Solution to get rid of scratch mark on PB

There is no way to remove the scratch. There have been threads on this before, and all manner of unguents, goos, polishing cloths and paints have been suggested and rejected. Someone actually argued for three days that a user should apply automobile rubbing compound (whatever happened to Dean Krouse?) to his PowerBook because it was worth a try. (Worth a try!?!)

I'll tell you a story: Once upon a time, I felt my PowerBook wobbling on the table. I looked underneath it and saw that I was missing a rubber foot. I called AppleCare and they overnighted me a bag with eight replacement feet and a small tube of Krazy Glue™. When I applied the Krazy Glue™ to the foot and picked it up with a tweezers to attach it to the bottom of my machine, I squeezed a little too hard and the foot slid out of place, smearing the Krazy Glue™ on the bottom of my machine. I was devastated. My perfect machine was ruined. Ruined, all for the sake of a little bit of Krazy Glue™. I showed my wife what had happened and she laughed in my face. She explained that possessions don't really belong to us until we've made some mark on them, altered them in some way. "Now your PowerBook is really yours," she said. That made sense then, and it makes sense now. Enjoy your scratch, Zhong Guo Cai. Enjoy your scratch because it is yours.

And don't feel so lonely. There are a lot of people who would envy you that.

Tuttle

Any time.

Tuttle

Well, Dean is not here, but thanks to the miracle of cyberspace, I am. I just mailed my machine off to Apple to fix a dead hard drive and the tech guy on the phone indicated that they could fix the scratches and dings also.

Perhaps Apple some some top secret method... Automobile polishing compound perhaps?

Karth Vahlnar
Archmagus of Aualuna

I don't know about rubbing compound, but I do know it's silly to make a blanket assertion that there is no way to remove the scratch. I've removed scratches from my AlBook with billet polishing compound, which has micro-abrasives designed specifically for polishing anodized aluminum and chrome without creating even worse swirl marks. I picked up a 10 oz tub at the auto supply store for the grill on my truck, which I realized has a similar finish to my Powerbook. Works great and was only about six bucks.

Archmagus - Congratulations on your new position in Aualuna!! You must be very busy there. Still, I don't think that 3-5 posts a day here would be asking too much from you.

I hope you're well.

Tuttle

NSoler -

I do know it's silly to make a blanket assertion that there is no way to remove the scratch

Well, considering that in April, the aluminum PowerBooks will be two years old, and no one has yet reported a method for successfully removing scratches from PowerBook cases, I would say that there is nothing silly about it at all.

If you are suggesting that the product you used is entirely safe, and you, without having seen the scratches they describe, are willing to take the responsibility for any additional damage that users may incur by using a particular product on scratches, then you should by all means suggest it. Otherwise, I believe you are missing the larger point of my original post here.

Tuttle

I don't believe I am. Your point is that scratches and damage add character, and that an object is not truly yours until you've damaged it. I don't agree, but I do understand.

But you also said, "There is no way to remove the scratch."
You present this as a statement of fact, when in fact, you haven't seen the scratch and have no way to know if that is true. I don't know if my suggestion will work for him or not. But I have no reason to assume that a compound designed to polish anodized aluminum will damage anodized aluminum, especially when it didn't damage mine. All I know is it worked for me, which means yes, there might actually be some way to remove the scratch. Again, I don't know if it will work for him, but I do know one thing: neither do you.

Good luck, Zhong.

NSoler

All I know is it worked for me, which means yes, there might actually be some way to remove the scratch.

What I don't understand is why, instead of making this a personal issue between us, you don't just step up and name the product that you used and that you recommend. What product, are you talking about, exactly? And why haven't you named it or linked to it when it has the potential for helping so many people who in the past have had nowhere to turn?

Again, I don't know if it will work for him, but I do know one thing: neither do you.

I don't, you're right, and I've already said as much, here:

If you are suggesting that the product you used is entirely safe, and you, without having seen the scratches they describe, are willing to take the responsibility for any additional damage that users may incur by using a particular product on scratches, then you should by all means suggest it.

So, what is it?

Tuttle

Hi Tuttle,

I think he did name it (though un-capitalised) - Billet? Don't know of it myself.

Peter

Billet (lower case) aluminum is a length of unworked aluminum:

http://www.altvetmed.com/face/15323-aluminum-billet.html

Tuttle

Yesterday I noticed bit of a chip (literally 2mm long) on the front of my PB. I was mortified. That story, though it's incredibly simple, is incredibly right and has made me feel a **** of a lot better. Thanks Tuttle.

Steve.

I used Heavy Metal brand billet polish, but there are plenty of billet polishes on the market, all of them I assume equally useful, which is why I didn't mention a brand.

Thank you, Steve. I will pass that along to my wife!

Tuttle