Replacement Anti-glare screen for Apple Monitor ///

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
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Fort Mill, SC
So, like I suspect many others, I picked up a Monitor /// recently (two actually, but only one had this issue) that had a tear on the mesh screen that I believe was to be a sort of anti-gear coating.

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When I removed the case, I realized it was just mesh attached to a plastic frame. I cleaned up the case, retro-brighter it, and cleaned up the insides a bit. But I'd like it to be as original as possible, and it looked a bit off without the screen.

So, I decided to see if I could get a very fine mesh screen and replace the original. I found some 200 mesh audio screen that seemed to roughly match the original, so I ordered a 1m x 1m piece of it.


The screen came folded, and I wanted to try to get the creases out before installation, so I used a portable garment steamer to smooth it out. I also tried my clothes iron on its lowest heat setting and it seemed to do ok. Medium heat looked like it caused the mesh to start to melt unevenly and leave ripples.

I peeled the old screen off the plastic, and scraped the plastic frame to get it clean. Then I put down a line of super glue all the way around, then laid down my screen, trying to pull it tight as I did. It was definitely not as taut as I would have liked, but I knew the monitor would push up against it and hopefully straighten it out on being installed.

IMG_3284.jpeg


After installing, there's a little bit at the bottom that shows a bit of waves, so I might pull it off and see if I can get it tighter. Also, this mesh seems like it may be a bit shinier than the original. I'll probably look to see if a different grade of mesh might work better, or if there is one that is meant to have less sheen to it.

IMG_3286.jpeg



If / when I re-do it, I plan to tackle attaching it differently. First, I would cut out a more manageable piece that's just a bit larger than the frame. I left the whole 1m x 1m piece in place thinking it would give me more ability to try to pull it tight. It just made it unwieldy. I would also do it in sections. Because the mesh is porous, you can lay down superglue on top of the mesh and it will make its way down to the plastic. I would probably attach the first corner, then wait for it to dry, then pull tight and glue the opposite corner. Then do the other two corners, pulling it tight each time. Finally, glue the straight edges last. I feel like that will make a much tighter fit. I'll update here if I decide to tackle that. Also, I'll try to grab a side-by-side shot with the other monitor that has the original screen in place to show the comparison.