The ghetto mod thread

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

So the paste is a mix of many different brands/types of pastes. I am going to recycle used thermal paste again in the future.

Absolutely!
Re-use of thermal paste is something I've been doing for a while now.
I often don't even change it when swapping heatsinks on CPUs and GPUs - just scoop the extra that always smudges on the side and re-apply. Only exception is if the paste is very dry - then I don't reuse it.

The other ghetto work is that I attached 2 overheating TO-92 transistors on the heatsink, same way with a TO92 transistor that I guess is part of some heat compensation circuit

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...8&d=1645390600

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...9&d=1645390600

Looks like it might be stage biasing / Vbe multiplier circuit. In any case, electronics don't usually like heat, so this is a good mod.

Please do! I have 3 powered subwoofers, part of cheap 5.1 computer speakers setup that I have lying around for years and don't know what to do with them. Maybe it would be inspirational to me. I have Creative T6100 and 2x Altec Lansing 5100.

Oh nice! You have plenty of "material" to work with then.
I did a quick search on the Creative, and it looks like it already has all of the amplifies inside the sub enclosure. So really you just need to find some mid-range / tweeters for the "surround" speakers, and you should be set probably. Those Winston speakers from the Philips system come to mind if trying to harvest tweeters.

Btw If the amp you got supports 5 channels, maybe you could mod it to double the output. For example, if it uses 2 ICs for 4 or 5 channels total, you could use them in mono mode and double the output wattage. But I guess you already know that

Yup, kind of did that already.
Well, the 4-ch amplifier IC for the subwoofer was already wired to 2-ch BTL. I just couldn't / didn't feel like trying to understand what was going on with the pre-amp and filter section since, as I mentioned, the PCB was missing pieces. So I just disabled the pre-amp section entirely, then uncoupled the inputs from the amp IC and hooked them directly to RCA stereo jacks, giving me a simple stereo amp to work with. Eventually, I enabled the other identical amp IC on the board and converted it to have 2 channels on BTL. So this "amp" contraption is now capable of driving 2x Left and 2x Right speakers in regular stereo mode - i.e. same as "speakers A" and "speakers B" on "conventional" stereo amps. Only limit at this point is the power adapter ("measly" 16.5V, 40 Watt) that was once part of an Altec Lansing or Cyber Acoustincs system (that I never got to see, actually.)

Anyways, I'll start typing up the post and hopefully post it sometime this year, lol. It's not really suitable for this thread, as it's an entire ghetto creation by itself.

That said, you can actually get a "hint" of what it looks like from the thread below (I won't spoil and tell you which picture it is. )
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=20886

[goodpsusearch]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

My desk/computer area amplifier is much more shanty than this - it's the innards from a Dell MMS 5650 surround sound system that someone dropped off for recycling at a repair shop I used to help in. The PCB was broken and missing some pieces, and the speakers were all gone except for the sub speaker. I never bothered putting it back together properly the way it was. Rather, I just re-wired the amps on the board for a stereo setup and input going directly to the stereo amp ICs. It drives a pair of Sony SS-MB215 "bookshelf" speakers... and the whole system probably tops out at 5W / channel or maybe 10W if I'm being very generous with my estimation. It's more than enough for my room and honestly doesn't sound too bad. Need to post it with pictures. I've had this contraption for about 8 years now. Never finished it (the way I wanted) either.

But again, when something does the job "good enough" for what you need it for, then you've done well.

Please do! I have 3 powered subwoofers, part of cheap 5.1 computer speakers setup that I have lying around for years and don't know what to do with them. Maybe it would be inspirational to me. I have Creative T6100 and 2x Altec Lansing 5100.


