Overview
To lubricate tactile switches, oil the springs and lightly brush grease onto the housing rails and stem side rails, keeping grease off the front tactile legs. This guide follows that sequence on Salmon switches, from opening the housings to reassembly.
In @get.switched's demonstration, the switch bag is labelled SALMON, and the on-screen lubricant names are Krytox GPL 105 for the springs and "trybosys 3203" for the brushed application. A close-up marks the front tactile legs with a red cross to show where not to apply grease.
This guide follows the demonstrated procedure rather than an independent bench test. The video does not establish a precise oil-to-spring ratio or measured changes in feel or sound.
Tools & Materials
Item | Role in the shown mod | Specification / compatibility | Evidence / verification status |
|---|---|---|---|
Kinetic Labs Salmon switches | The tactile switches being modified | Not shown / verify before use | Confidence 0.95; product identity stated |
Switch opener | Separate top housing, bottom housing, stem, spring | Not shown — specific model unknown | Confidence 1.00; model not stated |
Krytox GPL 105 oil | Lubricate the springs via tin-shaking | Not shown — drop count and ratio to spring count not given ("a few drops") | Confidence 1.00; unverified instruction |
Metal tea tin | Container for shaking springs with oil | Not shown / verify before use | Confidence 0.90 |
Tribosys 3203 grease | Lubricate the bottom housing slide rails and stem side rails | Stored in a repurposed Clinique acrylic jar — material compatibility unknown | Confidence 0.95; spelled "trybosys" on screen |
Fine paintbrush | Apply Tribosys 3203 to housing and stem | Not shown — specific brush not stated | Confidence 1.00 |
Stem grabber | Hold the stem while brushing the side rails | Not shown — specific model unknown | Confidence 1.00 |
Lube station | Black workstation board shown holding partially assembled switches | Not shown / verify before use | Confidence 1.00 |
Purple silicone mat | Work surface for pouring and opening switches | Not shown / verify before use | Observed at 00:02 |
Step-by-Step
- Pour loose Kinetic Labs Salmon switches from a bag onto a purple silicone mat. *(00:02)*
- Use a switch opener to separate the top housing, bottom housing, stem, and spring. *(00:06)*
Video: @get.switched on TikTok - Place the springs into a small metal tea tin. *(00:11)*
- Add a few drops of Krytox GPL 105 oil to the springs in the tin. **Drop count and spring-to-oil ratio: not shown.** *(00:14)*
- Close the tin and shake it for about 30 seconds. **30-second mix time is an in-video instruction; unverified.** *(00:17)*
- Dip a fine paintbrush into Tribosys 3203 grease (held in a repurposed Clinique acrylic jar) and brush a light dot onto the slide rails of the bottom housing. **"Light dot" is an in-video instruction; unverified.** *(00:21–00:22)*
Video: @get.switched on TikTok - Hold the stem with a stem grabber and brush the side rails of the stem. **Stop condition: do not apply grease to the front tactile legs.** *(00:27–00:28)*
- Reassemble the spring, stem, and top housing into the bottom housing and snap the switch closed. *(00:31)*
Video: @get.switched on TikTok - Populate the black workstation board shown in the video with the partially assembled switches. *(00:33)*
- Run a typing test on the fully built keyboard. **No feel, sound, or smoothness result is reported — only that the test was performed.** *(00:35)*
Common Pitfalls
**Shown in the video**
- *Do not apply grease to the front tactile legs of the stem.* The video marks this with an on-screen overlay at **00:28** while the side rails are being brushed. Lubricating the legs can eliminate the tactile bump.
**Unresolved — reader must check**
- *Optimal Krytox GPL 105 drop-to-spring ratio* (high priority). The video only says "a few drops" with no count. Establish your own ratio before committing a batch of springs. - *Tribosys 3203 stored in a repurposed Clinique acrylic jar* (low priority). The video does not confirm or refute material compatibility. Confirm with the lubricant manufacturer before long-term storage. - *Exact switch opener and stem grabber models* (medium priority). Neither model is identified in the video. Use any compatible opener and grabber, but verify fit before starting. - *Whether lubricant should also be kept off the metal contact leaf* (open). The in-video overlay addresses the **stem legs**, not the **metal leaf**. One unrelated forum excerpt (keebtalk.com, credibility unknown) discusses the leaf but does not verify or refute the video. Treat this question as **unresolved**. - *Stated feel/sound improvement* (high priority). A typing test was shown; no measured result is given. Do not treat the implied smoother feel or sound as verified.
Sources
Video: How to lube tactile switches - @get.switched. Human review confirms the SALMON bag label, on-screen lubricant names, and the red-cross close-up of the front tactile legs. The lubricant instructions appear at 00:14 and 00:23; the red-cross caution appears at 00:28.
External context: Is Lubing Switch Metal Leafs is bad or not? - Keebtalk. Saved excerpt: "Lubricating the leaf can help to reduce friction between the plastic stem and the metal leaf." This community discussion concerns the metal leaf, not the tactile stem legs, and does not independently verify the video's procedure or lubricant quantities.