deskthority

So I've been tinkering around with space invaders and they're growing to be one of my most liked switches. Something that's always got me about them is the weighting. Being fairly stiff, they get tiring after longer typing sessions. With how the slider has to push past contact leafs to separate them and top out, I know they can't be too light, but I'm wanting to see if I can find a source that sells similar sized springs to see what I can do with it.

From what I measured, the springs in my space invaders have a 2.2mm⌀ OD, and are about 17mm uncompressed. Due to what I have availible, I can't figure out what their compressed length is, but supposedly have an actuation force of around 60g and bottom out weight of around 85g.

So with that, anyone know of any sites that'd sells springs about that size in a lower spring weight?
This is mostly in the name of tinkering and "for the hell of it", so nothing too serious.

Bear in mind that Space Invader springs aren’t as simple as those in MX and Alps.



As Wikipedia says:

Progressive rate coil springs – A coil spring with a variable rate, usually achieved by having unequal pitch so that as the spring is compressed one or more coils rests against its neighbour.

I think the idea is they have a nonlinear force curve, as the tighter wound coils collapse. Replacing them with simple linear springs of the same diameter would be interesting, and different. For better or for worse? Experiment to determine!

Muirium wrote: 20 Jul 2019, 13:27

I think the idea is they have a nonlinear force curve, as the tighter wound coils collapse. Replacing them with simple linear springs of the same diameter would be interesting, and different. For better or for worse? Experiment to determine!

Exactly, it's one of the main reasons why even though mx blacks and clears have much going for them, I can't get myself to like them when stock. I much prefer linear weighting, stiffness aside.