Btw If the amp you got supports 5 channels, maybe you could mod it to double the output. For example, if it uses 2 ICs for 4 or 5 channels total, you could use them in mono mode and double the output wattage. But I guess you already know that

[goodpsusearch]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

While working on the subwoofer here:

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=102608

I did 2 ghetto mods:

While reassembling, I decided to apply thermal paste to try to extend the total mass of the heatsink plate to include the external metal cover of the subwoofer:

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...6&d=1645390461



I had to apply excess amounts of paste to cover most of the contact area of the heatsink and the metal cover.

I used thermal paste that I had removed in the past from devices I repaired/serviced or CPUs/GPUs. So the paste is a mix of many different brands/types of pastes. I am going to recycle used thermal paste again in the future.


The other ghetto work is that I attached 2 overheating TO-92 transistors on the heatsink, same way with a TO92 transistor that I guess is part of some heat compensation circuit

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...8&d=1645390600

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...9&d=1645390600

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I don't like the ambiguity of "both high and low temperature" guns... would be nice for one or the other so I can use the high temp gun for things that may be stuck in high temperature locations.

Ugh as for thermoplastics I really need to figure out how to recycle my waste polylactic acid plastic back into something that can be used in a 3d printer once more...

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Do you think those Nichicon HE caps are genuine? They are rated for 50V 1000uF.

The ones in the review pictures? - Seems so. At least the vents look right for Nichicon (not only are they an "X", but also I find Nichicon's "X" is usually "finer", where the cuts aren't too deep, they look thinner, and they don't go all the way to the edge of the cap.) The sleeve looks passable. So FWIW, they may indeed be genuine. But that's no guarantee your amp may be like that either. So when its warranty expires, make sure to crack it open and check it.

Pointing through the ventilation grills with a spotlight I found that the power supply has 4x 63V "Chang" 470uF output capacitors.

Sounds about right.
Though it seems these Chang/ChengX caps have gotten a little better over time... or at least they don't see to do that bad compared to other no-name garbage. Perhaps on par with CapXon, Fuhjyyu, and the rest of that bunch? I guess time will tell. With cheap caps, it's always a losing lottery ticket... some just get it later than other though.

I decided to add a cap in case it helps to lower the ripple and AC mains hum that could pass to the output of the cap (check review).

I didn't want to void the warranty of either the amp or the power supply, so I didn't open any of them. So, now you can guess what I did

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1643925050

I attached 1 x 63V 1000uF YXF right before the dc jack that goes into the amplifier!

LOL, nice!

Do you think the cap I added will do any good? What mod would you do?

Well, it certainly won't do any harm.
If anything, it should provide better stability of the SMPS, should the SMPS's caps fail (and they probably will at some point, given the cheap brands those Chinese supplies use.)

The amplifier works and since I am not an audiophile I cannot tell you much more than that the sound is perfect to my untrained ears and I tried to stress the amp and the psu cranking up the volume with my insensitive speakers Dali Spektor 2 but the amp hardly got warm and the psu stayed cool without the fan kicking in during tests. This thing can get reaally loud, I don't know how many watts it can output with my setup, because the reviewer used cheap no name Chinese power adapters to test it.

Hey if it does the job, that's all that matters.

My desk/computer area amplifier is much more shanty than this - it's the innards from a Dell MMS 5650 surround sound system that someone dropped off for recycling at a repair shop I used to help in. The PCB was broken and missing some pieces, and the speakers were all gone except for the sub speaker. I never bothered putting it back together properly the way it was. Rather, I just re-wired the amps on the board for a stereo setup and input going directly to the stereo amp ICs. It drives a pair of Sony SS-MB215 "bookshelf" speakers... and the whole system probably tops out at 5W / channel or maybe 10W if I'm being very generous with my estimation. It's more than enough for my room and honestly doesn't sound too bad. Need to post it with pictures. I've had this contraption for about 8 years now. Never finished it (the way I wanted) either.

But again, when something does the job "good enough" for what you need it for, then you've done well.

That being said the 5/16" glue sticks I got are "for bother high and low temperature" guns...

