Dude, watching you repaint this is a lot like watching people painstakingly repaint 50s cars. They're both surprisingly robust examples of their engineering yet at the time were designed to be basically disposable. Both involve taking care to undo decisions which clearly were not expected to have any impact on the longevity of the product. Both involve loving the product far more than the manufacturer ever did. I love it.
Totally! I liken the repair/restoration of vintage machines to classic cars all the time. The hardware itself is much more simple and elegant than it is today - far easier to understand and diagnose as well. You may enjoy my 90’s Mac unboxing video that turned into a full-on repair :)
I watched the video from start to finish and I'm still not 100% sure you didn't just somehow open a portal to 1995, grab a brand new 701c and use its parts to restore this one. Magnificent work.
this is genuinely amazing, and i don't mean just the video - the dedication and effort you put into the 701c is just incredible, and it's all open source as well. i don't think i'll ever get my hands on a butterfly thinkpad but still i want to say thank you a lot for your work
Phenomenal work! This is probably the only way of owning a pristine model now with time taking its toll on the originals. Certainly puts all the ones I've seen in person to shame.
So many specific tips and techniques here to do the job right. The dry transfers especially look so cool. I love feeling like I'm in a pro's workshop learning things I couldn't know otherwise!
Nice Work. I was the original owner/operator of one of these and it must have been 1995. I changed jobs in 2000 and moved to a Compaq M300 which is about the same size but with a shrunk keyboard. In 2004 +/- I decided to restore the 701C. T1 bits were not easily sourced at the time, and I ended up buying mine from IBM with a couple of the other parts it now needed. I bought a second one on Ebay, and combined parts to make one that worked and was nice. But, the coating had become sticky. We tried to un-stick it but nothing worked, so I removed the drives from them and they were left on a bench at the Marina - were gone same day. I'm very impressed that you took on refinishing. It is clearly a lot of work. Your video is excellent, thanks john
I feel very strong Baumgartner vibes. I could watch you all day. You notice immediately that it's pre ROHS. the leaded solder flows so much nicer. Granted it also has a lower melting point, but look at the flow, love it.
Thanks so much and great callout! Leader solder is definitely a different beast. Working on these old machines you can absolutely tell. Also I hadn’t heard of Baumgartner before but just watched a couple of his restorations and now I’m a fan! Incredibly impressive work. Thanks for that and for turning me on to him!
I wish I had this IBM ThinkPad. Please make more videos like this. It is so addicting... Excellent quality work. You deserve more subscribers and views!
This is what I would do if I had money, time, and my own space to do it. *cries in already being 42 and having none of that* But at least I can see what it's like on UA-cam. It seems amazing to be able to collect repair and test vintage hardware.
This blew my mind. I had access to one of these back in the day. Being in a it support department I came across a lot of ibm Thinkpads. This one I had my hands on from one of the executives in the company I worked for. Thanks for bring up the memories. I still have one of the other laptops prior to this one. It was my work laptop when I took work home. Doesn't boot and rathering dust. I will check in your videos and guides to see if there is a way as a project of mind to get it working again.
This is incredibly well done! The algorithm found you for me, and I imagine with videos like this you'll take off soon enough. Sharing with a bunch of friends.
This is amazing work and a refreshing change from other refurbs, that seem rushed and never quite right. Looking forward to seeing what other machines you apply that magic touch to
Amazing work!! looks brand spanking new!! I am curious however, at 16:10 you state that the dry transfers need to be sealed. and yet you dont show this? do you not seal them and are just careful around them? or is there a step i missed?
Nice! I just got one of these as well, and I need to fix a broken right hinge. I have been very nervous to take it apart because the plastic is very brittle, but this video helps a lot in seeing what I need to do!
This is sensational! I and countless others could actually rescue one of these now, thanks to your meticulous research, dedication and skill. I still wonder what primer is suitable for the plastic case though. Also, I'm used to leaking corrosive battery electrolyte in old computers being alkaline and thus neutralized with white vinegar. Baking soda is of course alkaline as well and used for neutralizing acid. Do we really have acid here? I'm no battery expert so I have to wonder what battery tech was used back then.
