[NTLK] eMate Hinge Repair Questions

[Brian Skow]

I recently brought my eMate out of storage, with the intention of using it as a handy portable word processor. I was excited to become reacquainted with my old friend and his accessories! All was fine until, one afternoon, the screen lifting action became very stiff and I heard the "pop" (but it seemed to come from the left side, not the right). The action is still stiff, and the screen seems fine. But, I've closed the screen now, not to be re-opened until I check on the hinges.

I was happy to find numerous eMate support resources, including this one, and the two very detailed pages on the hinge fix. I'm fairly handy, having done RAM and hard drive upgrades on a PowerBook G4 and iBook G4, most of the mechanical work on my vehicles (including valve adjustments), etc., so I should be able to handle this repair. But, I don't have much experience, or expertise, in soldering! So: 1) Is it really necessary to de-solder and re-solder the speaker and backlight wires during the repair? In Frank Grundel's PPT/PDF slides, he says that it is recommended, but not absolutely necessary. In reading his instructions, the repair seems very do-able without the de-/re-solder. 2) If I should need to solder, should I pick up a soldering set at, say, Radio Shack? Where else? What type? Any web pages offering instructions and practice? I've done a little bit of copper plumbing soldering (much cruder, of course) with a little bit of success.

Thanks in advance!