Same with my 1/4" sticks. As for my 10W Michael's hot glue gun - it is actually a high-temperature gun, despite being only rated for 10W. I checked it on my Kill-A-Watt meter too, and it draws exactly 10W.

[goodpsusearch]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Well, based on the review and measurements here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/f...plifier.18984/

or the YouTube version, here:
https://youtu.be/byj_BDf5xwM

I bought this amp at a very good price of 54.35€, including shipping from China and any import fees and VAT all included in price.

Then, I had to figure out what power supply to get for it, because the amp doesn't include one, it just has the common input jack of laptops.

Amp IC can get up to 53.5V , but the amplifier has input capacitors rated for 50V, so Aiyima specifies a safe limit of 48V max input.

https://www.ti.com/product/TPA3255
https://www.aiyima.com/products/ampl...el-300wx2-hifi

Finally, the amp arrived and by the time it arrived I have already ordered the power supply from here:

https://www.banggood.com/RIDEN-RD600...e=CN&ID=520831

I got the 48V version for 32,74 € including shipping and fees. According to specs it can do 400W 8.3A.

There is also a tear down link of the amp here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/f...ar-down.19020/

Do you think those Nichicon HE caps are genuine? They are rated for 50V 1000uF.

Pointing through the ventilation grills with a spotlight I found that the power supply has 4x 63V "Chang" 470uF output capacitors.

According to specifications, maximum ripple is 240mV peak to peak.

I decided to add a cap in case it helps to lower the ripple and AC mains hum that could pass to the output of the cap (check review).

I didn't want to void the warranty of either the amp or the power supply, so I didn't open any of them. So, now you can guess what I did

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1643925050

I attached 1 x 63V 1000uF YXF right before the dc jack that goes into the amplifier!

The amplifier works and since I am not an audiophile I cannot tell you much more than that the sound is perfect to my untrained ears and I tried to stress the amp and the psu cranking up the volume with my insensitive speakers Dali Spektor 2 but the amp hardly got warm and the psu stayed cool without the fan kicking in during tests. This thing can get reaally loud, I don't know how many watts it can output with my setup, because the reviewer used cheap no name Chinese power adapters to test it.

Do you think the cap I added will do any good? What mod would you do?

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I ended up getting the 5/16 because it should have been a high temperature gun (and hence the 40W rating). Actually I take that back, 5/16" sticks are ever so slightly cheaper by mass than ¼ but not by much though not at Dollar Tree (calculated out to be about the same as the 5/16 pouch had less sticks than the ¼" pouch). I was more hoping to get the 12" 5/16" sticks where the minis only have 4" sticks.

I didn't find much of a difference between the 5/16" and the ¼" guns. I suspect it's because I was using high temp glue in the 5/16" and low in ¼", suspecting putting low temp glue in a high temp gun would result in significant drooling.

That being said the 5/16" glue sticks I got are "for bother high and low temperature" guns... I sure hope it's more tailored for high temperature however.

I think I got my first ¼" gun at Rat Shak when it was on closeout, probably $2 or $3. However I did end up getting a second one to sacrifice for a power cord for $1 at a dollar store, and I recall sometimes seeing one at Dollar Tree where you can also get the glue.

The 5/16" high temperature gun I got from a thrift shop with a partially used 12" stick, also for a buck. I'm not sure if I should use the 5/16 or the ¼" glue gun more...

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I've yet to find something that can repair ripped out laptop screen hinges like hot glue, it's strong with a bit of flex, perfect for the job.

You know, I did a hinge repair like that on a Sony Vaio laptop for a crazy roomate of mine back in college. He was the type of guy that would destroy everything. Even a Toughbook probably wouldn't last long in his hands. Anyways, I didn't have all of my tools and glues with me in college... but I did have my hot glue with me, lol. One of the hinges had torn the screw eyelet from the case. I hot glued it into place and then a bunch more hot glue on another piece as extra support for the metal part of the hinge. 1 year later, and my roomate still hadn't broken it... which says A LOT.