Thanks for the questions! The primers are a long story and I’ve tried quite a few. The best I’ve found are acrylic used with a “soft touch” top coat. Unfortunately they’re hard to come by and the company I used stopped making them before I filmed this. Haven’t found another suitable replacement with the same feel. You’re also💯% right and this was a miss on my part. The batteries are Nickel Cadmium which are alkaline. I definitely should have used white vinegar to neutralize the electrolyte. Thanks so much and I’m glad you enjoyed the process!
That was really cool to see and how everything comes together in the end. Must have been a lot of time, effort and money until you had all of the parts and the workflow down. Would it have been possible to repaint the Thinkpad with rubberised paint to get it 100% there? Have you ever looked into this or is this simply not feasible? I have one request though if it’s not too much hassle. I love the zen aspect of watching you work without talking and having the context provided via subtitles. Another channel I love - Primitive Technologies - does it the same way and it really makes me focus more on the content. Could you maybe increase the on screen time of the subtitles though? I had to skip back quite a bit because - especially longer - sentences vanished before I was able to read them or before I even noticed that they were there. You usually have the time and space for the titles to just linger a few seconds longer and it would help out a lot. Thanks and keep up the great work
Thanks so much for the comment. I’m definitely still finding the sweet spot for the subtitles and will continue to try to make them more readable. As for the paint, I’ve actually don’t a lot of research into it. Most *commercial* rubberized paints today aren’t very durable. We’re taking about the plastidips, etc. I have tried those and one bump and you need to peel the whole thing off. The closest I’ve found for durability are soft-touch coatings. They have a velvety feel similar to how the paint was originally and I have seen some pretty good success. Unfortunately before I shot this video the supplier I found in Spain stopped making it so I’m back to hunting for a solution. Ultimately I’ve been trying to find someone to do a custom paint. If you look closely during the striping process there are small blue and red shiny flecks in the paint as well. I’d love to do a complete reproduction, but in order to do that, I couldn’t do a clear coat and would have to silk screen the labels on, which again I’d need to figure out how to do myself or find someone who could do a very precise and very custom job!
@polymatt I love it when people aren't ham-fisted with things that are a balance between lightweight and "strong enough." That being said, break down, repair and even repainting is an exercise in patience! Until this video, I had only heard about the butterfly models. The mid to late 90s Thinkpads were the stuff of dreams as a teenager, I would read about them in magazines and see the benchmark values and would be in awe/shock at the capabilities and price tag. When the average house where I lived was 20 to 50 grand, these things were 3 to 5! I have a 770z project arriving in the next couple of weeks. I believe it's mostly complete, just ugly because the soft touch rubber coating has seen better days. I wonder what the graffiti removal equivalent is here in Ireland. They're pretty restrictive in what chemicals are sold retail here.
Wow, what an effort! I think, that is as great a result, as one could hope for. If only we could go back in time and slap some sense into the guys, who came up with the rubber coat on old Thinkpads. I love these machines, but dealing with the rubber falling apart and getting all sticky is just a massive pain. How long did this process take, if I may ask?
I’ve got a ThinkPad 600e with the rotting rubber disease. I’ve been wondering what materials to use to remove it all and repaint it, now I know! Excellent restoration 😄
Thank you! Yeah it’s definitely a common coating they used on early to mid 90s ThinkPads. It was so luxurious when it was new but man have they not aged well.
@@polymatt Yeah, I have a 600 as well that’s also like it and it’ll make any laptop near it *stink*. Thankfully my T23 and T43 haven’t gone that way…yet!
Magnificent job! I also own one. Mechanism works fine, hinges and keyboard are perfect. But the soft touch paint is a mess. What would be the price for such a restoration? Plus mine has a broken display :(
WOW! Outstanding! I have removed that rubber paint from older Psion 3C and it is a tough job! Looks fantastic. As for the paint, does it dry hard enough that you don't need a clear finish for durability? Thanks!
