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Aluminum Damage :( Any ideas?

A

atomic518

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 3, 2010
2
0
Malibu, Ca
Hello,

I have a Unibody Macbook Pro that I try really hard to keep in pristine condition.

I noticed that on the right side of my palm rest the aluminum is chipping away. :eek:

Here are a couple of pictures of the damage:





I do keep it in a case but its not helping in this case.

Anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to restore the nice aluminum shine here?
 
atomic518 said:
Hello,

I have a Unibody Macbook Pro that I try really hard to keep in pristine condition.

I noticed that on the right side of my palm rest the aluminum is chipping away. :eek:

Here are a couple of pictures of the damage:

[url=http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a255/Atomic00/IMAG0894.jpg]Image[/URL]

[url=http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a255/Atomic00/IMAG0891.jpg]Image[/URL]

I do keep it in a case but its not helping in this case.

Anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to restore the nice aluminum shine here?
Click to expand...
That seems like erosion/pitting. Do you happen to wear steel bracelets or a watch on that side?

Aluminum is a relatively soft metal, steel will easily scratch it.

The only way I can think of to get your MBP back in pristine condition involves quite a bit of expenses, especially comparing the price of a new case.
 
Corrosion ~ Keep it Clean

As mentioned above ^ it is likely pitting of the Anodized Aluminum, which may well be caused by a Watch or Bracelet, and exacerbated by the collecting of Oils and Acid from your hands/arms and needs to be properly cleaned once in a while.. I use a damp cloth with some mild soap to break down the collected grime..

Every person will have a different pH level and cause a reaction accordingly, personally my sweat will also do something similar so I clean it weekly for sure.. and also as mentioned, the only way to repair this would be to replace the bottom case..
 
The only "good" thing is when it comes time to replace the battery, Apple will also replace the top case and keyboard. I'm sure the blemishes will annoy you, but atleast that might give you some peace of mind about them affecting resale, as you could optimise your price/chances by selling just after you need to switch the battery.
 
Same stuff happened to me on 2011 13" - got electrical tape on it because it annoys living $h*t out of me, skin gets irritated when using the trackpad. I never wear any kind of watch or bracelet - this is from oils/acid from your skin.

ROc0fOP.png
 
5to1 said:
The only "good" thing is when it comes time to replace the battery, Apple will also replace the top case and keyboard. I'm sure the blemishes will annoy you, but atleast that might give you some peace of mind about them affecting resale, as you could optimise your price/chances by selling just after you need to switch the battery.
Click to expand...

That does not appear to be a Retina model, which is the only one that requires a topcase replacement for battery replacement. The non-retinas have an internal but replaceable (with the right screwdriver) battery.
 
hallux said:
That does not appear to be a Retina model, which is the only one that requires a topcase replacement for battery replacement. The non-retinas have an internal but replaceable (with the right screwdriver) battery.
Click to expand...

Oops, assumed it was a rMBP, my mistake :p
 
I'd say thats completely normal.

When I had my aluminium unibody macbook (the first one from 2008) it had these little chips. I assume it's caused by oils/sweat from your hands. Not much you can do about it (unless you want to start wearing rubber gloves haha), just use your machine and enjoy it. I had my MacBook for over 4 years, it worked fine, and these little chips didn't bother me.
 
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