My 212 Evo lapping & paint project/mini guide with pics

Hey guys. I woke up with this urge to add a little custom flavor to my rig and some functional performance as well. Below I'll detail my project and the methods I used along with pictures of the whole thing. Take a look and feel free to ask any questions if you feel a little inspiration !

The project was like the title says a combination of lapping the contact pad of my 212 Evo (to remove grooves between the base and heat pipes, also to eliminate a slight concave surface on the contact pad resulting in lower temps) And painting the TOP of the cooler to add a little color to my Rig.

Just a couple words of caution if you plan on taking on this project,

- Paint only the TOP PLATE of the cooler, If you paint the whole thing it will no longer effectively conduct and radiate heat and you will have rendered your cooler useless.

-In preparation for the lapping process it is very important that a high grain sand papers be used to ensure a smooth finish resulting in proper contact with the CPU. Do not just grab some 60 Grit out of your garage, If low gain is used it will gouge the copper heat pipes badly and again will have rendered you cooler useless.

( For this project I used 400 Grit wet/dry paper to do the taking down of material and a 1000 Grit wet/dry paper to finely remove any imperfections from the base of the cooler)

** I cannot accept any responsibility for any damages caused to your cooler or computer by following any this guide** However if these instructions are followed this is a very low risk, inexpensive and easy project that will result in lower temperatures and a little custom flare aswell.

Let's Begin with Lapping !

Step 1

Find a flat, smooth and sturdy surface to lay down your 8X10 sheet of 400 Grit. It is VERY important the surface be very flat and smooth to ensure the contact pad receives a uniform sanding. I chose a simple laminated work table in the garage. Once you find a good surface apply masking tape along the edges of the paper to keep it securely in place.



Step 2

Place the contact pad of the cooler on to the sand paper with the heat pipes in the contact pad parallel to the long side of the paper. While While holding onto the top of the cooler also put your hand through the heat pipes at the bottom of the cooler and place pressure directly on the top of the contact pad making sure it stays perfectly flat on the sandpaper while you make smooth motions back and forth in a straight line for 10 passes. Switch to fresh spot of sandpaper and rotate the cooler 90 degrees to the heat pipes on the contact pad are perpendicular to the long side of the sandpaper. Again making sure to keep the pad perfectly flat on the paper make 10 smooth passes back and forth. After each set of 10 passes move to fresh paper and rotate the cooler 90 degrees. Repeat this process until the grooves between the heat pipes and cooler base have been minimized or eliminated. * Make sure last set of 10 passes are completed with heat pipes parallel to long edge of sand paper.

Here is an example of what your contact pad should look like at this stage



Step 3

Is exactly the same as steps 1&2 only with 1000 grit sandpaper. Remember to use fresh paper every 90 degree rotation and finish with the heat pipes parallel to the long edge of the paper. Pay more attention to removing the micro scratches left by the 400 grit and get yourself a nice smooth contact pad, the smoother the cooler !

Here is what my pad looked like after finishing with the 1000 Grit paper.



After completing the lapping process properly I stress tested my machine using Prime95 and noticed my max temps had dropped 5c !! That's a respectable gain for only 20 minutes of time and $10 worth of sand paper  

If you are done here than slap her back together and see what kind of results you get, If not slap a piece of masking tape over your freshly lapped contact pad and lets prepare to paint !

Step 1

Using masking tape mask off the small 1/2" portions of heat pipe that protrude through the top of the cooler. I chose to mask off the "CoolerMaster" logo so the logo would show through silver once completed, but this is not necessary.

Here is what my cooler looked like when I was done masking



Step 2

Take 2 sheets of paper, Insert one on the back of the cooler just below the top plate of the cooler and above the next heat fin. Repeat this process along the front of the cooler. Take a 3rd sheet of paper and cut it in half the long way and repeat this process along the sides of the cooler. If done properly ALL you should see is the TOP plate of the cooler and nothing else. Remember we only want to paint the top cooler, painting anything else will lower your coolers effectiveness and painting to much will totally ruin your cooler.

Here is what my cooler looked like with the blocking paper in place



Step 3

Using a spray product of your choice (I chose to use the Honda color "Fiji Blue Pearl" from my buddies 2008 Si) hold the can about 1 foot from the cooler and spray back and forth in short bursts making sure to spray from different angles to get in between protruded heat pipes. Allow to semi dry and re apply in same fashion until desired coverage is received. Make sure not to hold the can to close or in 1 spot too long to avoid the paint puddling on your cooler. Allow to tack before removing masking material. Allow to dry at least 3 hours before installing.(depending on product used may be more may be less)

This is what my cooler looked like when painting was completed and masking material removed.



Well folks that completes my little mini guide on lapping an painting a 212 Evo, and most coolers for that matter. I hope you found it interesting and informative and most of all inspiring to maybe do a little painting or lapping of your own. Below are a few pictures of my finished product for you guys to take a look at, enjoy ! Again if you have any question please feel free to ask !