Lapping

Logla · Nov 12, 2003, 06:13 PM

Damned first attemps!!

I decided to have a go at lapping my heatsink just to see what it would be like so got some wetordry tonight and started.

thing is, I just couldn't get it shiny enough. I was using various grit paper up to 600grit (according to the packet). It just didn't have that nicely lapped sheen to it so I gave up (after about an hour and a half).

Installed it and noticed that the temps are up by about 2-3 degrees c.

Am I using the right grade of paper or do I need to go finer (600 was the finest the store had)

Logla · Nov 13, 2003, 08:11 AM

Ah, I see now that I should have used 6000 grit paper. Oops!

toddsmack2k · Nov 13, 2003, 08:54 AM

Yeah you need a very fine grit to get that nice smooth surface bud.

Judas · Nov 13, 2003, 08:54 AM

lol.....btw, becarefull on the angle....

toddsmack2k · Nov 13, 2003, 08:56 AM

Yeah use a piece of glass as your surface to do it on, just be careful.

Logla · Nov 13, 2003, 01:38 PM

Thanks guys. I used a sheet of glass with the paper taped down and kept it nice and wet.

The higher grit stuff is rather difficult to find though so I think I'll do some shopping this weekend.

shuki · Nov 13, 2003, 02:47 PM

even up to 2000 grit will be fine for lapping man!! much, much easier to find than that 6000 grit stuff!

zapper · Nov 13, 2003, 03:32 PM

I lapped my heatsink with the following :
400 grit
600 grit
800grit
1000 grit
1500 grit
2000 grit
all being wet /dry with the 1500 and 2000 being mirror finnish it took about 3 hours but in the end using AS5 I lowered my temps by 8c well worth the time you put in

~~DriveEuro~~ · Nov 13, 2003, 11:11 PM

Also, some people get such shiny surfaces on their heatsinks cuz they use a polishing compound. I would advice AGAINST polishing cuz it will fill in the small surfaces of the heatsink with polish rather than thermal compound.

~~craig588~~ · Nov 14, 2003, 12:04 AM

I do 800 grit than to 1200 grit than to 2000 grit. Its very easy with the belt sander.

Judas · Nov 14, 2003, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by craig588
I do 800 grit than to 1200 grit than to 2000 grit. Its very easy with the belt sander.

belt sander?.... your being carefull right?....

The_Neon_Cowboy · Nov 14, 2003, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by zapper
I lapped my heatsink with the following :
400 grit
600 grit
800grit
1000 grit
1500 grit
2000 grit
all being wet /dry with the 1500 and 2000 being mirror finnish it took about 3 hours but in the end using AS5 I lowered my temps by 8c well worth the time you put in

I start with coating the bottom is black permantant ink pen... as and indicator of when to swtich the the next grade..... otherwise I do the same except after i use a fine polish and bing it down to a fine mirror finish

Quote:

Originally posted by craig588
I do 800 grit than to 1200 grit than to 2000 grit. Its very easy with the belt sander.

thats crazy ... the whole point it to make the heatsink very flat... were talking razor blade edge flat... a belt sander might give you a good easy finish but i'd question the flatness..... if it an't flat afterwords its pointless to lap it..

Logla · Nov 14, 2003, 01:19 PM

Nifty Idea bout' the marker pen. I'll give that a go. I am finding it really dificult to find anything higher than 600grit though.

I can see plenty of sites in the US that sell this stuff but can't find anything in the UK.

Gotta keep researching I s'pose.

~~DriveEuro~~ · Nov 14, 2003, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Judas
belt sander?.... your being carefull right?....

Pshh, Craig and careful together? I don't see that being a possibility...

The_Neon_Cowboy · Nov 14, 2003, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DriveEuro
Pshh, Craig and careful together? I don't see that being a possibility...

rofl

Quote:

Originally posted by Logla
Nifty Idea bout' the marker pen. I'll give that a go. I am finding it really dificult to find anything higher than 600grit though.

I can see plenty of sites in the US that sell this stuff but can't find anything in the UK.

Gotta keep researching I s'pose.

try hardware stores, automotive shops, jewelry/tool supply stores, craft stores, online just gotta look harder

i could allway snail mail ya some if you send some $$$ my way (it's not expensive)

Logla · Nov 16, 2003, 02:35 PM

Managed to find the finer stuff but only as high as 1500. Seemed to work though as I am now the proud owner of a very shiny arsed collermaster heatpipe HSF. Can't get a proper reading though as the AS3 will need time to set and also the wife has the heating on - I AM BLOODY RED HOT ATM AND SO IS MY PC!!!

~~craig588~~ · Nov 16, 2003, 03:11 PM

I dropped my temps 5-6C when I lapped my SLK900A. I dont think I need the extra 1C drop of spending an extra 2 hours doing it all over agian by hand.

tek · Nov 16, 2003, 03:16 PM

I'll be lapping my SLK-900(A) soon too... just wanna see if I get some positive results, since I have to reseat the heatsink anyways...

I'll be going to Home Depot to find the finest sandpaper possible, and I'll do the same as The__Cowboy - mark the bottom with a marker, last year in school when I was building a desk my teacher told me to first finely mark the pieces of wood with pencil and sand manually until the pencil marking dissapears, and then pull out the belt sander to make it nice and smooth. And at the end I used REALLY fine sandpaper, I mean you could barely feel this stuff... which made the desk as smooth as possible.

So I think Craig's idea is the best, go from not too fine sandpaper, to finer, and then to the finest.

-tek

The_Neon_Cowboy · Nov 16, 2003, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tek
I'll be lapping my SLK-900(A) soon too... just wanna see if I get some positive results, since I have to reseat the heatsink anyways...

I'll be going to Home Depot to find the finest sandpaper possible, and I'll do the same as The__Cowboy - mark the bottom with a marker, last year in school when I was building a desk my teacher told me to first finely mark the pieces of wood with pencil and sand manually until the pencil marking dissapears, and then pull out the belt sander to make it nice and smooth. And at the end I used REALLY fine sandpaper, I mean you could barely feel this stuff... which made the desk as smooth as possible.

So I think Craig's idea is the best, go from not too fine sandpaper, to finer, and then to the finest.

-tek

youl see them the slk's are flat but there are machine marks... I've hard only good things from lapping them

Logla · Nov 16, 2003, 06:27 PM

I went a bit daft tonight and decided to lap an old hard disk. Only a 20gigger but some times use it for backup purposes but thought it would look nice inside the my case - and it does.

Luckily, there were no breather holes on the top so it was ok to smooth out.

One question though. How come when I was wetting the sandpaper the, the surface of the heatsink etc was looking very dull and when I polished without water, I got nice shiny results?