Chosen Solution
USPS dropped the used MBP I recently bought. Bonked the corner near the power cable hookup (goes in askew, but functions), but worse, cracked the plastic edge of the screen (display OK). Opening the laptop makes the crack open further, and I can see the other side beginning to crack from the strain. Damage also makes the latch a bit of a struggle. I’m thinking superglue the crack and perhaps gluing a rigid piece of metal to the closed side to reinforce. Replacing the display would cost 3X what I paid for the laptop, so no way. Anyone have an opinion?
So here’s my own answer to “funky fix” I took a teensy wrench I had and cut it down on the end so it would obscure as little of the screen as possible. I then used 2-part mix epoxy between the piece and the screen frame, and clamped it on with a padded clamp for about 3 days (even though this was “5 minute epoxy"). Once I took the clamp off, I used a single edge razor to trim the metal piece slightly so the screen could shut a bit less tightly. It still gives a bit of pressure, which is good, since the release button now works without requiring an assistant. Since I only spent $63 for this MBP, this repair was WAY cheaper than any alternative, and relatively simple mechanically.
Sadly, the display frame in this series is weak, glueing won’t help. Take a look at this YouTube vid The horrible truth about Apple’s repeated engineering failures Time for a new lid assembly or a new system. Update (10/19/2018) Well, if you’re up to the challenge! Do you have access to a 3D printer? Taking your old one apart and using the needed CAD program for your printer map it out and test your creation! Once you’ve got it all worked out take your CAD drawing to a C&C miller and mill it out of good quality aluminum. You could even give it some embellishments too!
