Having hard time choosing stabilizers and lube for them

Learning and discussion Custom keyboards
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I’ve recently resumed my fight with stabilizers, which always end by me losing to ticking.

I’m currently using the KBFans PC stabs and I’m thinking about getting the TX stabs, I thought about Staebies but the very tight tolerances deter me.

I however can’t decide on lube to use on the wires, I use Permatex Dielectric grease on the wire and Tribosys 3204 on the rest.

I’m debating between using 205g0 and XHT-BDZ or rather stay with the Dielectric grease, I’ve read conflicting opinions online and thought I may ask for experiences and advices from the users here?

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I go back and forth with xdbz and dielectric. I still think I have the best results with dielectric.

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Five years in and I still fight with stabs, and I’m still dialing-in my technique. Much respect to those who have it down - maybe I’ll join you someday, ha!

For what it’s worth, I’ve found KBDFans’ polycarb stabs to be among the most difficult to tune - I have a handful of KBD67-based boards, and I’ve replaced those stabs in all of them. I’ve yet to find the perfect stabilizer, but they have gotten better. So far, my two favorites are:

  • Equalz V3 - pretty standard, but come with all the little strips and pads you could possibly need. Tolerances are on the loosey-goosey side but not really any more than the KBDFans ones, for example.

  • TX - have a softer material lining the inside of the stems where the wires go; not immune to all forms of tick, but generally much easier to tune than anything else I’ve tried so far. These are loved for good reason.

Wires:

  • Before I get into what lube I might prefer, there’s another potentially helpful step / material I want to mention: PTFE tape (the stuff that comes with showerheads). Depending on the clip tolerances, this stuff can be really helpful - if the wire has play in the clips that hold it, try wrapping that part of the wire with a few layers of this soft, smushy non-adhesive tape. That’s one of many potential sources of tick, and a bit of teflon tape will eliminate it in that location.

  • This tape can also be great on the wire-ends that go into the stab stems; just be sure to test for tolerances as some stems have more or less room than others. You can use lube with the tape - just apply the tape first.

  • Lube: Like many things it’s down to preference - but purely in terms of fighting tick, I think XHT-BDZ or dielectric are the way to go. 205g0 can work but is a little thin for mitigating tick; some folks use 206 instead, or a mix of 205 and 206 - but I still prefer something thicker. Dielectric grease is a safe standby and I think it will also always be a good choice, but I also think the BDZ is worth a shot next time you’re buying supplies.

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I really enjoy TX Stabs. They’re the only ones that didn’t have me pulling my hair out with rattle.

Staebies on the other hand aren’t too good IMO. TX is cheaper, easier to mod, and compatible with any PCB mount type (as they are clip-in, so gummy o-ring works well too.)

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Thank you for the detailed answer!

My biggest offender is the spacebar (2U are usually not a problem), I think I’ll get the XHT-BDZ just to try.

I’ve read that removing greases is hard, should I get the Krytox solvent as well if I happen to want to switch to dielectric grease or clean the PCB?

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If you think you might replace one grease with another at some point, a solvent like that will probably save you some time and headache - a surface may look clean but if it has residue on it, that may cause a non-matching grease or oil to bead-up or slide off.

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Thank you, last question, how much XHT-BDZ should I get? (options are 1.5/3ml)

And you talked about those screw in stabs from KBDFans right? like the one that came with the KBD67 Lite R2 kit?

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Yep, those ones. They aren’t bad per-se, just more challenging to get sounding clean.

1.5 will probably be enough for a couple builds - I’d say that would be a fine amount to try and see if you like.

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TX and BDZ are my current go-to. A thin even coat on the wires is the way to go. If it looks gloppy or shaggy (you’ll see what I mean) it’s too much, and you will have a sluggish stab. You’ll have to dial it in, but TX stabs are more forgiving.

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