Mechanical Keyboard Corner

If an IBM “beam spring” is just a regular membrane keyboard, but with a spring that helps the keys bounce back. Anyone could create their own beam spring keyboards, right?

Or is their more to a beam spring?

Theres quite a bit more lol… But its unlikely you’ll ever actually see one except in a museum at this rate.
https://deskthority.net/wiki/IBM_Beam_Spring_Keyboards
Also lol at @Big_Al_Tech
Because with the rise of mechanical keyboards comes the fact that you don’t just find them anymore unless you get really lucky and or recycle PCs

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A lot more to them than that. They are absurdly over engineered and I love IBM for that.
https://deskthority.net/wiki/Beam_spring

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Aw f*ck me that sounds like heaven.

stares at wallet … I’m sorry.

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Had a mild keyboard related Oh Shit moment there.

Saw they had Kailh Speed switches on massdrop in funky colours. The tactiles are burnt orange, and I am loving the tactile clears in my main board right now. My Filco needs new springs which I have all ready, but it has linears right now, so while I was replacing the springs I might as well change the switch too. Orange tactiles sounds like a perfect fit for the board, says they are the same as the Speed Coppers.
I “Join The Drop!”

Then I figure I should look at some reviews of the speed coppers. I remember people liking them when they came out and reading lots of good reviews.

It is a brown switch… Not happy.

Immediately cancel order on massdrop. Crisis averted.

I would not have minded the wait either if they were burnt orange and tactile like clears, such a shame. But it would have been the end of February before they got here, so clad I caught it before it was to late and waiting for switches I would not like.

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That is amazing. I would love something like that.

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Oh, browns. Yech.
I see why you canceled lol, Clears are the only really good tactile MX ive seen (that doesnt count clone switches just Cherry ones. Some of the clones have really intriguing new designs internally)


Unrelated. Just picked up a christmas tree PCB and a few artisan keycaps. Should be interesting.
Oh also one of these things.

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If that were to be made reprogrammable with layers that could be a great gaming board in my head.

What are the switches?

I still need to do something with my coppers.

Or sell them, I haven’t really decided.

They are either MEI switches with MX compatible stems
Or Cherry ML
The MEIs apperently have terrible keyfeel but meh, will see.
And Cherry ML are decent but strange keycaps lol.

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If it had layers in would totally try out one with all the bottom half disabled and the ortho to halves for gaming left and right hand remapped to wasd and a cluster of macros.

The disabled keys would make a wrist rest with out triggering loads of nonsense and you could hot swap the layer back to typing mode for when you need it.

Not entirely sure if its possible but maybe.
Also the profile is insanity lol
s-l400

(Will take my own pics when the one I got shows up)

Mine apparently is an XT/AT switchable one but has a RJ connector so may need to rewire it. Will see.

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Wowee that is a ski jump of a board. I see the problem, it looked flatter in the other pic.

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I don’t think comparing burnt orange’s to Cherry browns really works. If you look at the force graphs the oranges are heavier than Cherry Clears but with a earlier and more subtle bump.

Clear: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile/cherry-mx-clear/

Burnt Orange: https://www.novelkeys.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Oig4N4E.png

I really want to try the Box Navy switches from Novelkeys. I find the click bar intriguing.

So burnt oranges are crappier at being tactile than clears are? K. Note to self; never get burnt oranges lol

And the click bar switches are interesting, they double click (on down, and up) which is cool.

From what I’ve read about it the heavier spring makes the bump a lot more apparent. The box burnt oranges were supposed to be really nice but they had some manufacturing issues that resulted in twisted stems so they got pulled till they could iron that out.

There are way to many interesting switches out and coming out that I want to try, I really need to get the wife into nice keyboards so I can spend more money one em!

It is the bump I am most interested in. I have Gateron Tactile Clears (zealios but not purple) and I like that level of tactility, I have a switch tester with a Cherry brown in it and I am not a fan, like gritty reds.

As for the force, I spring swap a lot because I like heavy springs and the burnt oranges would have been getting 80g springs any way. I was just looking at them as a way to get cool coloured smooth tactile clears type switches, I have no interest in the feel of browns.

OOoooohhhh So Pretty!

Interest check for a potential group buy: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJmIyhpzcdKp5pXNpGSREMKG1itlvf9alXzeCxhNvVPPJ_RQ/viewform

But then again it is all ready pretty cheap on the “Express” mega slow shipping: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/104-ANSI-layout-PBT-Double-skin-milk-Double-shot-Backlit-Keycap-For-OEM-Cherry-MX-Switches/1806079_32816440976.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.53dc7dc0WKAepW

Pretty cool, I am not into the rainbow light RGB stroke madness thats going round today, but I do like a nice solid colour to accent a board or desk set up. These look really nice for that. Just not sure If I want them, can’t think of a great use case.

EDIT:

Oh, oh no… this, this is a problem.

i need them

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Double-shot-white-104-ANSI-layout-PBT-Double-skin-milk-Keycap-for-OEM-Cherry-MX-Switches/32826723081.html?spm=2114.12010108.1000013.1.14a70a792zgF7u&traffic_analysisId=recommend_2088_1_90158_iswistore&scm=1007.13339.90158.0&pvid=2cc406fa-0275-4b97-8084-ec5a1c3f5c29&tpp=1

If these can be dyed this could be big. I would go bananas for this. They are cheap enough to take a punt and try it out and not worry if it is a loss, I have wanted to dye some more caps, want to make up my Borderline Green layout for something, not sure yet, might need a fourth board… :cold_sweat:

EDIT 2: Aaaannnnddd they are bought.

Bonus Lols: Pudding Caps.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cool-Jazz-Double-shot-PBT-Cherry-pudding-Keycaps-Set-OEM-profile-keycap-for-mechanical-keyboard/32838456592.html?spm=2114.10010108.1000013.3.3f9940f57VQDeg&traffic_analysisId=recommend_2088_2_90158_iswistore&scm=1007.13339.90158.0&pvid=5db45408-b5b3-439a-9482-0e2e9943a0ed&tpp=1

TTC Orange

and Rainbow Switch tops


I am also SUPER tempted to build a new board now. I saw a video on a wooden cased 60% with SA caps and it was like typing heaven.

Now I have found a 75 switch ortholinear PCB and plate that fits in a GH60 case and Outemu Purples with black housings. All that with some backing foam to silence it a bit, orings under the caps, thick PBT caps all dyed to my colours. Lube it all up, no stabilisers to rattle. Would be amazing, I think I am talking my self into it.

So far it is coming in at exactly 125, for everything from caps to case. I already ordered the caps, so 100 left in the rest of the parts if I was to go for it…

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This things insane lol

Also has MX compatible stems, which is interesting. The caps are too short to use on a standard MX keyboard but I could put custom caps on the thing so. Would be amusing to put SA on it or something rofl

Switches themselves are decent, not unlike Topre but if topre came in linears.

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That font is sexy.

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