Thinkpad 701C with a Framework brain transplant

[rumbero]

Just stumbled over this here on Hacker News:

community.frame.work/t/thinkpad-701c-with-a-framework-brain-transplant-work-in-progress/27409

»TL;DR summary:

Framework powered Thinkpad 701C
iPad 7 display panel (2160x1620)
Fully working original keyboard and trackpoint
Ports/peripherals: 3x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x GigE, headphone jack, Wifi, Bluetooth«

[astral]

ah yes I saw this. neat project but I can’t help but wonder how good of an idea this was. modern computer with this form factor is a dream for many people but now this design is relying on old brittle plastics and the rubber coating, so who knows how long it will last. best solution would be to get new case pieces made but that’s expensive. definitely an awesome project though, just hope the unit they sacrificed for it was dead already…

[TheForgottenKing]

ah yes I saw this. neat project but I can’t help but wonder how good of an idea this was. modern computer with this form factor is a dream for many people but now this design is relying on old brittle plastics and the rubber coating, so who knows how long it will last. best solution would be to get new case pieces made but that’s expensive. definitely an awesome project though, just hope the unit they sacrificed for it was dead already…

I've also been working on this for a while, independently of him.

There's no requirement to sacrifice a working 701C, only the keyboard of which some excess exists. He has already designed a replacement bottom shell, and I have designed a 1:1 replacement lid and keyboard bezel. It's actually not that expensive to make new cases if you're okay with FDM printing - the strength isn't as good as molded parts but it's far better than the 701C paper mache.

Ideally I get around to recreating the bottom shell of the original 701C and then we can be free of the degrading plastics.

[astral]

Does FDM allow for matching the texture? Unless the unit is smooth which I don’t know the 701 may be, the best you’ll be able to do is smooth with sanding and paint, most laptop plastics from the time had the sand blasted texture to them that’s difficult to replicate. 701 that wouldn’t be much of an issue though I suppose, it was rubber to begin with.

[axur-delmeria]

The creator of that mod mentions using FDM for the prototype seen in the pictures, and that he'd use MJF (multijet fusion) for the final version of the bottom casing and DMLS (direct metal laser sintering) for the hinge bracket.

[w0qj]

Whoa! You folks are very fast!

Here's the article that I've also come across for ThinkPad 701C:
https://www.pcworld.com/article/1523412 ... -guts.html