Heatsink Lapping Guide

[Slaymate]

Here is a quick little picture Guide to Lapping your Heatsink. Regardless of your particular heatsink I recommend following the basic procedure illustrated in this YouTube Video.

NOTE: Lapping Direct-Touch Heatpipe Heatsinks is not recommended.



The heatsink pictured is the Thermalright Venomous X. I started with 400 grit sandpaper and after 20 passes I rotate the heatsink 1/4 of a turn. This first picture is after rotating the heatsink 4 times with 400 Grit.

Continuing with 400 Grit paper I proceed with the Lapping, 20 passes before rotating the heatsink 1/4 of a turn. This picture is the end result of the 400 Grit Sandpaper. Time to switch to the 600 Grit sandpaper.

After 8 rotations of 20 passes with 600 Grit paper I have this.

I continue with the 600 Grit until my heatsink looks like this. Time to switch to 800 Grit.

I continue Lapping with 800 Grit paper. After 8 rotations of 20 passes my heatsink looks like this.

Continuing with the 800 Grit I proceed until the heatsink looks like this. Time to switch to 1000 Grit.

The Lapping Process is almost done. When the heatsink looks like this you can switch to 1500 Grit.

Continue lapping with 1500 Grit until your heatsink looks like this. Switch to 2000 Grit.

Continue Lapping with 2000 Grit until your heatsink looks like this.

 

[yzmxer608]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

Good post . Wonder if you should add a post on how to do the CPU, would be pretty much the same though.

 

[Slaymate]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

I lap a cpu with the same basic procedure only I start with 800 grit paper. And whereas the higher grit paper is being used more as a polisher with the heatsink, with the cpu I'm using the higher grit paper more for material removal. Or, while I may make 100 passes on 1000 grit paper with a heatsink, I'll probably make at least 250 passes with 1000 grit paper with the cpu.

 

[Luke]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

great guide slay...i'll use this as guide line when i get around to lapping my true one of these days, prolly end up being march break when i do it, hopefully.

 

[apsoul]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

very nice step by step instructions. Thanks for the guide

 

[james.wired]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

Nice one!

 

[Fat.Clown]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

Slay, some people say there are no gains from going above 800 grit.
what are your thoughts on that?

 

[Slaymate]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

I've never stopped at 800 grit to verify that, but so long as the base is flat it should perform at it's peak. If you look at my pictures you'll see that after 800 grit my base isn't totally flat yet. I'd say it's a matter of preference, but in my opinion, after doing all of this work why stop before it's got that sexy shiny look

 

[Hefemeister]

Re: CPU Lapping Guide

Nice guide as usual Slay.

 

[yzmxer608]

Wonder if you should add about this with Heat-pipe Direct Touch heat sinks. I'm not sure how thick the walls of the copper pipes are, would suck if one was grounded through. Maybe a warning or something.