Question Fixing a mouse pad

[Craig234]

This is a strange issue. For decades I've had a 'high end' mouse surface, I don't think it's made any longer, the "Fun industries sUrface 1030" (their capitalization), which is described as "Machine Billited Aluminum". I forget what it cost but let's say $75, something not going to be replaced.

This morning I decided to clean it. I took a bit of dishwashing liquid and a couple pieces of toilet paper and wiped a lot of the pad and then water.

Well, after doing so (and ever since), the area I wiped now no longer has the mouse moving smoothly and easily; there's more friction. It makes it kind of unpleasant to use the mouse on it.

When I rub fingers on the surface - the clean and uncleaned areas look the same except maybe the unclear looks a little dustier - the uncleaned area feels more slippery and rougher, while the cleaned area feels smoother and that there is more friction, my fingers don't slide over it so easily.

Ugh. Who knew, and who knows the reason. Is there some 'special coating' that lasts for decades that was on it that the soap removed? Or what? I'm not sure how to get the area back to the slippery condition it should have. I'm lucky on one thing, that it's reversible, but I'd like the 'cleaned' side to work better again if possible.

 

[DigDog]

if it has more friction, it possibly had a layer of synthetic lubricant applied to it, which you now washed away.
You could try an old Quake trick which is to spray teflon on it.

 

[Craig234]

if it has more friction, it possibly had a layer of synthetic lubricant applied to it, which you now washed away.
You could try an old Quake trick which is to spray teflon on it.

Thanks for the idea. Affter a couple weeks it doesn't seem to have changed much, as if yes, it had a lubricant. But you don't 'feel' a lubricant, and it seems strange it wouldn't change at all over more than a decade of heavy use if it were. So I'm suspecting it might be something else.

I'd also worry a little if the teflon might add any further harm.

 

[DigDog]

Thanks for the idea. Affter a couple weeks it doesn't seem to have changed much, as if yes, it had a lubricant. But you don't 'feel' a lubricant, and it seems strange it wouldn't change at all over more than a decade of heavy use if it were. So I'm suspecting it might be something else.

I'd also worry a little if the teflon might add any further harm.

is *this* what you have ?

(bonus: hot chick)

https://twitter.com/funcindustries?lang=en

 

[mindless1]

Spray it with dry silicone (in a can).

It's also possible that you need to replace your mouse or just the teflon pads on the bottom of it.

One other thing I do, because I don't buy into the whole "a mouse needs weights so your super human strength doesn't make it fly off the desk", is open mice and take the stupid weights out. A mouse without weights in it slides around easier.

 

[Craig234]

is *this* what you have ?

Actually, no. There seem to be various versions. Mine seems a rare version; for example, that one has a plastic frame, mine metal, I think aluminum. I actually can't find a picture of mine anywhere online. Or any on ebay. Func was bought out a while ago.

On the other hand, your question might have helped! While looking for a picture I found a web site with this:

Func Anti-Friction Liquid

<b>WHAT IS IT?</b></font> Func Anti Friction LIQUID is a water based, non-toxic, anti-friction treatment that has no wax or petroleum products in it. It is a silicon emulsion made with only top quality materials.<br> Unlike other waxes and treatments, LIQUID leaves no greasy residue. LIQUID is...

www.xoxide.com

On another note, I found a thread with some comments about the basic model:

"Hi, looking to buy a hard mouse mat that's closest to the original func 1030's. I absolutely loved them bitd, but due to them being rather expensive in the uk, (i used to buy the alienware branded ones online - under £15 with postage) i'm now looking for something similar but not so expensive. I recently tried a few soft mats ( razer goliathus speed & control editions) but i'm not intirely smitten on then. Nothing has ever felt as good as the old faithful 1030."

"I'm still using a surface 1030 from 2005 "

"Same here, this is the best mouse pad I've ever used, and when it finally wears out, I'll be getting another one."

 

[Craig234]

Darn, they show the spray for sale but it isn't. I could look at another brand. I'll wait, the flip side is working fine now, good to know what to get if needed.