I ONLY use the little guns with black glue sticks, that's what I use to replace feet, I have a tub of dead caps but it's over there and my glue gun is right here.

Same - I always keep my hot glue gun out and ready on my bench. It's one of those tools I won't go without.

Since epoxy is a thermoset plastic, I have to choose this for things that need to be in a hot area. Yeah it's annoying that you have to mix. And apparently it also does not like to stick to polyethylene either I think... or at least I think that's what I use to mix epoxy, after it hardens it comes right off that mixing stick.

Polypropylene and PE-based plastics were intended to be that way - not react with almost anything. And main reason behind that is because of their widespread use in the food industry. Same with PP, though it's also usually more expensive and thus used only when really needed (durable/re-usable food containers or containers where PE might leach microplastics with long storage.)
Anyways, as far as I know, there is no solvent glue that will work on either of these two plastics. Best bet is contact cement, as it creates a rubbery coating over the plastic and won't come off as easily. Super glue simply refuses to hold onto it. Same with epoxy, as you noted. ABS/PVC glue also flakes off fairly easily. Hot glue will hold onto these two... for a little bit. But eventually it breaks off (I've tried making fan shrouds with scraps from PE packaging and hot glue... and eventually they all fell apart after some years.) Silicone/caulking, though, is actually somewhat OK if the plastic surface is not exposed to a lot of flexing or wide temperature changes.

I have both a full size (5/16", 40W) and a mini (¼", 10W) glue gun. I think the 5/16" is about twice as much glue per length but I think the glue sticks are mostly priced in. I don't think I'll ever run out of 5/16" glue at this point... and I still have plenty of ¼" glue sticks too.

My uncle gave me a 5/16 gun many years ago (back in the 90's) when I was a kid, but I never used it much. Not sure if it was the glue sticks back then or what, but it never held anything well... and took forever to heat up, despite being rated adequately (20-30W, IIRC.) In high school, we also had the 5/16" glue guns and I didn't like those either - took a long time to heat up, then ran too hot and would spill/drool hot glue everywhere.
Eventually, I got my own glue gun back around the same time (high school) from Michael's. It uses 1/4" sticks and is only rated 10 Watts... but it's been absolutely superb. I've had it for over 15 years now, and it has never given me a problem. In fact, someone gave me a 2nd one that I use when traveling around. The model number is GM-160. Was pretty cheap back then too - I think something like $2-3. When I went to buy that last 20-pack of 1/4" sticks, I had a look in the store and couldn't find this particular model anymore. Now the new ones all have some kind of plastic/silicone tips and not metal like mine. They still appear to work OK, though. A friend's kid has one, so I got a chance to try it out when I was helping him with his science project. The glue was alright overall, but didn't have as good control of the glue flow like mine does. And that's also the reason why I don't like the big 5/16" guns either - hard to control how much glue comes out... plus, the tip is bulky, which can get in the way when you need to glue something in a tight space / small object.

Yes hot glue is excellent for cardboard. Nothing keeps cardboard together better, packing tape and even staples don't hold a candle against hot glue. If it did it'd melt or catch fire...

Yup.
I have some old vintage Lego sets with the original boxes. The boxes got pretty torn up over the years, despite me trying to hold them with tape even back then. So one day I sat down and removed all of the crappy tape and re-glued them with hot glue. Good as new now (well, minus the stains from the old tape)... or at least should last enough for my nephew to enjoy (he's generally pretty careful with his toys, much the same way my sister and I were as kids - I guess it runs in the family? )

[diif]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I've yet to find something that can repair ripped out laptop screen hinges like hot glue, it's strong with a bit of flex, perfect for the job. I use some double length sticks from Ali.
I have one of the little glue guns with black glue sticks, that's what I use to replace feet, I have a tub of dead caps but it's over there and my glue gun is right here.

