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Mac 9500 PCI snaptastic plastics question
Posted by: mst3k on 2026-04-11 06:07:36 Greetings, I picked up a few Mac 9500's on Friday and, much to my surprise, have discovered that 7 of the 8 boot! The bad news is that even trying to due some rudimentary cleaning and testing causes a literal explosion of plastic bits. I've found 3D printable replacements for the front bezels and a 3D printed replacement power button contraption but has anyone solved the incredibly fragile and self destructive PCI plastic fingers that hold the PCI cards in place dilemma? Just touching these things brings snaptastic disaster. Has anyone seen a solution or have an idea how to replace these fragile fingers? Thanks Machine 1: Three PCI supports broken off. Machine 2: On the left you can see two of the supports broken off.
Posted by: killvore on 2026-04-11 06:23:28 Oof, that's a rough plastic period for sure! I don't have many machines from that period (partially for this exact reason), I have had ok success with hitting the plastic with a hair dryer for a bit to soften them up - just don't overdo it! But you really do want to keep the fiddling to a minimum, so plan it out ahead of time and maybe try to make 3-4 "good" ones. Also as a last ditch effort, you can mix broken plastic with acetone to make a plastic slurry that can fill gaps and cracks. If there aren't too many fragments and the breaks are clean you can also try supergluing them, but it's really fiddly and no guarantee they won't just shatter again 😭
Posted by: joevt on 2026-04-11 15:54:18 Break the remainder of the plastic fingers then create an alternative capture mechanism?
Posted by: mst3k on 2026-04-11 16:40:56 But you really do want to keep the fiddling to a minimum, so plan it out ahead of time and maybe try to make 3-4 "good" ones. That's my plan too. I can make 4 complete systems and 3 that I'll need to come up with bezels, either by 3D printing or scavenging parts on eBay. In the end, I should have 7 working 9500's and a pile of plastic and parts. But... The PCI 'fingers' thing is really bugging me because the PCI cards aren't supported and the metal blank slot covers just fall out with nothing to hold them. RE-gluing the supports I don't think will work because plastic is so fragile. Break the remainder of the plastic fingers then create an alternative capture mechanism? That seems like the solution to me too. My first thought, to paraphrase Kenneth Grahame, was that 'the clever folks at 68kmla know all there is to be knowed..." and I figured that some talented member had already solved the puzzle and all I would have to do is 3D print the perfect little bracket and get on with my day. I can always Rube Goldberg something together, but I'm certain someone smarter, with better engineering skills, already has the answer.
Posted by: Byrd on 2026-04-11 16:58:06 A terrible design thanks Apple, and they used to break when new. How about a metal/3D printed thin plate like in some ATX cases that runs all the way along the top edge of the slots with holes to screw in the cards from the top?
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