Broken MacBook Air – Franken’Lappy

Recently I was given a MacBook Air that had been dropped. Needless to say it was in pretty bad shape.

The screen bezel was no only bent, but both hinges that were used to keep the screen attached to the base were broken. So now you know why it wa given to me.

So, now being in this situation where, if I can fix I can keep it. So first I looked into getting it profesionally fixed. Bad idea. Most companies that can, and there arent many, wanted 600-1000 bucks for the repair. So yeah, not really going to drop my coin for that. I honestly still had no idea how well this thing would even work.

So I went to plane B. I’ll just buy the hinges, and do the install my self. That didnt turn out to be very cost effective. First, I couldnt find hinges alone. Everyone sold the hinges attached as a part of the LCD assembly, not seperate. So the parts alone put it up to 500-600 bucks. Still more then what I could afford to pay.

Now for plan C. Ace Hardware. Yeah thats right. Ace Hardware. Ended up buying some small cabinet door hinges, this crazy elmers glue for metal stuff, and two c-clamps. Cost = $20.

Tools: pair of pliers to bend the bezel back into place. And the C-clamps for holding parts in place as the glue dried.

What I did:
1. Bend the bezel and set it properly on the LCD screen. Once I was happy with it, I laid in some glue and clamped it down. Let it sit for about 2 hours then you can move on to the next part.
2. Find the proper placement for the hinges. I decided to put them on the top left and right corners. Seemed to be the most logical. Marked the spots, applied the glue, and let them set with the c-clamps holding them in place for about 3 hours. I side note: Make sure to keep checking on the glue. As it dry’s it tends to expand so you will want to wipe off the excess glue before it hardens.
3. Once the base hinges are set and good to go, then it’s time for the screen. Open the hinges and attach the screen to them using the c-clamps. No glue yet. This way you can adjust the placement. Once you have the screen sitting where you want, then do one side at a time. Keep in mind that you don’t want the clamp on to tight as it could cause problems with the display. Apply the glue, and let it sit over night. This should ensure that all parts dry before you start using it.

Now all I needed was a power cord. Up until now, I wasnt sure how well this machine worked. All I was told was that it still turned on. For the cord went straight to the apple store, and bought it. $80.

Turned the Franken’Lappy on, and it works great! I have to say for 100 buck, one of the best computers i’ve ever owned for the price