 

[DigDog]

ok so, bit long winded here, but

your mouse sensitivity strongly depends on the surface friction of whatever-you-use as a mat. So, if your sens is 1.2 on a cloth pad, it could well be 0.7 on a rigid mat.
Sens is thought of as a measure of distance, but actually, it is a measure of force-resitance.

So; if you tried a cloth pad (that doesn't suck), you would initially go for your previous sens, and you'd feel horrible, but once you dial in your cloth-pad-sens, you should be fine.

As a long time FPS player, i feel that cloth pads, when they are good, they are superior to rigid mats. Explanation:

on a bad cloth pad, if you press too hard on the mouse, the mouse will sink in the cloth. This increases resistance and leads to less mouse movement. Why would you press too much on a mouse? Well, during tense firefights, humans do that. Facts of life.

So, what you want, is a cloth pad, that however has very little of the sink-factor that bad cloth pads have. I've been with my chosen brand for 5 years and i tell you, this is better than a rigid mat. Once you get your sens right, you get all the speed your arm can generate, AND you get superior control with small movements. So yeah, get a cloth mat.

My go-to brand is Silent Monsters XXL which you can find on amazon for ..uh, twelve bucks or so. it varies, but never more than 20 bucks. And it's gud. It's real gud.


Or keep being a weird and use rigid mats, but, you know, you don't need to be that hardcore to win fights.

 

[Craig234]

I think your comments only apply to mice with physical balls; I use optical mice.

 

[DigDog]

I think your comments only apply to mice with physical balls; I use optical mice.

you think i use ballmice?

 

[Craig234]

you think i use ballmice?

'Surface friction' on cloth pads would only apply to mice with physical tracking, not optical?

 

[DigDog]

'Surface friction' on cloth pads would only apply to mice with physical tracking, not optical?

it doesn't.
Hence the existence of mouse skates, and the very hard mats themselves. If a mouse had the same friction on a cloth mat as a hard mat, why use a hard mat ?

 

[Craig234]

it doesn't.
Hence the existence of mouse skates, and the very hard mats themselves. If a mouse had the same friction on a cloth mat as a hard mat, why use a hard mat ?

There are two issues here, the friction of any mechanical tracking part, basically the ball, and the friction of the rest of the mouse.

That can be discussed without snideness. Anyone who uses a non-cloth pad you say is "weird". I'm glad you have a pad you like. I'm happy with the 'premium' pad I use. I'd show it to you haven't been able to google a pic, it seems to be some limited edition or something.

 

[DigDog]

There are two issues here, the friction of any mechanical tracking part, basically the ball, and the friction of the rest of the mouse.

That can be discussed without snideness. Anyone who uses a non-cloth pad you say is "weird". I'm glad you have a pad you like. I'm happy with the 'premium' pad I use. I'd show it to you haven't been able to google a pic, it seems to be some limited edition or something.

im sorry - i diditn mean it to come out like that. im also sorry that i didnt reply earlier, i didnt see the notification.

everything has friction; im sure this is already obvious to you, but, once you try a mouse on a glass, teflon-sprayed mat, you'll understand how much that friction is. it's more than you imagine, and i say this because it's more than *i* imagined. a normal, optical mouse on a cloth mat has a lot of friction - not as much as a slab of granite on tarmac, but it's still considerable, however this only becomes apparent when you remove it completely, which is not something very common in mouse usage.

Now, there is a special consideration that comes with mouse sports; under pressure, in some situations, you will control your mouse much worse than you do usually.

Hard mats have much lower friction, therefore, you can use much lower sensitivity. Again, we think of mousesens as a factor of distance, but it's actually a factor of force. You arm applies X force to the mouse, the friction reduces it, and the mouse moves. If you lower the friction, the mouse moves *more* than you would have intended.

Technically, hard mats are better. Because lower mousesens is better. But, they require a higher level of mental discipline to be used properly.
On the other hand, cloth mats, with their inherent higher friction, will absorb some of the excessive force during those stressful moments.

 

[Craig234]

im sorry - i diditn mean it to come out like that. im also sorry that i didnt reply earlier, i didnt see the notification.

Thanks for the friendly reply. I didn't quite get what you were wanting to say, but I'm using a hard mousepad with low friction. I wonder how my fingers will change the coating.