Custom screen mount

After a lot of thinking, I decided to build a custom plastic mount for the screen. This mount should lift the panel enough to give room for the cable (so I shouldn't need to replace it) and air circulation for the CPU to help with any heat issues that may arise.

I cut out 2 plastic pieces about 6" x 1" and JB Welded them to the top sides of the case panel. Before I actually mount the screen I think I will pick up some foam and form a strip to lay down horizontally in the space. This should help with support, even though the plastic is already surprisingly sturdy. I'll add some more JB Weld to the edges when I apply the foam strip.

I finally purchased a touch screen! It's a 10.1" USB resistive touch screen and it cost $42 on eBay. It's shipping from China so it won't be here for a couple weeks at least. I discovered that I may be able to power the touch panel with the USB connector from the webcam. It's worth the sacrifice so I hope it works! I plan to add more plastic on the bottom lip of the panel, reinforce the edges with more JB Weld, and add the foam strip before I mount the screen permanently.

Here is a list of my expenses so far:

• ($8) Paint 
• ($6) JB Weld 
• ($2) Acrylic glass sheet
• ($1) Putty knife
• ($40) LED screen 
• ($38) Dremel rotary tool 
• ($42) Touch screen kit

Additional expenses:

• Sand paper ($5?)
• Foam sheet ($5?)

I am about $150 in this project so far. I really didn't plan on spending this much, but considering the broken screen and lack of a Dremel, I guess it isn't too bad. The iPhone sold for $275, so it has worked out well so far.

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