Cherry MX Switch tear-down (Green, Blue, Clear, Brown, Black, Red)

[The_Strict_Nein]

So, I bought a CM Switch tester so I would have something to reference if I was helping someone buy a keyboard. As the switches are plate mounted and not soldered to a PCB, they were pretty easy to take apart. As such, a took a few pictures detailing how they looked on the inside.

 

 

What's interesting is the base of the unit is the same across all the switches. The force/feel of the switches come from the part with the stalk (From here out I'll call it the "key" even though that probably isn't correct but I didn't know what else to call it)

 

 

It might be hard to tell due to the quality of the image, but the shape of the little plastic bar on the key determines the feel of the switch. Reds and Blacks are simply smooth and straight. Browns and Clears have a little notch in them that catches on the actuation point of the switch. this is what causes the tactile feel. Blues and Greens have the bar separated from the rest of the key, which snaps back into place after a key press due to the force of the spring. This hits against in the key, resulting in the clicking noise you hear.

 

All of the force required to actuate switch comes from the spring, which are pretty different between each spring type.

 

 

What I found interesting about the switches is that because they are extremely easy to take apart like this (took me two small flat head screwdrivers), if you were going to build your own keyboard and wanted say the feel of the Clear switch but the tactile feel/sound of the blue switch, you could take apart a keyboards worth of blues and clears and swap the springs around. I tested this, and having a tactile switch with the same actuation force as a Red was pretty cool.

 

 

Sorry for the not properly technical language, I don't really know the jargon of mechanical switches.

 

If you want any pictures of anything specific, let me know

[NationsAnarchy]

Thanks for the effort dude !
This might help me and the others

[minibois]

That's pretty neat.

Great post, you never see how they actually look on the inside!

[tjack11]

This is a great post! I've always wondered what was inside them little buggers

[WiiManic]

Nice post! 
I've always wanted to mess around with swapping the springs in my boards, but as both are plate mounted, I can't really swap them easily without de-soldering them all.

 

If anyone is wondering how a certain key feels with a modified spring, Google around, there is usually a bunch of stuff on each one.

Some are popular enough to get there own "names" in the community, probably the most recognisable being the "Ergo Clear", a clear Slider and a lighter spring.

Its fairly interesting looking at all the small changes people do to there switches.

[Robi_g]

So, I bought a CM Switch tester so I would have something to reference if I was helping someone buy a keyboard. As the switches are plate mounted and not soldered to a PCB, they were pretty easy to take apart. As such, a took a few pictures detailing how they looked on the inside.

I was just about to do this with mine. Guess I could post Greys and Whites

[STRMfrmXMN]

Not new to this but I'm glad others can be informed. People shouldn't recommend Cherry switch keyboards before understanding them like this IMO.

[Whorax]

Interesting. Cool.