Are the Aluminum PowerBooks painted, or just texturized? And if they are painted, does anyone have any idea of how they would look were the paint removed? I thought it might be cool to try to do so, and then chrome it... A lot of work, and I'd probably never do it, but when this ceases to be my primary (and only) laptop, I just might do it. Even if it isn't painted, it might be cool to detexturize it and make it smooth, and still maybe chrome it then.

Post edited by: JediJoker7169, at: 2005/12/05 04:08

i believe they are painted. ive seen a few stripped then polished, they look nice.

Would I just use an abbrassive/polish like Brasso, then? Would that do it all?

I don't own an AlBook, but after playing with them in the store, and having worked with aluminum at work, they don't seem painted to me. Maybe brushed or texturized, and with some sort of sealant or clear coat applied, but definitely not painted.

The TiBooks, however, definitely were painted, and I've seen several of those stripped and polished/repainted. For reference, the TiBooks have two separate hinges, unlike the big single singe of the iBooks (which the AlBooks use now, as well - it's more durable).

anodized. that's what they are. that or powercoated. but my money is on anodized.

my two cents

macDeviant

yea, I have heard they are anodized aluminum.

My belief is that they're either anodized or texture coated.

Painting the G5 cases (same basic finish as the PB's) has proven to be a bit of a bitch, as paint hates to hang onto the surface. However, a dremel with a wire brush, or 400 grit sandpaper will actually take the finish down to the bare metal, which paints a lot easier. There's also a definite difference in the finished surface, and the bare metal underneath.

So, no, I'm not sure what the actual finishing procedure was, but its totally not the bare metal

i second the sandpaper idea.
sand, then polish!

when I got my 12' 1.33 I took it down to the local aluminum shop AMT. and they told me yep no problem! Get the parts off we will sand blast i. Then you can do it what ever color you want.
I was super pumped.
Took off the cover brought it back and much to my dismay we found out the following.

• the material is killer thin and may be a problem during sandblasting
• there are joining metals that are not aluminum on the case that would have to be removed and then re-glued to the case, this could be a nightmare. If not removed they would burn up in the process

So I walked out dissapointed, but I still had my AppleCare
:woohoo:

if anyone has access to spare PowerBook parts, or direct from Apple Parts I would be willing to give this a shot.

until then lets hope macskinz.com gets something out this year

I've had good luck painting the alumium cases so far. You need to lightly sand the piece, and then give it a good primer coat. Sand the primer, and anything will stick to the primer coat. Once you clearcoat it, you're good.

However, if you really wanna take down the surface, a dremel with a wire brush bit will do the job, no problem.

I would go with modyourmac on this one. Lightly sand, prime, paint, glossy clear coat. That would look really nice.
You could come up with some cool logo or pattern for it too. I would love to see it when you are finished.
-maestro

jonathan wrote:


the very fact that you opened your powerbook yourself you have voided Applecare. Nearly the entire machine is deemed "User Unservicible." I replaced my HDD and optical drive with better models. Since i installed them myself, instead of paying an "Apple Service Technical Minor Deity" the 200 some-odd bucks to do it, i voided my applecare with a year remaining.

so if you have a problem and send it in, they might notice it's been dismanteled, they might not. but since its all taken apart and warranty voided, why not get some paint and have a go at it. As soon as i can get away with not haveing my laptop for about two weeks i'll be stripping it down and paining it with a theme of black, green, orange, and purple.


good luck


macDeviant

I wasn't actualling thinking of painting it. I just wanted to take it down to bare metal and then chrome it with REAL chromium, just like they do to movie props. I'd have to be more careful with it then, of course, 'cause it'd be a bit more eye-catching, and scratches would look even worse. As it is, I have fatty scratches on the bottom of the bottom case, on the top of the top case (along with dents), the sides of the bottom case are all bent, and I'm down to one foot. The top of the bottom case and bottom of the top case, thankfully, are damn-near unscathed, and the two feet are in pristine condition. But, like I said in the first post, I won't be doing this anytime soon, most likely.

wait wait? Is the MBP just brushed aluminum. I wouldnt mind a Ferrari red laptop ;D

I believe the MacBook Pro as well as the black MacBook are also anodized, not painted... Why would Apple suddenly do a away with a proven strategy in favor of a relatively untested one? :P