Anyone ever polish a trackball?

[Civilan]

Hi all,

I purchased an old (circa 1980) 3.5" trackball and after cleaning the bearings and shafts it appears to roll very well but I haven't hooked it up to any electronics to see if those bits works.

The ball has that rough faded look but I'm hoping that the ball could be polished to make it smooth and glossy like new. Has anyone tried this before? I did a search on the forum but came up empty. I now I can purchase a replacement ball but I like to 'recycle' stuff if at all possible.

Thanks,
Civilan.

[rampy]

Hi all,

I purchased an old (circa 1980) 3.5" trackball and after cleaning the bearings and shafts it appears to roll very well but I haven't hooked it up to any electronics to see if those bits works.

The ball has that rough faded look but I'm hoping that the ball could be polished to make it smooth and glossy like new. Has anyone tried this before? I did a search on the forum but came up empty. I now I can purchase a replacement ball but I like to 'recycle' stuff if at all possible.

Thanks,
Civilan.

Is it a white ball?  You can probably soak it in bleach or cleaner (not at the same time though!) over night and it'll become "brighter" / cleaner...

I guess one could buff it / polish it... but unless you were in love with it or super cheap, just get a replacement ball.  *shrug*

rampy

[JesterDEV]

The problem with cleaning old trackballs is that most of the discoloration is is really stained deeply into the ball. Bleeching it will work for the most part, it would make it brighter. But it will never be "as" bright as it was.

Imagine all the dna that ball is stained with..    

[Civilan]

I forgot to mention that the ball is black. Well dark grey now without any 'stains'.

Yes, I am super cheap and would like to avoid the purchase of a replacement ball. I have more time than money these days.  

I feel that polishing would also smooth the surface of the ball and help it 'slip' on the rollers when the ball is rolling in parallel to the roller.

I've already thouroughly cleaned the ball to remove the 20 or more years of DNA. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.

Civilan.

[Frostillicus]

How about one of those bowling alley ball-polishers?

[MinerAl]

Jheri Curl.   Seriously.

[MameFan]

Bleach works... but not normal household (clothing) bleach.

Go to your home improvement store and buy "DECK WASH".  This stuff is more highly concentrated bleach and will definitely work wonders on faded, yellowed trackballs.

I have restored numerous balls.  Most of them come out still glossy and very very close to the original ivory, not that horrible yellow blotchy color.

I soak it for about a week in a pickle jar, and swirling it around every 12 hours or so to keep it from getting a "dot" where it sits against the bottom/side too long.


It wont work on ones that are really really bad, but you'd be amazed.  A second week, with new bleach will get it "slightly" better.

Be careful around the bleach. It's tough stuff. One drop will change blue to pink on any cotton you wear.

[rampy]

OT: Is guest posting back on?  Or did something bad happen to mamefan's account?

Weird...  

Rampy

[shmokes]

His ball is black.  Bleach isn't an option.

[MinerAl]

If it is a black ball, try dashboard polish from the autoparts store.  Furniture polish might work too, but I stick to my original answer... Jheri Curl all the way.

[Civilan]

but I stick to my original answer... Jheri Curl all the way.

MinerAl: Okay. I'll look dumb and ask. What is Jheri Curl?

I ignored the first post because I thought it was a joke.


The deck wash thing may work if the roughness is caused by deposits and not wear. It would be worth a try if I had some at hand.

Cheers,
Civilan.

[austinrfnd]

Never came across one, what's your project this time around?

-Austin

[MinerAl]

I was kind of kidding, but a friend of mine used to polish his tires with Jheri Curl and swore it got them shinier than any armor-all or turtle-wax product could.

Jheri Curl is a "relaxer" for very curly hair.  It makes tightly curled hair straighten out some.  Think Lionel Richie or Michael Jackson c.1983.  It also makes the hair VERY shiny (and flammable).

You may have to go to an "urban" area to find it on the shelves.

As for useful advice:  don't bleach the black ball... it won't take the black out of it, but it will further dull any shine.   Try a plastic polish product.  Look in bowling alleys for ball shine.  Try your mom's can of Pledge first though... that might be the cheapest and shiniest solution.

[Chris]

Of course, you want to make it shiny rather than slippery...

If it's circa 1980, it's probably a 4-1/2" ball, not a 3-1/2" ball.  If so, a candlepin ball will work in its place.  This leads to all sorts of interesting balls like these at http://www.epcomfg.com/novelty.html .

That same site sells a ball polish at http://www.epcomfg.com/polish.html .  They say:

"Repeated use helps maintain bright shine and superior grip while preventing unwanted build up.

EPCO's Polish and Grip is not intended to be a heavy-dury cleaner. Clean bowling balls first with non-abrasive, non-solvent cleaner. A little goes a long way.

Polish and Grip price: $4.56/bottle"

--Chris

[Lilwolf]

hahahaha... I can't believe anyone wouldnt' know.... It was like the biggest joke for a long time... I guess I'm getting old...

Go out and rent "I'm go'n get you sucker" I think it was... (help anyone) the one with the badguy Jheri Curl?  

Basically look for any comedy with the Wayans in it will do...

but I stick to my original answer... Jheri Curl all the way.

MinerAl: Okay. I'll look dumb and ask. What is Jheri Curl?

I ignored the first post because I thought it was a joke.


The deck wash thing may work if the roughness is caused by deposits and not wear. It would be worth a try if I had some at hand.

Cheers,
Civilan.

[Civilan]

LOL! I finally get the Jheri Curl thing. Now that's funny. I've been too busy working the last 15 years to pay much attention to pop culture. That reference went 10,000 feet above my head. I crack up just thinking about polishing my ball now.

Thanks for the enlightenment Lilwolf!

BTW I'm an old timer and I don't have to use my moms Pledge I can use my wife's.  

I also made a mistake in my original post. The ball is 3". So it's a no go for bowling ball or pool ball replacements.

Thanks for the polishing product advice. I should be fine once I stop laughing...

[Chris]

Well, then, you can just get a replacement ball from Bob Roberts for $15.00.  I know you don't want to spend money, but if it's $5.00 for polish vs. $15 for a ball, it's only an additional $10.00....

--Chris

[Amra]

$15 plus shipping... thats $20 so far...

Why not just use a fine rubbing compound?  That or a metal polish.  Either one should work just fine.

[Civilan]

Well it looks like I'm about to do something that now else has done before. I'll be polishing the ball within the next two days and I will post my results for future reference. I'll include before and after pics.

Thanks!

[rampy]

$15 plus shipping... thats $20 so far...

Why not just use a fine rubbing compound?  That or a metal polish.  Either one should work just fine.

what no dirt this time?

Rampy

[Amra]

haha, not on an object that isnt metal.  If the ball was Metal, i would've...  

[OSCAR]

Why not just use a fine rubbing compound?  That or a metal polish.  Either one should work just fine.

I would agree here.  A Dremel tool with a buffing wheel and some polish compound can achieve fantastic results on various materials.  I've polished many items like this and they have turned out great.  If you have access to a Dremel, I would try this route first.

[jrshenk]

I used Novus plastic polish to polish one of mine and I used Turtle wax crome polish on another, both cleaned up real nice. I just used a rag and some of the polish and in 10 or 15 minutes I had a smooth ball that was back to the original ivory color. You can get the crome polish at Wal-Mart for about 2 or 3 dollers.

[mameplaya]

i need someone to come over and polish my trackballs sometime... kinda hairy though.