What glue to use for detatched laptop screen lid

[larienna]

I have an old Pavilion G6 that I want to restore. Its working well except for one thing, the screen lid hinges cannot be screwed anymore to the laptop's base. It seemed that the hinge movement was too rigid and over time it broke up the plastic at the base leaving some empty space where the hinge should have been screwed. I have un-tighten the hinges to prevent the issue from happening again. I would have done it sooner if I knew.

I checked online and found some people using crazy glue and spraying baking soda over it. But I don't think it will work in my situation. Crazy glue is instantaneous and melt pieces together, but I don't have pieces to melt together. I really need to build up a structure to fill up the space.

Hot glue would allow me to build a structure, but I do not think its strong enough to hold the hinge in place.

Do you have other suggestion?

[FreewheelinFrank]

You can build up a structure with sodium bicarbonate and Cyanoacrylate glue (aka super glue and I assume crazy glue). Just wet the surface with the glue, sprinkle on some bicarb and it sets rock hard instantly. Then wet the structure again and add more bicarb. Repeat until you have built up the size you want, and file to shape. You would need a small drill bit and drill to drill a hole for the screw I suppose.

I have used this technique for repairs and it is surprisingly strong even in load bearing areas. Just have a look on YouTube - there are countless videos on how to do it.

[larienna]

I guess I'll have to try. I thought the glue was too liquid for building up.

I have the metal rings around the screws attached to the screws. I imagine I will build up the glue around it.

[kalle123]

First of all, an old saying 'A picture says more than 100 words ...'

Those "Super Glues" are available in different viscosities.

But without having an impression of the situation I would tend to use a 2 component epoxy glue. Long curing.

And if the surrounding plastic is kind of brittle (old notebook), that probably will brake up again before you can count to 3.

[larienna]

Of course, pictures. I took pictures of the left and right hinge, just the base, the base with the top, and just the top. My pictures are not perfectly clear, I used a tablet to take them.

right_case.jpg (156.33 KiB) Viewed 621 times

right_hinge.jpg (114.38 KiB) Viewed 621 times

right_casetop.jpg (181.4 KiB) Viewed 621 times

left_case.jpg (145.88 KiB) Viewed 621 times

left_hinge.jpg (102.24 KiB) Viewed 621 times

left_casetop.jpg (136.53 KiB) Viewed 621 times

[bin]

I had an identical situation with an Acer laptop, the structure supporting the left hand hinge was a design fault.

I really really really do not recommend the superglue/baking soda method. I use a product called Milliput. It's a 2 part epoxy putty that hardens slowly enough to allow you to work the shape and get the surface level correct.
I built up a flat top pyramid and adjusted the height to match the hinge mounting on the other side. While the putty as still slightly soft I used the screen mountings to locate where the screws needed to go through and made a small dent in the putty for each one.
Next day it has set hard, so drilled through the putty and the laptop case and used 3 long 3mm bolts to go through to the underside of the laptop. There I glued in place a small plate, drilled through that and then mounted the screen
The bit here is that the load on the hinge is then spread down through the epoxy putty tower and into the whole of the corner of the case - which is the most rigid part.

[FreewheelinFrank]

I had an identical situation with an Acer laptop, the structure supporting the left hand hinge was a design fault.

I really really really do not recommend the superglue/baking soda method. I use a product called Milliput. It's a 2 part epoxy putty that hardens slowly enough to allow you to work the shape and get the surface level correct.

Have you tried it? It sets like rock and the bond to plastic like this is unbreakable. (And it's also about a tenth of the price of epoxy putty!) I have to agree that the epoxy putty would be the best option here. I've used it to fix a throttle cable mount on a car. Like you said, it can be worked to shape, which is a lot easier than building up a structure bit by bit. The bolts would definitely avoid the main flaw here - too much stress on a small area of plastic.

What I wouldn't recommend is epoxy glue. That stuff runs and is useless for forming structures. It seems quite firm when you mix it, and can be applied in a rough shape, but then before it sets it turns into a puddle. And it gets everywhere, is a nightmare to clean from tools, and stinks up your hands for the rest of the day.

@larienna From the picture, I reckon you could save yourself some drilling by inserting a metal rod with a thin coating of Vaseline (aka petroleum jelly) into the broken fixture so you can apply your epoxy putty around it and then simply pull it out when it's hard, leaving the correct aperture. That's assuming you can find a suitable piece of metal, of course. A nail maybe?

[kalle123]

What I wouldn't recommend is epoxy glue. That stuff runs and is useless for forming structures. It seems quite firm when you mix it, and can be applied in a rough shape, but then before it sets it turns into a puddle. And it gets everywhere, is a nightmare to clean from tools, and stinks up your hands for the rest of the day.

From my workbench (R/C model aircraft)

20250216_112958.jpg (80.83 KiB) Viewed 591 times

then use thixotropic agent in combination with cotton flocks as additions to epoxy.

But for people not used to work with those, I would recommend a product like JB weld or similar .....

For those hinges. Try to move it with your hands and you'll get an impression, what high forces appear. It is not an easy job and not a simple thing. Depends on your knowledge.

[larienna]

An epoxy putty looks interesting. I guess it can be manipulated like clay or play doh!. I have never done this before. Something that does not spill should be indeed easier to use and less messy.

The screw has their metal ring, so the ring should fit in the putty, and it should remain screw-able. I don't think I will need drilling.

I tried to loosen the hinges a bit to be able to move them with my hands. I cannot loosen them too much because the laptop lid would not be able to remain standing up.

[bin]

An epoxy putty looks interesting. I guess it can be manipulated like clay or play doh!. I have never done this before. Something that does not spill should be indeed easier to use and less messy.

