01/09/2026
Today my expensive CAD mouse mysteriously stopped working. After a closer inspection, the cable was cut where I had it zip tied.
I have never attempted to repair a USB device with wires this small. But hey, it cant be any more broken right? This means FREE learning and tinkering experience.
I stripped back the main wire housing carefully with a razor blade. With the sleeve removed, I was able to assess the damage. It looked like 3 wires were cut completely and 2 other were knicked in the process.
At first I attempted to solder them but my soldering iron was too big and put out too much heat. I pivoted to using soldered but connectors. With these, a heat gun can be used to control how much heat is introduced.
After some painstaking work with these tiny tiny wires, I was able to get everything connected.
Finger crossed I plugged it back in and......
IT WORKED!!!!!!
This fix took me 20 minutes total from problem to complete solution and saved me $300.
Link to space mouse pro: https://amzn.to/4aO00hG
A little bit of know-how and the courage to try goes a long way. I was worried that the aluminum foil looking EMF shielding would be critical for operation, but it seems not.
Now I just need to clean it up with some strategic electrical tape and hope this repair lasts for years to come.