Rant: My whole Tuesday was just one stubborn laptop hinge

Spent 6 hours trying to source a replacement for a 2017 Dell Latitude hinge that had fused to the chassis. The client needed it back that day, so I had to carefully cut it out with a Dremel and fabricate a shim from an old bracket. Anyone have a good supplier for weird, out-of-production laptop parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

henrycooper2mo ago

That 2017 Latitude hinge is actually a known issue, they used a weak adhesive. I mean, you can sometimes get it free with a heat gun and a plastic spudger before going full Dremel.

charles_kelly432mo ago

My old shop swore by heat guns until henrycooper's post changed my mind on those 2017 hinges.

oliviagrant2mo ago

Oh boy, I have to jump in here. The heat gun approach works on many things, but on those 2017 hinges I think you need to be really careful with the temperature. If you get it too hot you can actually warp the plastic frame around the hinge and make the whole situation worse. I found that a low setting and a lot of patience is better than cranking it up and hoping for the best. A plastic spudger is definitely the right tool though, just take it slow and work the edge gently.