Lapping your heatsink

I think that is the right term...has anyone ever done this before? I saw it at a link off TT's Venus 12 website to some reviewer who finished the heatsink to a mirror like finish and got an extra 2 degrees or so off of it..I know you use sandpaper to do it but has anyone done it or does anyone swear by it...

Trying to overclock my Athlon 64 3000+ dramatically...

Venus 12
Silver 5
Athlon 64

One hell of a combo...

 

do a google search w/ "lapping a heatsink" you should get a few good tuts

I did my microcool ... you basically buy 400,600,800,1000 higher if you want from an auto-parts store and a mirror or sheet of glass ... something to hold down the sandpaper and a bucket of water and a drop of dish detergent

you soak the sandpaper in the bucket of water with a drop of dish detergent ... then starting with the 400 grain i put the paper on the glass or mirror make sure it's good and flat ... then put the hs on it gently and let the weight of the HS do the job ...(there is some debate in this step but this is what I did) ... you push up down motions then left right motion ... use your head as to when you think it's enough with that particular grain ... then do the next finer grain untill you are done ... i didn't use any polish ... this process should take at least an hour ... so some music should be a requisite as well

although I think unless your HSF didn't come from the factory flat it's pretty much a waste of energy and time(although my NB chipset rarely gets near 35c even on load ... so maybe not) ... but don't let that discourage you ... again do a google search for better instructions

 

Thanks Pyrate...I appreciate it...best grain I could find at a hardware store was 600 so I am gonna go check out an auto parts store right now to see what I can get...600 seems like enough but I cannot wait to see what this baby will look like with the finer grains applied...

I promise to the board I will post results as I acquire them as this is being built tonight...

 

I have had this setup up since October with the stock heatsink and fan with the retail package
1 week ago I bought a venus 12 and lapped it however i stopped @ 600 grit :-(

before venus 12

idle case 24 cpu 38
load case 28 cpu 59


after venus 12
idle case 24 cpu 34 fan @ lowest 2136 rpm
idle case 26 cpu 30 fan @ highest 5720 rpm
load case 24 cpu 48 fan @ 2136 rpm
load case 28 cpu 43 fan @ 5720 rpm

I am very pleased with this heatsink as I am sure you will be too
I also installed the Thermaltake duct mod
There is a review on it here

only setback was the bolts that came with the duct mod were too short for how thick the fan was that came with the venus 12