Any ideas on how I would go about putting this humpty dumpty back
together again?
Ouch!
Its a Visual 500 terminal, and its significant because
a) in two years of monitoring ebay I haven't seen any other
Visual Technology terminals offered
b) it has graphics capability (Tektronix 4010 emulation)
This thing was so poorly packed that even the spacing posts in the
keyboard were sheared off. The circuit boards don't appear damaged
and amazingly the tube doesn't appear damaged, but obviously the case
is pretty heavily smashed. The ebay seller accused me of trying to
rip them off by claiming damage and then made a big stink about me
giving them negative feedback. I think there was *one* inflated
As an aside, INMHO E-bay feedback is seriously broken, in that you can
bet seller will give you negative feedback if you give him negative
feedback, no matter how poor the product, how misleading the discription,
how promptly you paid, etc.
It would be better if E-bay kept feedback private until both parties had
provided said feedback (at which point both sets of comments would be
public, as they are now). But I can't see that changing any time soon.
pillow style spacer on the top of the unit when I
opened it. They
also tried to claim that UPS packed it, which seems like utter
bullshit.
I've been thinking that I might be able to glue enough of the pieces
of the case back together to get something stable enough to have the
electronics working again. (I've never attempted to power it on and
man, was I pissed when I opened up this box!)
I think it's certain you'll never get it looking like new. So the aim is
to get it working and safe...
Firstly take the whole thing apart. It's a lot easier to work on 'bare'
plastic cabinet shells, without PCBs, etc, in place.
Try to find a solvent that will disolve this plastic. Dichloromethane
(methylene chloride) is often suitable. Then put the parts together and
run a brush dipped in the solvent along the cracks.
But that won't be strong enough. One way to strengthn in is to take some
cotton fabric, cut a piece to fit over the back of the repair, put it in
place and paint it with the solvent. Once the plastic has softened, force
the fabric into the plastic.
For major repairs, I'd probably make metal or fibreglass (PCB material
with the copper removed) plates to fit inside, then drill holes and bolt
them in place.
Fro broken mounting posts, I'd smooth off the plastic inside the case,
them make a new post (probably metal if electrical insulation is not a
requirement), drilled and tapped along the centre. Then screw it in place.
I suppose it would be prohibitively expensive to try and recast a new
plastic enclosure for it...
I think so. People have done small injection moulding jobs at home (small
meaning about the size od a keycap), but I don't think you'll do anything
this large. Anyway, making the mould would be more work than repairing
the old case.
-tony