HI, my boss has just repaired our HP Laptop that is also our server, he takes it home each night and does backup and also its safe.
It came back to workshop the other day a bit worse for wear, seems it got stood on, and the hinges broke.
BUT it still works, first repair was to tape it into a cardboard box, then cut the box out around it to allow it to be used while the box corners and duct tape kept it stable. (Sorry no picture..)
New repair, see picture below, he is a qualified instrument maker.
Piano hinges have so many uses....
Hi, well he hasn't finished yet, the hinge is not tight enough to keep the screen at an angle, so I might suggest duct tape.
I suggested a fold out leg at the back like a picture frame standing on a mantle piece has, he could duct tape one on, couldn't he?
Hi, this came across the work bench yesterday, its a 3 phase 415Vac to high volt DC bus for a variable speed drive.
The cover on the chassis stopped the can from completely popping off the cap.
And it was still working, even though one cap was stuffed, the DC bus was still able to provide power for the motor.
Another pic shows the PCB after the caps were removed, major cleanup job.
The second capacitor had started to leak out its drain hole too.
Didn't smell to good, it must have smoked really heavily when it failed, no one heard anything when it went, but it must have made a hell of a noise.
Yup, capacitors are on order, $185.00 each, the whole variable speed drive is over $10,000.
This bit is just a 3phase rectifier, which is okay.
A PCB that controls two relays that switch a current limit resistor out of circuit after caps charge to 75% at switch on.
Its nice and simple and made of readily available components.
An output fuse, which is fine.
Hi, gather the laptop was in its soft case and was not leaning against the desk leg but flat on floor, one of his twins stood on it to get a better look at daddy's desktop computer.
Yes only the hinges, the screen and rest of laptop still work.
A fix for the hing stiffness so far is a locktite product for locking threads (not sure which one).
He smiled when I suggested duct tape, yes has has seen Mythbusters.
The caps are 1800uF 450Vdc for the power supply and need to be that form to fit.
When the temperature is above 0 F, i'll have to take some pictures of my truck. The entire thing could be classified as either "Catastrophic failures" or "innovative repairs". I replaced the vacuum operated 4WD locker with a rear hatch "pop" cable. The high beam switch is now a toggle switch on my dash. The doors came off an SUV that was 6 years newer, so I built a power window/door lock controller in a project box and stuffed it under the glove compartment. The dome light was replaced with one of those 12v 5050 LED strips, with yet another toggle switch on the dash. The bumper rusted out, so I replaced it with a utility bumper off the same SUV that the doors came from. Its bolted to the frame with the brackets on backwards. When I got rear-ended, the bumper actually rotated instead of crunching. The bed supports rusted out, so I replaced them with steel C channel, making it look like it has a lift kit on only the back end. The vacuum system has so many holes in it I just gave up patching them with zip ties and duct tape. And lastly, the heater fan control doesn't work, so I control the blower speed by up-shifting or down-shifting to lower/raise the engine RPM.
Hi, Wizdum, good to hear you didn't junk the truck just because the you couldn't get an OEM dome light.
Other people would trade the vehicle in because the ash tray was full.
Tom....
PS, how many times does the expensive or hard to get part protect the fuse that is supposed to protect it?
@cr0sh re "...he probably busted the screen by picking the laptop up by it, is my best guess."
Not necessarily. I see the real reason has been posted, but I had a cheap dell whose hinges went for no apparent reason. I know how to treat a laptop properly and that thing was cheaply made.
Years ago I had a laptop hinge fail - it was getting stiffer and stiffer to open and close for
a while and eventually the strain was enough to snap one of the hinges.
So (being used to opening it up to swap hard drives) I had a look and eventually dismantled
enough to get the two halves of the steel hinge plate out. It was quite a complex piece of
pressed folded steel strip from the hinge to the frame of the case. The hinge itself could
be adjusted for stiffness so I fixed that and then decided the only way to fix the broken strip
was to weld or braze it, being a very high stress part.
Learning brazing seemed easier than learning to weld, so I practiced a bit and then
wired on a suitable strip of steel and brazed it to the hinge bracket. Fit was a bit
tight in the case but it all went back together and worked ever since (well till I got
bored with USB 1.1 only machine).
Brazing is basically like soldering but works with steel / copper / brass / bronze at higher
temperature and produces a very strong bond.
Hi, nice repair. USB1.1? RS232 1200baud to phone acoustic modem, blinding speed.
I should have told my boss to take the laptop up to Sovereign Hill, our local tourist park, and got the blacksmith to fix it.
1200? Lucky you!
I still remember riding my bicycle 5 miles to high school to use a 300 baud acoustic coupled teletype to school mainframe located elsewhere, programming in BASIC, learning from a couple of other kids before school started. Then riding home after cross country or track practice - killer! Some days only 110 baud connection worked. We'd prank each other by pulling the fuse from its holder and hiding it.
