Scratches and scuffs aluminium PB

[haemogoblin]

Hey guys

Does anyone out there, know of a way to rub out the occasional scuff on these shiny machines?

I think my wrist watch strap has left a tiny scuff on the aluminium and I've been sat trying to figure out how to buff it out. 

Thoughts so far, but none I've dared to try.

Fine grit 2000 grade sand paper

Brasso rubbing polish

A green course scouring pad

 

[galgot]

I think the problem is that the aluminium is painted with a mat silver paint. What you see on the surface is not the aluminium it's made of.

I have a 17" all book with paint chipping off near the Atl and Ctrl keys. Under there it's shiny aluminium.

So if you sand it, you'll sand the paint too and would have to repaint the all piece.

In fact these metallic case PowerBook/MacBookPros are much more difficult to fix than the old plastic ones when they get bumps.

Plastic don't deform but absorb chocks or it cracks , and in that case can be glued. Alum deform and it's very difficult to get it straight back. Worst are the unibodies, very easy to get dents on these alum edge cases... can't fix that. 

 

[Unknown_K]

Are they painted or anodized (paint would chip especially once bent)?

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

They should be anodized. Apple wouldn't have used paint after the TiBook.

 

[galgot]

Ah yes, my bad. there are adonized. But anyway,I have example were the adonization goes away.

 

[rsolberg]

Anodized coatings are actually very brittle and will also crack if the substrate is bent or dinged hard enough. The palm rest on my pre-unibody MacBook Pro is quite worn after ten plus years. I've considered trying to remove the anodized finish and polish the aluminum underneath, then clear coat it. The anodization chipped away near one of the Cmd keys and the exposed aluminum is much brighter and shinier than the coating.

 

[Unknown_K]

Anodized Aluminum is not really a coating. You take nice shiny Aluminum and put a charge into it while in a bath that is rich in Oxygen to make sure the whole surface is nothing but aluminum oxide which is a protective layer. This hard protective layer is porous so you can easily color it and seal it.

 

[haemogoblin]

So if you scuff it, your basically screwed?

 

[Gorgonops]

Pretty much, yes. It's probably in your best interest to imagine these laptops as if they were tools, like a socket wrench or something, that looks better (or at least more authentic) with a few scuffs.

 

[haemogoblin]

As I've always wanted one of these, wanting too try keep it in good condition that was all