Tiny hairline scratches ~5 cm long on bottom of MBP, barely visible but annoying

My 15" MBP is a week old and I once put it down on top of a case and moved it around, and the zipper thing scratched the bottom leaving some tiny scratches. :cry: :cry: I imagine they're probably very easy to remove but how would I go about doing it? I've seen lots of threads about this but most of them were for scratches on the MBP screen. What about the actual aluminum surface?

 

Now, I don't mean to disappoint you or anything, but how does one remove scratches from a metal surface? Unless of course you are considering having the whole bottom cover re-galvanized, or re-painted? I think that's about your only option if you have scratched the metal surface... I've never heard of any other ways to get rid of scratches from a metal surface.

And just out of curiosity, what do these threads suggest you do to get rid of scratches from the screen. I can understand preventing scratches, but once you have got a scratch how can you remove it, without changing the glass on top of the display itself? Luckily, I always treat my laptop with extra care

 

Well, hold on, aren't there a bunch of abrasive products or something that are supposed to fine out the aluminum and remove any scratches? Something like, steel wool for instance? I don't know, I even heard someone used a combination of toothpaste and petroleum jelly! (who thought of trying that? )

Macbook Pro Screen Hairline scratch removal - MacRumors Forums

Well, this guy for instance used an eraser and got rid of it. I'll try that on mine, hold on.

Edit: Well, after three minutes of vigorous erasing it might have helped the tiniest bit, but my scratches are still easily visible.

 

OP, I would say at this point that this is actually a good thing that this happened. Sure, it's your new baby but when everything appears "perfect" many people have the tendency to be overly careful and just when you're being overly careful you end up having a much worse accident at some point.
You'll get over the scratches soon and I can assure you that you will feel a lot more comfortable handling your MBP since it now has a bit of character to it.

PS: I saw your reply above, if you're concerned about the hairline scratches you've got, you'll be in tears if you use steel wool to try and remove them.

Let it go, you're not going to be able to get rid of them, that would require a resurfacing of the metal. You might be able to camouflage them but not remove them. Speck makes a great case for the MBP and it will fully protect it from such accidents.

 

Steel wool???? You are honestly considering rubbing the bottom cover with steel wool? I hope you haven't already done it! It isn't just raw aluminum that you can scrub and polish out. There is a layer of paint on it. You use steel wool, all you will get is a bigger patch of scratched and discolored portion on the aluminum. Don't even think of taking steel wool anywhere near it! As for petroleum jelly and toothpaste, they can remove stains, I suppose. But a scratch is a physical damage, and they won't fill up the ridge in anyway. If you've got color stains, that is a different issue. But neither toothpaste, nor petroleum jelly, nor a combination of the two in any proportion will help with scratches on aluminum. Aluminum is a not a living being that you can nurse back to health with petroleum jelly or moisturizers .

 

There's no paint on the MacBook Pro casing. It's just anodized aluminum and the finish was created during the anodization process

 

Dude! A scratch is like a miniature dent on the surface. You can't just erase it! The guy in the post you linked, must have had some sort of a stain on the screen confused with a scratch. If there's a scratch no eraser on earth will erase it away. And for heaven's sake, don't rub your screen with an eraser! Leave it as it is. You will be in tears soon if you continue running every experiment you read about online on your laptop. DO NOT MESS AROUND WITH STEEL WOOL/ERASERS/PETROLEUM JELLY/FLAMETHROWERS etc around your laptop, if you have any love for it.

 

You are absolutely right, of course. Sorry! That's what I meant! Anodized. It came out wrong. But either way, OP is going down a dark highway if he uses steel wool on that aluminum cover!

 

Alright, alright, no steel wool! That was just a random thing that came to my mind. And, the scratch is not on my screen, it's on the aluminum. Just to clear up any confusion over that. I guess I'll just get a case like Lucky Labs to cover it up...

P.S. By the way, I was wondering what the best case is for the MBP. I really really like the carbon fiber Lucky Labs one; I'll get an iSkin ProTouch FX red keyboard cover and a red Apple logo insert for a Ferrari look...

 

Yes, agreed wholeheartedly. No abrasives.

