The laptop in question – Dell Latitude 810
Dimensions - 1.7 inches thick, 14.2 inches wide, and 10.3 inches deep. 7.1 lbs
It was time to dig in, so I decided to start simply. I popped off the keys to the keyboard and Oh, the humanity.
Hair from my roommate's chuweenie, random fuzz, dust, and residue from the coke I spilled on it freshman year...it was not pretty. I did, however, figure out the mechanics of the keyboard. My idea was to make it a traditional typewriter-type thing with circle keys. The 'spring' to the keys are actually square, which may pose a problem...later.
After the horrors I endured, I decided to venture out and seek out parts to my Dellcinea. My first stop was good ol' Ben Franks. Our local craft-mart, it offers a meager selection of almost everything crafty. I went in there searching for brass sheeting mainly, but I wandered around and found the framing section. After a surprisingly brief explanation, the attendant knew what I was talking about and came up with a rough estimate for the ornate frame that I wanted. Around $170. Way more than I wanted to spend on something I'd still have to cut away from. I would have to find something different. Wood parts still an issue, I wandered around and found 2in x 12in brass sheets. I would have preferred to cut the brass frame out of a single, uninterrupted sheet, but hey, it's less than $2! I didn't buy anything, but I've made note.
With some wind on my sails, I went treasure hunting. My goal was some decorative hinges, maybe some claw feet like Datamancer's masterpiece, and after some searching I managed to find more than that! Little feet, brass linking, ornate borders abound! This was a treasure! It was enough sturdy for tissue boxes (or whatever fit into it), but easy enough to dismantle. What luck!
- Hours: 2 (hunting!) = 5 total
- Cost : $10 (sweet box, yo)
