It looks like you are using this one: ArctiClean 1
Which seems to be specifically made for this application and supposedly consists of “citrus and soy based solvents”. Aluminium is solved by highly acidic (like sulphuric acid) and highly basic (like sodium hydroxide) solutions. Which it really doesn’t sound like until it somehow broke down in a way it got more potent.
Was it maybe a specific thermal paste with a metal like mercury or gallium inside? Supposedly they can quickly dissolve aluminium. Of course, I don’t know what happened but maybe it was dissolved by the cleaning solution and then rapidly reacted with the Aluminium of the heat sink. If so, that would still make me wonder about the bubbling and foaming when the cleaning solution comes in contact with the left overs.
I would assume that nobody makes thermal paste out of anything terribly reactive, but… That .gif looks like something out of a NileRed video.
IIRC, gallium makes aluminum get super brittle, which might cause it to crumble like that; but the foaming makes me think that the heat sink might have managed to oxidize all the way through, and it’s aluminum oxide reacting with the cleaner.
I can’t get your images to load, but to me, a materials chemist, it definitely sounds like you’ve managed to dissolve the aluminium and copper by using an acidic solution. Presumably, the cleaning solution contains some electrolyte that should help dissolve oxides, but if the solution is corrosive enough to oxidise the aluminium and/or copper the electrolyte will make the reaction more aggressive by rapidly dissolving the protective oxide layer as it is formed, such that the aluminium/copper is further corroded.
To be fair, this is just speculation based on what I’ve read here. I could maybe give a better analysis if you let me know what solution you’ve used, and what the heat sink/paste were made of, and if I can get the pictures of the resulting product (“ash”) to load.
Work space. I have a small collapsable bench and two jaw stands with a couple of 2x4s I use in my garage for my work surface. It all collapses when not in use. Love those jaw stands. Inherited the little bench and it works great too and is more stable. I tend to use the bench as my work area and the stands as supports but for quick jobs I will just use the stands.
I remember when I was young I use to use IR lamps in the winter when curing paint on my car. You do have to get the placement correct to get the best surface temperature.
Currently I have two of the boards on the folding sawhorses and three more on a folding table, but I hear you and appreciate the suggestion. The IR lamp suggestion is clutch as well, I think I have several in the rabbitry for the buns’ overwinter comfort but didn’t think to use those for this. Now I’m wondering if I have spare chain lying around to make an adjustable fixture height apparatus. Good looks, thank you!
I think what I use to use was an IR spotlight in a portable spotlight fixture that had a clamp you could clamp about anywhere. Also make certain you have enough ventilation.
Honestly just left it. Debating on putting carpet in the room where it’s pretty bad. But decided if I couldn’t do it well myself I’d just wait until I was ready to fork over money to have it done correctly.
If you check the level of both the door and the slab it will let you know which one is causing the gap. I would guess that a gasket would be the best fix. If it is the door DO NOT try to fix it yourself. Those springs can very easily kill you. I have known life long contractors that will do everything in a house but a garage door. Garage doors are not DIY.
The gasket at the bottom of your overhead compresses to help create a seal along an uneven surface, but it can only do so much. Your gap may be too large to seal before the door bottoms out completely on the left. That said, there is adjustments that set where the door comes to a stop when closing, check your manual and see if the overhead can lower further.
A giant floor sander, along with the sandpaper and buffing disks to actually use it (extremely expensive, not sure if easily rentable)
No, it will pretty much only look worse if you try to do it in patches. Also, depending on the wood, you may want to do pre-stain treatment, cause some woods just absorb stain really splotchily.
Depending on the finish, could be anything between a few hours to a couple days needed between layers of finish. Some require a month or more of curing before you should put furniture on top. I’d recommend against those, we have more modern finishes that are honestly just better in addition to being more convenient, despite what some people say online. YouTube side by side comparisons are my go to for finding info on this sorta stuff.
imgur.com
Top