Water-based lubricants also exist, but when it comes to lubing key switches, I’d suggest you stay away from them. Higher grades of consistency will start to feel thick and buttery. Grade zero consistency is considered very smooth and optimal for lubing key switches. The g0 stands for grade zero, which is a measure of consistency. One of the most commonly used lubes is the Krytox 205g0. The lubricants with the 10x grading are oil-based while those with the 20x grading are grease-based. The lower the number, the less viscous it is. Krytox is a popular family of lubricants where their viscosity is graded with a number. These may sound very arbitrary for a beginner, but these numbers are actually the grades given to them that determine their relative viscosity. If you start shopping for lubricants, you’ll notice a lot of numbers thrown around such as 3203 or 205g0. Components like stabilizers need a thick and heavy grease-based lube in order for them to function optimally. Linear switches like Reds and Blacks prefer higher viscosity lube. The common practice is that you’re supposed to use low viscosity lube on tactile and clicky switches like Blues, Browns, and Pandas. Meanwhile, water can easily be poured- making its viscosity low. Honey is something that cannot be poured easily, this makes it have a high viscosity. What is viscosity you ask? Think of it as a liquid’s resistance to being poured. Regardless of which group they belong to all lubricants differ in their relative viscosity. Types of Keyboard LubeĪlmost every type of lubricant in existence can be divided into two main groups: Oils and Greases. Plus, you should not have to re-lube your switches later on as long as you use a high-grade lubricant. ![]() As a rule of thumb, always lube your new switches before beginning to use them. But as an enthusiast, I cannot in good conscience recommend not lubing switches yourself. In all fairness, this is more than fine for the uninitiated. But more often than not, they do a pretty lackluster job. Now some switch manufacturers do pre-lube their switches out of the factory. It doesn’t matter what type of switches you have lubing your switches is a must. Moreover, you can get rid of the unpleasant, echoey spring grind you hear when most switches bottom out by simply applying a bit of lube on the spring. Lubing also gives switches a very satisfying feeling when pressed (affectionately called by enthusiasts as thocky ). Lube helps the switch to gloss over any surface imperfections and makes the keystrokes feel incredibly buttery. Adding lube to the key joints inside the switch, and on the spring makes them a lot quieter. Most mechanical keyboard aficionados lube their switches as well as the key stabilizers to make them feel and sound better. Why should you even have to lube your mechanical switches? What does lubing even do?Īll these are good questions that you should probably know before prying apart your precious Glorious Pandas. Why Lube a Keyboard Switch?īefore we get into the how let’s first talk about the why. The truth is that lubing mech switches is quite an easy-not to mention therapeutic-job! Once I give you the right pointers, you’ll be taking apart and lubricating your switches like a pro in no time. It can seem like quite a daunting task for someone who’s looking into servicing their own switches. However, we understand you may be at your computer for eight hours a day (and probably snacking) so this may not be as practical.The art of caretaking mechanical keyboard switches is an intricate one. In a perfect world, to further prevent your keyboard from becoming gross, it's best to wash your hands before and after using it. Whatever the case, the methods below will help you disinfect and clean up the keys and surrounding surfaces. You may have a keyboard with keys that are low, a flush keyboard attached to your laptop or a keyboard with bouncy keys that rise from the surface. Best yet, it can help keep crud from working its way underneath a key and making it stick or stop working as intended. ![]() Cleaning it will make your keyboard more visually appealing and it can help remove bacteria and germs that have found their way onto the surface. Whether it's a sticky key from the juice you spilled, food crumbs that didn't make it to your mouth or keys that are extra shiny from the oils on your fingers, your keyboard is a mess. Your computer's keyboard is bound to get dirty at some point.
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