ALPS stem with Cherry MX mount?

[ctm]

I just disassembled one Cherry MX and one Matias switch and find that the opening on the housing of Matias is actually large enough for Cherry MX stem! I am wondering if it is possible to make a stem with the Cherry MX mount outside the switch and ALPS slider inside (like 50% cherry and 50% ALPS) so that Cherry MX keycaps can be used on ALPS?

[Nover]

Yup, possible. http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/cherry-to-alps-adapters-t4934.html

[nubbinator]

Yup, possible. http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/cherry-to-alps-adapters-t4934.html

I've got some as well:  https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=69031.0

That said, it sounds like OP is asking about an MX stem on top of an Alps stem, one complete piece.  That wouldn't be any better than the adapters since they'll still be higher profile, just like the adapters. 

[ctm]

Yes but the adapters are not perfect. They raise the height. What I am thinking is like cutting away the ALPS mount part outside the switch housing and sticking a Cherry MX mount in that place. Since MX mount is no larger than the opening on the ALPS housing, I think this will not hinder the whole stem travelling down.

[ctm]

What I meant is basically like this. (If you can understand my poorly photoshoped picture. The blue part on the ALPS is the Cherry MX mount).


Picture borrowed from http://www.bytecellar.com/2011/08/07/an-apparent-keyboard-geek-finally-learns-to-type/

[engicoder]

Yes but the adapters are not perfect. They raise the height. What I am thinking is like cutting away the ALPS mount part outside the switch housing and sticking a Cherry MX mount in that place. Since MX mount is no larger than the opening on the ALPS housing, I think this will not hinder the whole stem travelling down.

The stem isn't the problem. Its the mount on the keycap. On MX, it fits over the stem and is therefore larger than the stem, while on Alps it fits inside the stem and is therefore smaller than the stem. When the key is pressed, on the mx, the keycap mount travels inside the switch (if you look at the MX housing there is  a small round cutout for the cap mount). This is the problem. MX caps would not fit inside the Alps housing.

[nubbinator]

Like engicoder said, it wouldn't work.  The switch stem may fit, but the cap stem wouldn't.

[ctm]

Yes but the adapters are not perfect. They raise the height. What I am thinking is like cutting away the ALPS mount part outside the switch housing and sticking a Cherry MX mount in that place. Since MX mount is no larger than the opening on the ALPS housing, I think this will not hinder the whole stem travelling down.

The stem isn't the problem. Its the mount on the keycap. On MX, it fits over the stem and is therefore larger than the stem, while on Alps it fits inside the stem and is therefore smaller than the stem. When the key is pressed, on the mx, the keycap mount travels inside the switch (if you look at the MX housing there is  a small round cutout for the cap mount). This is the problem. MX caps would not fit inside the Alps housing.

Thanks! This makes total sense. I was looking at the switch and stem and forgot about the keycap itself.