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Since epoxy is a thermoset plastic, I have to choose this for things that need to be in a hot area. Yeah it's annoying that you have to mix. And apparently it also does not like to stick to polyethylene either I think... or at least I think that's what I use to mix epoxy, after it hardens it comes right off that mixing stick.

Hot glue is pretty good IMHO, been trying to use it when heat isn't a problem. BTW, Dollar Tree sells small packs of glue sticks (for $1.25 now I think?) Unfortunately I didn't notice until after I got a huge pack and probably paid too much for it, not to mention I haven't even opened it yet - I still haven't used up the one 1' long stick I had.

I have both a full size (5/16", 40W) and a mini (¼", 10W) glue gun. I think the 5/16" is about twice as much glue per length but I think the glue sticks are mostly priced in. I don't think I'll ever run out of 5/16" glue at this point... and I still have plenty of ¼" glue sticks too.

Yes hot glue is excellent for cardboard. Nothing keeps cardboard together better, packing tape and even staples don't hold a candle against hot glue. If it did it'd melt or catch fire...

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Epoxy, hot glue, rubber cement, cyanoacrylate?
PSA does not work well for me for feet

Rubber cement / contact cement for me. It's the only glue that I can trust to remain flexible over a wide set of temperatures and bind to anything (even though it doesn't actually "bind" in reality.)

I don't like CA glue in general. It's good for some things, like gluing acrylic on acrylic, rubber on rubber, or certain plastics (I can't remember if it worked well on PS or PC... ABS - sorta). But all in all, I don't like that it tends to become very brittle in freezing temperatures and also not good on materials that see water/moisture. Also, I dislike CA because it doesn't last on the shelf for much time once opened. And even if unopened, I find that often after a year or two, the glue will dry in the tube. And I hate to have to go to the store just for a single tube of glue.

Epoxy? - Nah, I'm too lazy to mix it. And it's hard to mix only as much as you'll use, so you always end up wasting a little... and I don't like waste. Also, epoxy is good for holding stuff that won't move. Laptop rubber feet are soft and may move a little... so I don't think that would be a good application for it.

Hot glue? I'll explain in more detail below. But in short, I do like it for a lot of things. When applied correctly (YES, there is a correct way to apply hot glue ), it will hold very well on almost anything, except metal surfaces. It also depends on the quality of the hot glue as well, as I found out recently. Back in high school (some 15+ years ago), I bought a 40-pack package of mini glue sticks from Michaels for like $2-3. This stuff was Made in the USA (I think! - or at least it didn't say Made in China/Taiwan anywhere on the package) and it's held on everything I've put it on over the years. If it broke down (e.g. when applied on cables that see a lot of flexing), I just re-heated it with hot air and it was good as new again. Last year, I finally ran out. So I went out to Michaels again and bought a 20-pack of seemingly the same sticks... but for $4 (inflation, LOL!) Anyways, this new stuff is actually Made in China... and nowhere near as strong as the old sticks. It's nice that it doesn't "string" as much (package proudly advertises that), but also a possible disadvantage, as I think it means the glue probably isn't as flexible or strong as the old stuff. But all in all, it's comparable once I let the glue gun get really really hot. If not applied very hot, it's a little weak.

rubber cement may do strange things to the ABS

Haven't found such thing in my experience, though it certainly may be possible that the plastic that comes in contact with the rubber cement may dissolve a little, particularly if it's ABS, PVC, or PS (and maybe PC). That's because rubber cement contains a little bit of acetone, IIRC (or similar solvent.) It's not much though, and certainly not like ABS/PVC glue, which is highly concentrated with acetone, toluene, and a few other solvents (and why it's so good on those type of plastics.)

cyanocrylate will leave a white film on the area as it evaporates.

Yes, usually. But on ABS plastic, I think it also dissolves it a little too. So for securing rubber feet on an ABS plastic case, it may actually work really well... at least if the feet don't see a lot of movement and bumping (CA doesn't like being flexed around.)

no, hot glue is far lower - its indian street kid material!

if it gets cold it loses stick and becomes brittle too.

