HHKB key dampening

[Codewyn]

Hey all, new to the forum and a recent recipient of an HHKB Pro2 (which I'm joyfully typing this with ... can't get enough of this keyboard). Looking into options for customizing it - keycaps, cable, etc. First thing I would like to do though is dampen the sound of the keys, particularly on release. I read about, and purchased, some latex dental bands ("Penguin" 5/16" 3.5 oz from eBay) but when I received them I noticed they have an expiration date - a couple years out, but still. So that has me concerned about how they would hold up in the long-term, particularly relative to silicone o-rings. Anyone have any thoughts on that? Also, any confirmed silicone o-ring solutions that can be purchased? What size (inner diameter) would fit the housing plate? Thanks

[trizkut]

Aside from dental bands, these are the 2 main methods people have been using as of late:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40582.0
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=49046.0

[Ludovician]

Of the three methods available, the dental bands are the easiest but have the worst results. It's quieter than stock, yes, but the reduction in travel distance kills it for a lot of people. I don't know for sure which has better results between o2dazone's and spiceBar's methods, but they're very similar in theory anyway. I have a Realforce87U with the spiceBar mod and as far as I can tell it doesn't cause any noticeable travel reduction, and that thing is easily the quietest board I own.

[TopreFan333]

I think for my money, I'd just bite the bullet and buy the type-S if the sound was bothering me -- vs going through all that modding work. If you need to justify the extra price, think of all the money you won't be spending on keycaps because basically none are available (I am actually starting to think this is a good thing).

[RoastPotatoes]

I have not really had good experiences with dental bands. I wrote a longish blog post on my experiences. But TL;DR dental bands aren't the best things. You might like them but don't think of it as the perfect solution. Foam is the best thing to silence Topre, like in the type s. However this is quite hard to obtain. Rubber has also been used in a couple of guides but mileage varies. There is also an interest check on deskthority for a silencing method to closely replicate the type s. However this is quite pricey.
Overall I would recommend looking into spicebar's ironed landing pad method.
Alternatively, learn to let go of the hate and learn to love the thock 

EDIT: spiceBar is right you are really dampening the click not the thock
Alternatively, learn to let go of the hate and learn to love the stock sound of your HHKB

[thefebruaryman]

I read all the time of people dampening their hhkb pro 2s. But I still really can't work out why, it seems like lots of effort for something that is really quite out of the box plus what sound it does make it amazing. I know its all down to personal taste but am sure that some of it is because a lot of us on here are natural tinkers :0

Good luck with your keyboard experiments

[spiceBar]

I have not really had good experiences with dental bands. I wrote a longish blog post on my experiences. But TL;DR dental bands aren't the best things. You might like them but don't think of it as the perfect solution. Foam is the best thing to silence Topre, like in the type s. However this is quite hard to obtain. Rubber has also been used in a couple of guides but mileage varies. There is also an interest check on deskthority for a silencing method to closely replicate the type s. However this is quite pricey.
Overall I would recommend looking into spicebar's ironed landing pad method.
Alternatively, learn to let go of the hate and learn to love the thock 

!?

The silencing mods, including mine, do not do anything to the "Thock". We love the Thock.

What we try to dampen is the "Click" on the upstroke. So we can better hear the Thock.

[thefebruaryman]

I have not really had good experiences with dental bands. I wrote a longish blog post on my experiences. But TL;DR dental bands aren't the best things. You might like them but don't think of it as the perfect solution. Foam is the best thing to silence Topre, like in the type s. However this is quite hard to obtain. Rubber has also been used in a couple of guides but mileage varies. There is also an interest check on deskthority for a silencing method to closely replicate the type s. However this is quite pricey.
Overall I would recommend looking into spicebar's ironed landing pad method.
Alternatively, learn to let go of the hate and learn to love the thock 

!?

The silencing mods, including mine, do not do anything to the "Thock". We love the Thock.

What we try to dampen is the "Click" on the upstroke. So we can better hear the Thock.

Right. Now I am interested. Looks like I maybe buying some rubber and a hole lunch soon

[spiceBar]

I have not really had good experiences with dental bands. I wrote a longish blog post on my experiences. But TL;DR dental bands aren't the best things. You might like them but don't think of it as the perfect solution. Foam is the best thing to silence Topre, like in the type s. However this is quite hard to obtain. Rubber has also been used in a couple of guides but mileage varies. There is also an interest check on deskthority for a silencing method to closely replicate the type s. However this is quite pricey.
Overall I would recommend looking into spicebar's ironed landing pad method.
Alternatively, learn to let go of the hate and learn to love the thock 

!?

The silencing mods, including mine, do not do anything to the "Thock". We love the Thock.

What we try to dampen is the "Click" on the upstroke. So we can better hear the Thock.

Right. Now I am interested. Looks like I maybe buying some rubber and a hole lunch soon

This is difficult and not proven to work, the problem being the thickness of the material you are going to use.

It must be extremely thin (0.15mm to 0.2mm, that is 0.006 to 0.008 inch, or thinner), or else the tactility of the Topre switch is going to be affected. But if it's really thin, you may not get any sound dampening at all.

