New trackball bearing kits are live!
The new bearings
For the first time in my life I get to say “New and Improved” unironically!
After months of prototyping, I finally have the new trackball bearing kits up for sale on eBay. And they are both new, as in completely redesigned, and improved in several ways. They are also significantly cheaper, which is definitely an improvement.
How are they better?
The new kits are 3D printed with a shape that exactly fits the factory bearing supports. This brings several benefits:
First, this means they fit perfectly without any play, and the trackball is now supported at exactly the same height as it was with the factory flanged bearings. With the original brass-sleeve bearing kits, it was raised 0.2mm. This doesn’t sound like much, but it caused some 8-ball style trackballs to fail to track.
Second, 3D printing is a lot more fun than hand-shaping tiny bits of brass as spacers. Sure, I’ve spent several months and a lot of trial and error getting them to print correctly, but it was still fun. This means they are a lot cheaper! Because I really wasn’t having fun sitting in the garage with a respirator on, covered in brass dust.
So much error
Finally, they’re purple. Matte purple, even. The matte filament is a pain to work with, but it’s very pretty. I do like purple.
It’s really more of a lavendar
My biggest problem now is that my supplier of awesome high quality bearings has started sending me awful low quality bearings, so supplies may be limited until I find a new supplier. But at least the bearing rests are sorted out.
Buy some now
So, if you have a CST2545 or compatible laser-tracking trackball, and it needs bearings, my ball bearing kits are now cheaper, fit better, and they’re purple. Go buy one now before I run out of smooth bearings! https://www.ebay.com/itm/133327761655 Do it! Click! Quickly! The link’s right there! I know you can hear me!
