ALPS and POM vs. nylon sliders

[abrahamstechnology]

Ok, I have decided to ignore all hate comments and continue exploring ideas for my Blue ALPS project.

Anyways, from the results of acetone tests, traditional ALPS most likely used an all-nylon housing and slider. I am currently getting the plastics properly analyzed by my manufacturers engineering team, so don't whine that I don't know what I'm doing but for now let's assume OG Alps were nylon.

However, I am considering switching to POM for the slider. POM has a lower coefficient of friction and should preform better. The switch company I have chosen has made nylon housings with POM sliders before as MX clones and they are very smooth, which is also thanks to the lubricant formula that they use.

Blue ALPS fans, what would you think of this change? Is it sacrilege or an improvement?

[TheInverseKey]

After reading that long thread and all the "hate" that was left I would like to give some constructive feedback.

Proper material research is a good start. That being said just worrying about the slider material at this stage is not priority. POM should be fine none the less but getting accurate molds should be the first step from the original parts.

You can always improve on the materials used but that being said, you need to make sure that the switches feel the same at least using the original materials.

[abrahamstechnology]

The thing is we have to make a new mold for every material we want to use, due to the expansion properties of different plastics.

I'm definitely not making any final decisions yet but thanks for the tip. We are definitely going to try to make these as accurate as possible but consider possible improvements to the design that won't affect the original switch's sound and feel adversely.

[TheInverseKey]

The thing is we have to make a new mold for every material we want to use, due to the expansion properties of different plastics.

I'm definitely not making any final decisions yet but thanks for the tip. We are definitely going to try to make these as accurate as possible but consider possible improvements to the design that won't affect the original switch's sound and feel adversely.

I understand your point. First though make the closet clone of the original and then go make a v2 as it's only the slider material that you are changing and have 2 versions would appeal to different people.

[bujorc]

I, for one, appreciate your determination. Sure, some people here have their own... uhm... hidden interests, but you need to try detecting useful feedback. Look at how much time it took for the replica of the much more simpler buckling spring switches... When we're talking masterpieces, first try to copy them, then think of improving - this would be my humble attitude.

Anyway, I am not sure how many people really understand how big of a primadonna 1st gen alps are... Accept that their biggest flaws are also their biggest strengths. Nylon sounded better, deeper, when hitting that bottom housing pole. Have well intended thoughts, like POM for slider, Russian tank metal for click leaf and you're probably done, you can forget about your target. Do mumbo jumbo techniques to save plastic - you're done. Bend the click leaf at straight angles - done. Change the size of the pole in the bottom housing - done. Use rigid or thin plastic - done. Fail to see how the slider has not straight sides but sculpted ones, even sculpted base - done. 5% tolerances? - done! So many ways to screw up. When you'll get engineers that appreciate how precisely and consistently lube was applied to the slider, then you might hope for a good replica. Likely, they won't even understand what's the difference between blue alps and white alps. "Look, it clicks strong and nice... we're done, where's the money?" Few members of our community feel the difference, tbh

I'm not sure today's economy even has the time to appreciate such finesse. Only great engineers with big budgets can tackle such designs. No clue how Alps managed to do it back so long ago, but this level of detail I see only in expensive Apple products - and maybe not even there to this extent. 20k... those might be sufficient to fix the dumb straight-angled click leaf in Matias. Let us know when the switchplate is done being analyzed, I'm curious what they say then.

[abrahamstechnology]

I, for one, appreciate your determination. Sure, some people here have their own... uhm... hidden interests, but you need to try detecting useful feedback. Look at how much time it took for the replica of the much more simpler buckling spring switches... When we're talking masterpieces, first try to copy them, then think of improving - this would be my humble attitude.

Anyway, I am not sure how many people really understand how big of a primadonna 1st gen alps are... Accept that their biggest flaws are also their biggest strengths. Nylon sounded better, deeper, when hitting that bottom housing pole. Have well intended thoughts, like POM for slider, Russian tank metal for click leaf and you're probably done, you can forget about your target. Do mumbo jumbo techniques to save plastic - you're done. Bend the click leaf at straight angles - done. Change the size of the pole in the bottom housing - done. Use rigid or thin plastic - done. Fail to see how the slider has not straight sides but sculpted ones, even sculpted base - done. 5% tolerances? - done! So many ways to screw up. When you'll get engineers that appreciate how precisely and consistently lube was applied to the slider, then you might hope for a good replica. Likely, they won't even understand what's the difference between blue alps and white alps. "Look, it clicks strong and nice... we're done, where's the money?" Few members of our community feel the difference, tbh

I'm not sure today's economy even has the time to appreciate such finesse. Only great engineers with big budgets can tackle such designs. No clue how Alps managed to do it back so long ago, but this level of detail I see only in expensive Apple products - and maybe not even there to this extent. 20k... those might be sufficient to fix the dumb straight-angled click leaf in Matias. Let us know when the switchplate is done being analyzed, I'm curious what they say then.

I'll be sure to communicate all those details to them, thank you.