Fazza's Laptop Repair Tip - Repairing A Damaged Laptop with a Staple..

[Fazza]

Normally we would pay around £30 for a new bottom cover for a laptop but some prices recently have come back at £80 for a bit of plastic so time to get inventive..

 

In the photo below the damaged parts have been highlighted using a white acrylic pen I have:

 

 

As you can see I have carefully manipulated a staple using a pair of needle-nosed pliers so it pretty much fits the curvature of the laptop.

 

Then, using a soldering iron (with an old tip on you no longer wish to use for soldering with) carefully heat up the staple and push it ever so slightly in to the plastic in the side and the bottom:

 

 

If (like us) you have lots of damaged laptops then you can use a completely broken case to gently melt and transfer some of the plastic case on top of the staple to secure it in to place..

 

Then all you have to do is tidy it up a bit by cutting off the part of the staple not melted in to the plastic with some snips/side cutters:

 

 

This laptop has been back in production for a few weeks now and is still holding strong (until the 'little rascals' damage it in a different way that is)..

 

😎

 

[3s-gtech]

Do this in a well ventilated space - melting platic can give off some nasty fumes!

[Fazza]

Just now, 3s-gtech said:

Do this in a well ventilated space - melting platic can give off some nasty fumes!

 

Never smelt any fumes on this tiny scale before (literally a couple of mm at most being melted at a very low temperature (I have a variable soldering iron where I can set the temp)), I guess it all depends on how big a fix you're doing and how hot your iron is - definitely not a good idea to breath in lots of fumes of anything really.

[3s-gtech]

2 minutes ago, Fazza said:

 

definitely not a good idea to breath in lots of fumes of anything really.

 

This is true. I spent many years of my youth at car auctions with smokey old bangers running leaded fuel, but I don't think it did too much dirigible.

[DalekSec]

Also, dont try to dry gorilla glue with a hot air gun..... that was a fun few hours