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For reasons that can only be attributed to malice, many manufacturers assemble equipment with non-standard bolts and screws - torx, security torx, hex, star bits ...
This is irritating when it comes to dismantling the equipment for repair or maintenance.
BorgCo are creating a new service for consumers;
simply send us your item and our skilled technicians will, using the correct tools, remove all the screws and bolts, replacing them with the correct size of standard (Philips, cross-head or plain slot - you choose) fixings, tightened to the correct torque.
The unit will then be shipped back to you.
All major credit cards accepted.
iPhone Liberation Kit
https://www.ifixit....ion-Kit/IF118-034-1 [ytk, Jun 22 2016]
Circular, featureless screw head
http://www.instruct...-Much-Mor/?ALLSTEPS See step 6. Also see the rest of the steps. Also bookmark. [notexactly, Jul 19 2016]
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I can't think of anything for which this would be more
economical than just buying the tools. |
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As a service, this is an economic non-starter. I will
wager [8th]s best silver egg-cup set that he would
not be prepared to pay me £40 to replace the bolts
holding his laptop together*. |
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Howevertheless, a company that sold screw-
packages for named devices, along with cheap but
serviceable tools for removing the existing ones,
might work. |
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I quite often replace obscure screws and bolts with
more conventional ones when servicing equipment,
to make it easier next time; and I sometimes
replace cross-heads with slot-heads for aesthetic
reasons. |
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(*This strikes me as a bet which I cannot possibly
lose.) |
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//I sometimes replace cross-heads with slot-heads for aesthetic reasons |
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Perhaps there's the germ of commercialization for this idea. Rather than the service reducing hassle, the service treats your device as a work of art and makes replacements based on aesthetic reasons or artistic statement. They might also replace connector ports based on pin-count harmony and perhaps remove or add buttons for balance. |
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You might be onto something there, [thepo]. There
are companies that will pimp your car for you, using
a range of aftermarket body kits. There would be
even greater economies of scale in pimping, say, the
latest model of LEC freezer, or the best-selling Dyson
vacuum cleaner. |
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Actually _all_ mechanical watches (except for the
very, very cheapest ones, which tend not to be made
these days) have a number of gemstone bearings. A
typical mid-end watch movement will have between
10 and 20 jewels. However, they are synthetic
rubies, and dirt cheap. |
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// Is this related to that authors previous business idea back in the 70s // |
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Absolutely not, in any way. It's as completely different and innovative idea, bearing (ha, ha) no resemblance whatsoever to thast scheme - which, incidentally, was not a so-called "pyramid" scheme. Nothing was ever proven, and we had no responsibility for the trial being stopped on the first day because all the prosecution witnesses had suddenly contracted bruised kneecaps, broken fingers, loose teeth, and traumatic amnesia. Besides, it stated very clearly in the prospectus that the value of investments could go down as well as up, and it was pure coincidence that all the directors had the same Italian surname, came from Palermo, and had registered the company in Paraguay as a steam fishing trawler. |
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...And also a near ideal material for that usage, certainly
far better than nylon or any other conventional material. |
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My problem with this is that philips, cross-head and plain
slot head bolts/screws are demonstrably inferior. Surely, if
we want to arrive at a standard, it would be cap (allen)
head bolts? We should agree on metric sizes too. In which
case a hand tool about the size of two boxes of matches can
contain every size you're likely to use on it, arrayed in a
similar manner to a swiss army knife. |
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Hex-head bolts and screws would be acceptable - it depends what the client wants, though. After all, they're the ones paying a lot of money for a job they could quite easily do themselves at trivial cost. A lot like prostitution, when you think about it. |
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//philips, cross-head and plain slot head
bolts/screws are demonstrably inferior.// |
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Without wishing to disagree, I disagree. Any of those
above-mentioned screws can be operated with a
wide range of readily available objects (a knife-
point, a thin coin, a screwdriver of the wrong size or
type), at a pinch. A hex-head fixturement can be
operated only by the correct hex bit, or one of very
nearly the right size. |
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//I sometimes replace cross-heads with slot-heads for
aesthetic reasons//
I trust that, in doing so,
you align all the slots so that they are all parallel
to
one another and also parallel with or perpendicular to
the
edges of the thing into which they are screwed? [*]
* - Naturally, I realise that if you are
putting screws into something which is, for example,
circular, these two requirements are contradictory; in
this case the requirement to make the slots parallel
with the edge overrides the requirement to make all
