I am trying to create the “Framework NUC” using my old Intel Gen 11 mainboard. Already bought an SSD and memory for it. I need the following fasteners:
*** 1. 5x Mainboard fasteners - M1.6 1.5mm fastener with a 5.5mm diameter T5 head**
*** 2. 3x Audio Board and WiFi card fasteners - M2 3.0mm fastener with a 4.5mm diameter T5**
In case anyone is curious, the fastener guide has the specifications for all the fasteners used in the full Framework laptop:
I recently bought some screws from aliexpress for my resin 3d printer (I wanted stainless steel torx for the vat) which arrived 2 days ago. It was about $20 for a big bag of the sizes I needed including delivery, and it only took a bit over a month to arrive.
I hadn’t thought of that, but it’s a good suggestion! Just make sure you’re not trimming them too close to the mainboard, you don’t want to get metal fillings distributed across it…
It’s also worth repeating for anyone searching for these for personal projects: the shaft diameter is the most critical dimension, to ensure they fit through the mainboard. If you’re building your own case you can cut the screws to length, as @Moe_Wigs suggested, or just plan the mount to accommodate whatever screws you find; no need to go spare trying to find a custom length if you don’t need it.
I must say it’s terrible that Framework doesn’t sell these screws. And using screws that seams impossible to find in the internet. Seams like a Nintendo or Apple move.
Though i do like alot that they do torx. I have had a several times had Philips screws that has gotten stuck and broken in electronics. Whenever i can i replace screws to torx.
Honestly using screws that ain’t available for the consumer sort of erodes very much of Framworks credibility.
In Framework’s defense, they can’t really check every market they sell in to see if every market has good availability. It isn’t at all like Apple who created a whole new kind of screw (pentalobe) to discourage repair. They even include a few spare screws in the chassis along with the screwdriver. Step one to finding compatible screws, has anyone measured the screw pitch?
I’m trying to do a desktop computer using the mainboard but I can’t find the screws anywhere! And Frame Work doesn’t sell them and has no ETA on when they will start.
I’ll need 5x of the M1.6 1.5mm long with a 5.5mm diameter T5 head. (for the mainboard)
And 3x of the M2 3mm long with a 4.5mm diameter T5 head. (for the wifi and audio boards)
I love my laptop to no end but after spilling something on the trackpad that required a deep cleaning and I lost a screw. This is ******* ******** that Framework doesn’t sell or provide guidance on where to get replacement screws. Framework does NOT include an extra fastener for the trackpad, so my only option appears to be spend an outrageous amount of time sourcing a tiny little M1.4 screw or buy a completely new assembly. This situation is the exact ******* Framework convinced us giving them $1000 would prevent and yet here I am looking at a rather stupid e-waste scenario.
I actually was so happy with my Framework that I convinced my IT guy to purchase one to try as we are considering getting new laptops for the whole office and I sold him on reparability and sustainability. Not really seeing an advantage to going with Framework after this ****. Will apprise him to my situation and suggest he keep looking for something that he might like better since the whole point of the laptop is negated by losing a screw.
Hello all. This is a much more complicated issue than people realize and we are working on a stop-gap solution for those in need of packs of screws. Right now, if you’ve damaged a specific screw, or lost one that is needed, please contact Framework Support and we will take care of you. We have a small stock of these screws and can provide them to customers.
For those wanting to buy a pack of them, or a specific set if you are building a custom rig from a mainboard you have access to, we’re working on building up some stock of these kits, however, getting the very specific screws out of China and to our 3PL in Taiwan has proven challenging. We’re still working on getting a few specific bulk screw sets from China to Taiwan so that we can distribute them to our repair centers to build a small number of sets. We’ll provide these for a minimal fee that will cover our costs until we are able to handle the labor/distribution in a more automated way. This will all be manual for now.
I’ve gone through your post and edited your language as it’s not needed. I’ve provided an explanation above, and politely ask you to contact Framework Support. This is an easily resolvable issue that my team can handle. Take a deep breath, and know that Framework Support is here to help.
