Cherry Key Silencing - Dental Bands Method

ripster

I don't find Cherry Keyboards particularly loud but if you have just switched from a rubber dome keyboard you might be surprised that even Cherry Browns or Cherry Blacks can get fairly noisy if you type hard.

So some people have used O rings. This is from this post: "Has This Been Done Before", the winner of the "Bad Mod Post Title" award.

Although pretty easy to find, O rings can get expensive and they are made of hard rubber.

So... you might remember these:

I'm finding these work pretty well. They are cheap to buy (sorta free after you pay the $5,000 to the orthodontist). They come in a whole variety of sizes so you can adjust to your preference. They are considerably softer than a hard rubber O-ring.

Attached at the BOTTOM of this post are sound samples. First I'm typing hard on the normal keys, then just two keys fast, then one key fast, then one key slow. In each case it's normal keys first, then dampened. So there still is key noise but the bottoming out sound is much reduced.

The animals are a code to different widths and thicknesses. These are 1/4 inch and about 1.5 mm thick.

These things come in a variety of sizes. This is a product catalog: PDF link.

There are a variety of sources. First I'd try Ebay. Then there is this site - $3.50 for 100.

Or just ask a local orthodontist. Not all of them are bad.

Then it's a matter of getting the size right. In terms of diameter the 3/16" size would be easier to put on (Filco stems are 5.5mm or .22"). I installed them with the keyboard upside down. Goes quick actually so not really a big deal. (NOTE: I have 3/16" on order and will edit this section with findings.)

In terms of thickness I have a feeling that is going to be a matter of personal preference. I'm finding the Heavy to shorten the travel only a tiny bit but well after you've gone through the activation point. It's still not as "cushy" as a Topre though. Maybe Medium or even Light will be better.

I tried this mod on the Model M by putting it on the barrels that hold the springs. I didn't really like it and others have found because of the quirky nature of the Buckling Spring that some keys won't work. Welly found that washers worked on the barrels that hold the springs.
Link to his mod including other silencing ideas.

I also tried the idea of dampening the keys by putting a small 1/8" thick sorbathane (from Edmund Scientific) cutout around a key. The key works fine but I found it too dampened. I'd look for thinner material if you want to try this.

This is a good mod to try if for some reason you need a quieter keyboard. Cheap, takes little time (try it on only a few keys first), customizable to whether you want heavy or light dampening, and easily reversible. You might have to redo it after a while if the bands harden or break.

I kinda like making a racket so this mod is definitely a matter of personal preference.

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