Laptop Screw Organization

[usacvlr]

The point was to make people think about how they go about disassembly. The screw thing is huge. A high quality low torque high speed clutched cordless screwdriver with a narrow shank is also critical. I'll say this much. There are exactly 10 major categories of screws in EVERY laptop with the exception being Sony and Thinkpads/Lenovo. You figure out the categories and you will make your life easier. You really only notice the pattern after doing quite a few but once you do it really makes things so much faster. There are other gimmicks that are unique to certain series or models like how to disassemble only what you need to etc. I fillet them like fish...It's basically my whole living with the occasional desktop build or repair.

I know exactly what you mean, as I studied magic for over 10 years, and nowadays I often refrain from posting techniques I use in this job. However a good magician also doesn't rub into the audiences faces 'I know something you don't know, nan na nah na nah'. Just do the trick, and don't talk about how you aren't going to tell the secret. We shouldn't post everything on this forum, as it is public to competitors and customers, but what we do post should have a point.

 

[LunchBox]

WOW I wonder what it would be like to work in your shop. The best soldering, best technique for removing screws etc and I really mean it.

BUT

I understand since you do mail order stuff probably all of us are your competition. I've worked with techs who don't share and I've gotten used to it.

But as it was said. Why say there is a better way, your way but you wont share. It would be better to not say anything or you can keep your secret but reveal something that wont hurt your business. The comment about helping each other is correct but since you can't why post when you know you can't?

There are people here who been working on PCs for 15+ years and you got better tricks from only 3 years?

You maybe you are one of the lucky ones that makes it to the end on being prideful or you may be one of those that the pride is got brought them down.

I sent you a PM asking to share you to give me some tips. You didn't ever respond with a "sorry it is a trade secret because of blah blah blah" I would have understood that and not thought anything negative about a comment like that. I am very fair and understanding but add you not responding anything my PM and what you entered here and it is just wrong.

What else . . . . I think thats all for now.

 

[seedubya]

At this point, I'd just like to chime in in support to usacvlr. He has contributed far more to this board, particularly about laptops, than I have, for instance. Almost all of his posts are succinct, to the point and correct. If he says he was just trying to get people to think, without handing them his hard-earned techniques on a plate, then I believe him 100%. Furthermore, many members here have sent work to him and had nothing but praise for his services.

 

[BerthaControl]

THank YOU! I have been placing them in a plastic holder for the past few weeks. Although they were all together, I had a tendency to spill them all over the place...and of course there is the whole "trial and error" phase when trying to place them back into the appropriate slot. It may sound lame, but I had never really thought of doing that before! I tried tape once, no luck. Thank you so much.

 

[angry_geek]

Really? Getting personal over a method to organize screws? Find the method that works best for you.

Like usacvlr, I have taken apart a good deal of laptops. It takes me about 5 - 10 minutes to strip one down these days for most models. Most of the screws I leave in place as I lift the various parts out of the way. However, like usacvlr said, once you've taken apart enough of them, you start to remember which screws go where. A lot of the time I just throw them in a plastic container.

 

[arrow_runner]

Actually, I PMed usacvlr for his secret, and he just sent me this picture....





j/k

 

[NYJimbo]

Actually, I PMed usacvlr for his secret, and he just sent me this picture....

(picture removed)

j/k

Actually those are all the "extra" screws he had after doing re-assembles.

"Damn computer companies with all their unnecessary extra screws and stuff. "

 

[angry_geek]

Just like a car repair, you always have a couple of left over parts. No big deal.

 

[Kenhelms]

lol wow a trade secret that is about screw organizing.....


Personally i just use a foam block to stick em into. Kind of along the lines of the paper earlier discussed.

 

[usacvlr]

I said I'd been working on laptops for 3 years.
I've been playing with computers since before you were probably born and working on ibm compat PCs since about 95.

WOW I wonder what it would be like to work in your shop. The best soldering, best technique for removing screws etc and I really mean it.

BUT

I understand since you do mail order stuff probably all of us are your competition. I've worked with techs who don't share and I've gotten used to it.

But as it was said. Why say there is a better way, your way but you wont share. It would be better to not say anything or you can keep your secret but reveal something that wont hurt your business. The comment about helping each other is correct but since you can't why post when you know you can't?

There are people here who been working on PCs for 15+ years and you got better tricks from only 3 years?

You maybe you are one of the lucky ones that makes it to the end on being prideful or you may be one of those that the pride is got brought them down.

I sent you a PM asking to share you to give me some tips. You didn't ever respond with a "sorry it is a trade secret because of blah blah blah" I would have understood that and not thought anything negative about a comment like that. I am very fair and understanding but add you not responding anything my PM and what you entered here and it is just wrong.

What else . . . . I think thats all for now.

 

[usacvlr]

har har very funny.
10 categories folks. Every laptop has the same ten. You can make up whatever name you want for each category but it is key. The reason it's key is because it aids in disassembly and assembly until you just know the models by heart and it prevents the problem I've seen all too often which is a guy puts a long screw in a short screw place and magically a white pimple appears on the palmrest area.... I've done it too early on. You can remove those pimples with a hard flat tool to push them back down.

Actually, I PMed usacvlr for his secret, and he just sent me this picture....

View attachment 338



j/k

 

[usacvlr]

There is such a thing as the 'appendix screw' in a laptop but personally it's an honor thing. I hate to leave out a screw but I can see if you're in a major hurry you could leave out between 3 and 5 in most systems and not hurt anything. More than that and you are structurally weakening it or your're going to get vibration etc. With the category method you won't leave out a screw ever if you stick to the method and don't change your categories.

Just like a car repair, you always have a couple of left over parts. No big deal.

 

[usacvlr]

I was once told by a russian guy at a company I worked for that in this business everything is tricks and everything is secrets. The category method is so important to the beginning laptop repair person you just have no idea. I'm not giving out the names though. That's 75% of it. Unless you've done as many as I have you just have no idea how important speed is and organization is CRUCIAL to speed.

 

[Jory]

Edit: reread your post and my lame zinger was even lamer than I realized because I misread the first time