Thanks! Yes the paint is super durable however I do add a soft-touch clear coat (that I didn’t show in the video) in order to protect the dry-transfer decals as they’re only semi-permanent.
Thanks! It’s a Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Flat Black. I’ve tried many rubberized paints over the years and unfortunately none with good success. This one matches the color the closest!
Hey there. I've definitely seen damaged LCDs from the era with the colored lines. In my experience this points to corrosion, water or impact damage on the LCD panel itself and not something I know to be easily fixable. Id try first dismantling the LCD panel and see if anything is obvious. The other option might be a damaged ribbon cable, but from the sounds of it, thats a lot less likely. As far as the memory chip goes, I'd remove any expansion ram and use the memory check in the BIOS utility and compare the addresses to the memory map - you should be able to find it online. If it is the onboard RAM I don't envy you... finding a replacement chip and getting it soldered in there is tricky business! Best of luck!
Well, I have one of them (701C instead of 701CS). Unfortunately, I don't have the same talent that you have with this kind of repairs.... Also, the screen is bad, everything else seems to be working (except the battery that is long gone [I don't have it anymore]). The board works, the computer turns on and even booted the last time I tried. If you would consider repairing it for me, we can probably sort that out some way (I'm very far from you since I'm brazilian).
It’s a really cool mechanic that came out right before wide screen formats became a thing. They wanted a way to get a larger keyboard but keep the sub-notebook form factor. It was an incredibly solid mechanic but just came out a little late to catch on.
cool video, as a feedback I personally don't like the music you add to the videos, would love to have unlisted videos without the music if you could make
the patience, precision & workmanship here is quite frankly astonishing, genuinely impressed
Thanks so much Dave!
@@polymatt I came for the thinkpad, I stayed for the aforementioned 😉
Dude, watching you repaint this is a lot like watching people painstakingly repaint 50s cars. They're both surprisingly robust examples of their engineering yet at the time were designed to be basically disposable. Both involve taking care to undo decisions which clearly were not expected to have any impact on the longevity of the product. Both involve loving the product far more than the manufacturer ever did. I love it.
Totally! I liken the repair/restoration of vintage machines to classic cars all the time. The hardware itself is much more simple and elegant than it is today - far easier to understand and diagnose as well. You may enjoy my 90’s Mac unboxing video that turned into a full-on repair :)
I watched the video from start to finish and I'm still not 100% sure you didn't just somehow open a portal to 1995, grab a brand new 701c and use its parts to restore this one. Magnificent work.
😂 next video: how to build a Time Machine…
This is the nicest restoration of a thinkpad, thank you for keeping such a rare machine out of the garbage!
this is genuinely amazing, and i don't mean just the video - the dedication and effort you put into the 701c is just incredible, and it's all open source as well. i don't think i'll ever get my hands on a butterfly thinkpad but still i want to say thank you a lot for your work
I really appreciate that and keep in mind a lot of these techniques can be used for a list of early to mid-90s ThinkPads!
Phenomenal work! This is probably the only way of owning a pristine model now with time taking its toll on the originals. Certainly puts all the ones I've seen in person to shame.
Thanks so much! These are definitely getting harder and harder to come by.
So many specific tips and techniques here to do the job right. The dry transfers especially look so cool. I love feeling like I'm in a pro's workshop learning things I couldn't know otherwise!
Thanks so much Jake! Really glad you enjoy the content and are able to pick a few things up :). I learned a lot of what I know from other channels.
Loved it. Love that you dont talk on your videos. I find myself dancing to the music while watching haha
Awesome! The same thing I do when I'm editing :)
Incredible job! The true meaning of 'attention to detail'... Thank you, wonderful to see old machines like this restored so well.
Thanks so much John! Glad you enjoyed it.
Nice Work. I was the original owner/operator of one of these and it must have been 1995. I changed jobs in 2000 and moved to a Compaq M300 which is about the same size but with a shrunk keyboard. In 2004 +/- I decided to restore the 701C. T1 bits were not easily sourced at the time, and I ended up buying mine from IBM with a couple of the other parts it now needed. I bought a second one on Ebay, and combined parts to make one that worked and was nice.