The screw has their metal ring, so the ring should fit in the putty, and it should remain screw-able. I don't think I will need drilling.

I tried to loosen the hinges a bit to be able to move them with my hands. I cannot loosen them too much because the laptop lid would not be able to remain standing up.

The amount of force going through the hinge - as you have found out by trying to operate by hand - would quickly rip the top off the mend.
Drilling through and using a nut and screw means the epoxy putty tower is in compression between the hinge and the plate on the underside of the laptop. That will last.

[larienna]

OH! So I need to make a hole up to the bottom of the laptop, put longer screws and put bolts at the bottom of the laptop outside the casing. The putty is just there to fill up the gap between the hinge and the cover?

That is not what I actually had in mind. Is crazy-glue + baking soda more solid?

[bin]

Milliput sets hard, it is a 2 part epoxy product. https://www.milliput.com/ Read what it says about the product.
While it is setting you can work it and ensure you get exactly the right height, get that wrong and the hinges will always be a pain.
What you are planning is to embed the threaded receiver(s) for the hinge mountings in the top of whatever support structure you build.
Therefore all the considerable force of the hinge action will be transferred to a thin layer at the top, and the receiver will only be supported side and bottom. The important bit is a small plate on the underside. I think I used a bit off a a small brass picture hanger. This avoids crushing the case plastic with the nut. A 10mm dia washer with a small dia hole would do.
With the method I have described and used that force is transferred through the supporting body and out into the corner of the laptop case, which is overall a far stronger result.
It is a good idea to work with the product before hand to get a feel for how it behaves, how to mix it and what it will be like after setting.

[FreewheelinFrank]

That is not what I actually had in mind. Is crazy-glue + baking soda more solid?

Both are really strong. The point is that you haven't got much space here to create a reinforcement, so bin's method is a much better reinforcement.

The putty is easier to use. The glue and baking soda method works but it takes a lot of patience to build up the structure you want, and if you make a mistake, it sets instantly, so it's difficult to put right, whereas the putty is shapeable for some minutes. The advantage of glue and baking soda is the glue costs a fraction of the price of the putty from a $/£ store.

What I wouldn't recommend is epoxy glue. That stuff runs and is useless for forming structures. It seems quite firm when you mix it, and can be applied in a rough shape, but then before it sets it turns into a puddle. And it gets everywhere, is a nightmare to clean from tools, and stinks up your hands for the rest of the day.

From my workbench (R/C model aircraft)

then use thixotropic agent in combination with cotton flocks as additions to epoxy.

A professional epoxy product would work. I'm talking about the epoxy glue from a $/£ store. I tried using that to fill a nick in a door frame because I didn't want to spend 8$/£s on epoxy putty. It was thick enough to apply when mixed, but it ran before it set. Had to apply it in thin layers even to fill a small nick. Still saved money though as the glue is only a $/£ or so. (What a cheapskate! )

[4D696B65]

I have used LePage PL Premium adhesive with excellent results. It comes in a caulking tube.

[larienna]

Bin, your solution seems like the best but I have an hard time figuring out how to build it. How do you stack things up ?:

From top to bottom:
1. hinge
2. flat metal washer
3. putty
4. plastic case

The hinge have multiple screws, so I cannot easily surround each screw ring with a metal washer.

You say that
1. hinge
2. putty
3. plastic case

will not be enough, it needs to be reinforced somehow.

[kalle123]

It seems, you don't have much experience on doing a job like this.

So chances are, trying to repair this way (glue) might botch the situation.

Did you try to find replacement parts? ebay, amazon ...?

[bin]

In photo 4 left_case.jpg, at the front left, there is a support post. In the top of that there is a captive nut.
Towards the back on the left there is what seems to be another post. It is hard to tell from the photos if that is one of the screen hinge supports or not. If it is a hinge support I cannot see for sure whether the captive nut is still there, or whether it sheared off below the captive nut. If it is a hinge support and it is complete then we're good, if it broke off, do you have the bit that broke. This is crucial as it provides a datum point for the height you need to build up to get the hinge dead level.

The order is:-
Hinge
Epoxy Tower
Case
Support plate/washers - this will require a bit of simple metalwork, filing to shape if needed.
Bolt/Screw down through the lot with nut on the outside.
If the original post has the original captive nut then you will need to file/drill through this to remove the threads in the captive nut leaving the rest in place so the screw can go straight down through it.

[larienna]

That would mean replacing the entire bottom plastic part of the laptop. Can it really be purchased separately?

Surprisingly, I found this on amazon. Not sure about the quality since they are probably not official parts:

New Laptop Replacement Parts for HP Pavilion G6-2000

lenboes Laptop Bottom Case Base Cover Lower Midframe Enclosure Chassis Replacement HP Pavilion G6 G6-2000

I'll have to compare parts to make sure it's exactly the same thing. Maybe it's a common issue with those laptop which made it worth making replacement parts.

[bin]

Having tried 3 of these so called replacement parts when I was first looking at how to repair my Acer, I can assure you that the quality is so bad it is unreal. However, you may get lucky. Alternatively look on fleabay for one being sold for parts/broken for parts. At least it will be an original case. Then reinforce the mountings with epoxy putty and fit your bits.

[larienna]

Oh! that is what I feared. HP themselves does not sell that part as a replacement.

I guess I could reinforce it, again, the epoxy putty should be the best way to reinforce since it can take any shape.

I could use crazy glue + baking soda, not sure if it's a good idea because it's supposed to melt plastic. Not sure adding some around the screw cylinders would actually help solidify the structure.