Great guide, very helpful for a newbie like me!
Just two questions: what grease do you recommend for springs and what lube or grease for stabs?
Thank you!
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Thanks! I recommend oil for springs and in particular, 106. For stabs you can use any heavier lube like 205 or MCG 129 etc. Even permatex can be fine but you have to use a lighter amount of it.
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So, in summary:
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Krytox GPL 205g0 for switches and stabs
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Krytox GPL 106 for springs
Thank you!
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Yeah that can work although for tactile switches you may want to use a thinner lube like 3203 or 203 as itās easier to apply without overdoing it and reducing tactility.
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What is better for spring lubing, Krytox GPL 106 or 205g0 (linears)?
The opinions differ heavily on this question. Iām consdering bag or tube lubing if I would choose the oil.
I would prefer 106, as that allows you to bag lube rather easily, but 205g0 can be applied to the ends of the spring if you want to use just 1 lube for the whole switch.
how much ml do you use for bag lubing (around 70 switches)?
I usually use 0.1-0.2ml per 100 springs but if the bag hasnāt been used for lube before you might need a bit extra. I use a small bag like the size Sprit springs come in. Keeps the oil closer to the springs and less waste in the bag itself.
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Thank you, very helpful!
I had an idea after seeing a few folks trying gun oil on some of their components. This may be more silly than anything - but it seems to be working great so far: I recently did a build for a cyclist, so I thought it might be fun to use bike lube on the springs. I sprayed some teflon-based stuff in a bag with the springs, and it seems to have provided them with a nice even coat of fairly thick oil.
The once-vocal Halo springs are now ping-free and the switches very smooth - the only possible caveat so far is the smell. My friend appreciates it since it reminds them of working on their bikes (āsmells like Dura-Ace!ā), but Iād imagine not everyone wants their keeb to smell like the work shed.
If anyone already happens to know why this might actually be a terrible idea, let me know - otherwise Iāll get back to you folks with any developments. From what I understand about what this lube is meant for, it should cling to those springs for a reasonably long amount of time - all the while providing its unique fragrance.
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Was it the tri-flow that smells like bananas?
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Ha! Now that you mention it, yeah - it does kind of smell like bananas. Maybe synthetic, robot bananasā¦ canāt un-smell.
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The only possible issue I could think of using that Tri flow stuff is if there is something in it that doesnāt play nice with plastics. I highly doubt that though since it is made to use with bikes which have their fair share of plastics on them. Maybe test it on a loose housing just to be sure, but you might be onto something with the way this stuff is made to cling to parts! I have always been a big proponent of using oil for your springs, even if youāre using grease for the stem & housing. Iāve stuck to krytox so far, but would definitely give a cheaper possibly better alternative a look! Let us know how it goes with this!
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Iāve got loads of triflow for my bike, I think Iāll be putting together my key65 late next week maybe Iāll give it a try.
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Let us know how it goes if you do!
is the site keys.my legit as itās not listed here? the prices are insane low.
nvm itās the site store uni. anyway may some of you have tested it?
Speclub charges $15 for 5gram. Last time I bought from Store Uni, I paid ~$25 for a 25gram jar of 205g0 which will last a long time. So I think Store Uni (forget whatās new name is) is still a good source for those many of us.
Iāve used Teflon grease on stabs wherever plastic rubs on plastic but never spray
As the spray is more akin to oil it behaves as such. I basically only use it for springs nowadays. Its preference ofcause.
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