounds amazing too. Now I need to get the different RealForce Key blanks. Orange, Green, maybe another color too... 

[dustinhxc]

Very nice... but you didn't lube the sliders, only the stabilizers? :O

Thank You, dang it Im a noob to all of this, Im not sure what you mean?

You lube the slider groves on the faceplate of the HHKB that guide the sliders up and down. In these groves:


Use a mixture of Krytox 205 grease and 103GPL Krytox oil.

Show Image

I'm still interested in this mod, seems like a way to make Topre even smoother than stock. Will kawa's Thick Krytox Lube Kit work fine as a substitute for the 205 and 103GPL mix?

OP: Great mod! Can you post a short video clip if you can? I just like having more videos of these silencing mods so you can compare between silencing methods and get a better sense of what it sounds like irl

I made a quick video for you, the ten key is browns w/ red o-rings. The HHKB is the stock 45g and 3/16" Medium Dental Bands.

[Sniping]

Awesome, thanks!

[dustinhxc]

Awesome, thanks!

You're Welcome! 

[demik]

i'll be honest, maybe it's the mic but... i heard no difference between your hhkb and mine. completely stock here.


but i have tried to train myself not to bottom out so maybe it's that?

[dustinhxc]

i'll be honest, maybe it's the mic but... i heard no difference between your hhkb and mine. completely stock here.


but i have tried to train myself not to bottom out so maybe it's that?

It is just a phone video but that is full hard presses so it could be just you not bottoming out, i definetly notice a difference though since I bottom out. It used to have a rattle high pitch click like an mx switch when i released the key from coming back up. Now I only hear the thock.

[demik]

i need to try the mod to see if i notice a difference.

but i need to go 55g first, i've caught myself spamming letters when i rest my hands on the board

[Michael]

i need to try the mod to see if i notice a difference.

but i need to go 55g first, i've caught myself spamming letters when i rest my hands on the board

The 55g is a truly beautiful switch. Especially for heavy typists. And especially good for heavy keycaps

[demik]

indeed now that EK has 55g in stock i need to get a board.. or find one used and find somebody to mod it for me >.<

[dustinhxc]

i need to try the mod to see if i notice a difference.

but i need to go 55g first, i've caught myself spamming letters when i rest my hands on the board

Yeah mine only took a while because I was taking photos and color coordinating when it obviously doesnt matter lol But give it a try and see if you can tell a difference!

i need to try the mod to see if i notice a difference.

but i need to go 55g first, i've caught myself spamming letters when i rest my hands on the board

The 55g is a truly beautiful switch. Especially for heavy typists. And especially good for heavy keycaps

Id really like to try 55g as well, this 45 is pretty nice. The release is snappy but I bet 55 would be epic to type on. 

[MJ45]

Nice mod good job, I will do a silence mod on mine when I find a suitable material for the dampers. There are other mods that use a very thin rubber punched out to make rings. My only reservation about dental bands is the reduction of the plunger stroke due to the band thickness. The HHKB type S uses a very thin damper ring with minimal stroke reduction.

[SpAmRaY]

indeed now that EK has 55g in stock i need to get a board.. or find one used and find somebody to mod it for me >.<

Topre is much easier to mod than MX!

[absyrd]

Thanks for the detailed guide, dustin. For a self-proclaimed "noob to all this", nice to see you jump right in and do some modding.

[Sniping]

i'll be honest, maybe it's the mic but... i heard no difference between your hhkb and mine. completely stock here.


but i have tried to train myself not to bottom out so maybe it's that?

It's hard because you don't have the regular unsilenced switch for reference. Here's a clip comparing the two, this is the real Type-S but the sound should be very similar, the only difference that I see between a dental band modded HHKB and a Type-S is the key travel

[dustinhxc]

Thanks for the detailed guide, dustin. For a self-proclaimed "noob to all this", nice to see you jump right in and do some modding.

Haha yeah I like to just jump into things, modded most of my video game stuff and my macbook pros. As soon as I get them I open them up and upgrade everything!

indeed now that EK has 55g in stock i need to get a board.. or find one used and find somebody to mod it for me >.<

Topre is much easier to mod than MX!

I know MX you have to solder the switches in correct? But Topre do you just swap springs or domes?

Nice mod good job, I will do a silence mod on mine when I find a suitable material for the dampers. There are other mods that use a very thin rubber punched out to make rings. My only reservation about dental bands is the reduction of the plunger stroke due to the band thickness. The HHKB type S uses a very thin damper ring with minimal stroke reduction.

Thanks! Yeah if I had the time and a bit more money I wouldve used the silcenced plungers and foam from the realforce the purple! or punched out the rubber discs of a sheet of rubber.

i'll be honest, maybe it's the mic but... i heard no difference between your hhkb and mine. completely stock here.


but i have tried to train myself not to bottom out so maybe it's that?

It's hard because you don't have the regular unsilenced switch for reference. Here's a clip comparing the two, this is the real Type-S but the sound should be very similar, the only difference that I see between a dental band modded HHKB and a Type-S is the key travel

Thanks for posting this video! This is the exact difference! Hear that high pitch at the top? I never intended to take a video or I wouldve left a plunger with no dental band.

