Fifty Shades Of Graphite

[iMac600]

I found this little gem in amongst a pile of Indigo G3s and eMacs.

It's a 400Mhz iMac DV in Graphite. I actually think it's in better condition than my long time favourite Kiva, which is currently sitting on my floor / workbench awaiting an engine transplant (or at least that's what i've been calling it):

Hence why I purchased the 400MHz DV in the first place. It's nice, but it doesn't have the same power of the PowerPC 750CXe at 600MHz or the 512MB of RAM.

The aim is to have both iMacs functioning at the moment of completion. The 400MHz iMac DV will be resold. The 600MHz iMac SE will be kept on as my centrepiece of the collection. The refurbishment process is a little more extensive than the last time I worked on the 600MHz iMac in 2009. Each screw is being inspected for damage to screw heads. Plastics are being washed and polished inside and out. The retaining glue around the CRT rings, that stuff that tends to flake off after a few years, is to be replaced with a high-temp hot melt glue.

The only issue is the front inner bezel. The plastics flake away and there's no way I can think this could be resolved, except perhaps a light coat of some kind of epoxy resin, thick enough to brace it, thin enough to allow the computer to still fit together without any issue. Of course, this is dependent on finding one front bezel that hasn't already cracked.

When it's done, it'll be loaded with a version of Mac OS. Which version, i'm not sure.

I love these iMac G3s. I suggest that we form some kind of iMac G3 Owners Club. That's how great I feel about these. :lol:

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

Ooh, nice find! Isn't graphite one of the more rare flavors of iMac? Also, if those "piles of indigo iMacs" are anywhere near Escondido, could you save me one? Haha, jk. XD

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Nice Nab! Graphite is the only reason I ever looked twice at an iMac, I was too addicted to 21" CRTs to consider one, bu I love everything shaded in Graphite.

Graphite is the new PowerBook Charcoal! )

 

[iMac600]

Well, I said I was transplanting parts between the 600MHz and the 400MHz.

The 400MHz iMac is now down to its component form. The inner bezel is in fantastic shape, so I'm looking to condition it a little if possible. The 600MHz has the better CRT (It was replaced in 2009), so I'll be swapping that onto the 400MHz models bezel.

The 400MHz model also has Graphite speakers in it, which is before Apple changed all of the lines to have unified frosted clear plastic speakers. I think those will make a nice addition to the 600MHz.

I've had to bring the frosted plastic lower case across from the 400MHz to the 600MHz as the foot is in much better condition as well. I think it's a good look, to be honest. It's not as prone to scratches as the polished case is and doesn't show any of the lines from the injection molding process.

Objective: To have one hot Graphite iMac. In terms of attractiveness that is, not temperature. Then to repurpose the spare parts on another iMac (such as graphite on a formerly-Indigo body), or reassemble the parts unit.

More pics to come, I'm sure.

Also, I felt it was time to update the project in my signature. The iMac Graphite SE "Kiva" Hot-Rod G3/600 project is well and truly under way.

 

[iMac600]

Rebonding The Yoke

Ever opened an iMac before to find a bunch of red shards floating around in the case? That's the bonding agent on the CRT Yoke. Now, I don't have any of this stuff unfortunately, but I do have plenty of the hot melt glue commonly used in power supplies and on some logic boards, and the gun to apply it. Should be sufficient for the task, and it does have plenty of flex in it, so I can't see this cracking any time soon.

A healthy shot of hot melt glue gives it some structural integrity with plenty of elasticity.

I've also cleaned it of dust and carbon buildup, and I'm about to drop it back into the computer and begin the reassembly.

Also, for what it's worth, the speakers come out with some twisting, but the clips tend to bend and deform in the removal process. Not cool. Thankfully they straighten out nicely.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Cool thread, great pics! :approve:

This belongs in hacks at this point, BTW, it's a great one.

 

[iMac600]

I'd move this to hacks then.

So I discovered that I really, really dislike ABS. After being incredibly careful with everything, I heard that inevitable almighty CRACK as one of the screw bosses let go. Nothing structural, but equally as annoying. A few minor repairs to the frame are in order to have it in A1 condition again.

Anyway, the iMac is not powering on at the moment, so i'll have to continue investigating this and try to find the fault. I suspect something on the logic board at the moment.

EDIT: Bad RAM. Another stick in its place and the machine fired right up.

EDIT 2: Another screw boss on the front panel let go. These iMac shells are effing awful.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

We use the same workbench apparently. [] ]'>

Every flat surface in my place is covered with CPUs, CRTs, LCDs, piles of tools, parts & docs, software/OS and Docs, etc. so I wind up doing new projects the floor more often than not!

 

[Unknown_K]

I installed a light directly over the washing machine in the basement for computer cleaning and repairs (best part is the machine is metal so it is grounded). Anytime I have setup a new workbench desk I park machines on them, the washer is a toploader so I have to clean up after my work so clothes can be cleaned.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Toploader & Dryer, such luxury! :lol: I've got a stacked frontloader/dryer combo with the old school Triple Decker Craftsman Toolbox sitting next to it! [] ]'>

 

[iMac600]

The iMac is reassembled and functioning now, but there are a couple of hurdles here.

1. Three screws that I can't for the life of me figure out where they go, or which machine they came from, even with the Service Source PDF open.

2. I may need to remove the front bezel yet again and start injecting glue around the screw bosses to give them some extra reinforcement.

3. The CRT Convergence is out on the left, top and right sides by about 1 pixel width. Whether I can adjust this or whether the tube should be changed, i'm not sure, but I really would like to avoid changing the tube if possible.

4. Some minor chipping of the Graphite top rear shell, but probably something that could be fixed with some light sanding. This part is still in much better shape than the existing top shell, which had large, noticeable scratches all over one side and would require some buffing. If I can get one better than the other at any stage, i'll just swap them.

