Chosen Solution
I’ve just started delving into fixing my own devices, and one thing I noticed almost right away is that reassembly is a lot harder than disassembly, especially with small or fiddly things like the insides of phones or other tiny devices. For instance, I just did some work inside an oculus rift that went all the way to taking the motherboard out, and the hardest part was getting all the pieces to line up properly again during reassembly to make sure I could reattach everything without breaking something. Are there any tips or best practices for making things easier for yourself and/or making sure you don’t damage delicate parts? That seems to be the one thing this website doesn’t have a guide about. Edit: Since there seems to be some confusion, the issue isn’t knowing how it goes back together, I have a handle on that already. My question is whether there’s a safe(er) way of doing it that carries minimal risk of damaging something. My experience with the Rift showed me that trying to awkwardly hold onto multiple tiny PCBs at the same time that are all connected to each other with flimsy cables just doesn’t seem like a smart thing to do.
When you are taking things apart make sure you have a spot to put screws. Something like an ice cube tray can be really helpful as it gives you a space to put the screws or other components where they are not likely to get lost. One thing you can do is number the slots in the tray then write what they go to on a piece of paper. Another great idea is to take pictures of what you are disassembling. This is especially helpful if you have multiple cables that need to be plugged into something and aren’t sure where they should go back in. Last when you are disassembling take you time and don’t rush. Use the appropriate tools for the job. Metal tools work but be extra careful with them. If there is a guide on iFixit or somewhere else, use it. If you can’t find a guide, take notes about how you disassembled something.
