Why are TB's so hard to spin?

[DrewKaree]

after a week spent looking specifically @ trackballs around town and looking @ 'em at the auction.....how does someone go about getting good action on them?  They all seem so stiff, either cuz they're OBVIOUSLY used and abused, or something hidden!  

I ask because I wonder about the maintenance required to keep them in dynamite shape, if it's possible to get them to that level.  Is it a roller issue, perhaps requiring WD-40, or perhaps graphite powder?  

I know they're two different beasts, but my trackball mouse rolls smooth as silk compared to the TB's in games.  Would it be better to use a TB mouse as my trackball?  

[Sasquatch!]

I asked the same question myself a while ago.    Thge recommendation is to lubricate the bearings with 3-in-1 oil.  I do know that OSCAR said that if the bearings/rollers are rusty or crapped out pretty badly, you're better off just replacing them.

I know they're two different beasts, but my trackball mouse rolls smooth as silk compared to the TB's in games.  Would it be better to use a TB mouse as my trackball?

It might roll more "smoothly", but it won't feel as "arcade authentic".  I'd personally recommend using an arcade TB.

[Xiaou2]

 Exactly...  the trackball you have has bad rollers and or bearings.   Try cleaning them with radioshacks 'Electronic Cleaner'... but only IF they do not show much wear or rust.  Otherwise just replace them ... and it will make the trackball roll Ice smooth - much smoother than any PC based mouse, because pc mice do not use as high a quality bearings (to cut cost).

[DrewKaree]

is there possibly a nylon/teflon bushing/roller that could replace thiem?  I know on my tablesaw and many other tools they use a white materiall (don't remember the term they use for it) for the wood to slide against.  

I'd have thought this would be something the industry would have tried to solve long ago!  I guess it's like the auto industry - service needs have to be built in to ensure income after the sale!

[Xiaou2]

 As long as you keep up on maintnence by oiling and cleaning the bearings... they will last longer than you : )  heh

 As far as moving parts go... its always like that.  Friction causes heat and wear.  Without lube (and also with forign particales) ... that wear will be exponential.

 If the rollers were made of plastic or a simular material... it most likely fail much sooner.  Plastics are known to become brittle over time.  They also wear faster because the surface isnt as tough as steel..

  Some pc based trackballs use a simular teflon surface that the ball sits on.  This works ok... but it just isnt as smooth and fast as ball bearings.