07-09-2021, 02:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-09-2021, 03:11 PM by dsimic.
Edit Reason: Minor wording improvement
)
Hello,
A couple of PineBook Pro owners complained today on the #pinebook IRC channel about their lids no longer being able to close, leaving about a half-inch gap between the lid and the laptop body when the lid is in the closed position. I already had to open my first-batch ISO PineBook Pro to recover from bricked U-Boot,
so I applied some oil to the hinges at the same time, to see what would be the results.
I used sewing machine oil, which is very thin and penetrates very well into the hinges. After removing the bottom cover of the laptop, I applied two very small droplets of oil to each of the hinges, at the point where the metal shaft gets into the metal hinge body. I dipped the tip of a small knife into the oil and used it to apply the oil, so I can have better control and end up using as little oil as possible. You can also use a toothpick to apply the oil, for example.
Not much oil is needed at all; maybe a bit more is needed if the hinges are in really bad condition. Also, make sure that no oil gets on the display cable that's close to one of the hinges, because the oil woud degrade the insulation/jacket of the display cable over time.
Before applying the oil, the hinges on my PineBook Pro were somewhat stiff, and there was very little to no "snap" action when the lid was closed. In other words, the hinges weren't bad, but they weren't something to write home about either. After applying the oil, the hinges became noticeably smoother, and there's a surprisingly strong "snap" when the lid is closed. The lid definitely "snaps shut" after applying the oil to the hinges.
So, I'd call this a success.
A couple of PineBook Pro owners complained today on the #pinebook IRC channel about their lids no longer being able to close, leaving about a half-inch gap between the lid and the laptop body when the lid is in the closed position. I already had to open my first-batch ISO PineBook Pro to recover from bricked U-Boot,
so I applied some oil to the hinges at the same time, to see what would be the results.I used sewing machine oil, which is very thin and penetrates very well into the hinges. After removing the bottom cover of the laptop, I applied two very small droplets of oil to each of the hinges, at the point where the metal shaft gets into the metal hinge body. I dipped the tip of a small knife into the oil and used it to apply the oil, so I can have better control and end up using as little oil as possible. You can also use a toothpick to apply the oil, for example.
Not much oil is needed at all; maybe a bit more is needed if the hinges are in really bad condition. Also, make sure that no oil gets on the display cable that's close to one of the hinges, because the oil woud degrade the insulation/jacket of the display cable over time.
Before applying the oil, the hinges on my PineBook Pro were somewhat stiff, and there was very little to no "snap" action when the lid was closed. In other words, the hinges weren't bad, but they weren't something to write home about either. After applying the oil, the hinges became noticeably smoother, and there's a surprisingly strong "snap" when the lid is closed. The lid definitely "snaps shut" after applying the oil to the hinges.
So, I'd call this a success.