[PLUG] T61 laptop repair at the clinic
David Frye
dafr+plug at dafr.us
Mon Oct 28 03:38:58 UTC 2013
On 10/27/2013 01:06 PM, Keith Lofstrom wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 26, 2013 at 01:19:26PM -0700, Paul Mullen wrote:
>> If you're interested in making a group project out of it, we could get
>> together and repair our respective laptops side-by-side. Perhaps in
>> conjunction with one of the monthly PLUG clinics? Are there any other
>> PLUGgers out there with Thinkpads in disrepair?
I could go for this myself, but it depends on obtaining parts. I'm
trying to be a bit finicky to get quality hinges at this point. If I can
get the parts quick enough, I may jump ahead and do the work on my own,
but if something is set up, I can share my knowledge and experience at a
meetup.
<snip>
> Replacing the hinges involves both the screen and the chassis. If
> the T61 is like the T60, that involves pulling the keyboard and all
> the bezel plastic. Look around for new hinges; ACSparts sometimes
> has items like that.
Yeah, this will be pretty much a complete dis-assembly. I had already
found a manual for a different version of the T61 and seen that. The
correct manual isn't any more descriptive, but I'm relatively handy with
this kind of thing. I just lack some of the tools, but it appears to be
cheaper to buy what I need instead of farming the work out to a third party.
> Sometimes you can find a screensmashed laptop really cheap on
> eBay; good for spare parts. If someone has connections at Free
> Geek, they could accumulate a months supply of unrepairable T61s
> for us to raid for parts. In return, we can invite some of their
> grant clients with T61s.
Interesting idea that I hadn't considered... I appreciate that logic.
<snip>
> The main thing is preparation. Download the hardware maintenance
> manual and read through the disassembly/reassembly stuff. 80% of
> the manual is lists of all the different hardware options, and
> there are many changes over the manufacturing life of a thinkpad.
> Almost none of that matters for what we will work on. Order the
> parts in advance; we won't find any near Free Geek on a Sunday
> afternoon.
>
> Most folks are afraid of opening their hardware, or disinterested.
> I think it is the only healthy way to own technology, rather than
> having techmology own you. Real Hackers void warranties.
<snip>
Preparation is a good way to stay out of jams most of the time for most
things, but here especially so. I don't have a lot of experience with
opening up laptops, but always up for a challenge.
dafr
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