Copper block tarnish

DarkFathom · 07-03-05, 01:23 PM

Hey,
A few months back i decided to go for water cooling, but am just getting around to it now, anyway, i got out the danger den copper blocks that i bought, and found that they were tarnished, i was just wondering if i should just use regular copper polish or what on them, thanks.

Bad ConNecTioN · 07-03-05, 01:31 PM

Soak them in a mixture of viniger and salt.

Tarnish does not effect performance.

Moto7451 · 07-03-05, 01:37 PM

Toothpaste works too. Also you can use catchup to remove the tarnish.

wannaoc · 07-03-05, 03:08 PM

If its just the bottom of the block you are worried about get some 2500 grit sand paper and do a quick run over it.

sunrunner20 · 07-03-05, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wannaoc

If its just the bottom of the block you are worried about get some 2500 grit sand paper and do a quick run over it.

No reason at all to use sandpaper. Just a bath in ketcup or vinager(don't see a need for salt) will clear it up, But the tarnish does not effect preformance and thus should not be worried about, unless your going for looks.

DarkFathom · 07-03-05, 05:32 PM

alright, awesome thanks

Top Nurse · 07-04-05, 02:31 AM

Go into your kitchen and ask the chef what they use to clean their stainless steel and copper pots. Use same stuff...women have used the best for a long time so don't go out an re-invent the wheel.

If your a bachelor and don't know how to clean a pot then scurry down to your favorite department store and get some Revere Ware instant stainless steel and copper pot cleaner. Wipe it on and wipe the tarnish off. Make sure to use some rubber gloves so that your hands don't cause more tarnish and wash off well with H20.

MVC · 07-04-05, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top Nurse

If your a bachelor and don't know how to clean a pot then scurry down to your favorite department store and get some Revere Ware instant stainless steel and copper pot cleaner. Wipe it on and wipe the tarnish off. Make sure to use some rubber gloves so that your hands don't cause more tarnish and wash off well with H20.

Seems like a lot of work when most of us already have a bottle of ketchup. Besides, I'd want to read the label on that "stainless steel and copper pot cleaner" real close. For use on water blocks you don't want anything that leaves a "protective" coating on the metal since that would inhibit heat transfer and I have a feeling something made for pots on display would have such an ingredient.

If one's really worried about looks, clean the block up with ketchup or vinegar and then put a little clear coat on the top/visible portions but leave the bottom that comes into contact with the CPU plain bare metal--no one will see it anyway.

someoneElse · 07-04-05, 11:09 AM

Personally I kind of like the look of tarnished copper. Reminds me of nice old copper plumbing..

DarkFathom · 07-04-05, 11:33 AM

haha, yeah, i left the sides tarnished and cleaned off the bottom, the old rusty look is pretty cool, btw, the ketchup worked great.

threeme2189 · 07-04-05, 11:42 AM

is tarnish the marks left where you touched it and it got a but rusty?

someoneElse · 07-04-05, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threeme2189

is tarnish the marks left where you touched it and it got a but rusty?

Tarnished copper is just a dull orangish brown instead of shining and gleaming polished metal. It's just what happens to copper exposed to the air, that's all.

MVC · 07-04-05, 11:54 AM

Personally, I like the look of nice, clean, bright copper but not enough to uninstall a block to "clean" it or even enough to clear coat it prior to install. It's copper, it tarnishes, no biggie.

What might look good though is to "help" the copper tarnish until it takes on the distinctive green color it gets--I'm sure it takes too long on its own so help would be necessary. In a green themed case that would be sweet

Sneaky · 07-04-05, 01:10 PM

just soak the tarnished peice(s) in white vinegar for a couple of hours and it'll be brand spankin new again (don't add salt to the mixture - it may be too abrasive for high-purity copper)

-aDaM^ · 07-04-05, 01:25 PM

DONT USE SANDPAPER just use ketchup works amazing.

DarkFathom · 07-04-05, 03:04 PM

hahaha okay okay, its done, its cleaned, it didnt get rusty, tarnish gives a orangey look, and it makes it look a little worn, thats what i was talking about rusty, i wouldve never used sandpaper on my blocks btw, i used ketchup and it worked great. took a good 3 minutes.

voigts · 07-05-05, 02:42 AM

Or you can just paint it as in the case of my Swifty 6002. It sure looks a lot better in my book.

MVC · 07-05-05, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voigts

Or you can just paint it as in the case of my Swifty 6002. It sure looks a lot better in my book.

But, you gotta admit that Swiftech block isn't really all that attractive to begin with... I don't think they had aesthetics in mind when they designed it. But, since they've acquired the rights to the G4, I doubt they'll be selling many more of them and on the G4 all you see is acetal and stainless steel.

voigts · 07-06-05, 12:26 AM

That's true MVC. But I got mine barely used for only $35 shipped from the classifieds, so a little paint is worth it!

MVC · 07-06-05, 05:49 AM

Yeah, there's something to be said for staying within a budget or just getting a good deal on GP, and, with a nice paint scheme.... I saw one somewhere, maybe yours?, that had been painted black with a high gloss engine enamel and then the hold down was painted with red Metalcast. I almost didn't recognize it!

