PerplexG3

by Bryan Falchuk

shine

I got some mineral spirits from Home Depot, rubber gloves, some coarse steel wool pads (6 or so), and a couple of fine steel wool pads. I started on the bottom in case it didn't work out so I wouldn't have to look at my mistake all the time. I would recommend putting some strong, thick tape over the serial number (unfortunately, I didn't do so...bye bye serial number), and, if you can, run tape over all the seams, and frame the rubber section, though the mineral spirits will not harm the plastic. It is just easier for clean up because the rubber becomes mush, and goes into every nook and cranny. Also, cover the Apple logo so it doesn't get scratched. Lastly, be sure to have both media bays FULL or else you will get guck in the indsides of your 'book.

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With a puddle of mineral spirits on the rubber part, take the steel wool, apply a good amount of pressure, and work a small area (2-4 inches), over and over again until you start to break through. The color will change to brown as you near the bottom of a layer of rubber. Switching directions can help break through a weakened area. For the edges, I used an X-Acto knife to get the rubber off because it is quite stubborn there. The bottom will come off much easier than the top. Apparently, this is because the heat of the PowerBook when it operates breaks down the rubber on the bottom. I have heard of the rubber easily bubbling off. Do not expect the mineral spirits to simply melt the rubber off...this stuff is very stubborn.

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For the top, again, prep the area as with the bottom. The more prep you do, the less cleaning you will have to do later. Also, be careful of the monitor joint...cover this with tape so that your monitor moves easily after the job is done. The top took much more work, and the steel wool was not enough. I also used some sand paper to try and break through the rubber. Be sure you have ample amounts of mineral spirits on the rubber before using anything abbrasive. I also took a swiss army knife, and scraped off some of the rubber because it was so stubborn. The top took about 3 hours to get clear, where as the bottom took under an hour. To finish, use some very fine steel wool, and make little circles. You will see how shiny the book gets. I found that baby oil is a good way to restore the luster of the plastic, and clean off any residue that has gotten on the plastic. A quirky problem was that, as you get down to the metal, you will notice silver staining on your fingers from the metal liquifying. This problem ended after the book had a few hours to dry. I ended up painting my Apple Logo silver because it got quite stained from the liquidy metal residue (as shown in the smaller pictures, it was quite dull, versus the shiny version in the pictures with the BookEndz). A word of caution: some have used machines such as Dremels and Drills to get the rubber off. Someone has also sandblasted his book. Do not do this. It will remove the galvinization, and lead your book to rust. If you see signs of rust, perhaps a laquer or seeler would be a wise choice. I did try a laquer, but had to remove it (with steel wool) because it was dirty looking.

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The PowerBook attached to a BookEndz docking station.

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Caution!

A reader notes that only the WallStreet G3 has the metal layering. Attempt this hack with a Pismo or Lombard and you'll have a mess on your hands.

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Comments

westieg3's picture

i have noted some things about the powerbook wallstreet that many of you may want to know. as many of you know, the wallstreet is nutorious for the screen whiting out. if this occurs when you are using your wallstreet, then gently squeeze the plastic bezel on both sides of the screen. i did this last time my screen whited out and have never had a problem with it since.

also, you can use wireless cards with your wallstreet, lombard, or other pre-airport powerbooks. i have noted that the airport card fits in the pc card slot, and am looking into this. you can also find out how to use other cards on www.penmachine.com/techie/airport1400.html

thirdly, if anyone has a wallstreet that will not start up on battery power and they know how to solve this problem, please let me know as i have not found any info on google about this problem.

thanks much for the info on the wallstreet whiting out, i tried a few things but couldnt get the screen to stay a fair brightness again thanf\ks much for letting me know to gently squeeze the bezel on the sides of the screen lenn00

I'd recommend removing the lid and base before going to work on them. That way, you can pop out the Apple logo and not risk ruining it.

westieg3's picture

well i'm sure no one will look at this now, but with my wallstreet getting more beat up over time, i'm now considering removing the horribly scratched rubber from it. anyone think it's possible to achieve a texture more like the g4 powerbooks' surfaces with gradually finer sandpaper?