Macintosh SE/30 metal parts

[Pushpull76]

Ciao to all!

I'm currently restoring my SE/30 and I'm very interested about the maceffects clear case.

I have a problem : the mac is working perfectly but the metal parts (chassis, floppy frame) are a little bit corroded/rusty on some spots.

I think it's better to have them in a perfect shape, especially if using a trasparent case.

Does anyone knows what are the original metal coatings used for the various parts?

Thanks in advance,

Alex

 

[Raster30]

Dont believe there is any coatings on the metal parts. They are just the raw exposed alloy whichever was used. Depending on the component, you might be able to improve the appearance but I doubt you would ever be able to get the "new OE surface look" again.

 

[s_pupp]

There is some kind of coating, but I don’t know exactly what.

I applied naval jelly to my  SE/30 metallics, due to localized corrosion from a Maxell bomb.  It completely removed the dull coating, leaving naked steel - which promptly rusted.  All of it.  

Epic fail.

 

[elemenoh]

I had some sets plated for use in MacEffects cases. I did some in nickel and others in zinc. They came out really great. I also recently restored a rusted out Lisa doing the same. The plating shop will remove the rust chemically and/or mechanically before plating. It won't fix any pitting, but will ensure  properly plated and protected parts.

Here are some photos. The Lisa parts were zinc plated. The SE/30 frame in the clear case is nickel.

I tried removing the rust from the Lisa parts myself with muriatic acid. It's effective, but super nasty to work with. Do not recommend. Rust removal and plating for all of the Lisa parts plus 2 sets fo SE frame parts  (including drive and card frames) was less than $200 in the San Francisco Bay Area.

https://imgur.com/a/XHruO6p

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Beautiful stuff. What kind of shop and how would you search one out for electroplating? I've been looking at powder coating, but browning one like the barrel of a Kentucky long rifle has its appeal.

 

[elemenoh]

I was able to find several on Yelp with searches  for “plating” and “electroplating”. I’ve used two different shops in the area and both were fine with small jobs. One had a minimum charge, but it was reasonable. 

 

[elemenoh]

Also powder coating is probably not a good idea for something like a SE frame. You’d have to retap the screw posts, the PCB might not fit in the slides and it would be electrically insulated. I guess you could overcome those issues with careful masking but it might not be worth it. 

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Thanks for the warning about insulation. The same would be true if I go the clear plexi fabrication route. I'll have to examine at that aspect for the feasibility study.

 

[Pushpull76]

I had some sets plated for use in MacEffects cases. I did some in nickel and others in zinc. They came out really great. I also recently restored a rusted out Lisa doing the same. The plating shop will remove the rust chemically and/or mechanically before plating. It won't fix any pitting, but will ensure  properly plated and protected parts.

Here are some photos. The Lisa parts were zinc plated. The SE/30 frame in the clear case is nickel.

I tried removing the rust from the Lisa parts myself with muriatic acid. It's effective, but super nasty to work with. Do not recommend. Rust removal and plating for all of the Lisa parts plus 2 sets fo SE frame parts  (including drive and card frames) was less than $200 in the San Francisco Bay Area.

https://imgur.com/a/XHruO6p

Ahhhh thanks for the photos. Anyway, the galvanic treatments company I found here in my city has some "kits" to easily check what was the original plating or every metal part inside the Se/30, I will share the results with you all for sure.

 

[elemenoh]

They don’t appear plated at all. They just seem like raw steel. Will be interested to see if you find otherwise. 

 

[JT737]

You could use either a wire wheel or a wire brush to remove the corrosion down to the bare metal.  If that doesn't work well enough, you could also try sanding it with some fine sand paper (I'd probably start with something like 100 grit.).  After you've cleaned it up, you could then apply a clear coat to it. 

Won't look quite the same, but it will look better than it does now!

 

[Rjp663]

Elemenoh,

Great job on those metal parts! I was also thinking about powder coating or spray paint till I seen you photos.

Rick