Modding Case Painting ???

[The_Beast]

I finally got a case this weekend (my computer used to be in a cardboard box) and next weekend I'd like to paint it


I was thinking of painting it glossy black with a light red or blue over spray (little dots all over) but how do I do that??? I have an airbrush but it isn't the greatest or could I use regular spray paint (rattle can)??? How would I do the over spray???

[swift_wraith]

depends on how you want the finish to look. if you want a lustrious car showroom type finish then be prepared to take weeks of work on it.

the main points to consider:

• Sand with 320-400 grit sandpaper
  Clean and let dry (sand again if needed and repeat)
  Apply first coat of primer
  Sand 400-600 (clean then dry)
  Apply second coat of primer
  Sand with 600-800 grit (clean and dry) (repeat above if 3 or more coats needed)
  Apply first coat of colour
  Sand with 1000 (clean then dry)
  Apply second coat of colour
  Sand with 1000 then 1500 (clean then dry)
  Apply 3rd coat of colour
  Apply rubbing compound. (clean then dry)
  Buff, polish then wax or apply clear coat

When painting, use light coats (spraying in smooth strokes across the panel) and build up the paint in small layers. Try and overspray the edge by about 2-3 inches, then come back on yourself, spraying from a distance of about 10 inches. Please dont be tempted to just coat it in one go as this will result in paint runs and the coat will look awful.

if you need any more pointers theres plenty of guides on google or you can pm me and ill try and help you out.

.... may cost you a sketchup model of a p182 tho

[marcus000]

See BigDaveGrrr's guide here, it's pretty damn good!

http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/foru...php?f=9&t=2940

[The_Beast]

Should I use a rattle can or a crappy air brush??? If I did use the air brush where would I find paint for it (don't have many hobby shops in town)???

[swift_wraith]

for a standard coat a rattle can will be more than adequate. As for the overspray, try getting a fan and blowing a colour from a rattlecan over your project from about 2 foot away. I'd suggest trying this effect on a sample piece first though just in case you dont like the finished effect.

[Hazardous]

Here are a few guides I've got saved in a text doc for future reference:

Bill Owen (of MNPCTech fame)'s guide on how to 'Spray paint your PC case and give it a mirror finish'
Shatterstar's Painting Guide
BoxGod's Case Painting 'How to'[101]
Spooky's Computer Painting Guide
How to paint your computer case (Part 1)
+
How to paint your computer case (Part 2)

[The_Beast]

I bought sand paper and glossy black spray paint last night


My brother is pretty good at painting so I'm going to let him do it. He said I don't have to prime it unless I'm going all the way down to bare metel (saves my sanding and priming time)

Do I need a clear coat to go over the glossy black???

[swift_wraith]

I would clear coat it, if anything it will help protect the finish and also add a little depth to it.

[The_Beast]

I'll return the primer and pick up some clear coat


thanks for you're help, I'll post before and after pics

[The_Beast]

Ok so I painted it, it didn't turn out so great because there was a lot of dust/dirt in the paint


so I sanded to down to the bare metal and I'm going to restart from scratch, primer, paint (no dirt this time) and clear coat

[Hazardous]

Originally Posted by The_Beast

Ok so I painted it, it didn't turn out so great because there was a lot of dust/dirt in the paint...

How'd that happen? You must've been in a really dusty environment - so I assume it was outdoors?

[The_Beast]

no, I painted it in my garage and it wasn't dusty at all


this paint job turned out much much better (there is still a little bit of dirty in it) I'll try to get pic up here

[E.E.L. Ambiense]

To minimize the dust, I'd run a tackcloth over the piece at least beforehand.

[The_Beast]

I cleaned the panels with alcohol before priming


remenber I used spray paint, my brother said that spray paint has a little dirt in them already

[E.E.L. Ambiense]

No paint has "dirt" in it from factory, lol. The final painted result could have dirt in it if done in less-than-optimal conditions like a garage. You can get awesome results with a rattlecan if you're careful and go into it knowing some procedures to get good results beforehand. All the posts up top have examples of good tutorials on how to paint with a rattlecan; my favorite is Bill Owen's from MNPCTech.com. Top-notch and easy to follow for people that aren't normally into painting. A tackcloth will remove nearly all debris like dust, dirt or fibers if it's present just before painting. Alcohol will mostly remove contaminants like oils/etc., but what did you use with the alcohol to clean the panels? A cotton ball? A piece of cloth? Any of these things pick up dirt/debris or break up into debris itself and deposit them on the case while you're cleaning it.

[The_Beast]

I used a paper towel but I didn't see any debris left from the paper towel


I don't really want to paint it a 3rd time


I'll try to get pic of it tonight

[The_Beast]

Sorry I didn't get pics to the paint job in progress

Side panel painted


Side and top panel


Close up of the vent


The front painted(I left the 3.5" and the 5" bays along with the power and reset buttons unpainted because I'm thinking of painting them Fire Red)


Close up of the shiney front



All the panels and front are primed, painted and clear coated with a "rattle" can paint. The paint job cost a whopping $4.03 (.97 primer, $1.94 of paint [2 cans] and $1.12 for clear coat). Ohh yeah I spend $5 for a wire drill brush. I spent more on the brush then the paint job


Here is a pic of the internals of the case