They didn't fix it. They suck!
Bastards. I'm not going to into it as it makes me furious. And they won't even pay to fix the screen if it breaks because they'll claim it broke because I didn't repair the hinges. Which is technically true but also devious to the point that if I could I'd drive by their little office building wherever it is with a truck full of high-powered explosives and really give them a fright. Then after I returned the truck and disposed of the explosives I'd fly overhead and drop a bomb on them. Ha! Ha ha! Suck it and die, Service Net, you heap of double-smoked butt-jerky!
Anyway, so now I need to figure out a way to solder these hinges back together as a temporary fix. I won't be able to close the lid any more after I do that because the hinges themselves are stuck tight, but at least I'll be able to use it like a normal laptop. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. I think I can even post some pictures, hold on...
4 comments:
Oh well if you've given up on closing the laptop then it's pretty easy. I agree with my Atlanta counterpart that a generous helping of JB Weld on the hinges will hold the screen tight. I've used JB Weld to hold a bent tube metal chair together, to repair a hole in a BBQ Grill burner, and to repair a $45 vacuum line on my throttle body. Rough up the hinges with some heavy grit sandpaper or a Dremel. Make sure you have the screen in the right position when you do it. I suggest making a little jig to hold the screen, since the JB Weld will take time to cure properly. Cover the area with wax paper and masking tape in case there are drips.
Do you think the JB Weld is a better choice than solder?
Solder would probably require removing all the plastic and electronics from around the hinge to prevent heat damage. Also I'm not sure solder would provide a good bond and material strength. You might have to step up to brazing, and higher temps. My guess is that it is a magnesium alloy hinge. Lets talk to my Atlanta counterpart as well, but JB Weld will bond plastic and metal (no need to limit it's use to the hinge itself), you can glop on large amounts, it won't cause heat damage, It can be patched later if it breaks, and it could be removed later to attempt soldering or brazing.
Atlanta Counterpart here, I think that the JB Weld is probably the best bet because of where it is (directly over the heat exhaust port and next to the battery) and the flexibility of the material. Not physically flexible, but you can sand and shape after it has hardened and remove if necessary. Solder is kinda fragile and I doubt that it would stick to the likely alloy used for the hinges. Magnesium sounds about right and I don't think that you would get a good bond to that with solder, plus there would be LOTS of heat transmitted to the base of your screen and top of keyboard as you were trying to get it to stick. Brazing is out of the questions as that requires a torch.
Wax paper is a good thing too. JB is a bit drippy when you first start with it. The other option is some epoxy putty in small amounts. That way you might even be able to still close the screen. Let it mostly set and flex the hinge a bit to let the mechanism work and it might rebuild the thing.
JB would probably set the whole thing. But it would secure the screen. Just wouldn't be a "portable computer" anymore.
Did they give a reason for not fixing them? Or is it just general warranty jackassery? I vote for the second and would call Acer America directly and bitch at them because they are obviously the ones who screwed this whole thing up. Send a letter to the head of the dept. certified mail and things will happen. Maybe not quickly, but you have photographic proof and that might be enough. I got my Windows 95 disk that way. Was on hold for about 3 hours, but I talked to a VP somewhere and the disk showed up.
Final option, hold out for two weeks, and we attack it in Lucky's kitchen and make it work for the trip back. Maybe? Cause I'm thinking there HAS to be a way to take the hinges out and replace them. HAS to.
I'm off to the intarweb to see if such a place exists.
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