the slots parallel. |
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Croissant awarded, but only if the idea is altered and all screws are all replaced with chewing gum, and I get full credit for this fine suggestion. |
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//A hex-head fixturement can be operated only by the correct hex bit// - not strictly true - I've taken these out without using any hex bits. |
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...And if you're rather tricky, you can get a hex head bolt
out using two smaller hex head wrenches. |
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They're demonstrably superior at doing their job - that is
allowing you to apply maximim torque. They're also more
tolerant of corrosion. |
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Arguably - and I would argue this - they're not suited to
being installed and removed with the wrong tools. Some
would consider this a feature, not a flaw. |
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//I trust that, in doing so, you align all the slots so
that they are all parallel to one another and also
parallel with or perpendicular to the edges of the
thing into which they are screwed?// Oddly enough,
I do - at least when there is enough tolerance in the
degree of tightening to make this possible. |
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//Howevertheless, a company that sold screw- packages for
named devices, along with cheap but serviceable tools for
removing the existing ones, might work.// |
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There's a company that sells such a thing specifically for
replacing the proprietary pentalobe screws used in the
iPhone with standard Phillips screws. They call it the iPhone
Liberation Kit. <link> |
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// you align all the slots so that they are all parallel to
one another and also parallel with or perpendicular to
the edges of the thing into which they are screwed//
Could this service cut slots after the relative rotational
alignment in the product had been determined? |
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I imagine getting the complex interaction between the
two threads and any spacers is pretty complex and
making a slot align to within a degree or so would be a
considerable engineering challenge for anyone. I imagine
high-end automotive and hi-fi would be ideal
applications. |
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Pah, to make the slots line up perfectly...hammer
the buggers in! See? There's a solution for
everything! |
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//making a slot align to within a degree or so would
be a considerable engineering challenge for
anyone.// |
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No no no. You just need 179 sets of screws, each set
having a different angular offset between the thread
and the slot. You start with set 0, measure the angle
of the slot when suitably tight, and then fit the
appropriate alternative. |
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hmmm, fold-down recessed wing-nuts and cotter-pins. |
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One tool assembly and disassembly of all Fry-co products with a lifetime warrantee. |
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//You just need 179 sets of screws, each set having a
different angular offset between the thread and the slot.// |
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For a slot head you need 179, hex/torx are the affordable
alternative! |
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What's needed, then, is to go beyond hex/torx. We
need more sides - many, many more. |
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Hmm...circular screw heads...too stupid to try? |
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I think circular bolt heads are baked. At least I have
seen many mechanics transform hexagonal heads
into more pleasing round heads using a special
vice-grip or mulgrip tool, which I believe were
invented specially for this purpose. |
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We specifically put star-heads on belt tensioner pulley
bolts so that people won't try and loosen the tensioner by
using said pulley bolt when they go to change the belt. It
tends to louse up the pulley alignment when they do. |
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It is mostly for reasons of dealing with Trump / Brexit
voters that we use nonstandard fastener heads. Letting
them dismantle things, well, we've seen the result
already, haven't we? |
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If Britain had used some more specialized fasteners in its
adherence to the EU back in the day we wouldn't be
where we are now. |
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or you can get a set of security bits from ebay for $9
and feel like the king of the universe |
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// a smaller country similar to, for example, Malta, // |
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That's hardly fair on Malta, for so many reasons. |
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Isn't Malta the only country fatter than Scotland? I
seem to remember at the time of the Scottish
referendum that had Scotland left, the rest of the
UK would have fallen several places in the world
obesity ranking. Then I found out that Scotland is
holding the UK above France in the worldwide
league table of excellent booze drinkers. From that
moment I was against Scottish independence, the
thought of losing to France in such an important
area was less palatable than an Irn Bru Martini |
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Pentalobe screw? Replace orange juice with a passion fruit
and triple sec, little umbrella and you've got your
replacements. |
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