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General discussion

Plastic casing question

Jun 22, 2009 10:34AM PDT

I screwed up the plastic casing on a very small portion of my laptop. However, it looks absolutely awful. The corner cracked due to the screen swinging back and forth too much. I attempted super gluing it (stupid, I know)and it would later lead to it getting cracked even worse. Does anybody know if you can take it into an average computer repair place and get it fixed, or buy replacement parts? The laptop is a Dell Inspiron e1505.

Discussion is locked

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Search on ebay
Jun 26, 2009 12:20PM PDT

I would search for a 'parts' e5105 on ebay...

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Not DIY...
Jun 26, 2009 12:55PM PDT

It depends on where the crack is and whether you can remove the cracked part without touching anything else. Such things a hinge covers and some keyboard bezels are relatively easy to replace. If the crack is in the back of the screen casing, this is not a recommended DIY job. Similarly, if the base body is cracked, you would have to dismantle a whole lot of the machine to replace it. Unless you really know what you are doing, take it to a specialist repairer.

Since it's a Dell, I'd look for a repairer who is Dell certified - these machines are somewhat quirky. The ideal would be a local repair shop with laptop experience. But it likely won't be cheap.

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Experienced DIY.
Jun 26, 2009 10:51PM PDT
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Thanks for all the help
Jun 27, 2009 12:05AM PDT

Thanks for all the help everybody. My aunt actually has a neighbor that can most likely put the replacement part on one I find one.

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You Could Try Epoxy Putty
Aug 10, 2009 7:44PM PDT

I've repaired laptop cases in the past with Epoxy Putty. It's pretty easy to use but you have to be completely prepared before you start.

The nice thing about the putty is that you can work it into the crack pretty easily, and you can smooth off the excess to conform to the surrounding area as it begins to harden.

I use some stuff called QuickSteel. It's nice because you can just cut off the amount you need, knead it for a minute and apply it with your fingers. QuickSteel is a very dark grey color. Since the Dell 1505 I believe is silver in color you may want to try to find a putty that is closer to the silver cover of your laptop.

Once the putty hardens it bonds well. If you feel up to the task, Dell has the disassembly instructions in their online service manual for your model. The repair works even better sometimes if you can apply the epoxy from the back.

Hope this helps.