07-03-05, 01:23 PM	Thread Starter #1
DarkFathom Registered Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Florida	Copper block tarnish Hey, A few months back i decided to go for water cooling, but am just getting around to it now, anyway, i got out the danger den copper blocks that i bought, and found that they were tarnished, i was just wondering if i should just use regular copper polish or what on them, thanks.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-03-05, 01:31 PM	#2
Bad ConNecTioN Member Join Date: Sep 2004	Soak them in a mixture of viniger and salt. Tarnish does not effect performance.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-03-05, 01:37 PM	#3
Moto7451 Senior Something Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: LA, CA	Toothpaste works too. Also you can use catchup to remove the tarnish. __________________ Intel C2D e6400 @ 375MHz x8 = 3Ghz 1.328v, Gigabyte EP43-UD3L, 3GB DDR2, GeForce 9600GT, 73GB 15K SCSI HD/Adaptec 29160 SCSI Card, 750GB SATA Drive, 320GB ATA Drive, HDTV Tuner D5 Pump • Bonneville w/ AC Heater Core • Gemeni Cooling Maze 4 Style Water Block Sager 8690: Core i7 940XM Exreme 2.13GHz (3.2GHz Turbo), 4GB DDR3, GeForce GTX 285M 1GB, 15.6" 1080 LCD, 320GB 7200RPM HD Difference Between D5 Revisions + flow mod Difference between NPSM & G1/4
	QUOTE Thanks

07-03-05, 03:08 PM	#4
wannaoc Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Buried in UPS packages	If its just the bottom of the block you are worried about get some 2500 grit sand paper and do a quick run over it.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-03-05, 05:32 PM	Thread Starter #6
DarkFathom Registered Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Florida	alright, awesome thanks
	QUOTE Thanks

Copper block tarnish

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07-04-05, 02:31 AM	#7
Top Nurse Registered Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: So Cal	Go into your kitchen and ask the chef what they use to clean their stainless steel and copper pots. Use same stuff...women have used the best for a long time so don't go out an re-invent the wheel. If your a bachelor and don't know how to clean a pot then scurry down to your favorite department store and get some Revere Ware instant stainless steel and copper pot cleaner. Wipe it on and wipe the tarnish off. Make sure to use some rubber gloves so that your hands don't cause more tarnish and wash off well with H20.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-04-05, 11:09 AM	#9
someoneElse Member Join Date: Sep 2004	Personally I kind of like the look of tarnished copper. Reminds me of nice old copper plumbing..
	QUOTE Thanks

07-04-05, 11:33 AM	Thread Starter #10
DarkFathom Registered Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Florida	haha, yeah, i left the sides tarnished and cleaned off the bottom, the old rusty look is pretty cool, btw, the ketchup worked great.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-04-05, 11:42 AM	#11
threeme2189 Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Drowning my sorrow and misery in apple juice	is tarnish the marks left where you touched it and it got a but rusty? __________________ My Rig: HOT Athlon XP 2600 T-Bred :: GA-7M400M Gigabyte Mobo Asus 9600XT OC from 500/300@580/360 stock! :: 512 MB 333Mhz Spektek Ram Crappy 80 Gig HDD :: Sony CD Burner/dvd drive + CD drive If You'll Excuse Me, I Have A Beam Of Light To Catch.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-04-05, 11:54 AM	#13
MVC Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hell's Kitchen, NYC	Personally, I like the look of nice, clean, bright copper but not enough to uninstall a block to "clean" it or even enough to clear coat it prior to install. It's copper, it tarnishes, no biggie. What might look good though is to "help" the copper tarnish until it takes on the distinctive green color it gets--I'm sure it takes too long on its own so help would be necessary. In a green themed case that would be sweet
	QUOTE Thanks

07-04-05, 01:10 PM	#14
Sneaky Skulltrail Junkie Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Milwaukee, WI	just soak the tarnished peice(s) in white vinegar for a couple of hours and it'll be brand spankin new again (don't add salt to the mixture - it may be too abrasive for high-purity copper) __________________ • Lian Li PC-75B • Corsair Professional Series AX850 • • 2x Intel Xeon E5420 @ 3.0GHz (400x7.5) • Intel D5400XS Skulltrail • • 8GB (4x2GB) A-Data DDR2-800 FB-DIMM ECC (1:1 @ 400MHz) • • MSI Radeon HD4870 1GB • Creative X-Fi Titanium HD • • 2x WD VelociRaptor 150GB (RAID 0) + 2x WD Caviar Black 500GB • • 2x EK Supreme HF CPU • EK S-MAX NB • EK VGA Supreme GPU • Blastflow Tidal SB • • Thermochill PA120.3 • Swiftech MCRes-Micro • Laing D5 w/ Bitspower Top • ----------------------------------------------------------------- Heatware • http://www.heatware.com/eval.php?id=34593
	QUOTE Thanks

07-04-05, 01:25 PM	#15
-aDaM^ Disabled Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CaNaDa	DONT USE SANDPAPER just use ketchup works amazing.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-04-05, 03:04 PM	Thread Starter #16
DarkFathom Registered Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Florida	hahaha okay okay, its done, its cleaned, it didnt get rusty, tarnish gives a orangey look, and it makes it look a little worn, thats what i was talking about rusty, i wouldve never used sandpaper on my blocks btw, i used ketchup and it worked great. took a good 3 minutes.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-05-05, 02:42 AM	#17
voigts Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tennessee	Or you can just paint it as in the case of my Swifty 6002. It sure looks a lot better in my book.
	QUOTE Thanks

07-06-05, 12:26 AM	#19
voigts Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tennessee	That's true MVC. But I got mine barely used for only $35 shipped from the classifieds, so a little paint is worth it!
	QUOTE Thanks

07-06-05, 05:49 AM	#20
MVC Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hell's Kitchen, NYC	Yeah, there's something to be said for staying within a budget or just getting a good deal on GP, and, with a nice paint scheme.... I saw one somewhere, maybe yours?, that had been painted black with a high gloss engine enamel and then the hold down was painted with red Metalcast. I almost didn't recognize it!
	QUOTE Thanks

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