How to make smooth super-soft-tactile Alps from tactile M...

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7bit

20 Sep 2014, 16:44

Today, I opened a Matias Alps tactile switch, going be Ripster unbeatable guide ( http://imgur.com/a/elAFF/noscript ).

First, I tried to swap in an MXBROWN spring, but without luck. The diameter is a little too large to fit into the switch.

Then, I removed the 2 dampener, put it together and got a super-tactile-smooth switch.

The dampeners are there to dampen the tactility a bit. Now I opened it again and left the leaf-spring away. I expected no tactility anymore. But the way the contact is closed gives a little bit tactility and now, the switch is super smooth and almost as light as an MXRED.
:ugeek:
MatiasAlps_minus_unnecessary_parts.jpg
MatiasAlps_minus_unnecessary_parts.jpg (32.17 KiB) Viewed 5578 times
Edit: The thing with the dampeners is nonsense. I just tried. All they do is dampeneing bottoming out and topping in (or what it is called).

User avatar
Muirium
µ

20 Sep 2014, 17:03

Aren't those dampers meant to soften the bottoming out and topping out sounds? (And are therefore awesome?)

Try making a damped clicky. Or a damped linear. You've got the switches lying spare…

User avatar
7bit

20 Sep 2014, 17:04

Yes.
:oops:

I think they add one effect: The starting point is a bit lower and therefore the tactility is a bit more dampened.

What I would like to have is a lighter spring for the clicky switches. They are between greens and blues.

Or maybe the leaf-spring contributes to the force.
:?

User avatar
Muirium
µ

20 Sep 2014, 17:08

Someday, someone (Matteo??) must get or make a spring winding machine…

andrewjoy

21 Sep 2014, 00:41

This is very interesting, if its possible to make a dampen liner switch from this i will be so tempted to see if i can design a game pad similar to the N52 but with mechanical switch. i would do it with MXred but as much as i like them they are too scratchcy, i don't know if going for ghetto reds with vintage backs would be better as i hear vintage blacks are smoother.

User avatar
7bit

21 Sep 2014, 00:47

You need indeed vintage black stems to have them smooth.

I've got to compare my linear Matias Alps with "vintage reds" ...

andrewjoy

21 Sep 2014, 00:56

send me all your linear alps !

or vintage blacks

User avatar
Muirium
µ

21 Sep 2014, 01:03

Don't game pads need analogue sensors? The last one I mastered did not, but that was the Super Nintendo. All these goddamn thumb sticks and triggers the kids are playing with these days.

andrewjoy

21 Sep 2014, 01:06

not a controller a pad like this

Image

User avatar
7bit

21 Sep 2014, 01:14

andrewjoy wrote: send me all your linear alps !

or vintage blacks
You can order them from CherryMX:

ALPSML 123
your e-mail address
ADDRESS
your shipping address
:o

You get a free leaf-spring (with which you can turn them into tactile Alps) for each switch!
:-)

jacobolus

21 Sep 2014, 06:48

Green Alps switches are nicer than your Matias franken-switch version. Also much nicer than any linear MX switch (“vintage” or modern).

andrewjoy

21 Sep 2014, 11:44

Problem with that is green alps are super super rare

And let me guess 7bit that leaf spring is already installed into the alps switch right :P

i am thinking that possibly the best option is lubed vintage backs with a red spring or a custom spring thats even lighter

User avatar
7bit

21 Sep 2014, 12:02

If you order the ALPSML switches, I remove the leafs and ship them with the switches.
:-)

These are no Frankenstein-switches!
:mad:

They are like a sports car with silencer and catalyst removed!
:evilgeek:

User avatar
skrsh3r

21 Sep 2014, 14:13

Linear clears from olymipia typewriters are just as smooth as green alps to me, you just need to find cheap switch donor and change springs to your liking, as for greens i got 100+ springs laying around if someone wants them ill give them for free.
Last edited by skrsh3r on 21 Sep 2014, 14:47, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Muirium
µ

21 Sep 2014, 14:22

100+ green Alps springs? Intriguing…

User avatar
skrsh3r

21 Sep 2014, 14:50

Mu if you want them i can send them to you for the price of shipping, had them laying around for quite some time now i wanted to use them for my alps custom but i just can't find nice keycaps for that project so i decided to go mx way with linear clears.

