Alpaca V2 Linear Switches | LUBRICATED & FILMED | 70 Pieces | NEW

Description

Lubricated switches are a highly desired feature in custom/DIY mechanical keyboards.
Lube provides 3 main benefits:
- Improved longevity
- Improved sound quality
- Improved typing feel
Films are thin pieces of plastic or foam (See pictures) that sandwich between the top and bottom housing. They reduce housing wobble (improving sound and typing experience) and help keep out dust particles. I use a variety of films, depending on the switch and what I have in stock. I use Deskeys, Durock, Dangkeebs, kebo, and TX films. This is because some films fit different switches better depending on the housing molds and their fit tolerance.
Switches typically are not lubed or filmed from their factories and it can be a very time consuming process to do it yourself. Not to mention, it can be confusing to know which type of lube to use for different switches, how much to apply, and where to find the necessary materials.
I lube and film switches so you don't have to.
Alpaca switches are produced by JWK in the "SA Bliss" colorway designed by Minterly. They feature a gold plated spring weighted at 62g (bottom out) that will register at 2mm and bottom out at 4mm. The stems have very minimal wobble, meaning the keycap will not shift left, right, up, or down too much. There is very minimal spring or leaf "ping" (especially post-modification).
The housings are made of Nylon (bottom) and Polycarbonate (top) and the stem is POM.
The mounting style is 5-pin PCB mount. They can be made to be compatible with 3-pin PCBs by simply clipping the two outermost plastic legs with flush cutting
pliers. If you'd like me to perform this modification for you, just let me know and I'll be happy to at no extra cost. Be aware that this process cannot be reversed for obvious reasons.
As per the usual lube recommendations for linear switches, I lube the housing and stem with 100% Krytox 205g0 grease. I "bag lube" all springs with Krytox 105 oil. Bag lubing is where the springs are shaken in a bag with a few drops of oil for a couple minutes to evenly coat them all at once.
Regarding "factory" or "pre-lubed" switches: Yes, many switches now come pre-lubed from their respective factories. However, nothing beats meticulous, by-hand modification. Most often, the pre-lube is a small amount of oil applied to the left and right sides of the stems and an even smaller amount of oil on the legs where they make contact with the leaf. That's usually it. Typically, there's no oil or grease applied to the front or back of the stem, the rails or center poll of the bottom housing, nor the spring. So when a switch is factory lubed, it may still present the usual cons of un-lubed switches; spring and leaf ping especially. A fully hand-lubed switch covers all points of friction where plastic and metal rub against each other.
All switches are modded-per-order, meaning I leave the switches dry until a purchase is made. I require at the very most 2 days of handling before they are shipped out to you.
This is primarily a modification service, hence why my prices are different than if you were to purchase the switches un-modded alone. If you have questions as to how I price my switches, don't hesitate to reach out via DMs. Prices are (somewhat) negotiable.