Did you overlook my post about the Speck case? Not sure if they offer any carbon fiber but they are the best selling case for Apple notebooks.

https://www.speckproducts.com/macbook-cases.html

 

No, no, I saw your post... the Speck just doesn't offer the cool factor of the Lucky Labs. And also I really want a Ferrari look.

 

Is that carbon fiber thing a case or a stick-on? If it's a stick-on, I'll suggest getting a case, as cases will offer more protection. Also, if I were you, I'll leave the Apple logo alone. It has a certain class to it. Since you've brought up car analogies with the Ferrari, think of it like this- you are trying to make a Rolce Royce look like a Ferrari ! Are you sure that's a good idea? But in the end, it's personal choice...

 

Well to each his own, but the Lucky Labs products are just skins that protect the finish and there's nothing wrong with that if that's what you're after but the Speck will actually protect your Macbook from bangs and drops.

 

I read somewhere that removing and putting on those cases, sometimes scratch the body of the MBP near the edges where the case has those clips to hold itself in place? I have never used those things, because I usually pamper my Apple products, and have never needed a case . But how true is that?

 

I have heard the same thing, I don't know how true it is. Everyone will have a different experience.

 

True...

 

MR. clean magic eraser.

 

No, no. The MacBook Pro is NOT a Rolls-Royce. The MacBook Pro can only be one thing: a Mercedes S65 AMG. It's got the looks, it's got the price tag, it's got the 7-liter V12 (Core i7 quad core), but when it comes to ACTUAL, real-life performance on the track... first corner and you're off in a cloud of smoke.

This is a Rolls-Royce: Most expensive laptop in the world – 1 Million Dollars

 

Oh, yes, by the way, there's a lot of controversy over this product. Should I try it? Seems harmless enough...

 

use it lightly and report back. Should work for anything light, deep scratches are off the table.

 

Really? Great! I'll buy it when I can and resurrect this thread once I've tried it.

 

And you are back to square one ! That thing is a melamine foam based abrasive cleaner. And as you have already been advised, abrasive materials are NOT safe. The open cell foam in that thing is microporous, but its polymeric base is extremely hard. Think of it like a liquid sandpaper. It will get inside those scratches and clean any dust inside them , but won't in any way remove them. On the contrary, the anodized finish will probably get scratched or discolored/faded from the melamine. It would be just like using liquid steel wool !

 

I beg to disagree. The MBP performs superbly, and that link is not anything like a Rolce. It is more like a Vertu mobile . An ordinary nokia, with a diamond studded somewhere, and the price pushed up to a million. MACs are the most pragmatic machines around...

 

Okay, let me rephraise my statement. S65's are... they're just not the best performing cars for the money; they're really REALLY fast in a straight line, but no good around corners. The MacBook Pro isn't the best performing computer for the money, it just looks really good. You can't compare an MBP to a Rolls-Royce because a Rolls-Royce is just a grandfather car with a big engine. Imagine a Rolls-Royce with aluminum finish!! No, it's all grandfather wood trim. So, I guess you might liken an MBP to a Bentley... but the S65 is just the best overall comparison.

P.S. Hold on, I'm going to make a complete computer-car analogy chart and post it in a few minutes.

 

Computer Car
Any Sager………………………………………………………………………………….Caterham
Any Apple laptop……………………………………………………………………....Mercedes S65
HP Envy…………………………………………………………………………………….Alfa Romeo 8C
Asus Lamborghini……………………………………………………………………..Lamborghini
Dell XPS Z………………………………………………………………………………….BMW 7 Series
Dell Inspiron, HP Pavilion, Sony E Series, etc. ..........….......GMC/Ford
Sony Z Series……………………………………………………………………………..Aston Martin
Fujitsu……………………………………………………………………………………….Lexus
Compaq……………………………………………………………………………………..Lada/Yugo
sorry, I’m a Compaq hater…

I'm open to any recommendations.
NOW, here's the real question. What's a Bugatti Veyron???

 

Scientific terms makes no difference, for light scratches, it works. Do not brush to hard, do not over do it, do not add to much water. I have used it and it worked for me.

 

Two questions: 1) How long have you used a MAC before? They are absolutely the best and most reliable laptops available. And this is coming from someone who grew up on an alienware. Those PCs boasting high-end configs, are like AK47s.... a lot of stopping power packed into the gun, but unfortunately no sophistication when it comes to recoil, muzzle stability and accuracy. As long as you don't care who you shoot, and if your rifle jams every hundred rounds... you should be fine. But if you want long-term reliable, stable performance with high accuracy, you need a G-36. Simple as that.

