For a change of pace, I took my SwagKeys Transition Lite (Teal Transparent) + Hatsune Miku build out of the drawer and started writing a blog post on it. It had been a while since I’d used this particular combination. Almost immediately, the response under my fingertips felt wrong: there was an unevenness to the keystrokes that made me pay attention to the switches again.
Why the Outemu Silent Lime switches don’t suit me
The board was fitted with Outemu Silent Lime switches, rated at 50gf bottom-out and 35gf actuation. They’re light, which is helpful when typing for a long time, but the return under my fingers wasn’t strong enough for my taste. I like the physical feedback of a tactile switch, and that character felt diminished here. Low effort alone wasn’t enough to make the combination satisfying.
I decided to replace them. I’d originally tried to satisfy both my preference for tactile switches and the color scheme of the transparent teal case. Looking at the board again, I wasn’t even convinced by the color match any longer. There wasn’t much reason to keep a combination that no longer appealed to either my fingers or my eyes.
Fixing over-lubed used Haimu Midnight switches
The replacements were used Haimu Midnight linear switches I’d bought from a local marketplace a few months earlier. The listing said the seller had lubricated them by hand. Once installed, though, their sliders didn’t move as pleasantly as that description suggested. Pressing them produced an unusually sluggish, uneven sensation rather than the smooth travel I wanted.
Opening a switch revealed excess lubricant inside the housing, interfering with the slider. I disassembled all 87 switches and worked through them individually. A cotton swab removed the excess from the housings, and a brush spread a thin, even coat on the sliders. I put the springs into a bag with two paper towels and shook them to adjust how much lubricant remained.
After reassembly, the stiffness was gone and the familiar smooth movement and crisp Haimu Midnight clack returned. My quick weekend switch change had become a complete re-lube of 87 switches. Still, fitting the blue switches into the transparent mint case gave me a color combination I liked much better, as well as the response I’d been missing.
Checklist for Transition Lite switch replacement
The usual approach is to take the PCB out before removing and installing switches, something beginners should keep in mind. I’m less careful with my own boards: I tend to think that if a connection comes away, I’ll solder it back. That’s my approach to this build, rather than a reason for a first-time builder to rush the removal.
With the switches in place, I refitted the original Hatsune Miku PBT caps. The white and blue base and little pixel-heart accents went back where they belonged. The finished appearance was familiar, but typing now brought out the clear clack I’d wanted from the Haimu Midnights.
For now, the SwagKeys Transition Lite Miku Edition is staying on my desk.
Build Details
– Transition Lite Teal Transparent Barebone / PC Plate
– Transition Lite Standard PCB
– WuqueStudio V3.1 Stabilizers
– Haimu Midnight Linear Switches
– Varmilo Miku st. PBT Keycaps