EDIT: Actually, Point 2 is exactly what I will tackle today. I have some free time, if I strip the machine once again it gives me a chance to investigate the missing screws, fix the CRT convergence and reinforce the front bezel of the machine. Stage 2 of the build is about to begin.

 

[mcdermd]

That front, inner bezel is the worst thing about those kihei iMacs. From all of the ten or so I've had, I think maybe three were uncracked. The heat just cooks any elasticity out of them. The earlier, rev A-D models seem to be fine, though.

 

[Byrd]

The CRT convergence is probably out slightly from the rings being loose from the glue going bad, or being moved during the disasembly. You can probably fix it, but it is very tedious work (you will also need to have the Mac running with a test pattern) and you'll probably have to remove the hot glue you recently applied, assuming this is around the yoke. If it's not too bad, I'd just leave it.

My current home project has been restoring an early 80's LAI arcade cocktail cabinet, and have kept the CRT (but with new monitor chassis), and also having to adjust the convergence rings as they were loose as anything from a rough past! It's not a fun job adjusting these (wear rubber gloves!!!), but I've learnt a heap during this project. I'm proud that I didn't resort to using an LCD in the end.

Hi Angelica

JB

 

[iMac600]

Well, both the CRTs have bad color convergence. Not to mention a misaligned raster. Probably from the disassembly process.

Oh how I don't miss CRTs. Little 9-inch displays I can handle. These are a whole different monster.

So, this story picks up from where we left off. This bugged me somewhat, and I had no idea how bad it was until I removed the CRT again.

I decided to switch back to the original bezel, which had some cracking but was otherwise quite structurally sound.

Some hot glue was injected into the gaps of the front bezel to reinforce it in some of the weaker spots. Now this stuff can soften with heat, but it takes a decent amount of heat to make this stuff melt away. I had to wait until my gun exceeded well over 100C before I could even begin to extrude it. If the glue on the Analog Board can handle it, this will be able to.

You can see a slight amount of red, ever so tiny, around this corner which tells me the convergence is out slightly. Not worth worrying about. What is worth worrying about is how badly the raster is aligned, which I've corrected in software for the time being as I couldn't be stuffed messing with the CRT rings.

My verdict so far? I don't really like these iMacs now. You can learn a lot about a computer by diving deep into its innards, and the iMac is about as bad as it gets for build quality. The ABS-FR plastic of the inner bezel wasn't built to withstand any kind of long term heat, and therefore it makes a poor platform for any kind of project, which is a shame as they look quite nice. Of course this does not apply to Tray Loader iMacs, they tend to be much more structurally sound and - if you ask me - better designed overall.

The second iMac, the one I acquired at the start of this thread, turned out to be in even worse shape than I initially envisioned. Someone had clearly had it open before, forced some of the plastics with a screwdriver as they're chipped around the seams, and forgotten to reinstall a ton of structural screws. It's perhaps only good for its case plastics, if that.

The solution? Perhaps swap the plastics onto another iMac. The drawback to this? I can't guarantee that iMac will be any better either. Not to mention that i'd then have a total of 4 iMac G3s in this room and I'm sick and tired of them as-is.

I think, for an OS 9 machine, i'll turn my focus back to my PowerBook G3 Pismo.

 

[krye]

<2 cents>You shouldn't be tinkering with electronics on a carpet. Static does bad things.2 cents>

 

[iMac600]

Nothing of real value would be lost to Electrostatic Discharge here, to be honest. My primary concern was finding a surface soft enough to avoid damaging the plastics (which, as we know, went real well).

Anyway, I'm cancelling this project and arranging the disposal of the parts iMac - the remaining, functioning iMac will be passed on. The fun is gone from this one I'm afraid.

 

[MacJunky]

That was fast.

Anyway, get out a welder and make a new framething from metal! That will last longer. Make a mould and cast one in aluminum! (or better plastic) :approve:

Moddin sometimes takes a bit of work, just look at what Trash does. Also, if you are not going to make a proper framething for a G3 iMac, then I will.(at some point) (and I hate the damn things, but I have a 600 in a ruby case that could use it)

 

[iMac600]

I wouldn't call it fast... I've been working on this machine since 2008, trying to find usable parts for it. :lol:

If you could cast one of a stronger material, you would easily be set. It really in the single worst component in the machine and it lets the entire piece down.

I had to call it quits on this one as it turns out the donor machine I purchased a couple of days ago is also a piece of junk (the graphite case is in fairly bad condition once you get to look at the hidden screw holes and what not), so I don't have anywhere near the amount of parts required to complete this. As I said, perhaps if I came across another iMac in much better shape and just stuck the Graphite plastics onto it (provided they can be cleaned up and repaired), it may be doable, but once you start having to mess around under the hood there's no way to come out of there without breaking something.

In just putting the thing back together to store it in a corner, another 5 shards fell out of the machine. This is ridiculous.

However, something good did come of it.

Four screw bosses broke. Therefore, I couldn't put 4 screws back into the machine.

As it turns out the 4 screws that were left over fit perfectly into the threads that secure the rear bucket onto a Macintosh SE. The only difference is that these screws are phillips head as opposed to Torx. So my Macintosh SE is now complete!

 

[Gorgonops]

Of course this does not apply to Tray Loader iMacs, they tend to be much more structurally sound and - if you ask me - better designed overall.

*Haaaaaack* *Cough*

Sorry, that was the sound of me swallowing my gum upon reading someone *complementing* the design and build quality of the Rev. A-D iMacs. Those things were a such a monumental hack.

The plastics on all of Apple's transparent stuff from that period don't age well at all. (I hate moving any of the G3/G4 towers because I'm convinced the handles will snap right off in my hands.)