hey guys, since i have two cabinets now, i can't help but want to have a trackball in both of them, since one has a horizontal monitor and one has a vertical. i have a Utrak currently installed in my vertical cab, and i love it. i had planned to eventually purchase another one for in my showcase cabinet, but not for a while since the cost is high. (not just the utrak, but trackballs in general). well, looking through my basement, i found my old 3" Wico trackball, that i thought quit working. just for S&G i decided to hook it up and try it...and it works. it doesn't feel super smooth like my utrak though. i did replace the rollers and bearings in it, but i think they need lubricated or something. also the ball is a little rough looking.
i dont want to spend a bunch of money, since i dont really have it to spend right now. here are the questions i have:
1. what kind of lubricant should i use on the bearings? what do i do, put them in a ziplock back and soak them for a while?
2. is there a cheap way to make this ball look better? i thought i remember someone mentioning using toothpaste or something common like that. do i just polish it with a rag, or a dremmel or something else?
3. i am installing this in a 5/8" MDF panel, covered with 1/8" plexi. i have a mounting plate, which i plan on routing out the top of the mdf to make the plate sit flush, then covering it all in plexi. the problem is the lip on this trackball is so low, that the plexi will stick up higher than the lip on the trackball, will this cause pinching when rolling my hands across? my utrak mounts perfectly flush and feels great, but i hate to spend the money for a new trackball when i have this one that works fine.