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Help me to fix the oxidized PMG5 case

H

honam1021

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 4, 2012
242
113
Now I got my G5 working, now I am trying to improve the cosmetic condition of my G5, the case is severely oxidized as you can see in the pic below.
attachment.php

Wiping the case with soapy water does help, but the oxidation layer is still very noticeable.

There are acids that can remove oxides effectively, but it'd corrode the anodized layer of the enclosure. Are there any other methods that I can try?
 
I'm afraid that only way to fix it is to re-anodize whole casing.
But it won't be cost-effective. Maybe consider buying dead G5 - any model except Late 2005 - just for case and other parts (air deflector, fans etc). Or place machine under desk and don't look at it too often ;)
 
It would take a lot of it, but why not use clear nail polish after getting rid of the corrosion. That's the Heloise hint when it comes to plated jewelry.
 
magic eraser

Simple green, a toothbrush, and Mr. Clean Magic eraser can do wonders in some situations - not sure if they'd do the trick here, but it might be worth a shot.
mr-clean-magic-eraser_05102010131819.jpg


::
 
Will vinegar work?I heard that it's good at removing rust from iron, but I'm not sure about aluminum
 
The problem is that the anodized finish is ruined. Even if you get all the corrosion off it, it won't look like it used to. The only solution to make it look exactly like it did before is to re-anodize it, a process that will cost you much more than the computer is worth.

If you really want to make it look nice, you'll need to paint it, which would involve painting the entire case. Or, like 666sheep suggested, find a dead one and transfer the guts.
 
Isn't the case a "heat sink" and wouldn't painting it destroy the heat sink functionality?
 
I thought the whole purpose of Apple playing around with metals in their computers was because aluminum alloy is a great heat sink. The unibody is a heatsink.

Anyway, you probably can still find good cases around. But it looks like what is scratched is the removable plate == easy to find a new one.

BTW, the PMG5 case is not meant to be bent in any way, especially on the legs. I once had a quad with a bent leg and it rocked when in use. Had to get a new case from Apple.
 
California said:
I thought the whole purpose of Apple playing around with metals in their computers was because aluminum alloy is a great heat sink. The unibody is a heatsink.

Anyway, you probably can still find good cases around. But it looks like what is scratched is the removable plate == easy to find a new one.

BTW, the PMG5 case is not meant to be bent in any way, especially on the legs. I once had a quad with a bent leg and it rocked when in use. Had to get a new case from Apple.
Click to expand...
It's not the removable side of the case in the picture

At least my case is still useable, a ebay seller managed to break the rear leg of the case:http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Parts-A...9420945?pt=Apple_Desktops&hash=item5af2bb5911
 
My guess is that someone dumped it and another fished it out on the trashyard.

Doing that "on purpose" would require quite a lot force.
 
I thought the process of anodising the aluminium to make it stronger and dull was a lot like deliberate oxidising.

I would have assumed that anodised aluminium would have a nice stable atomic structure almost as good as inert gases, but this mustn't be true if this has indeed "oxidised".
 
damage

honam1021 said:
It's not the removable side of the case in the picture

At least my case is still useable, a ebay seller managed to break the rear leg of the case:http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Parts-A...9420945?pt=Apple_Desktops&hash=item5af2bb5911
Click to expand...

That's impressive. One of the units I bought had the top front handle bent down a little bit, and after trying to bend it back by hand (without success obviously), I cannot figure out how anyone could've managed to do that.

::
 
honam1021 said:
It's not the removable side of the case in the picture

At least my case is still useable, a ebay seller managed to break the rear leg of the case:http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Parts-A...9420945?pt=Apple_Desktops&hash=item5af2bb5911
Click to expand...

Actually, if you look at his other items, it looks like he's selling liquidation items from Best Buy. If that's the case, someone probably traded in this computer after throwing it down a flight of steps lol. They usually include old computers like this in their pallets to jack up the MSRP of the lot.
 
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