"Dave Blandston" <nomail@nomail> wrote:
> "Bald Eagle" <cre### [at] netscapenet> wrote:
> > (what about foam-core board? With a cardboard shipping tube for the rounded
> > edge.)
>
> Ah-ha, foam-core board will be perfect for a prototype.

Excellent.   I was afraid I was being silly by suggesting it.

> The only thing I'm not
> 100% certain of and won't be until I get the trackball is how tall the sides
> need to be in order to accommodate the trackball housing. I was planning to use
> cardboard but foam-core board will be way easier to work with. The final product
> will be made from 3/4" hardwood so it will be sturdy and heavy.

Foam-core is apparently available in fairly thick forms.
For your bend, you could score at either end of the arc, and peel away the
card-stock, and then "corrugate" or soften the internal foam with heat or a
solvent so that you get a nice, smooth bend without having to fight the
compression on the convex side.
Just make the console overly tall to accommodate the trackball, and then trim it
to height after installation.

You could likely do all of your cutting with a router or even with a Dremel.
Small rotary tool that doesn't require much storage space, and you can do all of
the work outside this Spring. A cheap handsaw could be used for the straight
cuts, but you could even score those with the router bit prior to sawing.

Perhaps there's a maker-space somewhere near you?

- BE


https://corporate.mattel.com/brand-portfolio/power-shop
I rescued and restored an original 1964 model - after it had been submerged in a
flooded basement for ... who knows how many years.  I was absolutely astonished
that it still worked!  And now that I bring it up, I can look into 3D printing
some new parts for it!
:D

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