Switch Modding: Perfecting Your Switches

You've chosen your switches, but what if you could make them even better? Welcome to the world of switch modding, a corner of the custom keyboard hobby dedicated to taking stock, mass-produced switches and elevating them to a whole new level of smoothness and acoustic perfection. It's a labor of love, a meditative process that, for many enthusiasts, is a non-negotiable step in the pursuit of the perfect typing experience.

The three most common and impactful switch mods are lubing, filming, and spring swapping. These modifications can transform a good switch into a great one, eliminating scratchiness, reducing unwanted noise, and creating a deeper, more pleasing sound profile that is entirely your own.

Unlocking a Switch's True Potential

You've chosen your switches, but what if you could make them even better? Welcome to the world of switch modding, a corner of the custom keyboard hobby dedicated to taking stock, mass-produced switches and elevating them to a whole new level of smoothness and acoustic perfection. It's a labor of love, a meditative process that, for many enthusiasts, is a non-negotiable step in the pursuit of the perfect typing experience.

The three most common and impactful switch mods are lubing, filming, and spring swapping. These modifications can transform a good switch into a great one, eliminating scratchiness, reducing unwanted noise, and creating a deeper, more pleasing sound profile that is entirely your own.

Lubing: The Secret to Ultimate Smoothness

At its core, lubing a switch means applying a thin layer of specialized lubricant to the internal components of the switch, primarily where plastic parts rub against each other.

• Why Lube Your Switches?

  • Smoothness: The primary goal of lubing is to reduce friction between the moving parts, especially the stem and the housing rails. This eliminates any "scratchiness" (a gritty, sandy feeling some stock switches have) and results in a buttery-smooth, consistent keystroke.
  • Sound: Lubing also dampens high-pitched sounds. It significantly reduces spring ping (a metallic ringing sound from the spring) and the "clacky" sound of the stem hitting the housing. The result is a deeper, quieter, and more refined sound, often described as "thocky."

• How It's Done:

  1. The switch must be opened using a special tool called a switch opener.
  2. A very thin, even layer of lubricant is carefully applied to the sides of the stem and the rails inside the bottom housing using a fine brush. The choice of lube is critical: a thick lube like Krytox 205g0 is ideal for linear switches, while a thinner lube like Trybosis 3203 is preferred for tactile switches to avoid muting the tactile bump.
  3. The spring can also be "bag lubed" by tossing a batch of springs in a bag with a few drops of a thin oil (like Krytox 105) and shaking vigorously to coat them lightly.
  4. The switch is then carefully reassembled.

A Word of Caution: Over-lubing is a common mistake. Applying too much lube can make a switch feel sluggish, mushy, and unresponsive. The key is a thin, consistent layer—less is almost always more.

Filming: Eliminating Wobble and Improving Sound

Switch films are tiny, thin gaskets, usually made of polycarbonate, foam, or rubber, that are placed between the top and bottom housings of a switch.

• Why Film Your Switches?

  • Tighter Tolerances: Many switches, especially older or budget-friendly ones, have a small gap between the top and bottom housings due to manufacturing tolerances. This can cause the top housing to wobble, which leads to a rattly, inconsistent sound.
  • Improved Sound: By filling this microscopic gap, a switch film tightens the entire assembly. This reduces wobble and creates a more solid, focused, and often deeper sound. It's a subtle but noticeable improvement that complements lubing perfectly by removing another source of unwanted noise.

• How It's Done:

  1. After opening the switch, a film is simply placed on top of the bottom housing, aligning it with the posts.
  2. The top housing is then snapped back into place over the film, compressing it slightly to create a tight seal.

Spring Swapping: Customizing the Feel

This is exactly what it sounds like: replacing the stock spring in a switch with a different one. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to dramatically change how a switch feels.

• Why Swap Springs?
  • Custom Weighting: You might love the smoothness of a particular linear switch but find its stock spring too light or too heavy. Spring swapping allows you to pair that switch's housing and stem with your ideal spring weight.
  • Changing the Force Curve: As we learned in the previous section, springs can be progressive or multi-staged. You can swap in a multi-stage spring to give a switch a "snappier" and more responsive feel, or a progressive spring to make the end of the keypress feel more cushioned.

Switch modding is a time-consuming process, but it's also a deeply rewarding one. It allows you to take a mass-produced component and tailor it to your exact preferences, creating a typing experience that is truly unique to you.

Now that you know everything about switches, how do you go about choosing and buying them? Our final guide in this section, How to Choose and Buy Your Switches, will walk you through the last step.

External Resources

• A Visual Guide to Lubing Switches (YouTube Video by Taeha Types)
• Switch and Click's Guide to Lubing