Trackball Plate instalation question

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AlanS17:
I always figured the whole point if the plate was just to mount in wood. Otherwise you would have no way to fasten it to the wooden panel without the thing being 3/4 deep. Then the trackball wouldn't even poke out the top. If you want a perfect example of mounting below the plexi look kat newer Golen Tee machines. Ever notice they don't have bolt heads sticking out. They shave down the edge of the plexi/lexan/insert-covering-here to get it smooth. If you don't have anything to shave with you're screwed, but that's why man invented... DREMEL!!! ;D

REBIRTH:

--- Quote from: AlanS17 on June 19, 2003, 09:27:24 am ---If you want a perfect example of mounting below the plexi look kat newer Golen Tee machines. Ever notice they don't have bolt heads sticking out. They shave down the edge of the plexi/lexan/insert-covering-here to get it smooth.
--- End quote ---

The Happ mounting plates are smooth on top, no bolts to stick out. I did mine very similar to u_rebelscum. I routed the top of the pane to the depth of the mounting plate so that it was the same height as the rest of the control panel. I did the same with my Oscar joystick restrictor plates.

u_rebelscum:

--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on June 19, 2003, 07:34:47 am ---Mounting the plate below plexi has the following problems:

1) The overall height of the trackball above the panel is reduced by the thickness of the plexi.
2) The hole in the plexi really should be radiused (smaller on top and larger on the bottom surface) to account for the curvature of the T-ball.
3) If item 2) is done improprerly (or not at all), there is a greater chance of catching your fingers against the lip of the plexi as you spin the T-ball.

That's what I was meaning!

--- End quote ---

I see where you're coming from, but get the hip lip (aka golden tee) model (betson has one too) instead of the old 1/16" lip style. If the plexi is 1/8", all your points are mote, since the hip lip cases are designed for 3/16" thick control panels, and 1/16" mounting plate + 1/8" thick plexi = 3/16".

Look at the two trackballs on the right. The one on the right is the original style, and has the problems you mentioned. The one in the middle is the high lip style and the top of the lip is at top of the plexi; if you moved the case higher, the lip would rise too, and you wouldn't get any more accessable ball area.

The one on the far left is the happs high ball model, and even with the plate below the plexi, you get "more ball" than the original style with a plate above the plexi. However, I sort of agree with #3 for this single case.

REBIRTH:

--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on June 19, 2003, 07:34:47 am ---2) The hole in the plexi really should be radiused (smaller on top and larger on the bottom surface) to account for the curvature of the T-ball.
3) If item 2) is done improprerly (or not at all), there is a greater chance of catching your fingers against the lip of the plexi as you spin the T-ball.

--- End quote ---
I actually cut my lexan hole the opposite of what you say in #2 for the very reason of your #3. The bottom of the lexan hole is exactly the size of the little lip around the ball (the Happs hi-ball has a very small lip ringing the openning around the ball). I then beveled the edge of the lexan hole outward, a bit away from the ball so that as your fingers are rolling off the ball they slide right over the beveled edge of the lexan. It's incredibly smooth, never got any skin caught and there really is no way to get your skin caught that way.

Also, as u_rebelscum said, you hardly lost any hieght of the ball at all if you router the mounting plate flush with the wood. The lexan is 1/8 of an inch, so you lose 1/8 of an inch in height - but given how high the hi-ball sits, it is nothing. I'd much rather give up 1/8 for the cleaner look it gives. It's all what you are into, but I like it countersunk.

Here is a picture of what I mean about routing the lexan away from the ball to eliminate any skin pinching that could possibly happen.

AlanS17:
I was planning on doing mine the same way REBIRTH has done his (assuming REBIRTH is a he) because it's prettier makes more sense to boot. Plus that's even the way Golden Tee does it. When was the last time you caught your fingers on a Golden Tee machine? I'm sure someone out there has, but I haven't.

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