But, the coating had become sticky. We tried to un-stick it but nothing worked, so I removed the drives from them and they were left on a bench at the Marina - were gone same day.
I'm very impressed that you took on refinishing. It is clearly a lot of work.
Your video is excellent, thanks
john
Thanks so much John!
I have one of these that's in a desperate need of restoration. I might use your guides if i restore it in the future. Thanks for putting this up
oh my.. the design of this thing is kinda insane, in a good way
Man you're cool, you're bringing back the past
I feel very strong Baumgartner vibes. I could watch you all day.
You notice immediately that it's pre ROHS. the leaded solder flows so much nicer. Granted it also has a lower melting point, but look at the flow, love it.
Thanks so much and great callout! Leader solder is definitely a different beast. Working on these old machines you can absolutely tell. Also I hadn’t heard of Baumgartner before but just watched a couple of his restorations and now I’m a fan! Incredibly impressive work. Thanks for that and for turning me on to him!
Really beautiful work. Your attention to detail is really admirable and super satisfying to see. Can’t wait to see your next project 😃
Thank you very much!
I wish I had this IBM ThinkPad. Please make more videos like this. It is so addicting... Excellent quality work. You deserve more subscribers and views!
Thanks so much and will do!
This is what I would do if I had money, time, and my own space to do it. *cries in already being 42 and having none of that* But at least I can see what it's like on UA-cam. It seems amazing to be able to collect repair and test vintage hardware.
This blew my mind. I had access to one of these back in the day. Being in a it support department I came across a lot of ibm Thinkpads. This one I had my hands on from one of the executives in the company I worked for. Thanks for bring up the memories. I still have one of the other laptops prior to this one. It was my work laptop when I took work home. Doesn't boot and rathering dust. I will check in your videos and guides to see if there is a way as a project of mind to get it working again.
That’s awesome. Embarking on a renovation of these is no small feat but crazy rewarding. Hope it helps!
wow..! a really wonderful Job...My Respect and admiration for the level of care and detail.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
This is incredibly well done! The algorithm found you for me, and I imagine with videos like this you'll take off soon enough. Sharing with a bunch of friends.
Really glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much for sharing! 🙏
Another epic restoration journey. Great work Matt, enjoyed the video.
Thanks so much Johann! 🙏
This is one of the most satisfying vids I watched here on YT. Bravo for that wonderful restauration!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. Really happy with how this one turned out. Doesn’t always go well :)
The decals are the cherry on top ! Amazing work
Impressive work Matt, the level of meticulous attention to detail is insane! Great job!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
Truly a wonder to see such skilled and insanely detailed restoration work!
This was a really fun one for me. Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing work and craftsmanship! My first was a 700 model from 1991, and have had Thinkpads since :) (current X1 Nano G2)
Keep up the amazing work!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! ThinkPads are just great machines. I’ve got a slight lean to pre-Lenovo but probably purely nostalgic.
This is amazing work and a refreshing change from other refurbs, that seem rushed and never quite right. Looking forward to seeing what other machines you apply that magic touch to
Thanks so much! This was a fun one and I get pretty methodical. Really glad it resonates :)
Amazing work!! looks brand spanking new!! I am curious however, at 16:10 you state that the dry transfers need to be sealed. and yet you dont show this? do you not seal them and are just careful around them? or is there a step i missed?
Thank you! Good catch. I unfortunately didn’t get the footage but I used light coat of a matte acrylic spray paint to seal them.
@@polymatt Wonderful! One lingering question out of the way. 😀
Incredible. Beautiful work. Thank you for documenting and sharing.
It was a fun one. Glad you enjoyed it!
The surgical precision is just mesmerizing to watch
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
one of the most incredible videos I have ever watched. Thank you.
Nice! I just got one of these as well, and I need to fix a broken right hinge. I have been very nervous to take it apart because the plastic is very brittle, but this video helps a lot in seeing what I need to do!
Awesome. Glad I could help and best of luck on the restoration!
It belongs in a museum!
