Laptop Screw management.

[SThompson86]

Hello, I have a simple request. I would like some suggestions on how to keep up where screws go when I take a lap top apart. I normally put screws that belong together in seperate piles, and I document for instace this red screw goes into the mobo. Well.. that method does not always work out so well when it comes time to rebuild the laptop. I am just wondering if there is a better way to re figure out where the screws need to go. I have taken pictures also , but they never seem to help. I have been considering putting screws in seperate bags even if it is just 1 screw. This is kind of a dumb question, but I need some advice because having 2-3 screws missing isnt professional.. lol

Thanks in advanced.

Shane

 

[cpaul123]

I saw somewhere that someone used a pill box (one with the 7 days) and the 7 sections were labeled accordingly. Hope this helps.

 

[SThompson86]

I saw somewhere that someone used a pill box (one with the 7 days) and the 7 sections were labeled accordingly. Hope this helps.

ha thats a great idea. thanks

 

[SThompson86]

any other suggestions? Thanks again

 

[Mr I]

I use sheets of white paper and label or at least place them recreating where they're coming from. As many laptops have different "layers", I use different sheets of paper.

 

[barry3652]

old butter tubs are great for this and many other things. and when not in use stack up neatly to go away.

 

[JD1248]

Paper trick is the way to go. You never have to wonder where that screw came from. Since I've been doing it that way, I haven't missed a a screw yet.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

I've always just laid them out on the bench in the same order they go back in. Even though I don't use much bench space laying screws out this way, I have plenty of bench space to do it and its just the way I've always done it. Anyone else that comes in the shop knows not to come near my screws that are laid out on the bench. With most Apple equipment there are several different size screws so any container method won't work for me because I could potentially have more screws than containers. I've been doing things this way for so long and even though I can practically look at any screw and know exactly where it goes and what machine it came from, this is just how I've always done it. I don't like searching for anything when I'm reassembling a machine. I see it, grab it, and go. Some claim there is a magic method. I just think it is experience that makes whatever method you use easy.

 

[pg07143]

I have used a technique similar to the paper -but I use a sheet of masking tape that I pull from one of those rollers that you use to remove pet hair from your clothes. I cut small pieces of paper that I write the location of the screws (pc carriage, hard drive, LCD, etc..) then I stick the screws to the tape and put the paper label underneath.

 

[Davena]

I have to agree the paper trick has worked for me for years. The container idea didn't work so well.

 

[NYJimbo]

I still tape them to a piece of paper and have never lost a screw or put a screw in the wrong place. It's also nice because I can just put the whole thing aside if I cannot finish the machine and I dont even have to try to remember where they go if I leave a laptop apart for days.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I make a drawing of the top, bottom and innards as I disassemble the laptop, and poke the screws thorough the paper or tape the screws to it as I remove them. When I need to set the laptop aside to wait on parts, I just stow the sheets of paper with the shell and other parts. It's a b!tch though when the paper sticks to other sheets or parts and the screws sometimes fall out. If the case/inner parts are marked with screw sizes, I sometimes just pile all the same-sized screws together and mark their code beside the pile.

Still looking for a better solution.

 

[Simmy]

That's the method I use. Works really well

You can get them from here for dirt cheap - http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4580

 

[NYJimbo]

That's the method I use. Works really well

Maybe, but its not uncommon for a group of screws to be different lengths and widths. I was working on a old Gateway the other day and the two left side LCD hinge screws were different lengths and the right side one was silver and the other was the usual black. I noticed the head on the silver one was flat and not convex where the threads start. Like I am going to remember which goes where with just a little box holding them.

The "bottom" box you got wouldnt really help me when I have four different lenghts of screws of the same type. I dont want to risk sinking one into a motherboard.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Maybe, but its not uncommon for a group of screws to be different lengths and widths. I was working on a old Gateway the other day and the two left side LCD hinge screws were different lengths and the right side one was silver and the other was the usual black. I noticed the head on the silver one was flat and not convex where the threads start. Like I am going to remember which goes where with just a little box holding them.

This is exactly what I was talking about. Any component could easily have 3-4 different types of screws. That's why its best for me just to pattern them out. I do like the paper/tape method for something that might stay apart for awhile. Usually I'll just leave something apart on the bench, or if I get desperate for space use a ziplock baggie for each major component then just sort them out when I reassemble the machine later.

 

[SThompson86]

Thanks everyone Great advice! The paper trick seems to be a sure fire way to keep track of things. The paper way may take a bit longer, but atleast it will be organized. I may consider the medicine box once I get a bit more savvy at taking LT`s apart. Thanks once again.

 

[trapped]

If I am doing a complete tear down I just remove the screws and then secure them with scotch tape either in or next to the hole they came out of. It really couldn't be any simpler.

 

[MobileTechie]

I used to put them on a drawing of the laptop but I've knocked that on the table before and had a hell of a time sorting it out. I quite fancy getting some sheets of fridge magnet material with a wipe-clean side so I can draw on it and then stick the screws magnetically to the right places.

At the moment I have a magnet I stick the case screws to, assuming they are all the same. For situations with unique screws I draw a pick of the laptop label the screw positions A,B C etc. I then have an ice-cube tray labelled A, B, C and put the screw in there.

 

[iptech]

I use pill boxes, cheap, simple and wont loose the contents if knocked over. If you're uncertain about where screws should go back take a digital picture and annotate it or print it out and stick the screws to the printout.

 

[Insub']

What i did was to cut a square piece of the foam padding that comes with Dell mainboards, and store the screws there.