My first Frankenswitch: Swapping Kailh Box Navy Spring into a Durock T1 Silent Shrimp Keyboard Switch

Navy switch opened

I built a Tokyo 60 using the Durock T1 Silent Shrimp switches and the Drop+Matt3o /dev/tty MT3 keycaps (with Apple kit, natch). I like it a lot, as a silent tactile board, but I was getting the occasional, annoying, double-space-bar activation and/or, just by grazing the space bar, inadvertent actuation. At least one reviewer has encountered issues with “weak springs” with this switch and their solution was to swap in a Cherry MX Clear spring. Me being me, I decided to swap in a spring from one of the several Kailh Box Navy switches I have surplus.

I’ve never done this before. I found this switch opener tool, which was advertised to work with Kailh switches, and confirmed it would also work with the Durock. This YouTube video shows just how easy it is; literally just position the switch on the opener and then press down. Pop, off comes the top.

Couldn’t have been easier. And the Frankenswitch works exactly as I’d hoped: The spacebar requires just enough effort now that it doesn’t get inadvertently triggered, and the double-input issue is gone. Huzzah.

T1 Silent Shrimp, opened