so, ok i know this isn't really a mod job but its sure as hell going that way! what started as a simple repair job for my m8's pc has turned into an ongoing refurb job! lol
though i think i will be etching the window for him! my work thus far.......

more progress........

Have seen worse.... but that's pretty gross. :X

So while you're in there poking around, what is your plan when it comes to paint, and fans etc, i see theres room to add a blow hole in the front, would look cool with a turbine intake fan like this..
LianLiIntake

benchtesting the psu, floppy&cd re-w drives. ( yep thats my celeron rig. )^^^

like i said ^^^ its a repair job for a m8, not a mod!! though i will be etching the window later on!
anywayzz......









so there you go for now!! loads more to come tommorrow as its getting late and i am knackered!! lol
so goodnight pcapex and i'll see u allz 2moro!

Just curious... Are you lapping the heatsink or using a polish?

Quote: Originally Posted by Twizted Just curious... Are you lapping the heatsink or using a polish?

That's what it looks like to me

well what I was asking is if he was using a polish to lap it..... I am not use to seeing that generally its done with really fine sandpaper.. but what do I know....

Oh man that's crazy nasty! Reminds me of the state I found the four P2 boxes when I pulled them from a local business's warehouse to renovate them for my brothers to learn PC maintenance on.

ok, twizted and thrasher, im actually using a colour restorer!! iknow, ur probably gonna jump on me for that statement, but i dont know a helluva lot about polishing yet!
all i know is i used this same technique on an ornament that belongs to my mum and it still looks good now!!
i probably should have used a finer paper and looked at a tutorial but unfortunately i had no internet connection at the time!! anyway, more updates..............











ok, in the last pic u can see a different mobo, its an old k7. the original board for some reason just didnt want to play ball! i tried the cpu on my k7 and it booted ok! more updates soon, next up i think is the window etch!

a few years ago when i worked for pc world, we had some machines that came in like that, i always remember one it was an old compaq that came in cause it wouldnt run for more than 5 mins without freezing or crashing. when we got the pc into the pc clinic it was yellow, the guy who had had smoked in front of it since he bought it about 3 years ago. Everything and i mean everything was covered in nicotine, the cd-rom drive wouldnt open cause it was stuck shut, the cpu hsf was gummed up solid as well as the psu fan, everything you touched was sticky and stained your hands if you touched it. suffice to say it went in the bin and he bought a new one.


anyway enough of that good work there mate.......

thanks for the comments dude!! yep this has definatyely become a fun project!

Yeah, actual polish isn't going to do a thing. Forget sandpaper... it's for nooB's. Try using diamond lapping compound and a precision lapping plate. Works great and it's 1000x faster than working through 15 different grades of sandpaper... also far more likely to end up truly flat.

Things sure are cleaning up well. I really need to go to town like this on my main rig sometime.

STUPID MOMMENT!! i have an apology to make to masterp!!
sorry m8 i forgot you had already done a ' project refurb ' i am really sorry dude!
hope it don't p.... you off bro!!

Quote: Originally Posted by CRE Yeah, actual polish isn't going to do a thing. Forget sandpaper... it's for nooB's. Try using diamond lapping compound and a precision lapping plate. Works great and it's 1000x faster than working through 15 different grades of sandpaper... also far more likely to end up truly flat. Things sure are cleaning up well. I really need to go to town like this on my main rig sometime.

Actually, that's not completely correct, CRE. What does any polish do, in actual fact? It removes the finest of hazes, swirls, and scratches, right? As a final step in the lapping process, polishing compound will do the same thing as a super-high grit sandpaper.

I agree that sandpaper from 400-grit upwards will get rid of the bigger surface inconsistencies, but once you're above 1500-grit, rubbing compound, polishing compound, Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor, and even toothpaste will give it a more mirror-like finish.

If you don't believe me, take a heatsink (or acrylic or frankly, any other surface you want that's been treated to an up-to-1500-grit workout) and take some polish (NOT to be confused with car wax, the two are completely different products that perform different functions) and rub it out. What's that black stuff you see on your cloth? Metal. Very very fine particles of metal. (Or acrylic if that's what you're testing on.)

See my Guide on acrylic scratch removal, you'll see in more detail an explanation of the procedure.

I've used the same procedure to get a mirror finish on heatsink bases. After 1500-grit, which is as high a sandpaper as I have, I still saw a fine hazy finish to my lapped heatsinks. Following that up with rubbing compound, polishing compound, and then Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor gave me the near mirror finish I was looking for.

EDIT: It should be mentioned that polish isn't a SUBSTITUTE for the 400-to-1500-grit sandpapering, those steps must be done first. But to take that finish to the next level, the "mirror finish", those compounds will accomplish the same thing as 2000-grit or higher sandpapers.

Quote: Originally Posted by Coelacanth Actually, that's not completely correct, CRE. What does any polish do, in actual fact? It removes the finest of hazes, swirls, and scratches, right? As a final step in the lapping process, polishing compound will do the same thing as a super-high grit sandpaper.

Lol, I do know that much, just trying to make sure people don't run to the auto parts store in search of a polish thats nothing more than wax and expect it to make a difference. The issue isn't what it does, but how it accomplishes the goal. Some polishes actually "cut", like a buffing compoud. Other's simply fill in the gaps with waxes and other various polymers, yup, sure does look purdy when you're done... then wash it with acetone and 90% of the flaws are back. Well, not back, actually they were never gone. Automotive and plastic "polishes" are the worst.

Technically, you can buff copper with a T-shirt... it just takes quite a while.

I'm not saying this is the case with ALL polishes, but there is a reason you'll never see a precision machine shop lapping something with McGuire's to get a 20RA on a deck surface.

I just don't think most people realize just how big of a difference there usually is between "looks great" and "works great".

Quote: Originally Posted by CRE I'm not saying this is the case with ALL polishes, but there is a reason you'll never see a precision machine shop lapping something with McGuire's to get a 20RA on a deck surface. I just don't think most people realize just how big of a difference there usually is between "looks great" and "works great".

And then again, most people don't have access to a precision machine shop or diamond lapping compound and a precision lapping plate. Maybe if your name is mnpctechguy, perhaps. For the rest of us peons, cheaper alternatives are almost as effective. Again, not to confuse polishing compounds with waxes. Waxes put a protective coating on a surface, while polishes and rubbing compounds (and toothpaste, for that matter) *prepare* a surface for waxing (if wanted) by removing the finest scratches and hazing.

If you have hazy plastic headlight covers, you can probably wax 'em all night long and they'll remain hazy. But apply a fine scratch remover (Nu-Finish is great) or toothpaste or other polish, and you'll get those suckers nice and clear again.

thanks coel, i think!! its a colour restorer that ive used before to " pollish " copper on the cheapo side!! and yes i used a slightly to course paper beforehand!!
i have much to learn i know this!! but this is a method ive used before and its worked ok!! one of my mums ornaments i did for her is still pretty buff now and its out in their " summer house " - those of us in the uk know what our summers are like!! lol for 2 years now. i think i gave it a few rub-overs in this time!! but hey, thanks for the comments guyz, i gotta learn somehow aint i?!

mini update.........
got the intel celeronD em64t 3.0ghz through the door last week!
socket lga755 mobo being ordered a week tommorrow!

yep, the guts are being replaced now, just have to wait on the customers pay day as he's getting the parts one at a time!

next month - ram!

he also wants an etch on his window, after he saw my etch on "CLAW" he really wants some flames goin down the side window!!
( you never know, i may talk him into a new colour scheme aswell!! )
plus he's offered to pay me more than the original quote! so MR & MRS MOBEUS are happy about that! i think she's becomming my p.a. lol