I dug up the bottom of my heatsink.

[EvilDonnyboy]

I'm not asking for help, I just feel like tellin my missfortunes.

I got a new SECC2 heatsink with single 50x50x1.5 fan (its cheap but decent).

It had that graphite silvery thermal stuff on the bottom, but I wanted to put on some of my thermal goo. I had thought it was a theramal pad that was easily peeled off (as was the case of my previous secc2 hsf), but it wasn't. It was more like the stuff you scratch off lottery tickets, except way more stubborn. I couldnt'd scratch the stuff off using my nails so I got out a razor. I ended up digging 1mm deep scratches in the soft aluminum. And there was still some residual graphit stuff on it.

I got out some rubbing alcohol and it disolved the graphit stuff like sugar, easily wiped away.

So the moral of this story is, use the damn rubbing alcohol before you dig up your hsf with a razor.

 

[Zoltarc]

hehe.....Bad luck mate.

Thanks for the tip though

 

[Jugernot]

Just use some 200 grit sandpaper. I've done that several times with a razor blade also. After you get the main scratches smoothed out with the 200grit, use 360grit or better to get it super smooth.

Joe

 

[OddOne]

The best thing I've ever found is garden-variety brake cleaner. It's a potent degreaser and dissolves most any thermal material, including graphite pads and phase-change material. It's nasty to plastics though and quick-dehydrates skin rather badly (by dissolving skin oils and evaporating them away), so use with caution.

O d d O n e

 

[Yoshi]

Put it to a belt sander to get rid of the large blemishes then move to some finer grit sand paper to smooth things out and it will be good as new!