Any help for a Kensington Orbit?

[WimWalther]

I really like this Kensington Orbit trackball (you know, with the clear blue ball), but had to set it aside years ago because the little black rubber traction rollers on the encoder shafts have degraded to the point that it's about unusable.

Two, tiny, little (butyl?) rubber bits.. and out of action.

So is there any saving it? Can I get new rollers or complete encoder shafts? It's the exact same mechanism as a mechanical mouse, turned upside-down..

[anawilliam850]

Hi! It may be possible to find replacement rollers or encoder shafts for your Kensington Orbit trackball, but it may take some effort and searching.

One option is to contact Kensington customer support to see if they offer replacement parts or can recommend a supplier. You could also try searching online marketplaces or specialty electronics parts stores for replacement parts.

If you're unable to find replacement parts, you could try repairing the existing rollers by cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol and using a rubber rejuvenator solution to restore some of the rubber's flexibility. However, this may only provide a temporary fix and may not fully restore the rollers' functionality.

Another option is to attempt a DIY repair by creating new rollers using a suitable material such as silicone rubber or polyurethane. This would require some precision work to ensure that the new rollers are the correct size and shape to fit on the encoder shafts.

Overall, while it may be possible to salvage your Kensington Orbit trackball, it may require some effort and ingenuity to do so.

[WimWalther]

Restoration isn't an option, they're just too worn out of shape / disintegrated for that to be practical.

Replacement of the whole encoder shaft would be ideal. Replacing of only the rollers is tricky, as the originals seem to be soft butyl rubber that is somehow permanently bonded to the shaft.. some sort of vulcanized adhesive maybe?