PowerBook 5300ce Plastics Replacement in 2023?

[dcr]

So, out of morbid curiosity, I took a look at my PowerBook 5300ce last night and, well, the good news is that it boots. Hard drive doesn't work; just clicks. Maybe it's repairable; maybe not. Either way, the hard drive situation can be resolved. The battery is no good. I don't know if that can be replaced/rebuilt or not, but the PB runs off the AC adapter, so that's good. Probably there's stuff that needs to be recapped.

Biggest problem is, of course, the plastics. The bottom is mostly okay but the top is a lost cause. The common problem, as I understand it, are the hinges and those are definitely an issue.

I thought I had another, possibly a 5300cs, but I didn't see one around and my spreadsheet doesn't show one, so maybe this 5300ce is a one and only. So, that leaves out the possibility of trying to Frankenstein a functional machine. It seems like it would not be worthwhile to try to buy a parts unit with good plastics because I imagine the plastics are going to break eventually anyway.

I know there were threads in the past on trying to 3D print replacement parts or custom case ideas, but, from a quick search, it looks like none of those ideas panned out. Just curious as to whether anyone has more recently come up with any feasible solutions for re-casing these machines?

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Someone with CAD skills has gotta design a hinge fix part for the 190/5300s. As I remember it would be tricky as screws mount one on each side of the panel, meaning you’d need to glue the 3D printed standoffs on both sides for each hinge, meaning you’d likely need 4 total parts. 3400 is the same way. For the time being my 5300c is ok and has intact hinges, but I’ll bet you it breaks sooner or later.

Standoff replacement would be ideal here as the larger parts of the plastic don’t typically stress crack like the 1400s do. Would be the same design concept as the 100 and 500 series hinge fix parts, just a bit more complex. @AEChadwick @Westinghouse @GregorHouse - do either of you have a 5300?

 

[techknight]

Seems like @ThisDoesNotCompute is very good at modeling parts to fix these things.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Yeah him too. If he does see this as well, I don’t think he’s uploaded his color duo hinge fix part? Would be useful to have that.

 

[lobust]

I have a 5300 with fragile but intact hinge plastics, and I have the necessary cad/cam/reverse engineering skills and equipment, and a cnc machine shop to effect any solution I come up with…

Unfortunately I don’t have any real spare time and an already pretty big list of projects. This is already on my list but it’s very likely someone else will beat me to it!

 

[ThisDoesNotCompute]

Yeah him too. If he does see this as well, I don’t think he’s uploaded his color duo hinge fix part? Would be useful to have that.

If I stumble across a 190/5300 that needs hinge standoffs, I'll definitely design a new part. My own 5300c happens to be one of the "second revision" models (where they went back and fixed a *lot* of the housing problems from the initial machines that shipped) so it hasn't yet needed it.

I can upload my Duo 2300c standoffs, but need to dig out an appropriate photo of the finished part to go with the listing. There might be a couple other useful models I can upload too.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

If I stumble across a 190/5300 that needs hinge standoffs, I'll definitely design a new part. My own 5300c happens to be one of the "second revision" models (where they went back and fixed a *lot* of the housing problems from the initial machines that shipped) so it hasn't yet needed it.

I can upload my Duo 2300c standoffs, but need to dig out an appropriate photo of the finished part to go with the listing. There might be a couple other useful models I can upload too.

Excellent! You could probably just use a still from your excellent video on the Duos for the thingiverse listing, or wherever you put it up.

Mine's also a rev2 and ok for now... we'll see how long that lasts. Another rev2 I had broke at the main lower housing though on the left side and managed to take out my rare 5300ce 800x600 LCD cable. That was an ouch.

 

[CC_333]

Another rev2 I had broke at the main lower housing though on the left side and managed to take out my rare 5300ce 800x600 LCD cable. That was an ouch.

That's a BIG ouch!

c

 

[ThisDoesNotCompute]

Here's the 2300c display standoff: https://www.printables.com/model/541787-powerbook-duo-2300c-screen-standoffs

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Thanks so much for posting this!

 

[AEChadwick]

do either of you have a 5300?

i have a 5300c/100 (M2785), but i don't want to bust it apart without backup… i’m with @ThisDoesNotCompute—if I stumble upon a parts machine, i will totally go to work. (full disclosure, i walked past a beat-up & obviously non-working base-model 5300 at an estate sale a few months ago... hindsight...)

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

My main unit is intact but I have an extra set of plastics in worse shape, including broken screen standoffs. If I can get around to learning CAD then maybe I could take care of this one. It is something I’d like to do.

 

[jmacz]

I have a non-functional 5300cs on the way. It's got a different set of issues than what is being described here, but while I'm debugging it, I will take a look at the lid and see if there's anything I can cook up to help folks with the plastic lid issue.

I like @lobust also have the full array of CNC mill, 3d filament and resin printers, etc and know my way around CAD so hopefully I can figure something out.

 

[jmacz]

Took delivery on a 5300c and a 5300cs recently. Opened them up and took a look. Will try and see if I can come up with some models this weekend to fix the various standoffs. The units I received had broken standoffs as well as a broken lid latch spring holder, broken standoff for the speaker, lots of breaks all over the place.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Every 5300 will have one side of the speaker screw mounts broken, every single one.
It relies on a tensioning metal piece to hold it in place, and the stress all goes on the screw mounts.
You do the math on what happens next…

The only fun thing to guess is which side will have given out