Ok, ok, this will take more than a few minutes to build. But the results are worth the effort.

1. Measure the diameter of the track ball on your compter, or buy a trackball if you do not already own one (I think they are vastly superior to the mouse, trackpoint, or trackpad)
2. Find a glide ball of the same diameter. You can find balls anywhere from 1" to 2 1/2" in the stores. A good source (and a great catalog of novelties and inexpensive toys), is Oriental Trading.
3. Most glide balls are poorly made, with an irregular seam. This seam will catch and skip on the trackball support mechanism. So the seam must be smoothed and filled first.
4. This is the hard part. Fill the seams with a good quality, clear plastic glue. Many epoxies will not stick to the glide ball plastic (typically polystyrene), so you will need a glue meant for this purpose. Check a hobby or a plastics supplier for appropriate adhesives, and make sure to work in a well ventilated area.
5. After the glue has fully dried, polish the surface to a smooth finish. The best technique uses a motorized polishing wheel and rouge, but fine sandpaper followed by a plastic polish (whitening toothpastes sometimes work well) will brighten the surface, albeit with much elbow grease.

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