Thinkpads Forum

At http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=731, I mentioned that I bought a new bottom for my 390E (LOVE THESE HINGES!!!)...put the thing back together, nothing...so I took it back apart.

Since that post, the thing has been sitting under my bed. I pulled it out to dust it off, and remembered...on some other website, someone told me to make sure that I'm using the right screws in the right places.

Dug up a hardware maintenance manual for the computer, and it says which screws to use, but in technical terms. Can anyone translate to newbie terms so I can pick up a screw and put it in a hole? i.e. short black Phillips screw with flat top; long black Phillips screw with rounded top...the HMM gives me numbers that I can't use unless I go buy more tools.

Man I'm on a roll today with answering questions.

I can answer this because I've just faced the same thing with bar the knackered hinge on the left a nice 390 that I'm restoring.

The measurements like M2.5 x 6 are in fact as the M suggest Metric measurements so that would be 2 1/2mm (millimetres) diameter x 6 millimetres length for your hinges.

The ones I got hold of were countersunk screws and flat blade screw driver types. They aren't black, but stainless steel.

Your best bet is just get the right size, ie: M2.5 x 6 or M2 x 4 (2mm x 4mm), don't worry about the head type, so long as it's small enough (all countersunk and flat blade./slotted ones are fine), if you worry about them not being black, get some black model pain and blob that over the top

I found the best place for such screws to be a model shop/hobby resource, you know for things like model boats, planes and the likes.

I'm in the UK, and http://www.modelfixings.co.uk is where I went.

I'm sure most hobby stores that I've seen over there on my many travels around the USA would have similar things.

*pause - google search time *

http://www.fastener-express.com/index.a ... ProdID=868

That should be what you want for the hinge screws that go in the back and from the bottom, but search in google for things like:

M2.5 screws buy hobby

or M2.5 screws models

Hopefully that will provide meaningful results besides screwing a model

Good luck and reply if you need further advice!!

Vicky
ps: modelfixings will ship to the USA I'm sure, as they take credit card.