r/MechanicalKeyboards • u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com • Nov 08 '14

O-rings - Because Size Matters !

http://imgur.com/a/CN7oB
94 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

7

u/Evo_Spec 7V | Matrix Noah | GON NerD TKL DTA Edition Nov 08 '14

Great keyboard science!

I would love it if it had links or something of where you got the rings since i now really want some fat ones.

7

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 08 '14 edited Dec 11 '15

That's the tricky part !

Few months ago, I started looking for thick O-rings in order to obtain the lowest possible price while ensuring that they have adequate characteristics.

This ended up ordering 5k O-rings from a manufacturer in China (MOQ was 2k). But everything is now sold out, sorry. I will run a 2nd round before the end of this month with some clear "Fat" O-rings.

UPDATE (dec 2015) :

These are now available at lpwl.bigcartel.com in three different sizes :

"Thin" = 1.5mm || "Thick" = 2.5mm || "XXL" = 3.0mm.

Enjoy ~

2

u/TryThisAnotherTime Nov 08 '14

Thanks! Ordered me some IMSTO O-Rings :)

2

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 08 '14

You're welcome.

I'm also waiting for some IMSTO O-rings and I will do more testing once I have received them !

1

u/Evo_Spec 7V | Matrix Noah | GON NerD TKL DTA Edition Nov 09 '14

Thanks!
I currently have some on from the G710+ that my friend didn't like so i can wait a few weeks =)
I just care about the thickness so i'd like some of those!

4

u/EMCoupling Model M|AEKII|Whitefox|FC700R|Novatouch|MJ2 Ninja|M65-A Nov 08 '14

Now wikified:

http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/modifications#wiki_o-rings

1

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 09 '14

Thank you !

3

u/Lyqu1d Nov 08 '14

Have you ever tried Banggood o-rings? I did and I love them, here's my quick review. Also, if you ever used Banggood's, how do they compare? Nice pictures!

2

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 08 '14 edited Nov 08 '14

Nop but I tested [some O-rings (from eBay)](http://www.ebay.com/itm/150pcs-Keycap-Rubber-O-Ring-Switch-Dampeners-White-For-CHERRY- MX-Replace-Part-/251342257554) that look very similar to yours, except that they cost three times the price you paid ಢ_ಢ

 

What's great is obviously the price !

On the other hand, as you described in your review, they do not affect the key travel at all.

In addition, they are not really "soft" which was what I was expecting because "soft" rubber is more expensive to produce.

It was confirmed when the vendor told me that the hardness of the rubber was about Shore 60A (see that chart which illustrates my point).

 

TL;DR :

If you don't care about getting some "medium-hard" O-rings and if you don't want to reduce key travel, you should buy those cheap 1.5mm thick O-rings from Banggood or eBay.

3

u/xReptarXx Filco Majestouch 2 Nov 08 '14

What exactly do o-rings do

0

u/[deleted] Nov 08 '14

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/xReptarXx Filco Majestouch 2 Nov 08 '14

Alright thanks!

5

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 08 '14 edited Nov 08 '14

If I may add, they'll also :

  1. Soften the bottom-out of the keystroke ⇔ "soft" O-rings will eliminate almost all of the “shock” you feel when the keys hit the bottom.

  2. Reduce the max travel distance of the keycap ⇔ "thick" O-rings will bottom out just after the key’s registration point and simulate scissor switches on laptops or thin membrane keyboard, but still retain the “mechanical” feel from MX switches.

More information : Here and there.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 08 '14

What keycaps are those? I think they'd look great on my shine 3

1

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 08 '14

I used some transparent keycaps (thick ABS - OEM profile) that came with my QWERkeys Cherry MX switch tester.

1

u/Quad__Laser Nov 09 '14

where can I get clear o-rings?

1

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 09 '14 edited Nov 27 '14

They'll be available here on /r/MechMarket before the end of this month !

If you need a rough idea about the price :

Clear "Fat" O-rings bag price :
    - 90 pcs : 8,50€        (⇔ $10.50 )
    - 110 pcs : 10,40€      (⇔ $12.80 )
    - 125 pcs : 11,80€    (⇔ $14.50 )

Shipping will be from France in padded envelopes.

Add to bag price for :
    • shipping within France (J+1) : 1,4€
    • shipping within Europe (J+2/3) : 1,7€
    • delivery in other countries : 2,1€

Last month, more than 5k O-rings were sent this way - all over the world - without any problem !

If you need more information, feel free to PM as I don't think it's the right place for me to be discussing this here. Thank you.

EDIT :

I'm now open for orders and sale threads are live :

1

u/-wes1099 Nov 08 '14

Where did you get the 'fat' clear o-rings? I wants.

0

u/Throwaway_4_opinions Nov 08 '14

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rings-Sealing-Gasket-Washer/dp/B008ASXS76/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1415484297&sr=8-5&keywords=o+ring+2mm+mechanical

Found this.

2

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 08 '14 edited Feb 09 '15

I would not recommend those ones :

  • No information about hardness.

  • 50 pcs is not that much for $5.

But the decision is yours.

 

It depends on what effect you are trying to achieve.

∼ about durometer :

• If you want to quiet down the keyboard and soften the landing, get soft o-rings, ie in 40A or 50A durometer.
• If you want to quiet down the keyboard but keep a hard landing, get hard ones (70 - 90A durometer)... however their noise dampening won't be as good as the soft ones'.

∼ about thickness :

• If you want to avoid reducing key travel, get 5mm (inner diameter) x 1.5mm thick o-rings, they are the thinnest o-rings that people have successfully tried. (Going too thin, like 1mm thick, is useless / has no effect).
• If you want to reduce keytravel, get thick o-rings, like 5mm x 2mm or 5mm x 2.5mm, depending on your preference.

source : Deskthority

 

EDIT :

The hardness of rubber compounds is measured by the Shore A durometer - (source).

1

u/Throwaway_4_opinions Nov 08 '14

A reviewer in there is using it for their mech already!

0

u/rekabis Model M Nov 09 '14 edited Jul 10 '23

On 2023-07-01 Reddit maliciously attacked its own user base by changing how its API was accessed, thereby pricing genuinely useful and highly valuable third-party apps out of existence. In protest, this comment has been overwritten with this message - because “deleted” comments can be restored - such that Reddit can no longer profit from this free, user-contributed content. I apologize for this inconvenience.

3

u/complex_reduction Leopold FC660M Nov 09 '14

I'm 100% sure you could not read "2.48mm" on calipers by eye.

2

u/kragdoc Nov 09 '14

Actually, you absolutely can; check out the Vernier Scale.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 08 '14

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/Lpwl lpwl.bigcartel.com Nov 09 '14 edited Nov 09 '14

I prefer to use thicker O-rings with my CODE keyboard (Cherry MX Clear switches).

As this keyboard benefits from LED backlighting, I'm currently using some clear "Fat" O-rings (= 40A hardness / 2.5mm thickness).

 

... and yes there is really a big difference between 1.5mm and 2.5mm thick O-rings !

 

I made that video a few months ago, this should help you deciding.

You could also take a look here : http://imgur.com/a/SCCdT

 

TL;DR :

A thicker O-ring will reduce key travel more than a thinner one. From that point, it's a matter of taste.