How best to clean my copper block??

[hartigan]

I'm wondering the best method by which I can clean this copper block.

I know I can use IPA 99% to get rid of the thermal paste but the copper is what I'm not sure how to clean. It's rather tarnished and I want to get it back to that "like new" gleam.

I'm thinking vinegar but, the "water" spots you see are actually vinegar spots so I'm not sure if that's the route I should take.

I'm open to any advice.

Thank you!!

[lokitexas]

Did you flush it with distilled after the vin bath? That usually clears those spots up.

[hartigan]

Did you flush it with distilled after the vin bath? That usually clears those spots up.

Thank you for the reply!!

Yup, immediately after soaking the block in a 1:5 vinegar/distilled water mixture for about 20 minutes, I flushed it completely with distilled water. I followed the methods outlined in THIS (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=54331) guide at the "Cleaning the Radiator and Waterblocks" section midway through.

[NaeKuh]

Buff with ketchup. Should take care of it.

And no im not kidding, and yes i mean that red thing you put on french frys.

[initialised]

I bought a used Apogee GT, it was a mess. I soaked it in Cillit Bang and cleaned the fins with a wire brush. it went from looking like a 1p coin that had been in circulation for a few years to looking like one fresh from the Mint. I tried vinegar first but it didn't work very well.

[hartigan]

Thank you for the replies!!

Seeing I don't have any Cillit Bang around, I'm going to give the ketchup a try. I've been soaking the block in Lemon Juice and that definitely brought back the shine but, I can't get rid of the spots. Perhaps the ketchup will do the job.

BRB

[NaeKuh]

My next one is gonna be toothpaste incase your wondering. :T

And then lastly, if no go, copper cleaner. :\ Remember polish and cleaners are 2 different things.

[hartigan]

Well, the verdict is in.

Lemon Juice for the shine. Toothpaste with a bit of Baking Soda mixed in to get rid of the spots. I haven't gotten it back to perfect but darn close.

If anyone does this, please ensure that your last rinse is with a generous amount of distilled water. The paste got lodged in the screw holes so I needed to use some hot tap water to do an initial thorough rinse but the last rinse was with about 1/4 gallon of distilled water.

Here's the finished product. Thank you, again, to all who provided feedback.

[lokitexas]

Well, the verdict is in.

Lemon Juice for the shine. Toothpaste with a bit of Baking Soda mixed in to get rid of the spots. I haven't gotten it back to perfect but darn close.

If anyone does this, please ensure that your last rinse is with a generous amount of distilled water. The paste got lodged in the screw holes so I needed to use some hot tap water to do an initial thorough rinse but the last rinse was with about 1/4 gallon of distilled water.

Here's the finished product. Thank you, again, to all who provided feedback.

Holy Crap...that is freekin bright. Did you use whitening toothpaste:shocked: ? lol no that really looks good man.

[aspire.comptech]

Just cleaned up an EK Supreme I got in the mail today with Ketchup, looks way better than when I received it.

[fungry]

Toothpaste i understand but ketchup? :rofl: How do you go about applying it?

Getting their hartigan. :up: nice and shiny.

[aspire.comptech]

You just pour it onto the surface you want to treat and let it sit for about half an hour, then rinse it off with water, dry the block and most if not all tarnish should have come off.

It works because of the slightly acid properties of tomato paste.

[TedShred]

I would love to see some ketchup-copper-cleaning pics next time someone does this. I believe it works, but it just sounds so goofy!:p:

[lokitexas]

Screw that...I am making a dual loop now. One Ketchup for the CPU, one Mustard for the GPUs, and when I get more money...Mayo loop for the mos's.

In all seriousness I always stayed away from the toothpaste and condiment suggestions...but I might have to really do this next time.

[aspire.comptech]

Should have let me know like 3 hours ago. I don't have before or after pics, wasn't thinking much.

Got a bunch of nasty stuff from the inside and from the base cleaned up.

[TedShred]

Screw that...I am making a dual loop now. One Ketchup for the CPU, one Mustard for the GPUs, and when I get more money...Mayo loop for the mos's.
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

that is one entertaining visual, I needed that!!:D

@aspire.comptech - yeah I imagine grabbing your camera is the last thing on your mind with ketchup-fingers!

[aspire.comptech]

Ketchup, now made with copper, REAL COPPER!

[IanY]

I'm going to introduce two others that work for me.

Taco Bell sauce... aka weak sauce.. tastes like crap anyway...

Chinese takeout hot sauce. Works great. Just make sure you don't have cuts on your finger, for obvious reasons.

[TedShred]

I've heard enough. I'm going to A&W!

[lokitexas]

I'm going to introduce two others that work for me.

Taco Bell sauce... aka weak sauce.. tastes like crap anyway...

Chinese takeout hot sauce. Works great. Just make sure you don't have cuts on your finger, for obvious reasons.

Are you serious! :shocked: With all my Taco Bell hot sauce packets...I can bottle em and sell them as high-end copper block cleaners. Hrrrmmm..

Ok this thread reminds me of the "If you have a cold spray windex on a tissue and blow your nose", or "The best thing for a sore throat is a cup of donkey urine".

[aspire.comptech]

If you have a cold spray windex on a tissue and blow your nose.

Does that really work?

[IanY]

Whatever you do, stay away from Brasso. It leaves a nasty oily film that's almost impossible to remove without an alcohol soak. It'll also degrade your block's cooling ability. Remember, shiny is not always better. In fact, shiny may be worse, but that's a whole different controversial topic.

[bigslappy]

And don't forget if you have athlete's foot .

Piss on your toes when in shower Clears it up in day

If you got it bad then it will burn alittle but like i said clears it up fast !

:sick::cow:

[lokitexas]

Does that really work?

Dunno...wouldnt try it, would you?

[lokitexas]

And don't forget if you have athlete's foot .

Piss on your toes when in shower Clears it up in day

If you got it bad then it will burn alittle but like i said clears it up fast !

:sick::cow:

Hah...thats just excuse to piss in the shower.:up:

[RADCOM]

what if you use Brasso then clean with Isopropyl alcohol or acetone.....I have a friend that did this...honest it wasn't me:rolleyes:

[hartigan]

This thread definitely became incredibly comical :rofl:. I love the comments.

As for the Brasso then IPA, I don't know for sure but, I'd possibly use acetone first, to completely break down all of the oils from the brasso, then use the IPA to remove the residue left by the acetone.

I can't recommend the toothpaste enough for removing spots (there's a mild abrasive in the paste) and the lemon juice brought a shine to the copper that I found amazing.

I'm sure anything that contained a mild acid would do the trick. For some reason, I just felt more comfortable with the lemon juice because it seemed more innocuous than ketchup. Not sure why, just a gut reaction.