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Author Topic: How often do you need to lube your switches?  (Read 30439 times)

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Offline radio_killah

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How often do you need to lube your switches?
« on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:16:47 »
How long does the lube last on a typical daily driver? My B.mini with lubed blacks definitely doesn't feel the same as when I first got it..  :(
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Offline ideus

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:32:09 »
How often do you need to lube your switches?  Never. MX switches are designed to work no lubed. It is just another GH legend. Yeah, I know some may think to say this is kind of a sacrilege, between them the OP of this thread for sure.  :))
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Offline hwood34

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:32:43 »
Quote from: ideus on Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:32:09
How often do you need to lube your switches?  Never. MX switches are designed to work no lubed. It is just another GH legend. Yeah, I know some may think to say this is kind of a sacrilege, between them the OP of this thread for sure.  :))
:confused:
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Offline nubbinator

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:39:23 »
Quote from: ideus on Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:32:09
How often do you need to lube your switches?  Never. MX switches are designed to work no lubed. It is just another GH legend. Yeah, I know some may think to say this is kind of a sacrilege, between them the OP of this thread for sure.  :))

Do they work with just the stock lube? Yes, but lube makes it feel better.  And with spring swaps it's sometimes necessary.
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Offline SpAmRaY

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 16:15:41 »
Quote from: radio_killah on Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:16:47
How long does the lube last on a typical daily driver? My B.mini with lubed blacks definitely doesn't feel the same as when I first got it..  :(

I would say this depends on the type of lube and how much you use the keyboard and the environment it is used in.
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Offline jacobolus

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 16:42:41 »
Quote from: radio_killah on Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:16:47
How long does the lube last on a typical daily driver? My B.mini with lubed blacks definitely doesn't feel the same as when I first got it..  :(
What lubricant? How long ago did you get it? Do you think the change is because the lubricant dripped away, or changed chemically, or because the switch has gotten filled with dust/grit/smoke, or..? What’s the difference in feeling between when you got it and now?

Quote from: ideus on Mon, 12 January 2015, 15:32:09
It is just another GH legend.
They don’t need to be lubricated, but it sure makes a big difference in the way the switch feels, especially on recent MX switches, which start out super scratchy.
« Last Edit: Mon, 12 January 2015, 16:44:44 by jacobolus »
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Offline radio_killah

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 16:53:41 »
I'm guessing it was the "thinn" type of lube. Another member made the board and lubed it but I got it around mid-November and it is my daily driver at home. The switches feel scratchy now. They don't feel as smooth when pressing them. Some of the keys I don't press often still have that same original feeling.
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Offline Hypersphere

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 16:57:37 »
Some keyboard reps have advised me never to lube the switches in their new or even vintage keyboards. I have particularly gotten the "no lube" advice when it comes to Topre and IBM buckling spring keyboards.

In my own case, I tend to lube only the stabilizers and not the switches. However, there are others who advocate lubing switches, as long as it is done properly.
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Offline jdcarpe

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #8 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:01:55 »
How often to lube switches? Hopefully only the one time. Krytox only, ever, only. Did I say only ever use Krytox, ever? Because you should only ever ever use Krytox. Ever.
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Offline Hypersphere

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #9 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:35:35 »
@radio_killah: Off topic, but I like your signature line, "My HHKB is my least expensive board..." I think this is true for me as well. People complain about the high cost of the HHKB Pro 2, but this is one keyboard that I didn't feel a compelling need to modify with new keycaps or an aluminum case. It is also the only keyboard in my collection that I don't need to remap -- the default layout (including some DIP switch settings) is fine for me.

Well, having said this, if an aluminum case were a viable option for the HHKB, I might be tempted. And in fact I have put white alpha caps on my black HHKB, but the set was not as expensive as the dye-sub PBT caps that I put on my Poker II and WASD V2 87. I also purchased an aluminum case for the Poker II that cost about as much as the keyboard itself.
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Offline Puddsy

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #10 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:48:40 »
I've never lubed any of my switches. I considered it for my QFR, but I changed my mind after I couldn't find any krytox.
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Offline exitfire401

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #11 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:52:06 »
Once. When you build the board. The only situations in which I can think you would need to lube switches multiple times would be if you lived outdoors in the desert or spilled something into your board.
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Offline Defect

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #12 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 18:00:44 »
Quote from: jdcarpe on Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:01:55
How often to lube switches? Hopefully only the one time. Krytox only, ever, only. Did I say only ever use Krytox, ever? Because you should only ever ever use Krytox. Ever.

Quote from: TacticalStache on Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:48:40
I've never lubed any of my switches. I considered it for my QFR, but I changed my mind after I couldn't find any krytox.

I have a couple boards with krytox (thick/medium) lubed switches and a couple lubed with regular ole silicone grease.

I actually prefer the Si grease ones, and I believe silicone grease is what is applied to MX switches out of the factory (the small amount found on the legs).

Krytox can be kind of runny and if I recall correctly, was designed for use in closed environments.
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Offline radio_killah

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #13 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 18:12:11 »
Quote from: jdcarpe on Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:01:55
How often to lube switches? Hopefully only the one time. Krytox only, ever, only. Did I say only ever use Krytox, ever? Because you should only ever ever use Krytox. Ever.

Hmm.. I should ask what kind of lube YongJK used. I should also probably buy some myself..
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Offline radio_killah

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Re: How often do you need to lube your switches?
« Reply #14 on: Mon, 12 January 2015, 18:14:29 »
Quote from: Hypersphere on Mon, 12 January 2015, 17:35:35
@radio_killah: Off topic, but I like your signature line, "My HHKB is my least expensive board..." I think this is true for me as well. People complain about the high cost of the HHKB Pro 2, but this is one keyboard that I didn't feel a compelling need to modify with new keycaps or an aluminum case. It is also the only keyboard in my collection that I don't need to remap -- the default layout (including some DIP switch settings) is fine for me.

Well, having said this, if an aluminum case were a viable option for the HHKB, I might be tempted. And in fact I have put white alpha caps on my black HHKB, but the set was not as expensive as the dye-sub PBT caps that I put on my Poker II and WASD V2 87. I also purchased an aluminum case for the Poker II that cost about as much as the keyboard itself.

I actually really agree with that point you made about the HHKB not needing any modification. In my opinion, in its stock form it is absolutely perfect to me. I use all the keys and the layout works great.
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