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Muirium
µ

21 Sep 2014, 15:19

I've got caps but no switches. Where did the rest of the switches go?

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skrsh3r

21 Sep 2014, 15:44

i got them from poorly stored board, even after cleaning every switch they were still sticky and not as smooth as my other boards with green alps so i got springs and stems and threw away rest of the parts.

User avatar
DiodeHead

21 Sep 2014, 15:56

Hi guys.

7bit, are the dampeners what makes a matias clicky diferent from the quiet version ?
Muirium wrote: Someday, someone (Matteo??) must get or make a spring winding machine…
:D like this one ?

http://educypedia.karadimov.info/library/springs.pdf

well, for making like 100 spring for a complete keyboard, i think we are better off with some cnc design, but for one or two to start experimenting that pdf has good info on the topic.
skrsh3r wrote: Mu if you want them i can send them to you for the price of shipping, had them laying around for quite some time now i wanted to use them for my alps custom but i just can't find nice keycaps for that project so i decided to go mx way with linear clears.
T_T I also have the keycaps for my first project, the donor an acer keyboard with acer switches ¬¬, when i took apart the escape key y thoght, ou yeah my lucky day alps swtches for a custom build, until i found this :

Image

aaaaaa, menbrane, jajaja.

User avatar
Muirium
µ

21 Sep 2014, 16:01

Same here. I've a reasonable set of dyesub PBT caps from an Acer I'd like to make much more useful than that poor rollover Acer keyboard can handle!

I'm thinking of a 60%, which takes about 65 switches I think, for the HHKB/Poker hybrid layout I have in mind. If there's enough, we could split them.

Are green Alps sliders part of their magic? You mentioned you kept those too, skrsh3r?

User avatar
DiodeHead

21 Sep 2014, 16:13

haha nice, my layout takes 52, i´m considering a lot the idea of using an analog stick or something like that, as rkml posted some time ago, i´ll try to post my proyect this evening.

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skrsh3r

21 Sep 2014, 16:19

I don't know if it's just the sliders maybe they just stopped applying lube at some point since my greens have some dry lube on them and blacks don't.

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Daniel Beardsmore

21 Sep 2014, 18:41

Dry lube on green Alps but not black Alps? Is it something that's visible in a photograph? If so, be sure to include that on the wiki. In fact, include it even if it's some other green switch.

I've posted photos of my amber Alps sliders with some dark grey substance on the slider — I can only guess that it's the dry lubricant Sandy reports seeing on blue Alps, as his photos don't depict anything recognisable to my untrained eyes, while the substance on the sliders I have is very visible.

User avatar
7bit

21 Sep 2014, 22:56

skrsh3r wrote: Linear clears from olymipia typewriters are just as smooth as green alps to me, you just need to find cheap switch donor and change springs to your liking, as for greens i got 100+ springs laying around if someone wants them ill give them for free.
Are the green Alps springs lighter than reds?
:?

The white Alps springs (from Ortek MCK-142Pro) are a little lighter than reds when mounted into a leaf-free Matias, while the original Matias spring is slightly heavier.

User avatar
skrsh3r

22 Sep 2014, 13:36

Greens are somewhere in between reds and blacks leaning towards reds, Daniel stuff on my greens is grey-white if that helps.

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Daniel Beardsmore

22 Sep 2014, 22:16

Does it show up well in photographs?

jacobolus

22 Sep 2014, 23:48

Green Alps are the perfect weight for a linear switch. Not as light as MX red, and much smoother than any MX switches.

andrewjoy

23 Sep 2014, 10:00

I want green alps :(

User avatar
7bit

23 Sep 2014, 10:24

Me too!

I want to test the difference beween my ALPSML and ALPSGREEN.

jacobolus

23 Sep 2014, 10:33

By the way, Matias themselves are planning to sell linear switches with no tactile leaf and a slightly different spring.

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