2) Again, have you actually seen a Rolce Royce? And I am not talking about the classic Phantom series... have you seen any of the 2010 models? Take a look. The Rolce Royce packs absolutely the best of everything, from engine to interiors, and the engineering transcends art. Again, a Rolce is not about packing a cylinder or two of NOS under the hood, and hurling itself through space from point A to point B. It's designed to get from point A to point B, and while doing so give the person(s) inside the smoothest, safest, and most stable riding experience and then combine that with optimum high-speed.

That's just what MACs are... they are designed to work... 'just work', and do that with style, class and reliability. Period.

 

Those scientific terms describe what that compound is, and how it works . By it's very definition it is an abrasive product. Unless you had stains, and confused them with scratches, or there were scratches that were accumulating dirt and you just wanted to clean the area, there is nothing any melamine foam could do to remove physical scratches from metallic surfaces. If they could the people with expensive cars wouldn't need to go to expensive garages to have their body dents and scratches fixed. They would just bathe the car in a melamine based washing agent! What you are suggesting is scientifically impossible.

 

I don't know what melamine and scientific polymeric stuff is, but, one question: if I scrub lightly, do I risk damaging the aluminum at all? If not, it's worth a try. I've seen people on YouTube use this stuff on their keyboards (which are made of plastic), and trackpads (which are made of glass). Both materials (I think) aren't as "strong" as aluminum. Nothing was damaged.

 

Now, I've never taken any abrasive material within 500 yards of my laptop ! That being said, I doubt you'll have anything to gain from using something that is a declared abrasive cleaner on something as expensive as a MBP! Think of it like this... there is NO way you are getting rid of those scratches without having the entire cover resurfaced! Now, considering that I may be, and that's a big may be, wrong about the abrasive cleaner doing damage... since you stand to gain nothing, is it worth the risk? You say they are hairline scratches! If the cleaner does not damage the cover any further, okay... but you'll still have the scratches. BUT, if it does cause further damage... considering how much an hairline scratch bothers you, where do you think it will leave you then?


Trust me... go with what HLDan said... leave it as it is. The laptop wasn't gonna stay in mint condition all along anyway. Just treat the hairline scratches as signs of maturity . You'll get used to it soon enough. And just get some kind of a case for further protection. It will also give you a new look. May be go with the Ferrari look you were talking about. At least the cover you can take off and/or change anytime you want. Any kind of physical damage won't be as reversible, you know!

 

Okay, how about if I just buy the bottom section, screw off the old one and put the new one on? Can I do that? I couldn't find a parts section on Apple's website and Froogle didn't help too much either.

 

That would be the ideal solution, of course . However, as you have already experienced yourself, when it comes to Apple getting spare parts isn't exactly a walk in the park. I don't think you can order parts like that from their website. I have never seen any such section. And you are saying Froogle doesn't help either. Now that's the problem. I am sure Apple service centers will know how to get those parts. I mean, suppose someone accidentally broke their bottom cover and is willing to pay for the part, it's not like Apple is going to tell him that he will have to use the laptop without the bottom cover . They can provide parts, but as with all other Apple parts they will most likely charge you exorbitant amounts. Your only other options are to scourge around ebay, amazon and those kinds of sites, and perhaps open a thread here and other mac forums like macrumors and see what people suggest. May be someone will have one lying around, if you are lucky.

What I don't understand is, why are you so keen on it? If they are indeed hairline scratches, just ignore them. Why spend a lot of money on something so trivial. Even the new one will eventually develop marks of usage. Wouldn't you be better off upgrading your RAM and/or HDD with that money? Or perhaps get something else you want, like an iPOD or some other tech-toy you fancy?

 

I found these:

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The first one lists the bottom cover at $299. If you are okay with that amount give it a shot.

 

OMG $200 for a bottom cover WT_F????? I can't find the prices on the second link, though...

 

What the compound is, is why I searched it out. It's a very fine and light "sand paper" it doesn't get rid of the scratch, it simply feathers the hard edges that make the scratch visible. It works. DO NOT OVER DO IT!

