A scratch on my T61 is driving me mad (PIC)

[Steve06]

... located on the backside of the display lid, about 3 inches long, that is, you see when the lid is closed.

I think it was caused by a paper clip in my bag.

Are there any means to repair this?

I hardly dare to ask what a replacement lid (just the case) would cost?

Steve

[o1001010]

consider that the tp use a rubber coating, can you go to homedepot and get some black rubber coating of the sort?

[Steve06]

so you think it's a thin layer of rubber?

hm, maybe, in fact its quite vulnerable regarding scratches, much more than the rest of the machine.
why do they use this rubber coating for the lid, is there any good reason?

[tbThink]

.... why do they use this rubber coating for the lid, is there any good reason?

Probably to make it grippier to hang on to.

Try a black permanent marker to fill in the scratch to make it less 'noticable'. Since it is cosmetic, I'd probably live with it.

[aaa]

How deep is it? On my TP shallow scratches in the rubber fade after a while.

[Steve06]

I'm afraid the scratch is deep and thick enough to not fade away with time .

i'll shoot a pic and post it here.

[aiiee]

I don't know how applicable this is but for what it's worth, when I got a scratch in the console of my car, they knew of a place that repaired it to the point that it is completely invisible. You might ask your local shop if they use such a place. Not sure if other than BMW shops use this service, but they probably do,

[Johan]

... located on the backside of the display lid, about 3 inches long, that is, you see when the lid is closed.

I think it was caused by a paper clip in my bag.

Are there any means to repair this?

I hardly dare to ask what a replacement lid (just the case) would cost?

Steve

To find out what the spare part (the LCD cover) cost, first go to LCD service parts - ThinkPad T61, T61p and locate the part labeled "1" for your specific T61 (as you don't mention the LCD type/size?). Then, when you have found the FRU, go to IBM PC- und System x Ersatzteile and see what IBM charge - it is not particularly expensive, only EU 16 for a 42W3652 (being a 15.4-in. WXGA TFT LCD cover kit with IBM logo). Check eBay.de and eBay.com to see if they are any cheaper? NB: I don't know what IBM/Germany charge in S/H; ask! To replace the LCD cover, either see the appropriate HMM (Hardware Maintenance Manual) and/or visit http://www.lenovoservicetraining.com/ion/. If you don't feel safe about doing such a delicate replacement yourself, I suggest you contact e.g. LapStop.com and ask Andrew if he is willing to help.

And, yes, I would think and feel exactly as you do... and provided the LCD cover CAN be replaced for a modest amount, I would personally do it!

Best regards,

Johan

[Steve06]

here are the pics of this baby:

http://www.show-room.org/pics/t61-full.jpg
http://www.show-room.org/pics/t61-scratch.jpg

i have checked for the spare part: if I identified it correctly, it is 42X3846 for my model which is a 14", 7663-13G with WXGA resolution.
According to the german IBM site you mentioned, it would cost around 16 EUR + tax.
This is very cheap!

But if i replace it, wouldn't that void my warranty?

mod edit: pics coverted to links and warning added in title

[tbThink]

Not to minimize your situation, but it really does not look that bad and in a year from now you'll have new scratches on it. And you'll look back and wonder what all the fuss was about. If on the other hand the LCD screen was scratched, I'd probably look into fixing that since you have to look through it when you use it.

The scratch you have does not reduce the functionality any more than a door ding on a car does. Just my .02 worth.