Mac OS 9 Lives

Mac OS 9 Discussion => Hardware => Topic started by: mattrock1988 on August 13, 2019, 09:11:00 AM

Title: Polishing my eMac
Post by: mattrock1988 on August 13, 2019, 09:11:00 AM

My eMac is in surprisingly good shape, as it came from a non-academic environment and wasn't driven hard. However, under a magnifying glass and additional lighting, some small pick marks, micro scratches, and more surface.

I've been told that the eMac, being that it's acrylic, is easy to buff imperfections away and make the casing like new again. Are there any recommendations on how I can proceed?

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: FBz on May 13, 2020, 11:04:05 AM

Necro from waaay back in 2019!

Just resurrected this 1.25 GHz eMac (last Saturday) and its face was deeply scratched (undoubtedly from riding around face-down in a friend of mine’s truck bed for who knows how long). Anyway, employed the old speckle-paint approach and it doesn’t look too bad now.The rest of the case was “buffed” using 0000 steel wool and then polished afterwards with Novus Plastic Cleaner & Polish. Not so bad, either.

(http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5147.0;attach=7596;image)

Biggest consideration was complete disassembly as it had been stored in workshop under a chop saw for years and it was full of sawdust. Of course now I need to disassemble it again because I installed an Airport Extreme card (as I was led to believe) that it would work and it does not… in favor now of a regular Airport card.

Anyone running one with an Airport Extreme?

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: Nymunariya on May 13, 2020, 11:44:51 AM

I had a 1GHz model that used Airport Extreme.  I remember that well, because if you restored the original OS (10.2.4?) with an Airport Extreme card, it would kernel panic.

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: FBz on May 13, 2020, 12:13:20 PM

Thanks. I've yet to wipe the HD and clean-install OS.
Will try before complete disassembly & Airport replace. ;)

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: Nymunariya on May 14, 2020, 04:11:10 AM

Quote from: FBz on May 13, 2020, 12:13:20 PM

Thanks. I've yet to wipe the HD and clean-install OS.
Will try before complete disassembly & Airport replace. ;)

don't you just need to remove the bezel above the cd drive, under the flap? (https://de.ifixit.com/Anleitung/eMac+AirPort+Card+Replacement/3651?lang=en)

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: FBz on May 14, 2020, 07:59:15 AM

Yes, thanks.
But also going to upgrade the CD drive. ;)

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: Philgood on May 20, 2020, 09:47:00 AM

That is some nice  creative restoring skills you have there. I enjoy watching it.
Well executed it seems.

I was sent over the cap list for the MDD PS recap shotgun approach and it seems you updated it recently.
I remember you addressed that in this forum but I didn't get to read it properly yet.
Anyway I appreciate your dedication to document that too.

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: FBz on May 23, 2020, 09:28:55 AM

Thanks Philgood! (I try.)  ;)

It's been awhile since I revisited the MDD PSU recap adventure
and the latest effort here... was a QS PSU recap.
(Still waiting on one replacement cap...
as one I received was too fat to install in QS PSU limited space.)

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: Philgood on May 23, 2020, 09:51:19 AM

I am about to do my first recap of another apple product but as shipping costs are higher than for the caps itself I need to make a bigger order list so i will include at least the caps for the PS as well.

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: FBz on May 23, 2020, 10:00:31 AM

Just a heads-up on the MDD caps list.

There was one cap in the MDD list that was "questionable" (per MacOS+) that you might review before ordering. If you read through that thread you will find what I'm referring to. You might simply want to heed MacOS+ comment concerning just that one cap. Have big fun!

Title: Re: Polishing my eMac
Post by: Philgood on May 24, 2020, 01:02:21 AM

Will do, thanks a lot.