I have hairline cracks on the outside casing of my iBook in a few places…

Hi,

I have had my iBook for nearly 3 years and a hairline crack has been on the front left corner for the last 12 months or so. Annoying but unproblematic. I keep meaning to fill it in with something from the hardware shop!

Funny - I have been super careful with mine, too. I hope it doesn't signal anything more than a minor surface fault - as none of the "heavies" in here have joined in, I reckon we're safe. But I would like to know what to use to fill the crack in order to 1) stabilise the strength of the case and 2) to hide it.

Phil

Hi,

Good questions that should probably be brought up with Apple since you're talking about a product under warranty. The "heavies" was meant to be a light hearted reference to the hugely helpful regulars who come in here and usually sort out someone's problems fairly readily. They have helped me enormously, and that they haven't entered this discussion suggests to me that we're not talking about a big problem.

Cheers,

Phil

Some cracks may be a normal aspect of flexing and aging in plastic that
gets heated and cooled; one side of the Book has that hard drive beneath,
so that'd be getting hot and cooler as time and hours go by.

Once out of warranty (should an in-warranty discussion take place with
AppleCare and they act on it, that'd be nice) there are a few options in
using industrial crack-filling superglue to -maybe- rebond the crack. An
issue with glue and other crack fillers for plastic could be the fact that
as time goes on, the crack will be increasingly contaminated with other
matter and that will make an adhesive bond less likely to be successful
unless the Book is taken apart and the mend done after cleaning the area
of plastic at fault. With limited inside space, a thin laminate of suitable
plastic sheeting may not fit inside the machine below the cracked place;
but if it could and not compromise the internal ventilation near the HDD
or the battery compartment, it could make the area stronger.

Since I have not tried any of these things, I suggest to first talk to Apple
about any options they may have dealt with in these issues. Under an
active AppleCare Protection Plan, they have more options; but it depends
on an inspection and someone's decision. If you have A-Care, call them.

Mine has cracks in the corners as well. I'm sure it's from the heat on the plastic, but I had my hard drive replaced by apple and when they fied it, the case had 2 more cracks in the hard drive area and it bulges out a little bit. I called apple and they wouldn't do anything about it. It doesnt affect the performance, but it would be nice if there was a bit more care put into the repair or something. it just made me angry. just my 2 cents

Russ

Hi people, just a comment about filling in the cracks with super glue: I'm afraid super glue has a tendency to run VERY far and into places where you'd not want it in a computer, and it actually might block something inside your G4. Also, if you fill in the crack with some piece or hard material; remember that when the iBook cools down, the plastic contracts back to it's original size again, and the added piece might force the crack to open more then. But perhaps a small amount of the flexible white material used for joints in tiled bathrooms could hide the crack? It's not runny and it's soft... Well, I'm no computer expert!

... A note, about "gel" superglue; it will fill some mis-aligned cracks; and if
you use an accelerant, that is a spray-mist, it will set super-fast. A friend
uses commercial qualities of superglues and expoxies, and I've seen some
interesting things made and repaired with these different products.

[It is better if you can open-up the iBook case and apply the
glue carefully and with access to both inside & outside the case.]

Years ago, as part of the wholesale jewelery manufacturing trade, we had
occasion to set pearls and other fragile items into gold settings with acrylate.

[Compatibility with lexan-like plastics should be looked for in an
adhesive or crack filling compound, as a polycarbonate is best
repaired with a suitable product.]

I agree with magnus76. It wouldn't be a good idea to put superglue on the cracks. Super glue in addition to running down into the computer, leaves a powdery white film around the area you apply it. Superglue cannot be removed either, it's permanent. As far as structural integrity, the cracks do nothing to weaken the computer. Ibooks have internal magnesium frames, the white plastic is just an outer casing. Just think of the cracks as battle scars : )

You may be able to pick up a case from a reseller on ebay or one of
the computer repairers who list online; and some dozens of screws later,
you can simply swap out the older plastic for some that isn't cracked.
By then, it would be out of warranty; if covered now. This isn't a big deal.

The newer iBookG4s seem to have a few examples that crack early in
their operational lives; my old white iBookG3 dual USB May 2001 model
had only two tiny cracks in the lid area, where the screws go into the side
of the display. I would have no issue with using non-running gel superglue
after removing these screws, one at a time. But, the guy I sold it to in
April didn't care; and generally that was in great shape for a 5 year old.

I can hope my mid-2005 iBookG4 bought from Apple Certifed in Sept '05
will be as durable; I do notice the difference in some of the plastic sections.
Mine has no issues at all in the present time; plus it has extended APP.

Good luck in whatever you chose to do. I tinker and can fix many different
things; so I do what I want when no warranty is concerned. You can too!