Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Showing 1 of 54 conversations about:
Mancub
31
Dec 6, 2016
bookmark_border
Mancub
31
Dec 6, 2016
bookmark_border
MancubOk so many thanks to my friend Google. For those interested.. (although surprisingly they don't talk so much about spin times and seem to focus more on looks and finish)
Brass - Free Cutting Brass, also known as Alloy 360 is used for its ease of machining and affordability. It is also really heavy which helps our tops spin for a long time! Brass will form a natural patina and eventually give your top an antiqued look. If shiny brass is your thing then you can clean the top with a commercial brass cleaner or simply use ketchup and a microfiber cloth to remove the patina.
Bronze - Slightly harder to machine than Brass and a little more expensive. Bronze will also form a natural patina over time. If you would like to keep Bronze shiny you can use 1 Tbs Salt, I Cup White Vinegar and enough Flour to create a paste; then apply the paste and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and polish with a microfiber cloth.
Copper - Harder to machine than Brass or Bronze but shows up with that great red hue! Copper is one of the most requested materials and will form a patina over time! If you want to remove the patina we recommend purchasing a commercial copper polish or simply cut a fresh lemon in half, sprinkle coarse salt on the lemon and rub it on the copper.
Damascus - Made from two varying composition steels that are folded on each other or welded together to form an interesting pattern that looks like wood. Depending on what two types of steel are used these can form some rust over time. Using a fine towel and some carnuba wax (Meguiars works well) on the surface as a polish will keep the steels from forming any rust.
--- Stem Materials ---
Stainless Steel - Our standard Stem Material for multiple piece tops. SS requires little to no maintenance and adds some heft to the top.
--- Contact Point Materials ---
Chrome Steel - Economical and relatively hard, these bearings won't break or shatter. They have a Rockwell Hardness of (RHc) 60 and come standard in all our tops.
Tungsten Carbide - Harder than Chrome Steel coming in with a RHc of 90. These bearings are more expensive than Chrome Steel but will also scratch and wear less, preserving spin times over the years. They also have a great gunmetal finish!
Ceramic - We use Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) bearings for the longest and smoothest spin times! This is possible because they are virtually frictionless and lighter than Steel or Tungsten. In rare cases if dropped it is possible for them to shatter so some care is needed when selecting this contact point. They are also used in applications ranging from championship Tour de France cycling teams to the engines on the space shuttle!
Brass - Free Cutting Brass, also known as Alloy 360 is used for its ease of machining and affordability. It is also really heavy which helps our tops spin for a long time! Brass will form a natural patina and eventually give your top an antiqued look. If shiny brass is your thing then you can clean the top with a commercial brass cleaner or simply use ketchup and a microfiber cloth to remove the patina.
Bronze - Slightly harder to machine than Brass and a little more expensive. Bronze will also form a natural patina over time. If you would like to keep Bronze shiny you can use 1 Tbs Salt, I Cup White Vinegar and enough Flour to create a paste; then apply the paste and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and polish with a microfiber cloth.
Copper - Harder to machine than Brass or Bronze but shows up with that great red hue! Copper is one of the most requested materials and will form a patina over time! If you want to remove the patina we recommend purchasing a commercial copper polish or simply cut a fresh lemon in half, sprinkle coarse salt on the lemon and rub it on the copper.
Damascus - Made from two varying composition steels that are folded on each other or welded together to form an interesting pattern that looks like wood. Depending on what two types of steel are used these can form some rust over time. Using a fine towel and some carnuba wax (Meguiars works well) on the surface as a polish will keep the steels from forming any rust.
--- Stem Materials ---
Stainless Steel - Our standard Stem Material for multiple piece tops. SS requires little to no maintenance and adds some heft to the top.
--- Contact Point Materials ---
Chrome Steel - Economical and relatively hard, these bearings won't break or shatter. They have a Rockwell Hardness of (RHc) 60 and come standard in all our tops.
Tungsten Carbide - Harder than Chrome Steel coming in with a RHc of 90. These bearings are more expensive than Chrome Steel but will also scratch and wear less, preserving spin times over the years. They also have a great gunmetal finish!
Ceramic - We use Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) bearings for the longest and smoothest spin times! This is possible because they are virtually frictionless and lighter than Steel or Tungsten. In rare cases if dropped it is possible for them to shatter so some care is needed when selecting this contact point. They are also used in applications ranging from championship Tour de France cycling teams to the engines on the space shuttle!
ColFappington
7
Dec 7, 2016
bookmark_border
MancubBrass is the cheapest and easiest material to machine, hence the lower price. Brass is just copper and zinc mixed, and it is harder than pure copper. Brass is also pretty dense so it will have good spin times. Brass will patina (basically a harmless surface rust that discolors the metal, but wont actually hurt the metal).
Stainless Steel is the least dense of the 3 materials, so will likely have slightly shorter spin times. The stainless is the hardest of the three, so it won't dent or scratch as easily as the other two. It also will not patina.
Copper is the hardest to machine and the most expensive material, but often a more desired material. Copper will patina quickly and give a rustic/worn look to the top. These beautiful patinas cannot be artificially produced, so only by handling the top and using it will you get that patina. Copper is also the most dense of the three materials, and will yield the highest spin times. The drawback to Copper is how soft it is. It will likely scratch and dent if EDC'd.
In my opinion, if it's your first top or you dont already have a brass top, the brass will be the best of both worlds. It is harder than copper so it will resist damage better, and it is about as dense as copper so the spin times will still be good. You can also still get a patina if you desire (or polish it to keep it shiny). It is also an absolute steal at $27.
Stainless Steel is the least dense of the 3 materials, so will likely have slightly shorter spin times. The stainless is the hardest of the three, so it won't dent or scratch as easily as the other two. It also will not patina.
Copper is the hardest to machine and the most expensive material, but often a more desired material. Copper will patina quickly and give a rustic/worn look to the top. These beautiful patinas cannot be artificially produced, so only by handling the top and using it will you get that patina. Copper is also the most dense of the three materials, and will yield the highest spin times. The drawback to Copper is how soft it is. It will likely scratch and dent if EDC'd.
In my opinion, if it's your first top or you dont already have a brass top, the brass will be the best of both worlds. It is harder than copper so it will resist damage better, and it is about as dense as copper so the spin times will still be good. You can also still get a patina if you desire (or polish it to keep it shiny). It is also an absolute steal at $27.
JonasHeineman
5987
Dec 8, 2016
bookmark_border
MancubOne more thing about stainless steel: it's way harder than brass or copper, so anyone working with it has to change the tooling more often to keep the tolerances within spec.
Mancub
31
Dec 9, 2016
bookmark_border
ColFappingtonThank you so much for taking the time to be so informative! That was exactly the kind of explanation I was hoping for. Brass seems to be the one for me at this point, although the bronze one that they had on the their website just looks oh so muted & classy too! Too much fomo here
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop
My question: Do the different materials in the body affect the spin and if so how and why? Maybe the effect of density etc is actually negligible and this just an aesthetic choice?
I can see why a ceramic bearing would be better than chrome but interested in the different metals.
Cheers!