There IS 1 in a museum :p
This is sensational! I and countless others could actually rescue one of these now, thanks to your meticulous research, dedication and skill. I still wonder what primer is suitable for the plastic case though. Also, I'm used to leaking corrosive battery electrolyte in old computers being alkaline and thus neutralized with white vinegar. Baking soda is of course alkaline as well and used for neutralizing acid. Do we really have acid here? I'm no battery expert so I have to wonder what battery tech was used back then.
Thanks for the questions! The primers are a long story and I’ve tried quite a few. The best I’ve found are acrylic used with a “soft touch” top coat. Unfortunately they’re hard to come by and the company I used stopped making them before I filmed this. Haven’t found another suitable replacement with the same feel.
You’re also💯% right and this was a miss on my part. The batteries are Nickel Cadmium which are alkaline. I definitely should have used white vinegar to neutralize the electrolyte.
Thanks so much and I’m glad you enjoyed the process!
This is like the scene in Toy Story 2 when the toymaker restores Woody, except Woody is an IBM Thinkpad 701C. Amazing work as always Matt.
😂 thanks! Btw I’d 100% watch that movie: A ThinkPad Story.
Beautiful restoration work! Subbed to the channel
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the sub! Definitely more to come.
That was really cool to see and how everything comes together in the end. Must have been a lot of time, effort and money until you had all of the parts and the workflow down.
Would it have been possible to repaint the Thinkpad with rubberised paint to get it 100% there? Have you ever looked into this or is this simply not feasible?
I have one request though if it’s not too much hassle. I love the zen aspect of watching you work without talking and having the context provided via subtitles. Another channel I love - Primitive Technologies - does it the same way and it really makes me focus more on the content.
Could you maybe increase the on screen time of the subtitles though?
I had to skip back quite a bit because - especially longer - sentences vanished before I was able to read them or before I even noticed that they were there.
You usually have the time and space for the titles to just linger a few seconds longer and it would help out a lot.
Thanks and keep up the great work
Thanks so much for the comment. I’m definitely still finding the sweet spot for the subtitles and will continue to try to make them more readable.
As for the paint, I’ve actually don’t a lot of research into it. Most *commercial* rubberized paints today aren’t very durable. We’re taking about the plastidips, etc. I have tried those and one bump and you need to peel the whole thing off.
The closest I’ve found for durability are soft-touch coatings. They have a velvety feel similar to how the paint was originally and I have seen some pretty good success. Unfortunately before I shot this video the supplier I found in Spain stopped making it so I’m back to hunting for a solution. Ultimately I’ve been trying to find someone to do a custom paint. If you look closely during the striping process there are small blue and red shiny flecks in the paint as well. I’d love to do a complete reproduction, but in order to do that, I couldn’t do a clear coat and would have to silk screen the labels on, which again I’d need to figure out how to do myself or find someone who could do a very precise and very custom job!
Good job, great machine and pretty dog
@polymatt I love it when people aren't ham-fisted with things that are a balance between lightweight and "strong enough."
That being said, break down, repair and even repainting is an exercise in patience! Until this video, I had only heard about the butterfly models.
The mid to late 90s Thinkpads were the stuff of dreams as a teenager, I would read about them in magazines and see the benchmark values and would be in awe/shock at the capabilities and price tag. When the average house where I lived was 20 to 50 grand, these things were 3 to 5!
I have a 770z project arriving in the next couple of weeks. I believe it's mostly complete, just ugly because the soft touch rubber coating has seen better days. I wonder what the graffiti removal equivalent is here in Ireland. They're pretty restrictive in what chemicals are sold retail here.
Magnificent work
Greatest work what i'v seen! Bravo!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
AMAZING WORK. VERY PATIENT AND DETAILL
Wow, what an effort! I think, that is as great a result, as one could hope for. If only we could go back in time and slap some sense into the guys, who came up with the rubber coat on old Thinkpads. I love these machines, but dealing with the rubber falling apart and getting all sticky is just a massive pain.
How long did this process take, if I may ask?
