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darkmanx:
trying to find out what exactly i can get from a home improvement store that will go around the hole for my trackball...i have the crystal trackball and im wondering.. what size should i get to have as much of the ball showing as possible. also what exactly are the things called? i know they are like some decorative ring for lights but the idiots working there had no idea what i meant. god i wish home depot were closer. i have to go to menards which is basicly the k-mart of home improvement stores. it once took them a half hour to find me a t-square  :-/

Xiaou2:

 Hello There


   Not sure about how the mounting will be for the crystall tb.... but basically, when I ran into a simualar problem... I had to make my own Mounting plate.

 Grab a small sheet of metal at the hardware store... should be arround 2mm thick.    Cut by clamping to scrap wood and using a good jigsaw blade... or better yet, use a table-saw with a metal cutting blade.    

 Draw a circle in the middle of the plate,  that matches the balls size at the approiate height.   To cut the hole, first drill a small hole using a small drill bit.  Then grab a larger bit, and re-drill... repeat untill you can fit a jig blade in the hole.   If you had a nice metal hole saw, that would help.   Ive killed a few drill bits by trying to cut into thick steel... and found that by using progressively bigger bits, it keeps the bits from getting damaged.

 Use the jig to cut the hole in the metal.   Smooth and round the the edge with one of those drill bit sanding bits. (cylendrical stonelike material on a bit)    Sand with corse and medium sandpaper, and paint  : )

 Opps.... you will also need to drill like 8 holes.  Four arround the edges to secure the plate to the control panel... and 4 alternating holes to secure the trackball to the plate.

 You could probably make a plate out of thick plastic as well.   It would be a lot eaiser to cut, shape and drill.  

 
Good Luck

  Steve

    ;D

ArcadeFX:
Not sure if we are talking about the same thing but I used automotive door trim around my trackball opening.  I went with black and it worked great.  Might take you two or three tried to get it just right.

1UP:
The problem with mounting trackballs that are meant to be used on the desktop, is that they are made with curved or angled tops.  What you really need to do is convert the case to something more square and modular.  Then you can just mount the whole thing flush with the CP in a nice, square hole.

I have a KYE kidsball that I converted for my control panel by using a plastic project enclosure available at electronics stores such as Fry's and Radio Shack.  You'll want to choose a size that is just large enough to fit all the trackball guts in, or the entire case itself.

Use the opening in your original trackball case to mark a hole in the top of the new enclosure, ensuring that the hole is centered properly so that the essential parts will fit inside.  Drill the hole with a hole saw that's the same size.  Hot glue the top half of the trackball case inside the enclosure so that the two holes match up.  You should now be able to screw the bottom half of your old case to the topside, with the ball and all the guts in place.

To finish things off, you could drill a hole in the end of the enclosure and run the cable out, using a plastic stain relief to secure it to the case.  Close it all up, voila!  Now just cut a square hole in your CP and use some brackets to secure it flush with the surface.

Elkor:
I think he's talking about something like you have FX.  
that's door trim?  it almost looks like a speaker blowhole.
(come to think of it that might not be bad either!)

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