Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

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maxlords
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Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by maxlords »

I've got an Egret 29 with a standard 4 button 2 joystick layout. I've got Sanwa sticks and buttons. I've noticed however that when I play shmups, the balltops tend to come loose. Am I doing something wrong? I know they're just threaded on, but is there a trick to tightening em so they don't come loose? Or am I just too rough with em? It seems like they always come loose within a half hour of play or so.....

Suggestions? Do I need new sticks?
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neorichieb1971
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by neorichieb1971 »

Use a screwdriver at the base and twist the knob as hard as you can. It shouldn't come undone.

It should be noted that the joysticks should actually spin right!! I am sure yours do as well as everyone i've tried actually spins. It is theoretically almost impossible to get it off without stabilizing the base with a screwdriver.
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maxlords
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by maxlords »

Yeah, the joysticks spin as they're supposed to. Tightening with a screwdriver did the trick! Can't believe I didn't know that after having this cab so long :oops:
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by neorichieb1971 »

I had my car 3 years before I realized the inside of the petrol gate had a holder for the cap which was positioned so you couldn't close the gate without putting the cap back on. I'm sure that should have been 2 sentences.

Some people don't know the DC pad has an indent for the cable. After all these years.. So your not the only one finding out stuff.
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
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drauch
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by drauch »

God this thread title made me laugh. I really need to grow up.
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by drunkninja24 »

drauch wrote:God this thread title made me laugh. I really need to grow up.
Screw that, I'll laugh at juvenile innuendo all day long. Heheh, I said "screw" :mrgreen:
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by PixelDharma »

neorichieb1971 wrote:Some people don't know the DC pad has an indent for the cable. After all these years.. So your not the only one finding out stuff.
I have DC pad sitting next to me as I read this.

Picked it up. Turned it over.

MIND BLOWN!!
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Elixir
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by Elixir »

neorichieb1971 wrote:Use a screwdriver at the base and twist the knob as hard as you can. It shouldn't come undone..
No!

...don't do that. You risk cracking the balltop and tightening would influence the performance of the stick.
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maxlords
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by maxlords »

Too late :P I'm tired of the damn things coming off every time I play for more than a couple minutes. I've actually had them fall off while playing before.... :roll:

I don't see how the tops being tight could influence the stick's performance when:

A. It's just tightening the ball to the shaft more firmly

and

B. I suck to begin with, so the impact will be minimal :wink:
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by t0yrobo »

Don't most ball tops have metal inserts for the threads? I wouldn't be terribly worried about damaging it, just being able to get it off again.
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by neorichieb1971 »

Elixir wrote:
neorichieb1971 wrote:Use a screwdriver at the base and twist the knob as hard as you can. It shouldn't come undone..
No!

...don't do that. You risk cracking the balltop and tightening would influence the performance of the stick.
I didn't mean as tight as a ducks arse. I meant tight.
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by burgerkingdiamond »

Elixir wrote:
neorichieb1971 wrote:Use a screwdriver at the base and twist the knob as hard as you can. It shouldn't come undone..
No!

...don't do that. You risk cracking the balltop and tightening would influence the performance of the stick.
You have to tighten it a little bit or the damn thing starts coming off in the middle of playing.
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drauch
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by drauch »

maxlords wrote:It's just tightening the ball to the shaft more firmly
This is too much.
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Ganelon
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by Ganelon »

Just tighten it as much as you can. Use force but don't go overboard testing your strength. It's a really bad feeling when playing on a stick to realize the ball is loose, esp. in heated competition. And it sucks even more when you have a shaft covering where there are no temporary fixes.
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chempop
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by chempop »

I have this problem too with my sticks. I'm failing to see what people mean by "use a screwdriver at the base"... are you wedging it somewhere so the shaft doesn't spin while twisting the ball on? I'd think a wrench or some pliers would work (maybe with a cloth between to avoid damaging anything). I must be missing something, ugh, my brain hasn't been working properly lately.
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brentsg
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by brentsg »

Look inside the control panel.
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Drachenherz
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by Drachenherz »

Here's a pic of a sanwa JLF...

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You see the screw at the end of the shaft? Fixate it with the screwdriver, tighten the ball, fertig.
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burgerkingdiamond
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by burgerkingdiamond »

I have a custom drilled shaft (for lighted balltop) for my LS-32. It doesn't have the slot for a screwdriver on the bottom. I just took some pliers and put some cloth between them and the shaft so that I didn't scuff up the stainless. You can do it like this from the top too, without have to open up the panel at all. Put moderate pressure and tighten the balltop by hand.
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by Skykid »

burgerkingdiamond wrote:I have a custom drilled shaft
Who's the lucky lady doing the customising? :mrgreen:
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by burgerkingdiamond »

Skykid wrote:
burgerkingdiamond wrote:I have a custom drilled shaft
Who's the lucky lady doing the customising? :mrgreen:
:) I don't think you can say anything about this topic without a wise crack
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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by Drachenherz »

Skykid wrote:
burgerkingdiamond wrote:I have a custom drilled shaft
Who's the lucky lady doing the customising? :mrgreen:
I honestly read "circumsizing" first reading it and had to re-read this post...

Gosh... there's so much inuendo in this thread... It makes me want to go home and play with my balls and shafts at home...


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Re: Am I twisting my balltops too hard?

Post by Vyxx »

This whole topic is win :lol:
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