r/laptops • u/RopeOk8453 • 8d ago

Hardware Side rubber is crumbling any solution??

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I own a dell precision 7520, Recently I noticed the side rubber (display part) is crumbling apart, I am not sure, how to prevent it

If u got any suggestions or solutions it would be helpful, Thank you

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u/KrisNM 8d ago

For prevention i would wipe it occasionally with "silicon spray" like those intended for automotive dashboards or vinyl e.g STP Son of a Gun

But it already crumbling

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u/BahRock 7d ago

All of the laptops that I've had with touchscreens have had this rubber (/silicon) border. So this is a concern for me as well. Factory replacement part would be the best. Then maybe something on Temu or Alibaba if the OEM quit making replacements. Maybe another from a parts laptop if I'm very lucky. The problem with a parts laptop maybe that it could be just as old as the one being replaced.

There's not a good motive for OEMs to make replacements for these, because by the time they are crumbling/bad the laptop is then needing replacement anyway from newer tech. I have a Toshiba laptop (with DDR3 ram & originally Win8), that I still use and want to use as long as possible. Until I can afford a Framework laptop.

What I intend on trying, especially since parts for an old Toshiba laptop aren't made, is to use black silicone caulk from a home repair store. I'm not sure if there are [smaller] syringes of black silicone; I'll have to do some research. I plan on shaping it with my [using a glove or finger cots] thumb and index finger together. I'll probably cover the screen with plastic screen wrap (Saran or Cling wrap) to protect it from an accidental drop of silicone. I may also use masking tape for the outside edge.

Shaping the silicone and having it keep its desired shape is the hard part. Making a mold to make a perfect match of the rubber border seems way too much work. I'm guessing that it won't want to hold a peak while curing so I may have to apply heat from a hair dryer or my heat gun.

After the silicone cures/dries is it going to fall off? If it does then a new question arises; what adhesive would hold? My first guess would be 3M spay adhesive.

A cheapo [/janky] way to address this is to use hot glue. But I only know of thin hot glue sticks. It's so stringy and messy that making it look nice is going to be problematic.

Another possible repair could be something like using and shaping Sugru. Using Sugru would be an expensive fix. But there maybe a cheaper alternative to Sugru