This is absolutely fantastic. A big thanks for documenting and sharing!
Obligatory MFW:
Excited yet, @ajoflo?
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I tried searching the thread for the v4 stems from 415 Kyes and dont see any results. Has anyone tried these yet?
They might be prototypes; they sent some my way a couple versions ago - I’m taking a guess they’re still iterating to find that elusive balance between UHMWPE content and mold shape.
These are the ones I was referring to. You think that’s what you got? They’re still in stock
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Ah, I misunderstood; and no I think mine were a prototype for revision 2 - this was months ago.
Edit: I can already see what looks to be a design improvement in that photo over the ones I had, which didn’t have that stepped appearance to one axis of the cross.
The prototypes I had (which I don’t think were sold in that particular iteration) were a little too tight for some but not all caps - until they’d been forced into one - that shaved just enough material off for them to be pretty much perfect but ruined a sacrificial cap in the process. At the time I suggested making a tool available, but I’m wondering if they either integrated that into their manufacturing process, or found other ways around / negated the issue with a better shape.
I think but am not sure that a small taper or lip on some stems is what helps them both fit a wide range of caps, and also seat with a satsifying index into OG Cherry and GMK caps.
I have a bunch of hyperglides that I could try them with but now those switchees apparently have issues with GMK caps? Dunno, I haven’t personally tested.
Wow, this is awesome!
Massive props for finding a way to make recording force curves for cheap. It’s a little unfortunate its only really for MX type switches, but it beats spending thousands on professional compression equipment.
I’m not sure how far you’ve gotten in your research, but I’d suggest reading Jacob’s documentation https://input.club/the-problem-with-mechanical-switch-reviews
Here’s a small sample of those compression equipment I’m on about:
https://www.flexibleassembly.com/force-test-stand-motorized-manual
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I have a board on the way that was built with copre! Excited to try. Currently it’s using MX blacks with the springs removed, but some people in the 40’s discord have mentioned using really light springs (~15g). I guess I’ll experiment!
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I wouldn’t use a really light spring on a black, as the switch will likely have returning issues.
You could call them GumWPE?
This is absolutely next level. Like it’s time to totally Macgyver the $#@! out of this hobby.
@Deadeye I’m so excited! 
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I’m not really obsessed with force curves but I want to make one of these 
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I had a copre build for a while with Cherry Silent Blacks with no springs. The switches returned fine, but we’re too light for my tastes. I had tried them with 35g gat clear springs, but they were too heavy. 15g sounds like the Goldilocks spring.
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“Copre” or “Cop car” switches are a bit different - as they have rubber domes that do most of the weighting/return force. You can see in this example the switches have their springs taken out - so adding really light ones to tune the feel of the switch+dome combo is just preference. This is a super niche switch lol
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Got some black ink stems laying around from swapping u4t’s. Anyone know of a good switch to put black ink stems in?
do your keycaps fall off with those stems? mine are awful…
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Would you happen to have a link to some additional info on these? Google is no help.
Hi, @sushu! I’ve actually got a bunch of Ink stems laying around, too… I might do some experimenting when I get home tonight, but I’ve had decent luck with Halo / Polia housings for linears. If you have Boba housings left over and didn’t get just U4T stems, you can snag some of the Outemu Ice tops from Gazzew (or 3DKeebs!) to help the Ink stems fit smoothly.
My V1s wouldn’t hold onto most caps, but GMKs seemed to grab them alright. I have some other prototypes that are on the thick side, but breaking them in with a sacrificial cap made them fit well - I’m pretty sure they’ve made at least two revisions since then.
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Gumwave
- Gazzew Bobagum housing
- KTT Lightwave V2 stem & spring
- Lube refines sound & feel
- Still skate-smooth without
- Crisp yet mellow bottom-out
- Clacky, moderate top-out
A super-smooth, crisp linear with a clean, novel sound-signature and nuanced typing feel.
Flavor-text:
What we have here is a skate-smooth linear with a crisp, yet mellow bottom-out and a moderately sharp, clacky top-out.
The Lightwave V2 stem has some stab-foot style, pliant dampening legs on it, and while the effect is subtle, 𝚒̶𝚝̶ ̶𝚍̶𝚎̶𝚏̶𝚒̶𝚗̶𝚒̶𝚝̶𝚎̶𝚕̶𝚢̶ ̶𝚍̶𝚘̶𝚎̶𝚜̶ ̶𝚒̶𝚝̶𝚜̶ ̶𝚓̶𝚘̶𝚋̶ ̶𝚘̶𝚏̶ ̶𝚝̶𝚊̶𝚔̶𝚒̶𝚗̶𝚐̶ ̶𝚝̶𝚑̶𝚎̶ ̶𝚎̶𝚍̶𝚐̶𝚎̶ ̶𝚘̶𝚏̶𝚏̶.̶ ̶
*Correction: After lots of experimenting and squinting in the magnifying glass, it turns out these pliant legs do not actually engage in the Bobagum housing, or any other that I’m aware of besides the Lightwave V2 they come from. What strikes the floor here and in just about any other housing are the two extra-dainty contact legs, which does explain the crisp, yet mild feel. If you are an especially heavy-handed typist, there may be a chance these legs will start to wear out, but I haven’t torture-tested these yet.
Further taking the edge off in this switch is the softer Bobagum housing, which also does its part to tighten-up the travel and resting position a bit.
If you liked the original Lightwave V2 but wished it weren’t so rattly, Bobagum housings just might offer the refinement you’re looking for. Stability and cleanliness of sound both enjoy an improvement, and while there’s still plenty of clack, it’s a fair bit more soft than with the original KTT housings.
While plenty less than with the original translucent cool-green KTT ones, there’s still a bit of rattle and spring resonance with the Bobagum housings and the V2’s crazy long/wide spring. The switch is quite smooth already, but I still recommend tuning with lube for sound on this one. I might recommend something thin, to preserve the skate feeling - but if you like butter, then butter it up, baby.
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