Bulge in the steel case of DM41X and suggested solution

If you're having problems with the hardware of a DM41X or DM42, post about them here.
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FRACGross
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Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2020 7:40 pm
Location: Berlin, Germany

Bulge in the steel case of DM41X and suggested solution

Post by FRACGross »

When holding my new DM41X I felt a slight bulging in the middle of the steel case. When I put down the unit on a glas plate, the unit was slightly wobbling on this bulge. The four rubber feet were not touching the glas plate at the same time.

After conferring with Bob Prosperi, I carefully "massaged" the bulge back with my two thumbs, taking care that I do not exerted undue pressure on the screen and the keyboard. Even though the steel case feels indestructible, it can be deformed by thumbs and a little force.

That worked form me (and for Bob apparently). All four rubber feet are touching the glass plate. The ALPHA key map is off the ground. No wobbling.

Disclaimer: I won't be responsible for any side effects on the calc and / or your thumbs by this treatment.

Felix
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Dan Simpson
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Re: Bulge in the steel case of DM41X and suggested solution

Post by Dan Simpson »

I found that removing the back cover before attempting to bend it relieved my anxiety about damaging the insides.
My Collection: HP-55, HP-67 (Teenix Mod), HP-15C, HP-16C, HP-41CV, HP-41CX, SY41-CL, DM41X, DM42, HP-42S, HP-48G, HP-71B, HP-75C, HP-86B.
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Walter
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Re: Bulge in the steel case of DM41X and suggested solution

Post by Walter »

Dan Simpson wrote:
Sun Oct 04, 2020 9:30 pm
I found that removing the back cover before attempting to bend it relieved my anxiety about damaging the insides.
Very wise decision! Recommended 8-)
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
rprosperi
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Location: New York

Re: Bulge in the steel case of DM41X and suggested solution

Post by rprosperi »

Yes, as reported above I too noticed the same slight bulge, preventing smooth use on my new Calc. stand that Dan sells, so I just took the back off and pressed with my thumbs in the center of the back case half and it completely solved the slight irritation (problem is too strong a word). Now the rubber feet always sit fully into the recessed pad areas on the stand and my 41X and DM42 no longer skid up at all when in use.

Both are super products and are a joy to use, and it's even better when a small issue can be solved so easily.

Thanks for posting this Felix, it will help out lots of DM41X and DM42 users, and thanks for the great stand Dan, it's amazing how much nicer these toys are to use with a proper stand.
--bob p

DM42: β00071 & 00282, DM41X: β00071 & 00656, DM10L: 071/100
nlj
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Re: Bulge in the steel case of DM41X and suggested solution

Post by nlj »

After reading this topic I've recently bent the case of my calculator so that all four feet touch the ground and I have a couple of observations to add here.

1. In my case there wasn't a discrete bulge in the middle of the case; rather the case was uniformly curved across both the width and length of the calculator.

2. The case is strong! Bending it was not easy, especially across the width where one gets less leverage.

3. After bending the case so that all four feet made good contact with the tabletop, reassembling the calculator was a bit of a fiddle as the screws didn't seem to be quite long enough -- it seems the upper plastic part of the case also curves upward. (It went together fine in the end.)

4. After reassembly, the steel case was warped again and the feet no longer all touched the ground! It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been originally but the problem wasn't fixed. I then gingerly bent the calculator, this time while assembled. I had visions of cracking the screen or the circuit board but it worked out okay.

5. The calculator is now completely stable on the tabletop but I've twice now had to give the case another twist because the bottom right corner had started to lift up again.
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