The ironed landing pads mod guarantees both sound dampening and that the Topre feel will be preserved. It took several iterations of the method to achieve this and several geekhackers have reported success with it.

[TopreFan333]

About how many hours does this ironed landing pad method take?

EDIT: I looked it up in the other thread. He says

To silence the board, you will need to disassemble it almost completely. It's not too difficult, but it takes some time. The mod took me 4 hours, but I did some tests during this time (with O-rings and soft landing pads). I think it can be done in 2 or 3 hours.

I don't know about you guys, but between the cost of the materials and 2-4 hours of my time, I'd just as soon spend the extra $100 or so on the type-s.

I mean, if you enjoy the tinkering, more power to you

[RoastPotatoes]

I think I will have to give this a go too.

[spiceBar]

About how many hours does this ironed landing pad method take?

EDIT: I looked it up in the other thread. He says

To silence the board, you will need to disassemble it almost completely. It's not too difficult, but it takes some time. The mod took me 4 hours, but I did some tests during this time (with O-rings and soft landing pads). I think it can be done in 2 or 3 hours.

I don't know about you guys, but between the cost of the materials and 2-4 hours of my time, I'd just as soon spend the extra $100 or so on the type-s.

I mean, if you enjoy the tinkering, more power to you

The "purchase Type-S" option is not available for:
- A keyboard you already own
- The Novatouch
- The FC660C

[TopreFan333]

The "purchase Type-S" option is not available for:
- A keyboard you already own
- The Novatouch
- The FC660C

True, though I'd argue that with resale prices are good at they are, it would be easier to sell a regular HHKB and buy a type-s than to go through all this.

[spiceBar]

The "purchase Type-S" option is not available for:
- A keyboard you already own
- The Novatouch
- The FC660C

True, though I'd argue that with resale prices are good at they are, it would be easier to sell a regular HHKB and buy a type-s than to go through all this.

Depending on where you have to send it, the difference between the price of a Type-S and what you get for your old HHKB can be around $150. Or less... Or more...

Then there is the risk associated with the sale process itself.

Then you have to balance the time you spend on selling it vs the time you spend modding it. You can also ask yourself: what is the most interesting activity, selling it, or modding it?

If it's a no-brainer for you, well... that's you.

[TopreFan333]

You can also ask yourself: what is the most interesting activity, selling it, or modding it?
If it's a no-brainer for you, well... that's you.

Totally fair! I'd just be pretty afraid of ruining something, myself. Tho I DO wish the type-s came in a black body. Oh well.

[Axollott]

The "purchase Type-S" option is not available for:
- A keyboard you already own
- The Novatouch
- The FC660C

True, though I'd argue that with resale prices are good at they are, it would be easier to sell a regular HHKB and buy a type-s than to go through all this.

Depending on where you have to send it, the difference between the price of a Type-S and what you get for your old HHKB can be around $150. Or less... Or more...

Then there is the risk associated with the sale process itself.

Then you have to balance the time you spend on selling it vs the time you spend modding it. You can also ask yourself: what is the most interesting activity, selling it, or modding it?

If it's a no-brainer for you, well... that's you.

Do you still have your novatouch? If not, why?
and one more question, Where did you get your Leopold 660C ?
I´m considering my options, I´m in Mexico, so no Leos available around here, no stock in EliteKeyb... Nor amazon.
I can get the Novatouch from amazon with free shipping and a really fair price. But i drool over the leopold. Another thing i´m considering is de Leo comes with practically no warranty (even if it has one, it´s a trip to Korea) and cooler master has a service center in my city. Choices, choices, choices.

[cheebs]

All of the "aftermarket" HHKB silencing mods including dental banding and foam landing pads are simply poor solutions to a problem Topre have already solved themselves.  Just buy the Type-S -- it's really the only proper silencing mod.  Any attempt at dampening is going to reduce travel, which will screw up the stroke.  You need a longer plunger to compensate for that reduction in stroke in order to retain the same force curve and comfort level.  Noise reduction is something that really needs to be done when the switch is designed, not slapped on afterward.

[Bucake]

hi spiceBar,

i'm curious if you've ever owned/typed on any topre type-s board?
because i'm wondering if, let's say money or time was absolutely no issue;
what way of silencing would you rate the highest, if only looking at sound and feel?
and which one would be your least favorite?

[Cafeine]

Well, I'll order the materials to do this mod on at least one FC660C, maybe 2 + my RF if it's working well and I'll have a Type-S to compare. But you'll have to wait mid-june to have my advice. Anyway, for the HHKB, I prefer the white body so I got the Type-S to save some work.

[Air tree]

hi spiceBar,

i'm curious if you've ever owned/typed on any topre type-s board?
because i'm wondering if, let's say money or time was absolutely no issue;
what way of silencing would you rate the highest, if only looking at sound and feel?
and which one would be your least favorite?

spiceBar had a Type S in the past, and I believe he said he enjoyed the mod more than the type S