No, not at all.
It just depends a lot on the application. Hot glue binds exceptionally well to soft woods, paper/cardboard, and acrylic. In fact, whenever I have to glue two smaller wooden pieces now (i.e. not large surfaces, like for carpentry and such) and if I don't care how the "joint" is going to look, then I don't bother with wood glue and go straight to hot glue. In many cases, the hot glue will bind just as strong as wood glue, if not stronger. And on cardboard, the joint will usually hold better than the material itself.
Sure, you may consider cardboard a ghetto material... but then if you spend enough time with it, it can look decent. Example of a video card shroud I made:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...0&d=1596644601
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1596644601
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...8&d=1596644601
^ taken from this thread:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=86858

Also, the key to hot glue is to apply it while it's very hot. And if you pre-heat the surface you're trying to glue, it will stick even better. Of course, there are exceptions / applications that hot glue is not good for. One of them is steel - it will always unbind and break off eventually, due to different expansion rates. In general, hot glue works poorly on any metal surface. It's also no good on rubber. But for plastic - it depends on the plastic type. Again, it's excellent on acrylic for whatever reason (try smudging a "web" on there and see how hard it becomes to clean it off... if at all!) As an example, I built a "headphone amplifier" almost 10 years ago, that I showed here. Many of the pieces were bound together by hot glue... and still are to this day! Here is a picture:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...0&d=1376021579
^ I've moved and opened that headphone amp many times over the years, and I have not had to touch the hot glue on it, especially anywhere on the acrylic pieces and the PCB.

But on other plastics, hot glue can be so-so. Generally, it's OK on ABS and PC, but kind of poor for polyethylene -based ones (PET/PETE/HDPE/LDPE) and polypropylene (PP). Amazing on polystyrene (PS), though! And it's decent on pleather (a.k.a. fake leather / vynil.) On that note, it's also relatively good on cotton fabric and great on wool (I've patched a few work clothes before using hot glue and scraps of fabric. )

[stj]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

no, hot glue is far lower - its indian street kid material!

if it gets cold it loses stick and becomes brittle too.

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I had been using PSA as it seems to be what was there initially, but getting more has been a problem. Currently trying hot glue, and so far so good.

BTW isn't hot glue the definition of ghetto modding?

[stj]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

i would use rubber compound, the clear rtv-like stuff.

epoxy wont stick, hot glue is just a crime, rubber cement may do strange things to the ABS, cyanocrylate will leave a white film on the area as it evaporates.

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Epoxy, hot glue, rubber cement, cyanoacrylate?
PSA does not work well for me for feet

(I would think most of us here would have a good surplus of bungs for feet!)

[momaka]

The ghetto mod thread - laptop rubber feet repair v2.0

Oh no, I've started a trend.
Let's see how many laptops will suffer from this ghetto mod now.

Well, I have another one.

This time it's an HP Pavilion DV6000 laptop (the reliable non-nVidia model.)
Actually, I did the rubber foot "repair" on it back in June. I meant to post it here then, but never got to it. On the plus side, this allowed me to evaluate the ruggedness of my handiwork, since I used that DV6000 laptop almost exclusively from about mid June until early September while I was traveling. In that time frame, the laptop was moved around between many locations and slid on various surfaces. None of the glued rubber feet fell off, though. And yes, I said feet, since the laptop was missing ALL 4 feet in the corners! This is how it came out, actually:


I ended up using 2x "flat" bungs for each foot in the front and 2x "raised" bungs for each foot in the back.



Actually, you can see that for the last foot (in the rear) above, it was supposed to be a much wider one... but I didn't feel like "wasting" that many bungs there. You can also see what the cured contact cement glue looks like, since I ended up over-applying a bit more on that foot by mistake.