Thanks! 

[Caaaarrrt]

Looks good mate.

I'm enjoying mine too and my friend came around and tried it, now he has left me his HHKB to do the mod to as well.

[dustinhxc]

Looks good mate.

I'm enjoying mine too and my friend came around and tried it, now he has left me his HHKB to do the mod to as well.

Thank You, hehe thats awesome  

[theMANtonio]

Nice write up! I did the same thing, but just using bands that were "lighter" (2.5oz) -- not sure what that means in orthodontics.


I actually did not use any extra lube anywhere (not for stabilizers, not for the slider grooves), and I feel like the the keyboard feels a lot smoother. Maybe just a placebo effect, but the dental band mod is definitely worth it!

[dustinhxc]

Nice write up! I did the same thing, but just using bands that were "lighter" (2.5oz) -- not sure what that means in orthodontics.


I actually did not use any extra lube anywhere (not for stabilizers, not for the slider grooves), and I feel like the the keyboard feels a lot smoother. Maybe just a placebo effect, but the dental band mod is definitely worth it!

Yeah the lube isnt necessary till they get worked in a bit but I did it just since the case was open! Awesome man! 

[Plater]

Very nice! Planning on getting this for my self later on this year. But may I ask, which o-rings did you get?

[eth0s]

 Congrats on the mod!  Nice job.  I remember when you first mentioned this to me, I told you to PM Bro Caps to get his input, since he is the resident GH expert on Topre mods.  (Hmm, I hope he didn't blow you off.  heh.)  Oh well, it worked out.  Also, now you know about Krytox grease.  I guess I could have mentioned that too.  Oh well.  But I didn't know that you didn't know about Krytox.

Anyway, great job!   

[dustinhxc]

Very nice! Planning on getting this for my self later on this year. But may I ask, which o-rings did you get?

Thanks! 3/16" Medium Neon Dental Bands

Congrats on the mod!  Nice job.  I remember when you first mentioned this to me, I told you to PM Bro Caps to get his input, since he is the resident GH expert on Topre mods.  (Hmm, I hope he didn't blow you off.  heh.)  Oh well, it worked out.  Also, now you know about Krytox grease.  I guess I could have mentioned that too.  Oh well.  But I didn't know that you didn't know about Krytox.

Anyway, great job!   

Thanks man!

[HipsterPunks]

Saw your post on reddit and it steered me away from the type-s, very informative and I appreciate the pics. I am not very good at modding

[dustinhxc]

Saw your post on reddit and it steered me away from the type-s, very informative and I appreciate the pics. I am not very good at modding

Thanks man! Yeah if they had a Black Type S I may have did it but I just had to have the black. (Dark Gray) 

[yjfknt]

Don't these rubber bands make bottoming out really smushy?

[Sniping]

No, I don't think you understand the mod. The dental band doesn't do anything when you press the key down because the dental band goes on top of the plunger, so the rubber band doesn't come into contact with anything when you bottom out. The only reason it's there is to dampen the upstroke when you let go of the key.

Actually, this makes it sound even more confusing...

[yjfknt]

No, I don't think you understand the mod. The dental band doesn't do anything when you press the key down because the dental band goes on top of the plunger, so the rubber band doesn't come into contact with anything when you bottom out. The only reason it's there is to dampen the upstroke when you let go of the key.

Actually, this makes it sound even more confusing...

Oh the reason I asked is because I'm doing this on a MX keyboard and it feels kind of mushy and I'm debating whether or not I should get real O-Rings and see if they will be more consistent.

[Sniping]

Yeah, I felt the squishiness on MX as well, but that's because the dental bands serve different purposes for the two types of switches.

[dustinhxc]

No, I don't think you understand the mod. The dental band doesn't do anything when you press the key down because the dental band goes on top of the plunger, so the rubber band doesn't come into contact with anything when you bottom out. The only reason it's there is to dampen the upstroke when you let go of the key.

Actually, this makes it sound even more confusing...

Oh the reason I asked is because I'm doing this on a MX keyboard and it feels kind of mushy and I'm debating whether or not I should get real O-Rings and see if they will be more consistent.

Still feels very stiff. Just a tad shorter travel. Never used them on MX but I have used red orings and those arent mushy either to me.

[HipsterPunks]

Dustin topre newb question, I have a set of blanks coming in the mail. I want to change the modifiers and space bar. My question is I'm having to pull really hard to remove the numrow keycaps (scary it feels like I'm gonna damage the caps) are the stabilizers connected to the keycaps at all? Is this something I need to be weary of before just yanking these keys out? Thanks

[dustinhxc]

Dustin topre newb question, I have a set of blanks coming in the mail. I want to change the modifiers and space bar. My question is I'm having to pull really hard to remove the numrow keycaps (scary it feels like I'm gonna damage the caps) are the stabilizers connected to the keycaps at all? Is this something I need to be weary of before just yanking these keys out? Thanks

Nope all you can see under the key is the plunger. just pull hard and itll pop off. But with the spacebar I use 2 wire pullers. One on each end.

[Beca]

that sounds really nice nice tats too!

[dustinhxc]

that sounds really nice nice tats too!

Thank You! I have more pictures in the Post your tattoos thread.