Need Help Installing Trackball

[NickC]

I have the Happs Golden Tee 3 inch trackball, I hadn't originally planned on using a trackball in my setup, but things change . SO now I have this trackball and a near completed CP, but I have no idea how to install it.

I need to know hole size, what else I need, or any information from someone who has done this that would be helpfull to a trackball installing noob...

thanks...

[MilitiaMan]

I have the Happs Golden Tee 3 inch trackball, I hadn't originally planned on using a trackball in my setup, but things change . SO now I have this trackball and a near completed CP, but I have no idea how to install it.

I need to know hole size, what else I need, or any information from someone who has done this that would be helpfull to a trackball installing noob...

thanks...

Are you planning on using a tb mounting plate? If so, I can tell you how I mounted mine.

If you are not planning to use the mounting plate, but just flush mounting the tb to the underside of your cp, someone other than myself could probably be of more assistance.

Let us know so we can help.

MM

[NickC]

Whats a tb mounting plate? where do you by one?

I know the trackball comes with some small plasctic plate that comes off, has four holes, square shape, not sure what to do that either....

[AlanS17]

Do you have a wooden or metal control panel?

[NickC]

3/4 MDF with a 1/8 sheet of lexan on top of that.....

[AlanS17]

Sounds like you definitely need a mounting plate. They make them with of without bolts. Are you familiar with mounting plates? I'd like to save myself a long speech about them if you already know.  

[NickC]

Well I have seen them, I don't know where to get them or how to install them...

[TalkingOctopus]

You can get them from happ controls.  They cost about 10 $ and come with all the necessary hardware (bolts + nuts ect..)  Look under the amusement > trackball section.

The mounting diagrams are found with the plate description, but I kind of ignored them.  


First, I made a hole in each corner of the plate for the itto go through the mdf.  I don't remember what sized bit, but it was a really tight fit and hard to push the plate through.

Then I cut out a 5.5" x 5.5" square that fit inside the holes I just drilled

Then, I made larger holes in my lucite with a spade bit.  You DON'T want to use a normal drill bit on lucite.  I am not sure if the same is true with lexan.  

I was afraid of using the jigsaw on my lucite and that was my only option to make the 5.5 x 5.5 square in the lucite.  I could make it work, but not  consistently enough.  Instead, I used a 3 " hole saw to drill where the plate opening is.  There is a tiny gap where the lucite sits between the plate and ball.  I had to buy to bolts because the ones included were now not long enough.

I then attached the plate and trackball.

That was my rambling play by play of how I did it.

[u_rebelscum]

3/4 MDF with a 1/8 sheet of lexan on top of that.....

Three options with your high lip TB:
a) mounting plate under lexan, recessed ~1/16" into MDF
b) mounting plate over lexan, w/ 5.5" square hole in lexan
c) mounting plate over lexan, w/ 3" circle hole in lexan.

Option b) is covered in last post, except that you need to use that plastic spacer you mentioned, between the mounting plate and the TB case.

Option c) is almost the same, except the lexan takes the place of the spacer.  Drill the four holes in the mdf and cut out the 5.5" square in the mdf.  Extend the 4 small mdf holes into the lexan.  Drill four more holes in the lexan, drill the big 3" hole in the lexan.  (Locations noted in happs mounting plate "cutout" pictures).  Put mounting plate on lexan.  Remove the space from the TB, and mount it from under the lexan.  Tighten bolts.

Option a) is the "hardest" but "cleanest" IMO.  You need a router and the boltless mounting kit.  Drill four holes + the 5.5" rectangle in MDF.  Slide mounting plate into holes on top side of MDF, and trace the outline.  Using a flat routing bit, set the routing depth to the thickness of the mounting plate: pile scrap piece wood, then plate directly on top, then router (avoid the bolts), and adjust bit so it rests on the scrap peice of wood.  Route out inside the traced line (hint, replace the 5.5" square cutout to help keep the router level, but no need to route the cutout).  Place plate on MDF and make sure it is level with top of MDF; bolt.  (Optional: cover with art/laminate.)  Replace lexan.  Drill (better: route) 3" hole in lexan using the 3" hole in plate as guide.  Remove spacer from TB.  Mount TB from under the plate and bolt in place.


All result in the same amount of TB above the lexan.  Just depends on how you want the CP to look and feel.

If I'm not clear, ask; I'm simplifying the instructions a lot.  

[gndprx]

My quick and easy solution to mounting controls.

1/2" MDF and 1/4" top piece (currently plywood, soon to be plexiglass)






This solution gave me maximum exposure of the track ball without having to use a mounting plate.  4 - #10 2 1/2" machine screws, washers and nuts and it was mounted.  With this design, you could easily add a CP overlay and a top thin piece of plexi to cover all the bolt holes.  

Not seen in the picture, I also cut out the MDF so under the joysticks so that they have the most extension possible as well.

The opening for the trackball was cut with a 3" hole saw.  All the button and joystick holes were a 1 1/8" spade bit.  

[Impostor]

gndprx - What's the dimension of your CP?  I like the simple elegance of your CP layout.

Impostor

[gndprx]

Would you believe that I don't remember off hand?  Something like 36"x14" or so.  I'll re-measure it tonight.  I need to do that anyway to get my 1/4" plexi.

I'll let you know.

Thanks for the good comments by the way

[Impostor]

Did you take those measurements, gndprx?  