I’ve gotten to the point where I can do a full restore over a weekend - but that took a while to get right :)
My 701c is in shambles, just falling apart. Wish you offered this as a paid for service for 701c owners.
I’ve got a ThinkPad 600e with the rotting rubber disease. I’ve been wondering what materials to use to remove it all and repaint it, now I know! Excellent restoration 😄
Thank you! Yeah it’s definitely a common coating they used on early to mid 90s ThinkPads. It was so luxurious when it was new but man have they not aged well.
@@polymatt Yeah, I have a 600 as well that’s also like it and it’ll make any laptop near it *stink*. Thankfully my T23 and T43 haven’t gone that way…yet!
Magnificent job! I also own one. Mechanism works fine, hinges and keyboard are perfect. But the soft touch paint is a mess. What would be the price for such a restoration? Plus mine has a broken display :(
Incredible work!!
Much appreciated!
Best Restoration I'm Ever see
Thank you very much! I’ve had a lot of practice with these.
WOW! Outstanding! I have removed that rubber paint from older Psion 3C and it is a tough job! Looks fantastic. As for the paint, does it dry hard enough that you don't need a clear finish for durability? Thanks!
Thanks! Yes the paint is super durable however I do add a soft-touch clear coat (that I didn’t show in the video) in order to protect the dry-transfer decals as they’re only semi-permanent.
Awesome work!!!
Thank you! Cheers!
good job
VERY impressive!!
Thank you! Cheers!
Woaaah! You wouldn't happen to be open to commissions would you?
Glad you enjoyed the video! I would love to be able to take on individual projects but unfortunately I just don’t have the time.
Wow! Amazing!
Excellent crftsmanship. What paint did you use?
Thanks! It’s a Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Flat Black. I’ve tried many rubberized paints over the years and unfortunately none with good success. This one matches the color the closest!
Nice!
🙏
Hey, have you ever got ride of coloured lines on the LCD or figure out how to find out what memory chip is bad?
Hey there. I've definitely seen damaged LCDs from the era with the colored lines. In my experience this points to corrosion, water or impact damage on the LCD panel itself and not something I know to be easily fixable. Id try first dismantling the LCD panel and see if anything is obvious. The other option might be a damaged ribbon cable, but from the sounds of it, thats a lot less likely.
As far as the memory chip goes, I'd remove any expansion ram and use the memory check in the BIOS utility and compare the addresses to the memory map - you should be able to find it online. If it is the onboard RAM I don't envy you... finding a replacement chip and getting it soldered in there is tricky business!
Best of luck!
Iniciei um curso de Rede de computadores, pra nós amantes de tecnologia é um deleite ver uma restauração dessas! Diretamente de São Luis MA , Brasil!
I'm glad you enjoyed the restoration! Best of luck in your class and maybe you can introduce your students to some old technology :)
牛逼! 啊,非常精细的修复.
What paint did you use that looks great
Thanks so much! It’s a matte black acrylic. You can see the exact paints on the project page at 701c.org.
What did you use to seal the dry transfers? I didn’t see that part.
Yes! I didn’t get footage of it but I sealed them using a light matte acrylic clear coat.
@@polymatt thanks! You were amazingly thorough.
Well, I have one of them (701C instead of 701CS). Unfortunately, I don't have the same talent that you have with this kind of repairs.... Also, the screen is bad, everything else seems to be working (except the battery that is long gone [I don't have it anymore]).
The board works, the computer turns on and even booted the last time I tried.
If you would consider repairing it for me, we can probably sort that out some way (I'm very far from you since I'm brazilian).
Wow.
i love it
fxxking amazing 💯
You are D*** GOOD
Never seen a keyboard do that before
It’s a really cool mechanic that came out right before wide screen formats became a thing. They wanted a way to get a larger keyboard but keep the sub-notebook form factor. It was an incredibly solid mechanic but just came out a little late to catch on.
cool video, as a feedback I personally don't like the music you add to the videos, would love to have unlisted videos without the music if you could make
Hey thanks so much for the feedback. I know it’s not for everyone!
:oo
Amazing work dude
Thanks so much!