exchanging a ball top on mspacman/galaxian joystick

[Shieldwolf]

I have the mspacman/galaxian anniversary joystick with a red balltop. I would like to either paint the ball top blue or black or replace just the ball top. Any suggestions?

[Grasshopper]

I'm sure that this guy could make a replacement ball top handle in any colour you want, but you'll have to tell him where to cut the groove, and if you only order one it probably wont be cheap.

http://members.aol.com/n2new/Joysticks.htm

[OSCAR]

I don't know if it would be any cheaper, but you might inquire about just having the ball made since it is removable.  I don't know the thread size because I loc-tited mine on as they kept coming unscrewed while playing.

[Grasshopper]

Hmmm, I wasn't aware that the ball tops of the Ms Pacman/Galaga joysticks unscrewed.

I wonder if they have the same thread size as the japanese joysticks. If they do then the problem is solved.

[rampy]

Oscar,

You didn't point out your Happy Hour ball top paint job!

" Custom paint job on the stick.  A plastic primer coat, two base coats, and about 15 clear coats."

*Shrug*  so do the ball tops just screw off?  do they not screw off in the arcade because the shafts rotate?  Do you just vice grip/vice the shaft and roate the knob off (is there anything weird like polish threading?)

Rampy

[OSCAR]

You're right Rampy, I forgot to mention that.  That's how I actually change the color of my balltop sticks.  The red ones installed on my P360's in my uright MAME cab used to be blue.  Those have lots of play on them without any signs of wear.  The multiple clear coats protect the color coat pretty well.  Maybe in another couple years I may need to touch them up if they start to wear, but I kind of doubt it since it's been 9 months already and they are still as good as when I painted them.

Regarding the Reunion sticks, the knob would just come off during normal play, I wasn't taking a wrench to it or anything.  The shafts rotate fine, it just seems like the rapid moving of the joystick was enough for them to loosen up.  The funny thing is, I've never heard of anyone else ever having this problem.  And like Grasshopper mentioned, I bet most people don't even realize that the tops are removable.

Perhaps they were never torqued on properly from the manufacturer, too.  Or perhaps I am the only one who ends up with the oddball crap and sees these things...

Anyway, I put a little Loc-Tite on the threads and they have been fine ever since.