How to get rid of scratches on my Air?

P

Philflow

macrumors 65816
I've got a couple of scratches on the bottom of my Air. Is there a way to treat them / get rid of them?

Thanks in advance.
 
Philflow said:
I've got a couple of scratches on the bottom of my Air. Is there a way to treat them / get rid of them?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Hi,

It depends how deep they are. When I got my Air, it had some marks on the lid and to the right of the trackpad, but after a while they went away - sounds strange but it's true - they were not dirty marks but marks on the case - all I did was use the cloth that came with the air and wipe it from time to time.
 
Well they're not really deep, but too deep to go away by them selves I think.

So they are real scratches but quite superficial.
 
Wear your scares with pride! My laptops have always got scratched, who cares, it doesn't affect performance. Mind you I did fit invisible shield on my MBA but mainly for the grip value...
 
Does the Air (and the MBP I presume) have a painted aluminum finish, or is it just the actual raw aluminum?
 
I know that you are asking specifically how to remove scratches from your MBA but if you want to prevent future scratches, I think you should consider buying invisible shield for your MBA. I bought invisible shield for this baby and I'm sure glad I did, almost 3 months of ownership and zero scratches;-)
 
akm3 said:
Does the Air (and the MBP I presume) have a painted aluminum finish, or is it just the actual raw aluminum?
Click to expand...

All Apple products that look like aluminum are actual aluminum. Faux finishes make Steve Jobs angry.

The aluminum on MacBooks, iMacs, and iPhones is anodized. This is a chemical process that creates a layer of oxidation on the surface (the characteristic "silky" feel of new Apple hardware). It's not just cosmetic; it also prevents future oxidation, which may stain and damage the material.

For this reason, it's definitely not recommended to sandpaper or otherwise remove the surface on your MacBook Air. You'll be exposing untreated aluminum to oxidation.

I'm with DaveOZ. Who cares about scratches - especially ones on the bottom. If you want to keep it pristine for great resale value, either guard it with your life or buy a shell case. Me, I'd never put a beautiful piece of hardware in one of those plastic monstrosities. To each his own, though.
 
You could try a car wax if the scratches are pretty light. I'd test it on a small area first before going all out though.
 
To all the people that say 'just accept it!' , yes I agree, but I want to make sure I have the maximum resell value incase I want to sell it.

brn2ski00 said:
Brasso (or another mild abrasive)?
Click to expand...
dahcheet said:
You could try a car wax if the scratches are pretty light. I'd test it on a small area first before going all out though.
Click to expand...

Thanks I might try that. I'll talk to the carpaint shop here in the street.
 
EVERY laptop I have ever had came with scratches. I dont know why, I think people suck at shipment or keeping cases in the warehouses safe! After a while you get over it. (it usually takes me a month)
 
Philflow said:
Good tip thanks. I used Brasso and a superficial scratch disappeared.

The other, deeper, scractch was still there, but maybe if i had given it a bit more time it would have worked too.
Click to expand...

it didn't discolor it at all? I'm thinking about doing this myself.
 
techlover828 said:
it didn't discolor it at all? I'm thinking about doing this myself.
Click to expand...

No discolor at all.

I wiped it in, circular movements with some cloth. Then I let it stay there for 2 minutes. Then I wiped it clean with clean cloth.

I can not check how it looks now, because I just sold it.

But test it on some small piece for yourself, that way you can be sure.
 
Philflow said:
No discolor at all.

I wiped it in, circular movements with some cloth. Then I let it stay there for 2 minutes. Then I wiped it clean with clean cloth.

I can not check how it looks now, because I just sold it.

But test it on some small piece for yourself, that way you can be sure.
Click to expand...

thanks
 
Philflow said:
Good tip thanks. I used Brasso and a superficial scratch disappeared.

The other, deeper, scractch was still there, but maybe if i had given it a bit more time it would have worked too.
Click to expand...

Good to know, glad I could help!

I learned about this when trying to do the same with my first generation iPod Nano -- you know, the scratch magnet! Anyways, with a little elbow grease and some patience, the results can be good.
 
Philflow said:
No discolor at all.

I wiped it in, circular movements with some cloth. Then I let it stay there for 2 minutes. Then I wiped it clean with clean cloth.

I can not check how it looks now, because I just sold it.

But test it on some small piece for yourself, that way you can be sure.
Click to expand...

Btw, I used cotton balls, not sure if it was the best method, but effective.

The yellowing would come if you put this on plastic as the solution gets into the pores of the plastic -- like an iPod Nano front (white).
 
My old Powerbook has black looking scratches around the palmrest. Could this be from my watch scraping off the finish and then the underlying aluminum oxidizing?
 
It would be great to see some pictures of someone using Brasso on a PowerBook or a MacBook Pro, something with an ALUMINUM CASING. I have heard pro's and cons of using the Brasso, and I'm anxious to see the results.
 
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