I recently picked up a //e and while bringing it back to life I discovered this system has had a bit of work done by someone with really bad skills. One of the keyboard switches was replaced, but looks like the orignal was removed with a hammer and chisel!
While disassembling I discovered there are several missing screws and I'm now trying to find a source for the following parts:
1) 3 u-clip nuts for the bottom plate/case mating
2) 3 screws used with the u-clips (look like 1/2" length with a 3.5mm diameter yes I know I'm mixing measurements, what's a half inch in mm, 12.5mm?)
3) 1 black machine screws with star washer for the keyboard to switch frame, got the other 3 but one is missing...
Is there a document somewhere with specs for these? I'm hoping there's a source, but a quick check of the WWW has produced nothing.
Thanks for any help!
The easiest source for those parts is a machine being parted out. I keep a few extra //e units that are parts donors for such needs.
Makes total sense, originals are best. I only have the one system and wasn't expecting to do more, but I do great work! If you have a stockpile of extras would you part with any? Or would you know of someone else doing the same who may?
Those are common parts, and you can get spares by the dozen from fastener suppliers or from mcmaster.com.
The "u-clips" are called "clip on nuts" and an equivalent might be mcmaster.com's 94808A101
Noew, that partiucular clip-on nut is foa a machine screw, not a self-tapper, which I believe the IIe originally came with.
If you want to use self-tapping screws, a #6 would do with this type of nut from mcmaster: 94808A160
The screws to secure the keyboard are metric. M3, I think, but I could be wrong. You'd have to figure out the size (many hardware stores have a thread sizing template) and order the appropriate screw. Again, you'll get them by the dozen.
If you change one, change all of them if the different look of them bothers you.
The completists will squak about originality and true to "factory" but in reality there were various type of fasteners used depending on the year and the particular facility, and no one will either notice or care that the screws aren't "original".
And I hope no one is parting out machines, just to obtain common stuff like screws and nuts. Show some mercy! ;-)
It isn't like //e are rare or anything, Apple made literally millions of them.
I don't have that big of a stockpile... 2 or 3 parts donors. It isn't like they're hard to find on eBay and they are cheap enough. Not basically free like they were 20 years ago, but a tiny fraction of what they sold for new and figuring for inflation they are really quite cheap indeed.
I totally agree and why I was hoping someone had extras from system(s) that had reached their end of life! =)
There are usually a fair number of non-functional units being sold on eBay that could be considered at end of life and candidates to be parted out. That's basically where my donor part machines came from. Parts from them went to fix a couple others.
I'm actually kinda of surprised there isn't a master list of specs, maybe I'll have to start one. I've seen some dedicated people document everything with vintage electronics and the II group is pretty dedicated. I had exausted all my best options, these parts (like 16V 10uF axial caps) are getting hard to find.
These screws are smaller than the sizers at the big-box stores, which stop at M4. I've also confirmed M3 are smaller. So not M3 nor M4 and guessing may be M3.5 which aren't a common retail size. I have an Ace nearby which as a nice selection of odd fasteners. I enjoy finding resons to go out of my way to support them, so I'll check this weekend.
Thanks for the suggestion on the u-clip fasteners, I'll give those a look. I have reached out to several chinese ebay sellers to see if they have access to sizes smaller than what they all carry. I think a 4 is needed. The sheet metal screws for the clips aren't a classic SAE size, so likely metric even though that really isn't critical other that getting a decent hold.
Many IIes were built in Ireland. It would make sense that the fasteneres are metric.
FWIW, I am not that fussy with "factory correct". When I built up my clear-case IIe, those fasteneres were not available from MacEffects (it was a common complaint and the guys at MacEffects simply assumed that many people would modify existing systems and re-use existing parts - in reality a large percentage built up systems from scratch around the clear cases)
So I just used standard machine screws and locknuts. It was a bit of a process getting all the nuts to sit while attaching the screws (and the ones on the keyboard end are impossible to get to so I left them out) but I did it and I'm not going to take it apart again just to install clip nuts everywhere.
That makes sense, I guess it comes down to how accurate you want to be... obviously a clear case sets the table. =)I have a clear case Newton, but AFAIK those clear cases weren't available until years later.