diff --git a/src/x301/paintjob.md b/src/x301/paintjob.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..19262a7 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/x301/paintjob.md @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +Title: Thinkapd x301 Restoration: Paintjob +Author: Alessandro Mauri + + +# Thinkpad x301 Restoation Project: Paintjob + +There are basically two options worth noting: + +1. Automotive spray paints +2. Automotive vinyl wraps + +## Why Automotive products + +Automotive products have to endure use, flex weather and extreme temperature +conditions (think about parts close to the engine or winter cold), so they will +endure much better the everyday life of a laptop. Also the risk of separation +or flaking is lower and resistance to moisture is much better than with standard +paints or vinyls that are not designed to endure such conditions. + +## Using paints + +The pros of the paint are: + +- Could lead to better results, closer to the original +- Could be more durable +- More options of color +- More brand and quality options + +The cons of paint are: + +- Longer preparation +- Harder to work with +- Different materials need different paints and/or base coats (metal for the + lid and plasic for everything else) +- Harder to apply right +- Harder to fix mistakes +- Higher price + +## Using vinyl wraps diff --git a/src/x301/preamble.md b/src/x301/preamble.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2290daf --- /dev/null +++ b/src/x301/preamble.md @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +Title: Thinkapd x301 Restoration: Preamble +Author: Alessandro Mauri + +# Thinkpad x301 Restoration Project: Preamble + +I had an unfortunate accident, well 3 to be precise, I bought 3 used Thinkpads +x301 in working condition. Someone might say "jeez good for you" because those +things are beautiful, old, and somewhat rare. + +## PHOTO HERE all three af them + +Well not so fast because, as I learned the hard way, the Lenovo Thinkpad x301 +has a particular quirk: It has what I think is the shittiest rubber coating +among all Thinkpads. +Three out of three of the laptops I bought had some issues with the coating, +on the lid AND the palmrest which, in this particular model, is treated with the +same coating as the lid. The problem is that this coating is now over 11-13 +years old (the x301 was in production from 2008 to 2010) and it shows. +The problems I encountered are two: + +1. Stickyness of the rubber +2. Almost impossible to clean + +I tried several methods of cleaning and surface restoration, I will briefly list +them now. + +1. For the lid: Magic eraser and cream dubbin as suggested [here][lid1], + [here][lid2] and in many more places +2. Soapy water +3. Just water on a tissue +4. Denaturated alchol + +All of the above either yielded no results or made things worse. The first +method with the magic eraser and cream worked to some extent but the rubber +coating on the x301 is so _thin_ that I would have completely removed it before +getting rid of the stickyness. +The thinness of the coatings apparently was intentional as the main focus for +the x300 and x301 was lightweight, so some corners were cut in terms of the +number of coatings (I am **not** a reliable source). + +## PHOTO HERE zoom in on the lid + +As for the palm rest I think it is a lost cause, the coating is thin, old and +has been subject to years of palm grease and sweat. Before cleaning it looked +grimy at best and after it got sticky like old rubber (it is). +Furthermore in two of them it actually started peeling (_lie_ one I got in very +bad condition and it was already somewhat peeled). + +## PHOTO HERE the palm rest + +## So what will you do? + +Easy, I will take them apart, one by one, mix and match parts to make two decent +x301s and completely restore them! +One is going staright to Ebay and the other stays with me. + +In the next entries of this blog series I will show in detail the whole process, +from thought to result, I will use this blog as a notepad for ideas and for +mocking myself over stupid mistakes along the line. + +[lid1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv9p32ImZxI +[lid2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F50ya07onqo +[sothin]: \ No newline at end of file