Coloured Trackball for FREE!!! (or at least REALLY CHEAP!!!)
Ok my friends we all think coloured trackballs are cool. Right? I bet you are thinkin to yourself right now "I know how to do this already with a sharpie!". Well that's cool n all but if you wanna step it up a notch for a higher quality read my instructions on how to make your trackball any colour your lil heart desires.
First we need some common things found around your house and maybe something you don't have.
1 box of RIT fabrIc dye colour of your choice ($1.99 in the laundry detergent aisle of almost any supermarket)
1 sandwich sized ziploc bag (I used sliding)
1 medium sauce pot
1 sink that dye can be dumped into
1 coffee filter , or mesh strainer that you can spare
1 steak knife or trackball tool (I used a steak knife but you may choose a similar tool in thickness to your liking)
1 uncoloured trackball
Ok, now that you've gathered those things here's how to do it.
1. Take your bag put a about 1" water in the baggie (measured while holding), take about 1 tablespoon powdered dye (less or more depending on your colour preference) dump it in and swish it around with the baggie closed (this is where the sliding bag first becomes convienient). Seal it and put it off to the side of your workspace.
2. If you haven't already done so we are going to remove the plastic ball from all housing encasing it to where its just a ball.
A) Removing the chrome ring.
Take your tool of choice (I used a steak knife but if you don't want to use that find something else just like it) and GENTLY place it in the crack in between the ring and the return button at 2 o'clock (do not jam your tool in the crevice) gently pry up (it should come loose easily). Down to 6 o'clock to do the same and then to 10 o'clock. It should easily pull out with tweezers at this point.)
Turn your berry over and gently tap out the assembled trackball.
B) Taking apart the trackball assembly
You will see the ball itself inside its housing, four metal prongs, a plastic piece on the bottom side with a metal connecter touching the ball (do not apply pressure to or bend this connecter), between the top and bottom lie 4 magnetic rolling pins (its ok if these fall out they can be put back in very easily, the magnetic parts face the right if looking at the housing tipped upside down).
1) There are 2 different styled prongs in this housing: narrow and wide (you should notice what I am refering to)
2) Take your assembly between two fingers(top and bottom) and ever so gently lift the narrow prongs off the latches (do not bend).
3) Lift the wide prongs away from their notches, take your tweezers and take the bottom piece off with the housing assembly bottom facing up.
4) You will see those 4 magnetic rollers remove them if you wish (remember the black magnetic part that contacts the trackball points right withe the assembly bottom facing up) and push your track ball out to a safe landing spot with your finger.
Remember how you took it apart so it goes back together properly.
Alrighty then, on to the less nerve racking phase.
Take your pot and fill it half full with water put it on the stove and turn the dial to medium high.
DO NOT BOIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When you start to see atleast one bubble on the bottom of the pot reduce the heat to medium low.
Place your dye baggie in the water and hold the baggie for a few minutes by the top corners and pull each side up alternatly to mix the dye while it is heating up.
Place just the ball itself into the baggie while holding it being sure that it doesn't touch the brim of the pan (it will melt and create a nasty almost impossible to clean mess). Zip your baggie up almost all the way leaving a small opening for air circulation (it will smell unpleasant to some people but that goes away with air freshener)
Continue mixing the dye as described above for about 7 minutes (depending on the colour and transperency desired up to 15 minutes)
The baggie will obviously be hot so what you can do after 5 minutes to periodicly check the ball for colour is lift the baggie out of the pot and take your tweezers to locate the ball (be careful not to puncture the baggie as it may now be softer) and tip the baggie accordingly being careful of you're opening at the top. Hold it up to a light for transperency and colour (still in the bag).
When you've reached your desired colour remove the baggie from the pot and place it in your sink or bowl or whatever you choose to dump your dye into closed up compleltly. Now take your coffee filter or strainer place it in the drain and slowly (like practically almost dripping to avoid losing the ball) pour out the dye from the baggie into the coffee filter or strainer. Rinse the ball in cold water till the water runs clear from it you can hold it with tweezers if you like.
Take your paper towel and try to scuff towel with the ball to check for rub off. Dry it completly with a lint free cloth like a old sock or something.
Take your dry ball and place it back in the housing, the magnetic rollers set in grooves all face clockwise on top of the ball and the flat side of the plastic piece you removed goes on top of the of that. Setting the piece back into the latches requires a gentle squeeze.
The whole trackball assembly should just about fit in by itself no hard pressure is required but a gentle push around the edges not the ball is.
The ring goes back on with a gentle push there is no tab at 12 o'clock and gets pushed down centrifically.
Turn your Berry on and check to see if the ball moves the cursor in every direction even diagonally and you're in business.
If you decide to make use of this tutorial it's at your own discretion and I am not accountable for any damages that may occur while doing so.
All questions and concerns are welcome and will be answered to the best of my ability. Again, if you are uneasy about any part do not do it. I don't want you to mess up anything just as much as you don't want to.
Have Fun Today With Whatever You Do :)
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com