• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Waterblock bottom discolored a while after lapping

D

DarkenReaper57

2[H]4U
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
2,173
I lapped my waterblock a while ago to a nice flat mirror finish. It has been sitting in a box on a clean rag, but I noticed today that the bottom is discolored (oxidation?). Will this affect performance? Should I relap a bit with 2000 grit before I mount?

Also, would anyone happen to know how to take apart an older d-tek WW with alu top? I want to make sure there isn't any corrosion inside and maybe clean it up a bit with ketchup :).

Thanks.
 
That's tarnish - oxygen reacting with your shiny and flat - but unprotected copper. Either that or it's something coming off of the rag. Lightly lapping the bottom so that it doesn't show whatever it is on your block probably won't hurt it too muc, as long as you either mount it soon after or wrap it in plastic or something to keep it away from air.

For your WW, you could either bug Cathar or read the manual (click the "manual" link under the WW section on the bottom left) he wrote a while back for his block (Cathar's WW is the same as D-Tek's, D-Tek just made a couple slight manufacturing changes to make it easier to mass produce).

As for using ketchup, that would only clean up the inside to make it a little cleaner and prettier, because corrosion is where two metals are creating a battery between them and a fluid, so the metal is essentailly not eaten away at. Remember to an anti-corrosion additive when you redo your loop ;)
 
It's probably the reaction between the oils or acids in your skin and the copper. Best to always lap block and clean-up with latex gloves that you wash before touching the copper (put gloves on and wash hands). Then do not touch the block and it is probably best if you do the last few laps with the gloves as I have been there done that. Either mount it immediately of put it in a baggie and suck the air out. If you use any chemical polishers before mounting the block, to get rid of any tarnish, then make sure you use something like 99% pure Isopropyl alcohol before mounting. You can get the 99% stuff usually only from a local pharmacy or a chemical supply house. Another option is to use solution # 2 of the ArctiClean products.
 
White Vinegar is your friend.

Give it a bath in white vinegar for about an hour. Will come up very nicely. If you watch it for the first few minutes, you'll see the tarnish disappear before your eyes. The extra 55 minutes is just for completeness sake.
 
Cathar said:
White Vinegar is your friend.

Give it a bath in white vinegar for about an hour. Will come up very nicely. If you watch it for the first few minutes, you'll see the tarnish disappear before your eyes. The extra 55 minutes is just for completeness sake.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. :D Does it do anything to help preventing further oxidation?
 
Nope, any coating or treatment could hurt prformance, it will get in the metal and hinder thermal transfer.................. :cool:
White vinrgar is the best thing to use to clean your complete water cooling system inside and out............. :cool: I've been using it for years............. :D
 
Bio-Hazard said:
Nope, any coating or treatment could hurt prformance, it will get in the metal and hinder thermal transfer.................. :cool:
White vinrgar is the best thing to use to clean your complete water cooling system inside and out............. :cool: I've been using it for years............. :D
Click to expand...

Will it help get rid of corrosion inside a block? I don't think I have any, but I'm sure there is some junk in there :).
 
Pinesol is excellent for cleaning tubing. It will clear up cloudy tubes in about thirty minutes. Have done this myself when I used to use precipitating additives.
 
DarkenReaper57 said:
Will it help get rid of corrosion inside a block? I don't think I have any, but I'm sure there is some junk in there :).
Click to expand...

Yes - vinegar makes an all-round excellent cleaner of all brass/copper items.
 
Is it possible for vinegar to make the bottom of a waterblock unflat again (once lapped) in the process of removing tarnish with white vinegar?
 
DarkenReaper57 said:
Is it possible for vinegar to make the bottom of a waterblock unflat again (once lapped) in the process of removing tarnish with white vinegar?
Click to expand...

No, not as far as practicality is concerned.
 
Hmm, I put my gpu block in a bowl with white vinegar for about 3 hrs, and it doesn't appear to have taken all of the tarnish off. It looks better than it did before, but it still isn't the same as it was after I lapped it.

Any ideas?
 
Rub some WD-40 onto the copper (except where you'll have AS) and it won't rust again.
 
DarkenReaper57 said:
Hmm, I put my gpu block in a bowl with white vinegar for about 3 hrs, and it doesn't appear to have taken all of the tarnish off. It looks better than it did before, but it still isn't the same as it was after I lapped it.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Scrub it, it's much more effective than a simple soak. Use a rag or something, not an abrasive scrubber.
 
plywood99 said:
Pinesol is excellent for cleaning tubing. It will clear up cloudy tubes in about thirty minutes. Have done this myself when I used to use precipitating additives.
Click to expand...

Penicillin (from Aquarium store) also fixes most any cloudy tubing as well.
 
Well, I'll probably end up lapping the blocks a bit again with 2000 grit. No biggie, I did miss a small scratch here and there anyway.

Is there anything I can do to prevent any tarnish in the future? Would keeping the block in a plastic zip-lock bag help? What about polishing the base with a bit of AS5 and wiping up the excess? I noticed that this seemed to help on one block.
 
Bump for possible answer to keeping the bottom of a waterblock from not discoloring/tarnishing after lapping. Covering the bottom with plastic wrap didn't seem to help :(.

EDIT: I want to open up the block and give it a good check for corrosion or deposits in the channels. I realize that I need to use an allen key (L-shaped hex) to open the block, but would anyone happen to know the size needed? I'm thinking of picking up one of these locally http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=41102-75198-70591&lpage=none for convenience, but I don't want to get a size that is a bit too small and round off the hex nuts.

Oh, I read that scrubbing with ketchup works well, is this true?

Thanks in advance!
 
Well that same consideration has come up lately with me as well. Haven't tried it yet, but I think if you keep it in a solution of AC fluid and distilled H20 it should prevent any corrosion. Maybe even just spraying it with a similar solution and enclosing it in a baggie with no air might help. Another solution is to place a piece of vinyl over your lapped surface. This should stick well and will prevent air from getting to the bottom of the block.
 
Top Nurse said:
Well that same consideration has come up lately with me as well. Haven't tried it yet, but I think if you keep it in a solution of AC fluid and distilled H20 it should prevent any corrosion. Maybe even just spraying it with a similar solution and enclosing it in a baggie with no air might help. Another solution is to place a piece of vinyl over your lapped surface. This should stick well and will prevent air from getting to the bottom of the block.
Click to expand...

Hmm, excellent idea. I don't have AC (Aqua-computer?) fluid, but I do have antifreeze and distilled water. This should suffice.

I did some research, and the manual for Cathar's whitewater block says the block is outfitted with 2.5mm hex bolts. Would anyone happen to know if the same is true for the D-tek block?

I couldn't find a manual for the D-tek block :(.
 
I was thinking, would keeping the blocks in a solution of rubbing alcohol work to protect them against tarnish/corrosion? My d-tek blocks have aluminum tops on them, if that matters.

I am somewhat hesitant to stick them in a solution with antifreeze simply because antifreeze is...messy. Alcohol easily evaporates.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top