All in all, though, these feet have not moved even a single bit. I suppose time will tell how much longer they will last... but overall, the idea works pretty well so far (with the appropriate glue, of course.) Another bonus was that the "new feet" were about 1-2 mm higher than the original ones, so that DV6000 was sitting a little higher off the desk surface and getting excellent airflow and cooling.

Oh, and I did all of the above with only Sacon FZ bungs again.
Take that, Sacon! Your caps aren't worth a squat. The bungs, on the other hand, are acceptable for these kind of repairs.

Also, if anyone is wondering about my method of how I open the caps, here it is:


Basically, I just take my side cutters and grab the capacitor's can at one corner on the bung side, then twist (out) and repeat until the whole folded edge over the bung is bent out of the way. After this, I use a pin or small metal pick to pry the bung out (should come out pretty easily.) Note that it also helps to straighten the capacitor's leads before trying to pry the bung out to make it come out easier.

This post changed my life forever.
...
Thank you so much momaka!

LOL! You're welcome!

Check this notebook cooler:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1642262434

If you look closer you will find something strange on the upper left rubber foot:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1642262434

Yes! I have replaced the original rubber foot of the base with 2 rubber bases of capacitors!

Nice!
I see you "doubled-up" on the feet too. And it looks like in your case too, the "pad" for the rubber foot was the perfect size for a cap bung (8 mm?) I swear, this is what bad caps were alternatively designed for, lol.

I also have another repair with a cap bung. It's not laptop feet/foot this time... and probably not as interesting/innovative... and still somewhat similar in nature. But I need to organize my pictures and snap a few more for that one. So stay tuned!

[goodpsusearch]

Re: The ghetto mod thread - laptop rubber feed repair

Since this thread has been awakened, here is something I did recently (actually, yesterday.)
.
.
.
I've been piecing together / playing around with a few junker laptops this week. One of them was missing a rubber foot on the bottom, which made the laptop very wobbly on a hard, flat surface (and kind of annoying even, when typing on it.)

So, I had an idea!

Let's take a busted Sacon FZ apart:


Do you see where this is going?
A few drops of contact cement later, and this was the result:


^ Yes, that's the rubber bung from the busted cap. Fortunately for me, that vented Sacon FZ cap was so dry in there, that I didn't really need to clean the rubber bung with anything too harsh or "exotic" (e.g. acetone, toluene, and etc.) Nope, just sanded it down a bit (it was about 0.8-1 mm too wide for the plastic hole on the laptop's body), wiped both surfaces with IPA, put contact cement on both, and glued it all together. Simple as that!

The best part is, now the laptop doesn't wobble anymore at all. It's like that rubber bung was meant to be there.

Also, it's a good (re)use for busted/vented caps. I've actually though of using the rubber bungs of capacitors as rubber feet for a long time... but just never found a convenient time to try it. Well, now I have.

This post changed my life forever.

Check this notebook cooler:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1642262434

If you look closer you will find something strange on the upper left rubber foot:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1642262434

Yes! I have replaced the original rubber foot of the base with 2 rubber bases of capacitors!

Does this qualify as ghetto enough?

I also keep a stock for future use
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1642262434

Thank you so much momaka!

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

GPU (from e-waste container) needed a second power supply. Luckily the case was big enough to fit it in...

WOW!
I mean, the PSU is not even secured in there!!!
And that small PCB on the bottom just hanging loose ready to short against the case.
Man, this is actually a work of art!

[Xenon-Codex]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Another power supply mod. Fujitsu P510 and P520 have these smaller PSU's, which will not fit to standard ATX-case. P510 has adapter plate, which has the correct screw holes, but the edge needs to be cut off. P520 does not have the plate, so I had to sacrifice old psu, it had CapXon capacitors, so no big deal.
The PSU's itself seem to be good, very little power consumption.

[Xenon-Codex]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

GPU (from e-waste container) needed a second power supply. Luckily the case was big enough to fit it in...