When I removed my keyboard, all but three of the rivets stayed in even though the heads all came off. My luck...!
I didn't want to use the screwdriver and hammer method to remove the rivets, because I was concerned that rocking them out in that way will tend to cause the hole to become oblong, and it may not hold the new screw thread as well.
Instead, I used an electronics wire cutter to pull out the rivets. You have to make sure the tool is what is known as a flush cutter, which has the cutting edge ground completely flat. The more common grind is slightly set back from the edge to create a more robust cutting edge, but it will not work here because the tool won't be able to grab enough of the rivet to pull it out. Nor will a large tool, for the same reason, so try to use a 4-1/2 inch or 5 inch cutter. It does not have to be hardened because the aluminum is not much harder than the copper that these tools are designed to cut.
You just put the tool completely flush on the aluminum, with the rivet about an eighth of an inch back from the front edge, and then squeeze and lift from the back at the same time. This will cause the tool to rock against its tip, and the rivet will pull straight out. It's very important to insure the tool is completely flat against the computer frame before you start to squeeze, and also to find the right amount of pressure to pull the rivet without cutting it.
In the end I got all but two of them out. It was easy enough to use a small drill to get the rest, as explained in John Ohl's previous post.
When I removed my keyboard, all but three of the rivets stayed in even though the heads all came off. My luck...!
I didn't want to use the screwdriver and hammer method to remove the rivets, because I was concerned that rocking them out in that way will tend to cause the hole to become oblong, and it may not hold the new screw thread as well.
Instead, I used an electronics wire cutter to pull out the rivets. You have to make sure the tool is what is known as a flush cutter, which has the cutting edge ground completely flat. The more common grind is slightly set back from the edge to create a more robust cutting edge, but it will not work here because the tool won't be able to grab enough of the rivet to pull it out. Nor will a large tool, for the same reason, so try to use a 4-1/2 inch or 5 inch cutter. It does not have to be hardened because the aluminum is not much harder than the copper that these tools are designed to cut.
You just put the tool completely flush on the aluminum, with the rivet about an eighth of an inch back from the front edge, and then squeeze and lift from the back at the same time. This will cause the tool to rock against its tip, and the rivet will pull straight out. It's very important to insure the tool is completely flat against the computer frame before you start to squeeze, and also to find the right amount of pressure to pull the rivet without cutting it.
In the end I got all but two of them out. It was easy enough to use a small drill to get the rest, as explained in John Ohl's previous post.
When I removed my keyboard, all but three of the rivets stayed in even though the heads all came off. My luck...!
I didn't want to use the screwdriver and hammer method to remove the rivets, because I was concerned that rocking them out in that way will tend to cause the hole to become oblong, and it may not hold the new screw thread as well.
Instead, I used an electronics wire cutter to pull out the rivets. You have to make sure the tool is what is known as a flush cutter, which has the cutting edge ground completely flat. The more common grind is slightly set back from the edge to create a more robust cutting edge, but it will not work here because the tool won't be able to grab enough of the rivet to pull it out. Nor will a large tool, for the same reason, so try to use a 4-1/2 inch or 5 inch cutter. It does not have to be hardened because the aluminum is not much harder than the copper that these tools are designed to cut.
You just put the tool completely flush on the aluminum, with the rivet about an eighth of an inch back from the front edge, and then squeeze and lift from the back at the same time. This will cause the tool to rock against its tip, and the rivet will pull straight out. It's very important to insure the tool is completely flat against the computer frame before you start to squeeze, and also to find the right amount of pressure to pull the rivet without cutting it.
In the end I got all but two of them out. It was easy enough to use a small drill to get the rest, as explained in John Ohl's previous post.