Clipping cherry switch actuators for T-Stick Pluses (what tool?)

[PaulG]

Title pretty much sums it up.  Decided to replace my buttons with Leaf buttons and noticed Bob Roberts was selling a pack of ten cherry switches (with actuator) for 12.50.  Since the shipping was "free", figured I'd throw a pack in.  The actuator is too long, so for anyone who's cut them to proper size, what tool works best?  Don't wanna start making mushy cuts and wasting them.  Thanks!

P.S.  For anyone who wants to tell me I should also replace my T-Sticks with Leaf sticks, I have a pair of Wico NOS rubber grommet micros (Got tired of waiting for Leafs on ebay) and not feeling the rubber grommet love.  These sticks need MAJOR breaking in before they even begin to approach the "looseness" of T-Sticks.  Talk about stiff.  Yikes!

[Knievel]

A pair of wire-cutters works best.
So are the Cherry's a lot quieter than the stock switches? I find them very LOUD.

[PaulG]

Haven't really played around with them that much to make a determination.  My initial reaction is they're not any quiter (May be an incorrect read, however).  The striking difference is when I trigger the buttons with my thumb.  The cherry switches are SO light and fluid while the stock switches are incredibly rigid and tanklike.  I've never been one who's gotten fatigued (like some) by the T-Stiks, but I can't help but think the fluidity of the joysticks is going to increase substantially with these new micros.

[Q*Bert_OP]

Some times, you can open it up, and bring the actuator to the farther slot...

[NoOne=NBA=]

The switches make almost no difference at all on the T-stiks.
The stiffness in the T-stiks is almost completely a function of the internal spring, which is WAY to stiff for the sticks.

I haven't looked for a replacement yet, but NONE of my Wico's are anywhere near as stiff as my T-stiks.
They are all leafsticks, but the rubber grommet on them feels much looser than the spring on my T-stiks.

[PaulG]

Some times, you can open it up, and bring the actuator to the farther slot...

It's actually on the farthest slot.  The T-Stik actuators are just really short.

And coming back from looking, I just walked into a piece of wood lying around (For my new CP) and opened up a huge gash on the bone right below the kneecap.  Time to logoff and tend to some 1st aid:(

EDIT:  NoOne:  NOS rubber grommet are incredibly stiff (at least mine).  Imagine swinging a baseball bat with a donut weight on it (Wicos) and then removing the donut and swinging (T-Stiks).  The blood is oozing.  Really logging off now.

[Q*Bert_OP]

Some times, you can open it up, and bring the actuator to the farther slot...

It's actually on the farthest slot.

[NoOne=NBA=]

EDIT:  NoOne:  NOS rubber grommet are incredibly stiff (at least mine).  Imagine swinging a baseball bat with a donut weight on it (Wicos) and then removing the donut and swinging (T-Stiks).

I'd be really interested to hear others impressions on this.
To me, the feel of the two is exactly the opposite.

[Minwah]

The switches make almost no difference at all on the T-stiks.
The stiffness in the T-stiks is almost completely a function of the internal spring, which is WAY to stiff for the sticks.

I half agree...

I found Cherry switches made a big difference (improvement) to my T-Stiks, although I agree they are still quite stiff.  But big enough difference to make it noticable and worth it IMO.

As for the main question, I just held the actuators within some wire cutters and bent the metal back and forth until it snapped off.

[PaulG]

NoOne:  I know T-Stiks are roundly critizied for their stiffness and Rubber Grommets praised.   That's why I was so shocked when the the Wico's I received were so freakin' stiff.  Have you ever used a NOS that wasn't already broken in?

Anyways, I mounted the cherry switches and that was a waste of 12.50.  For whatever reason, they're completely unusable.  1st cut I cut them at around the same length as the stock (slightly longer).  2nd cut I shortened them to the length of the microswitch casing (significantly shorter).  Either way, these do NOT play nice with my sticks.  I knew they were not operating decent just by listening (They are quiter though) and decided to go into notepad and watch what they were typing out.  I've got one direction (UP?) that likes to flat out stick.  The rest of the direction are varying degrees of bad.  It's flatout impossible for me to go in one direction without getting a diagnols press (Lines were reading like aasaassaasaaaasaaaasaasa.  And sometimes worse).  The only time I got a straight read from a direction press was when I pressed up and got a steady read of that letter from it being stuck.  Oh, well.  Nothing else I can do with them.  It's not rocket science and there's no way to screw it up.  They just aren't playing nice.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Have you ever used a NOS that wasn't already broken in?

Most of mine are brand-new, straight out of the box.
They are definitely stiffer than the worn in ones I have, but still feel significantly softer to me than my T-stiks.

Again, mine are leafsticks, but I can't imagine that microswitches vs. leafswitches would have a terribly noticable effect on the stiffness of the stick--unless they switched to a stouter grommet at the same time that they went to microswitches, with the intention of making the stick stiffer.

I don't think I have any microswitch ones around.
If I bump into one in one of my boxes sometime, I'll mount it, and see if there's a difference.

[Minwah]

It's flatout impossible for me to go in one direction without getting a diagnols press (Lines were reading like aasaassaasaaaasaaaasaasa.  And sometimes worse).  The only time I got a straight read from a direction press was when I pressed up and got a steady read of that letter from it being stuck.

This is just as the throw is so short...the softer switches probably make this worse.  I must admit I had the same problem with mine, in platformers I would keep crouching or jumping accidentally.

[Silver]

Can't you flip the restrictor plate to change the length of the throw? Or have I got the wrong ultimarc joystick?

And whats the main issue with the stock T-stick switches - the fact they are not cherry, that its noisy or that its not a leaf switch mechanism?

[PaulG]

The T-Stik Plus is 4/8 way switchable by twisting the joystick... so you really can't manually flip any restrictor plate to increase the throw.

The main complaint about the T-Stik Plus are noise, short throw, and stiffness.  I actually kind of like the short throw, the noise doesn't really bother me, and don't have issues with stiffness like some do.  Just bought these cherry's because I'd heard good things about switching and since I was already paying shipping, it wasn't that expensive to just throw a pack in.

I think Minwah has absolutely nailed it though.  Because of the short throw and how tightly the actuators are seated next to the stick, the stock micros on the T-Stick are as stiff as they are for a good reason... to prevent accidental triggers.

[Minwah]

Can't you flip the restrictor plate to change the length of the throw? Or have I got the wrong ultimarc joystick?

You're think of the J-Stik