[K Expert Mouse] What is this / how do I buy another one [Part/Repair]

[jorrakay]

Someone assaulted my Kensington Expert Mouse and I have had to resort to a $5 mouse from CVS until I can fix it.

However it is seriously impossible to search for the name of the part I need. The assault in question consisted of a fist being brought down on the ball with excessive force. One of the little plastic (teflon??) "beads" that the trackball sits on has completely disappeared. It was either crushed or popped out and will Definitely Not Be Found at this point.



I need the thing circled in yellow. My trackball has simply the plastic surrounding the "bead" remaining, it seems like to me that if I had another "bead" I could easily glue it in there.

It's not a "bearing" because it doesn't rotate, its not "plastic" necessarily because the ball glides on it easily... I dunno what it's called!

I'm not even sure that you can replace this little guy. But I have to know for sure. If anyone has any idea how I can fix my poor trackball please let me know! Help me make my trackball Battle Tested instead of a Casualty!

[nevin]

you could try buying a used one or one that doesn't even work anymore for parts (ebay, etc..) you could try contacting kensington but i doubt they sell individual parts like that.

[elecplus]

Can you show a pic of the whole trackball? I might still have some.

[Creator]

Perhaps a nib from a touchscreen pen, like a Microsoft pro or a Wacom? Should be close. Needs to be of the hard tip type rather than the capacitive type that's soft and squishy.

[andrewjoy]

You cannot get parts for Kensington trackballs , have have asked.

I need a new ball for my slimblade but nope ... they wont sell me such a simple part . Assholes .

That part is the bearing , its made of ruby as far as i know.

[Lustique]

[…]

That part is the bearing , its made of ruby as far as i know.

To add a ‘source’ to your claim: https://softsolder.com/2009/08/09/kensi ... -troubles/ (search the site for ‘sapphire’, it should be the first result)

It seems these tiny balls are (according the the linked source) 2mm artificial sapphire balls. Searching for ‘2mm sapphire balls” yields a couple of results, but I'd be surprised if you can order these in reasonable quantities.

You cannot get parts for Kensington trackballs , have have asked.

I need a new ball for my slimblade but nope ... they wont sell me such a simple part . Assholes . […]

Have you tried a snooker ball, or something similar? This page suggests a few alternatives for replacement balls.

[andrewjoy]

Wont work on the slimblade , its the wrong size and has a special surface for the optical sensor.

All my other trackballs have US pool balls in them

[Lustique]

Wont work on the slimblade , its the wrong size and has a special surface for the optical sensor.

All my other trackballs have US pool balls in them

Yeah, I should have guessed that you would have tried that already, considering the environment… Not only are there apparently no 55mm pool balls, 2⅛ inches aren't 55mm, either.

At least I now know that I probably won't buy a Kensington trackball again, considering their ‘service policy’. I currently have an Orbit and was thinking about upgrading to a Slimblade when the mouse button switches are completely worn out, but I won't buy a 90€ trackball if I can't get any replacement parts for it.

[andrewjoy]

http://clearlysuperiortech.com/

they can be serviced

[jorrakay]

Thanks for all the input folks! After checking the link Lustique posted (I totally was on that page before I posted but didn't read through all the comments!) I've decided to order some 2mm ceramic balls from alibaba for $4 to see if it will sufficiently replace the sapphire. I am finding many different places to buy 2mm sapphire balls, but they are marketed as "lenses" for laser/fiber, and they are a bit more pricey/higher MOQ.

I'll report back about the ceramic bearing balls in about a month or so when the airmail goes through!

[jorrakay]

My balls arrived.

They are marked Si3N4, which I guess is the specific ceramic they're made of, and is also a good search term when you're looking for a supplier for these on your favorite wholesale website.

I glued it into the same slot and it fit perfectly. I'm using the trackball now and I really can't tell a difference. What's more, I only lost one in the process and now have 8 backups. I'd like to thank everyone again for the helpful posts.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Congratulations on your perseverance — one product has this time escaped being more waste!

(Yay me, I worked out from the formula that it would be called "silicon nitride" …)