Finally an HP-41CV owner

[Xorand]

(07-28-2021 04:19 PM)BillBee Wrote:  If you are on the road and can find a hardware store you might be able to just source a couple of screws. IIRC #2 machine head 3/8" - should get you in the ballpark.

The longer screws go through the broken posts and sink into the screw holes in the base.

Save Travels!
Bill

This post prompted my inner McGyver to come out. Though I'm away from home and most of my electronics/tools, I do have a toolbox full of tools and spare parts for my RC car hobby with me.

In there, I found a couple plastic collars just the right length to suffice as the required standoffs in place of the now-removed broken posts. They were a little too big around, but running them on a piece of 320 grit sandpaper brought them down to appropriate diameter.

I drilled the old posts down just to below the surface level of the keyboard circuit board and carefully glued the new standoffs to the tops of the old posts, leaving the center hole clear. I reassembled everything with a couple longer screws I found in my RC parts bin that are just right for grabbing into the remaining lower posts and clamping everything together firmly.

And.....



I'm happy for now. One tradeoff I had to make is that the screws I found have a sort of washer-like flat surface just below the head. This won't sink all the way down into the holes on the back, so I cut one of the rubber feet in half and put a half-foot on each of the lower squares.



I'll eventually get proper sized screws with smaller heads and pick up some replacement rubber feet to get it back to original shape. But, for now, I'm happy it is working again.