Hi, my Librem 15 Version 4 trackpad has begun peeling and showing a glossy black surface underneath. I started scratching the rest of the coating off to make it look uniform but it’s time consuming and messy and it doesn’t look that good.
Has anyone else encountered this issue and covered the trackpad with a skin or sticker that they can recommend? I don’t want to replace the trackpad and have the same problem again in a few years.
This is off the wall and maybe not a good answer, but: when I broke part of my Librem 5 and then ordered another one and broke it too, I was able to get the design for that part from the Librem 5 GitLab and then order a 3D printed replacement from a 3D print site, which I have used ever since then because it’s a different material and is therefore seemingly indestructable.
Do you know if there’s a place on GitLab to download the physical designs of Librem 15 in a 3D printable format?
It’s a good answer. I was thinking about getting the measurements and submitting them to a custom shop but I thought maybe someone here might have experienced the same issue and know of a shop that produces trackpad skins for the L15.
There is an Etsy seller who does custom orders. Does Purism list the exact dimensions of the trackpad anywhere? I would like to be as precise as possible.
The bird that sharpens its beak once every thousand years on your trackpad finally wore it down!
Yep my 15v4 also is like this, but way worse than the 14 in the photo. I’m gonna get a trackpad sticker too. Dimensions look like 105x74mm, and the corners have about the same curvature as a credit card. Someone on Amazon called BoxWave sells a clear protector in case anyone is worried about their trackpads flaking.
Purism has several trackpads they can refurbish and sell. Customer replacement is possible but not recommended, as the hardware may be damaged if customers become impatient and the customer may be damaged if they become too brave. The glue is extremely strong on the existing trackpad and must be heated past the point of burning skin before it may be safely removed. Using a hotplate or heat gun will likely result in melted keys or further damage.
That said, Purism technicians can provide this service under RMA.
Price quote at this exact moment: $60+shipping, but may differ based on the quality of the refurbished trackpad used for replacement.
OP here, lost my account login.
Thanks! It doesn’t make sense for me personally to replace the trackpad, but is it possible for you or someone at Purism to supply exact trackpad measurements for the various laptop models that suffer this issue, including the corner radius, so people like me can get a cheap fix like a skin from a third-party vendor?
I sent the dimensions of my trackpad to the Etsy shop MixedDecal and they produced a perfect decal for my trackpad. It’s smoother to use than it was even before the surface started peeling. The only issue I have is the decal is clear, so it doesn’t look as nice as it would if it was solid color, but it still looks better than it did before. Cost was less than $15 with shipping.
Shop link:
