Old Nixdorf Computer Keyboard

[andrewjoy]

are custom spring still available for cherry i have seen a few threads of people selling them. And one of them i have seen had springs lighter than red ! some nixdorf black or vintage backs would go well.

[macmakkara]

Yeah there is sprits GB if those.

[Parak]

I'll make a post about this later this week, but it uses a type of Magnetic valve switch that I haven't seen before.
As well, it has a neat rubber stopper that works on press and release.

The day Haata was proved wrong. Mark in your calendars!

More me being wrong, actually Oh well, just makes HaaTa's board even more rare

shakes fist at nixdorf ambiguity

[HaaTa]

I'll make a post about this later this week, but it uses a type of Magnetic valve switch that I haven't seen before.
As well, it has a neat rubber stopper that works on press and release.

The day Haata was proved wrong. Mark in your calendars!

Haha

[DanielT]

are custom spring still available for cherry i have seen a few threads of people selling them. And one of them i have seen had springs lighter than red ! some nixdorf black or vintage backs would go well.

I have ordered some in the sprit GB, I plan to make reds from old MX Blacks, old MX Blacks are nice because are broken in, so there is no scratchy feeling. Also the soldering pins are way more solid on old ones than on the new ones.
I see no difference between old blacks and vintage blacks, they are both smooth, maybe the vintage ones are a bit lighter and that's normal because of the springs getting softer (normal metal fatigue... )
In my opinion old blacks with lighter springs are the perfect MX Reds (and cheaper )

[andrewjoy]

that's what i am going to go for as well for games at least for now

i love reds they are just about right weight wise and the actuation point is at the correct level but they are so scratch its kind of annoying.

A slightly lighter spring would be nice however and using a old black / vintage black / nixdorf blacks that have been lubed would make them silky silky smooth . combine that with a nice solid filco and the thick PBT dye sub i have and it should make a good gaming board . its just getting hold of the vintage black and the spring

i cannot find the thread with the springs could you please link it

and anyone with a source of old black and some lub would be nice too

lighter than red but with a smooth black stem we need a name for them

how about super reds

[Muirium]

Lighter than red? Pinks.

I've some "vintage" blacks (not enough to supply anyone else though) but where to get these springs…

[DanielT]

that's what i am going to go for as well for games at least for now

i love reds they are just about right weight wise and the actuation point is at the correct level but they are so scratch its kind of annoying.

A slightly lighter spring would be nice however and using a old black / vintage black / nixdorf blacks that have been lubed would make them silky silky smooth . combine that with a nice solid filco and the thick PBT dye sub i have and it should make a good gaming board . its just getting hold of the vintage black and the spring

i cannot find the thread with the springs could you please link it

and anyone with a source of old black and some lub would be nice too

lighter than red but with a smooth black stem we need a name for them

how about super reds

This was the GB http://deskthority.net/group-buys-f50/m ... t8416.html but now is in shipping phase. Maybe he has some extras, I'm not sure. I ordered 50g and 55g. Depending on how many I will use I might spare some.

[andrewjoy]

i send a PM to see if there are any 50g springs left

now i just need the stems , a am guessing i can just use the red switch and replace the stem ? or would i be better to replace the whole thing ?

[Muirium]

I'm interested in a handful (4?) just to try these vintage blacks out. Ideally, we'd have a store for things like this, perhaps run by 7bit himself…

[DanielT]

I don't think just replacing the stem will eliminate the scratchy feeling. Every part of the switch is "broken in" , housing, slider, stem. So to enjoy the pleasure of old/vintage switches you must use all the parts, except for the spring.
But finding a source for old blacks is not a problem, any beaten up G80 will do just fine
@Muirium: I can send you a few old blacks when I send you the Granite caps And if I get also the korean golden plated springs I'll pack a sample pack of 50 and 55g for you

[andrewjoy]

ahh ok cool , well as long as they are plate mounted they should be fine,

are the switch stickers worth it do they help or are they snake oil ?

[DanielT]

ahh ok cool , well as long as they are plate mounted they should be fine,

are the switch stickers worth it do they help or are they snake oil ?

All G80-xxxx are PCB mount types with some exceptions, but if you cut the plastic pins you have plate mounted ones

[jacobolus]

I have ordered some in the sprit GB, I plan to make reds from old MX Blacks, old MX Blacks are nice because are broken in, so there is no scratchy feeling.

Has nothing to do with being broken in (though it’s possible that being broken in will make an improvement to a new scratchy switch). If you get some NIB ~1990 MX black switches, and compare to new current MX black switches, the difference is night and day. I’m not sure if it’s the quality of their tooling, or some difference in plastic composition, or what, but the more recent switches are dramatically scratchier.

I think the top housing is the main contributor to this, not the slider. (I suspect swapping an MX red slider into an early MX blue switch would also effectively get you something reasonably smooth.)

Of course, all of these switches pale in comparison to good condition green Alps.

[andrewjoy]

yes but good luck finding green alps

a TKL mod of an Dell AT101 ( would not want to cut up a SGI) with caps from a SGI and green alps would be the dream but as i already have a flco i think that vintage blacks with red spring is more achievable.

[Muirium]

@Muirium: I can send you a few old blacks when I send you the Granite caps And if I get also the korean golden plated springs I'll pack a sample pack of 50 and 55g for you

Oooh, cool, thanks! I have a handful of super heavy MX springs from Tinnie that I need to try, too. Super blacks and vintage reds!

[DanielT]

Don't worry, by the way things are going Granite R2 will arrive close to December, so you will get a nice Christmas package
Hope sprit ships those springs soon, I'm tired to type on blacks lucky to have my dear HHKB at work