 

Okay, this whole thing is turning into a feud. One person is absolutely sure that it works and the other person is absolutely sure that not only does it not work, but it actually damages the computer. I think we need to consult a scientist here.

 

well...I used it before. I upgraded to 8GB of RAM and scratched one of the corners when trying to put a screw back in. It was a light scratch, and I "buffed" or "feathered" the hard edges, it then blends right in. Some people say scratch remover works as well, by filling in the scratch.

 

The only way to find out for sure is to use it ! Go ahead and give it a shot, but I doubt you are going to like the outcomes

 

The second link needs you to consult the supplier before he/she quotes you the prices. It says so somewhere at the bottom of the page the link leads to.
And I told you you'll be paying humongous amounts for the part! Apple spares never come cheap! So, like we have been telling you, treat it as a sign of usage and move on. Use the $299 to get yourself an iPOD or something !

 

The MBP cover has an anodized finish. When you scratch it some of the anodized exterior gets discolored. Smoothing the rough edges will not make the scratch invisible. Rather since smoothing refers to brushing away rough edges, you'll have extra scratches around it. It's like you fall from your bike and scratch your forehead on one side. So, in an effort to make both sides look even you take a knife and scratch your forehead on the other side too. It will not make the first wound go away. You'll just have two wounds instead of one !

 

I'm sorry leopard, your wrong. I used it, it works. You have to be very carful, and use common sense.

 

Lets hope so! I'm hoping Baloney will soon let us know.... one way or the other

 

Okay, forget the Magic Eraser. Sorry no1up, I'm not taking the risk. Leopardhunter7, if I find out that I in fact can remove scratches with the Magic Eraser I will be very angry!!! Anyway, what about this? Scratch Remover for iPhone 3GS Back, iPod, White MacBook, DVDs, LCD Screens - Ice Creme Scratch Remover Polishes and Restores Surfaces

It's designed for "acrylic, polycarbonate and bright metal surfaces." Is aluminum a "bright metal surface?" If so, is it safe? (considering that it's designed specifically for Apple products I think it would be safe, right?) It's called Ice Creme, though, and that just sounds... wrong. I don't like the sound of it too much...
Any advice?

 

I didn't TELL you not to... I merely stated that IF I were you, I wouldn't do that . And how are you going to find out, if you've decided not to risk it? Unless of course, you are conspiring to make some less suspecting soul try it on their's... and use him/her as a scapegoat .

Honestly, I have never used any such thing on any electronic item. I did use that particular thing to polish my old trophy though ! It worked fine... in a way. See, what that does is lay a fine layer over the surface that covers the scratch... but only temporarily. If you read through their product description carefully, they mention

... which is sort of an implied way of what I found out through experience. The layer will eventually wear off, and the scratches resurface, as they did on my trophy. Also note they use the shiny steel-like back cover of an iPOD for the demo-pic. The MBP has an anodized body, which is not at all shiny. I am not sure whether or not it will work on that surface. It very well might... or it might not. But I doubt it will do as much damage, if any at all, as the abrasive cleaner could potentially do. In a nutshell, if you decide to give it a try, you'll be running a lot less risk. What I would do, is take a tiny-weeny bit on an ear-bud, and apply very lightly on an equally tiny-weeny part of the bottom cover of the MBP, and then wait for a day and see whether it works, and if it does not work whether or not it does any damage. That would be the second safest route... the first one being just leaving the bottom cover alone, and may be get a case for future protection.

 

I posted this in another thread some time ago. I've used Mr. Clean magic eraser to remove the shine off shiny keyboards and some light scratches (cannot be felt at all with a fingernail) on the bottom of a MBP. You have to wet it before you use it. If you can feel the scratch with your fingernail then it's not going to work.

 

no no andye, your crazy, it didn't work, it's your imagination getting away with you again old chap!

 

It didn't work for you?

 

This is confusing... I thought it worked for you (no1up)! Or were you being sarcastic? Let's not bring sarcasm into this already-very confusing topic, please, okay?

 

it did...

I was joking more than trying to be sarcastic, however, more clear and to the point, on something very light it will work, I have not done it with anything to deep, but I am also sure it would do a good job in blending.

 

reductio ad absurdum comes to mind.... (sigh)