Impostor

[gndprx]

Yeah, with the trim on the outside...total size is 31" x 15 1/2"...so I was way off on my original guess  

The actual control panel portion is 1 1/2" narrower by 3/4" shorter...the difference is made up by the 3/4" oak trim on the outside.

[Impostor]

Thanks gndprx!

[lostboy]

Thank you u_rebelscum, I was looking for that exact info.

Just one quick question,  I am going to be doing Option A with a High Lip ball but I am unsure of which mounting plate I should get.  You made the comment about the boltless one and from searching on Happs site the only one that doesn't have the bolts is the mounting plate for the High Ball.  Is this the one I need or do I just use the standard 3" Mounting Plate..


Thank you for your help

[night]

---> http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/55110100.htm

[u_rebelscum]

Thank you u_rebelscum, I was looking for that exact info.

Just one quick question,  I am going to be doing Option A with a High Lip ball but I am unsure of which mounting plate I should get.  You made the comment about the boltless one and from searching on Happs site the only one that doesn't have the bolts is the mounting plate for the High Ball.  Is this the one I need or do I just use the standard 3" Mounting Plate..

Thank you for your help

You want the Standard 3".  This works for the normal TB, the High Lip TB (aka Golden Tee TB), wico's 3" TBs, and betson's 3" TBs.

The High Ball TB model uses a bigger plate with a bigger center hole, so you wouldn't like it.  (Plus it costs more )

Get the black one if it's going to be seen, get the zinc one if you're going to cover it with art/laminate.

[lostboy]

Thank you very much for the info!!

[MiKman]

Thank you u_rebelscum, I was looking for that exact info.

Just one quick question,  I am going to be doing Option A with a High Lip ball but I am unsure of which mounting plate I should get.  You made the comment about the boltless one and from searching on Happs site the only one that doesn't have the bolts is the mounting plate for the High Ball.  Is this the one I need or do I just use the standard 3" Mounting Plate..

Thank you for your help

You want the Standard 3".  This works for the normal TB, the High Lip TB (aka Golden Tee TB), wico's 3" TBs, and betson's 3" TBs.

The High Ball TB model uses a bigger plate with a bigger center hole, so you wouldn't like it.  (Plus it costs more )

Get the black one if it's going to be seen, get the zinc one if you're going to cover it with art/laminate.

Would this plate also work with a 3" imperial trackball? I too am in need of a mounting plate for my trackball and I don't know which one is the correct one..

Thanks

[u_rebelscum]

You want the Standard 3".  This works for the normal TB, the High Lip TB (aka Golden Tee TB), wico's 3" TBs, and betson's 3" TBs.

The High Ball TB model uses a bigger plate with a bigger center hole, so you wouldn't like it.  (Plus it costs more )

Get the black one if it's going to be seen, get the zinc one if you're going to cover it with art/laminate.

Would this plate also work with a 3" imperial trackball? I too am in need of a mounting plate for my trackball and I don't know which one is the correct one..

Thanks

Yes.
Imperial is AKA Betson, and "Betson" is easier to type than "Betson/Imperial".  

[MiKman]

excellent thanks.  I will be ordering one asap.

g

[Sasquatch!]

Hey u_rebelscum (or anyone who has done this),

Regarding "option a" (where you route the CP so that the mounting plate is flush with the wood and then put plexi over it), wouldn't that actually make the trackball LOWER than if you put the mounting plate OVER the plexi?

[u_rebelscum]

Hey u_rebelscum (or anyone who has done this),

Regarding "option a" (where you route the CP so that the mounting plate is flush with the wood and then put plexi over it), wouldn't that actually make the trackball LOWER than if you put the mounting plate OVER the plexi?

Not with the high lip model:



The middle TB is a high lip mounted with this method.  Since the TB case's lip is 3/16" thick and the mounting plate is 1/16" thick, you can't mount the TB directly to the mounting plate without 1/8" lip sticking out (imagine a tube with the ball sitting on top).  So a black plastic spacer 1/8" thick is included with the high lip model so you can mount the TB, space, then plate and the top of the lip will be level with the top of the plate.  However, since the poster's lexan is also 1/8" thick, he can "replace" the spacer with the lexan and still have the top of the lip level with the top of the lexan.


What is the spacer?  Happs includes this with the high lip TB (not my scan)


So basically, methods a) & c) create a "Golden Tee Fore 2003" thick CP (method b) is more like the older CPs).  Betson also has "golden tee" TBs, and so methods a) & c) will work on it too, but the older happs, betson, & wico ("normal") TBs will look like the third TB in the first picture above, and is what you're probably thinking of.  

If someone wanted the ball to be really low, that can mount TB, spacer, plate, then lexan; but I don't think anyone would intentionally do that.

[dirt]

this is how I did it. I cut a hole in the cp the size of the football shape of the trackball case then I built a metal box to hold the trackball from the bottom making sure the top of the tb case was level with the wood cp then cut the hole in the 1/8 inch plexi using a router and a old tb mounting plate I had lying around. I bolted the tb to the metal box then the metal box to the cp using flathead bolts then put the plexi on top of that. I also drilled a hole in the bottom of the metal box and mounted a light for a tranlucent ball. I can make more of these boxes if anyone is interested.

[dirt]

topside

[dirt]

with plexi and controls