Help installing trackball

[xcalibur]

Hey all,
I just recieved my new trackball from cointechtexas. GREAT!

My problem is this:
How do you get the hole cut out for it? It's certainly not just your run of the mill drilling. Jigsaw? Router?
'm having to go through 3/4" MDF and laminate:


Any help would be appreciated.
If someone with experience, and in the DFW area, wants to show me how to do it, I'd be glad to bring it over.
My CP is somewhat portable... with the help of my Jeep.

Thanks,
Richard

[Minwah]

I think you would have to use a metal mounting plate, and so you could drill/jigsaw the square out for that.

I think without a moutning plate you wouldn't be able to route enough wood from the underside to get the trackball to protrude enough.

What kindof trackball do you have btw?

[Bgnome]

theres an example of someone who mounted a trackball without a plate.  he took off the top half of the case and beveled the hole.  the ball seems to stick out a bit but it certainly is an option.

[TheBourneID]

You would be wise to invest in a mounting plate ($15 for the Happs/Imperial types?), so as not to destroy the look of your panel.  That way, you can just outline the trackball encasing and free-hand the hole using a jigsaw, and still not worry about how it will look, because the plate will cover any of your "mistakes" (and believe me, there will be "mistakes" when using a jigsaw).

[xcalibur]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that in the first place.

It's a Happ's, USB/PS2 with the 3 button connections. It came with a light mounted on the bottom. The ball itself is translucent green. I did buy a mounting plate. It's black metal.

About the light, I took an old power supply and connected one of the power copnnectors and connected it to the light, it wasn't very bright. Any other thoughts? I read somewhere to see how the power connector connects to a hard drive and use the 12v connections, trouble with that is the 12v label on the HD board is in between 2 connectors.

Thanks,

[NoOne=NBA=]

Which mounting plate did you get?

There are two types.
One uses 8 mounting holes, with exposed carriage bolt heads.
The other has 8 studs the back that go through the CP, and have nuts on the back side.

Both mount similarly.
You cut a big square hole for the trackball to go through, drill 4 small holes for the mounting bolts, and then rout the plate flush with the top of your CP.
You don't have to rout the plate flush, but it looks better than having the plate sitting on top of the CP.

In the end, you have 4 bolts that hold the trackball to the mounting plate, and four more that hold the mounting plate to the CP.

[xcalibur]

Tha mounting plate has 4 'inner' threads for the trackball to mount to. It has 4 'outter threads for the bolts to connect it to the CP.

I believe this is the correct diagram from happ's:


Looking at this picture, it seems I won't have to cut that weird-shaped hole in the CP, just a square... seems easy.

[SteveJ34]

....
Looking at this picture, it seems I won't have to cut that weird-shaped hole in the CP, just a square... seems easy.

I have the same laminate on 5/8" MDF.

I cut the funky shaped diamond hole using a drill to make a starting point and then a jigsaw to cut it. You could cut a larger square but I think having the diamond shape makes for a snug fit, increases the amount of wood you have between edge of 2 of the screw holes/trackball hole, and decreases the shock/potential shifting to the whole mounting plate and unit.

I did not mess with routing anything so mounting plate would flush at top, ie: recessed to be level with laminate.

Looks good tome and has worked without issue for quite some time.

One word of caution, measure twice, cut once.

Steve

[xcalibur]

I have the same laminate on 5/8" MDF.

I cut the funky shaped diamond hole using a drill to make a starting point and then a jigsaw to cut it. You could cut a larger square but I think having the diamond shape makes for a snug fit, increases the amount of wood you have between edge of 2 of the screw holes/trackball hole, and decreases the shock/potential shifting to the whole mounting plate and unit.

I did not mess with routing anything so mounting plate would flush at top, ie: recessed to be level with laminate.

Looks good tome and has worked without issue for quite some time.

One word of caution, measure twice, cut once.

Steve

That makes sense... Well, at least this will give me something to do this Saturday while my wife goes to her baby shower...