Pinebook Pro structural integerity failing

[TDC_PBP]

My Pinebook Pro currently has six cracks. The first ones to appear were the ones around the usb ports and power port. Then came the cracks on the body of the PBP when I forgot to put the spacers back in. Unfortunately, things got a lot worse a few days ago. I shifted my grip on my PBP to one hand on the left side for 10 seconds, and suddenly a new crack appeared on the top left of the keyboard. Now even with super glue the whole left side next to the display hinge bends every time I open and close my Pinebook Pro! I am scared even to close it again! Suggestions, anybody?! Except for this whole crack thing I have really been loving my PBP, but it might be time to say goodbye...

[hdk]

My Pinebook Pro currently has six cracks. The first ones to appear were the ones around the usb ports and power port. Then came the cracks on the body of the PBP when I forgot to put the spacers back in. Unfortunately, things got a lot worse a few days ago. I shifted my grip on my PBP to one hand on the left side for 10 seconds, and suddenly a new crack appeared on the top left of the keyboard. Now even with super glue the whole left side next to the display hinge bends every time I open and close my Pinebook Pro! I am scared even to close it again! Suggestions, anybody?! Except for this whole crack thing I have really been loving my PBP, but it might be time to say goodbye...

I have to close my PBP with my hand on the right hinge to hold it down so it wont crack or brake. Some pieces of the body are already missing, cracked or broken.
Came to the conclusion that the body materials are not suited for normal and even gentle use.
In November last year I was showing off with my very special state of the arts laptop, now I have to keep it hidden in an obscure place.

I hate to say goodbye without any response from the forum.

[Damon]

Were these ANSI or ISO models? According to the March update the ANSI model got some changes to address this. New models have those changes and maybe more:

The last bit I want to touch upon in this section concerns minor structural tweaks to the Pinebook Pro construction. I’ll write up a more complete list of these improvements this coming week and post them on the Wiki – here I’ll focus on the more significant changes: 1) stand-off height for pillars holding the keyboard and bottom of the chassis together has been improved; 2) kapton tape is used in places where electrical shorts can introduce interference to audio devices; 3) soft non-conductive standoffs are used around various parts inside the case preventing shorts and making it more sturdy; 4) screen bezels are now not only pressure-fitted but also held in place using adhesive tape – this prevents dust from entering the crevices between the LCD and the bezel; 5) the plastic formula was tweaked to make the plastic less brittle. In all likelihood, none of you would notice these changes unless explicitly told about them; I have a reason to believe so, since the ANSI batch already included most, if not all, of these changes.
https://www.pine64.org/2020/03/15/march-...-software/

[TDC_PBP]

I have the ISO model. I have seen the somebody on the forum was able to get a replacement top plastic part (the area around the keyboard) for about $30, but that would only fix one of the cracks on the case (the one by the hinge), and I doubt it would stay fixed for long, as it looks like a lot of pressure is applied to that area every time the laptop is opened or closed. I understand that this device comes with no warranty, but I really hope pine64 will at least offer a repair kit or fixed replacement parts soon in the store!

[josmo]

wouldn't mind to see an ainsi replacement keyboard kit so i could swap my iso and get it to someone
btw: i made it a point to never take mine out of the shell ,in hopes not to alleviate those structural issues .....so far so good .
talking about necroposting

https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=8554

most of the time just use those carry handles to open and close ,that balances out the stress on the hinges

[xmixahlx]

no issues here with ansi shell. it does seem like spacers are too critical for structural integrity.

[TDC_PBP]

I don't think me forgetting to put the spacers back is the problem. The two cracks that my PBP got because I didn't put the spacers back in patched right up with super glue, and I have had zero issues with those two since (Loctite, to be precise). The two cracks that are the biggest problem are the ones around the power port and on the top left plastic casing around the keyboard. The two work together for a double whammy, if you will. When I open my PBP, everything is fine, because the stress is on the crack in the plastic I superglued. When I close it, however, the stress is on the crack in the bottom of the metal band, beneath the power port. Because I haven't put any glue there as I thought it was just a tiny insignificant crack, the whole top left corner by the screen hinge bends up because there is nothing holding it back from doing so. I am afraid that soon the whole corner will snap off! As best I can remember, the crack by the power port seemed to appear relatively soon after I got my PBP, seemingly because of stress when the power adapter was inserted. The crack in the plastic happened when I briefly handled my Pinebook Pro with one hand the other day.

[tophneal]

Have you tried reaching out to Pine support to get replacement plastics?

[TDC_PBP]

Have you tried reaching out to Pine support to get replacement plastics?

Would I do that through the order support tab on the Pine64 main page? Also, is it possible to replace the metal band that goes between the top plastic layer and the bottom plate? As I mentioned, the crack underneath the power port is putting a lot of stress on the spot that broke on the plastic every time I close the laptop, and I am not sure that replacing just the top plastic part is a good long-term solution, as it would probably crack again with that stress on it in the near future. Thanks!
Images of cracks attached:

[tophneal]

Have you tried reaching out to Pine support to get replacement plastics?

Would I do that through the order support tab on the Pine64 main page? Also, is it possible to replace the metal band that goes between the top plastic layer and the bottom plate? As I mentioned, the crack underneath the power port is putting a lot of stress on the spot that broke on the plastic every time I close the laptop, and I am not sure that replacing just the top plastic part is a good long-term solution, as it would probably crack again with that stress on it in the near future. Thanks!
Images of cracks attached:

Yes, use the support tab on the main page. I'm afraid I cannot say for sure if that piece is replaceable, but I would imagine it should be. I would take these photos and include them when you contact support. Pointing to this thread for more details may be helpful, too.