I am about to make my first custom keyboard for my sister (So yes, despite I have learned about keyboards, I just have never built one yet). I got SWK Outva Yangs and I’m planning on lubing them, though I’m a bit worried when I read the Switch And Click article on switch lubing, because it said that lubing on the metal leaf can break the switch.
But on Taeha Types video, it says to lube the metal leaf (if you have some lube left on the brush).
Which one is right? Both Switch And Click and Taeha Types are popular keyboard enthusiasts.
Most of it comes down to preference. There really is no “right” way to lube a switch.
You didn’t say if these were linear or tactile Yangs. Many people do not like to lube the contact leaf or the area where it touches the tactile legs on the stem because it can cause the switch to feel less tactile. Some people do like the feel. Again, it’s preference. You won’t know until you try it out and see if you like the feel.
Lubricating the leaf can help to reduce friction between the plastic stem and the metal leaf.
I personally tub lube my stems which gives them an even coating on all surfaces, including the tactile or linear “legs” that rub against the contact leaf. Therefore, I have no need to lubricate the leaf. But that’s just how I do it. Many people scoff at the idea of tub lubing. Again… personal preference.
But the big takeaway is, no, you won’t break the switch with a small amount of lube on the leaf. Yes, you should try to experiment and see how it changes the feel and if you like that change.
Yah, testing different applications is good. You may want to save a couple of switches in reserve depending on how close you’re cutting the number you need in case you have an issue with one of them.
I would not personally get lube on the stem outside the switch housing…the top or the stem where it goes into the keycap. My personal advice would also be use a light touch with the amount at first. A little 205g0 goes a LONG way, and even on the light side it can dampen the sound and feel in a way that may be enjoyable to you or may not.
You might want to try one just spring oiled/lubed if they are otherwise smooth or feel good to you. Then you could add light lube the stem and try it again. Some switches, like the Gateron CJs, change their character substantially when lubed and don’t need it for smoothness. Have fun!
Also please work clean, as that stuff is PTFE…If you get a tiny bit on your finger or that sort of thing, vigorous scrubbing will be okay, but it’s really hard to impossible to fully clean off of things without a special solvent. I just like to be controlled about where on the switch I’m okay with it getting and where I’m not, and this is one reason why I use dielectric on stabilizer wires and only use 205g0 brushed inside the housings, not glooped all over.
Totally false, unless you put an ungodly amount of lube on the leaf & it actually interferes with the pieces contacting each other. Personally I like smooth light linears & always lube not only the legs of the stem, but also the parts of the leaves that contact the stem. Then I’ve even resorted to putting a gob of lube right where the leaf bends over itself to kill leaf ping on particularly pingy switches. They all worked & still work fine after that. Now whether you’ll your switches lubed like or not is completely down to your personal preferences like others have. I suggest lubing a few of your extra switches in the different ways you’d think you’d like them to test them out & figure out which way you want to go.
And you can always remove lube if you don’t like the result. A bit harder to get down into the housing than it is to wipe off the stem, but you can use a clean brush followed by isopropyl alcohol on a brush or on a dental applicator to remove most of it.
Would using plastic gloves be better during switch lubing? Also I actually wanted to lube my stabs with Krytox 205g0 and when you said it’s hard to get it off, I might need to invest in a dielectric grease.
To be clear, I’m talking about dielectric for stabilizers. Don’t use it on switches!
For me, it’s dielectric for stab wires and Krytox or the like carefully brushed in the housings. Some use Krytox 205g0 for everything. I just don’t want it glopping on the open parts of the stabs or my PCB.
Dielectric is cheap and is easy to swab out and relatively easy to wash off hands and surfaces. You could give it a try without any downside, in my opinion. Go with Loctite…it’s a little thicker and won’t run as much over time…their dielectric, not their threadlocker;-) Permatex is okay too, though.
Gloves are a good idea. I don’t use them because they bunch. I think some people have those little fingie ones for counting money that fit more snugly. That’s an idea. It’s pretty easy to keep Krytox off your hands when lubing switches. Stab wires are the issue since it’s awkward to glob them up and then snap them into place. With dielectric, I still try in the latter case to keep it contained, but it washes off hands easily.
I wonder what would happen if you put Dielectric Grease on switches… haha. Anyways, what do you mean by “And Krytox or the like carefully brushed in the housings”? I’m having trouble understanding what your saying on that quoted sentence.
Just that for stabilizers I brush Krytox 205g0 inside the stabilizer housings, but I use dielectric to dip the wires. By “…and the like,” I just meant you could use Tribosys instead of Krytox, which is just another brand.
I bet if you do a search for dielectric in switches on Keebtalk you will come up with some impressions… basically sludge
I’ve almost gotten to where I feel this way even with a light coating of 205g0. I’ve been lubing switches for a decade and I’ve started to realize I still prefer the “free” feeling of unlubed switches. Even though I usually despise the sound of unlubed switches.
Some switches are already great stock, like Outva Yangs (Linear), I tested it stock in a store and it sounded great, well maybe because it was on the Zoom75… though im sure the Zoom75 wont matter, as long as you have the same amount of foam as the Zoom75, it would sound the same.
Well everything matters. Plate material, PCB thickness, dampening if course, switches, keycap material, size and tickness, etc., etc. But every board you build will be good. Every first key stroke on your new setup or gift will feel and sound marvellous. And most likely it will not sound like the one from the shop at all. But it does not matter. You will still have spent hours and hours for a gift you made with love. And it will be great. Most of all because you’ve solved most of the stab ratteling inconsistencies with over lubing, you won’t care about the mushiness or inconsistencies in your switch lube job. You will cover the much too thick layer of custom dampening with more pressure and thus overscrewing one little screw which nobody will notice. And it will still be a perfect gift for you to make and your sis to receive.
The unpleasant nuisances that will boggle and riddle your mind will come with more boards and modding experience. But you will find a solution for all of them as well. And newer, deeper chasms will open up before your eyes, like the usb cables connecting Arisu halves. And you will stare into the abyss that is wireless connection without a 2.4 GHz dongel. Or custom paint jobs. Or broken hotswap sockets. We all have been there, seen them, and wondered speechless. And it was as great as it was devestating at times. But it will always be worth it. And all will be good. Just keep in mind… you will never catch the dragon. So keep taking a look back once in a while in awe of the glaring shine of everything you’ve accomplished so far.
Ahhh… yes and I personally put the slightes rest of lube rest from the brush on the leafs. But I spare the stem legs that come in contact with the leafs for tactiles. Linears? I cover the whole damn thing with Krytox.
And my deepest apologies for my typos. I beg forgiveness most humbly since I have nothing but lame excuses of laziness and and a foreign mother tongue for them.