Both fair responses, I’m heated right now after having spent the better part of three hours trying to source a single screw. I’ve scoured the web, ripped apart old electronics and bugged the local hardware supply with no success.
I did not reach out to support first, I came to the community first in hopes that I could find my own answer. There are four unique threads on identifying and replacing screws. Not one of them includes usable information, just a generic, “This is hard to accomplish” and “We haven’t figured this out yet”. Zero responses from a Framework Team member urging customers to reach out to customer support so they can get them what they need. I apologize for coming in hot, that was uncalled for; if I had come across the information in your reply above anywhere on the forum and I would have just promptly reached out to customer support. The hopelessness of other posters finding the right screw led me to believe there would be no value in reaching out to customer support, nobody was urging them to do so and nobody was replying back that customer support had rectified their issue. I will do so now and if the issue is rectified update this thread with the pertinent information so future screw losers don’t fly into a fit of rage when they can’t find the screw they’ve lost while repairing or cleaning their Framework.
While I do appreciate the prompt response and the clear direction of what to do in this exact situation, that any future customers experiencing the same thing can now reference; I don’t appreciate being paraphrased or censored, I choose my words very deliberately, but I understand why you have to none-the-less.
What happens when people post before checking for existing threads.
For what it’s worth, I started this thread because I wanted screws for a side project: I wasn’t trying to replace a stripped or lost screw. The other threads I’ve seen have been someone with a support issue like yours, so not quite the same situation.
I hope the intention is not only to limit this to a small set of spares, but to also stockpile a large quantity and/or arrange for long-term sourcing. Switching to different, more readily available fasteners would save Framework from the apparent logistics challenges, but I imagine this would require a redesign of the chassis as well, which sort of defeats the upgradeability concept for existing devices.
Perhaps for those of us building a custom rig, Framework could take some pressure off by updating the printable case design with suitable fasteners that are more common, and provide some guidance around maximum thread diameter compatible with the holes in the boards themselves? In my hunt for parts, it seemed that the options opened up significantly for slightly longer screws, larger or non-Torx drives, thicker heads, and screw+washer substitutions. I think users going this route will gladly tolerate a slightly less compact printable case, or the need for more driver bits than T5 and PH0, in exchange for something they can easily acquire and know will not damage the PCBs.
Thank you for the update, and best of luck with navigating the difficulties on our behalf!
(I’ve had this draft sitting here for a couple months, probably should publish)
It’s concerning that the best search result looking for that mythical M1.6 screw is this thread.
I rolled the dice on the M1.6 from metricscrews.us and got them via USPS pretty quickly. Unfortunately the head is only ~4mm wide and thus doesn’t grab any of the opening at that location on the mainboard, so I’m still mainly secured using the expansion cards. On that note, the washers in that eBay grab pack look like 4mm as well.
What I ended up doing was still using screws from metricscrews.us but longer with longer 1.6 so there was room for the washer. The washer isn’t a great fit since it can slide around under the screw head, but it works better than expansion cards. I ended up using the following part numbers (note the color and material are not a match to what Framework uses, nor to eachother):
M2 Large OD Black Oxide Flat Washer #20699 (20699)
M1.6x2 Nickel Wafer Head Machine Screw #21082 (21082)
They offer the other missing screws I needed for the hinge kit and the display that are much easier to find. Unfortunately shipping cost way more than the screws themselves, which you can take as a hint for Framework’s point of view. Still, the drama is unfortunate (speaking of, I wish I could get a battery…)
With Framework themselves! If that’s not clear on the rest of the forum, let me make it perfectly clear here, if you can’t get something on the Marketplace, CONTACT FRAMEWORK SUPPORT DIRECTLY. They are really good at their jobs, within two days I had a tracking number.
UNTIL YOU SEE HARDWARE KITS IN THE MARKETPLACE, CONTACT FRAMEWORK SUPPORT AND THEY WILL HELP YOU GET THE HARDWARE YOU NEED.
