Project : Lupine **CPU Mad Reader Mod Dec. 05**

Very nice! Love the black and purple combo

take that beige lovers!

Vazz

yes im a regular on the Qcon boards tech

 

nice color

 

Wow that purple looks sweet! Nice job! Looking foward towards another update!

 

Ooooo... a damn good question!

Ok... short answer, I dont know yet... and let me explain. I'm leaning toward Duplicolor only because I have a more complete experience. If I can locate the base products for Krylon, I'll be able to more effectively answer from that point.

Initially, on the color and application, I like what Duplicolor has done. Their nozzles have a little tweak that allows for a more vertical oriented spray pattern, or a more horizontal pattern. The color seems to go on a bit easier with less passes required to coat, but I dont know if that is because the particles are more dense, or if the paint is just that different. The Krylon nozel is a regular rattle can type of top, and the output is very cloudy/foggy in that it is hard to direct if there is even a slight breeze.

One thing to note that I did not understand until *after* I had used these products, after they dry... they will sometimes get foggy. Not to worry, a quick buff with a clean cotton rag or towel and they clear right up! It is almost like there is a small layer of dust that is a byproduct of their drying that rises to the surface. Again, buff them after they dry, and everything will (hopefully) look like you expected it to!

The Duplicolor MetalCast base coat I've used on a few items to even out the colors when there were marks and stuff. Lupine has a purple Quality stamp on the bottom of the inside of the case that, if uncovered/untreated, would show thru any of the paints. So, I'll likely use the MetalCast Base Coat on the bottom of the case to even that color out. That said, I have not found the Krylon X-Metals base coat anywhere yet, so I have no idea of the resultant coverages, metal flake orientation or results.

I've tweaked my application processes as I've gone thru the projects, and have learned that, to make this stuff as durable as possible, you need an adhesion promoter. Duplicolor makes one, but I have yet to see a similar one from Krylon. When it comes time for paint application, I'm leading with the adhesion promoter, then base coat (if needed), then the color. When base coat is not desired (like with the brushed alum on Lupine) I used the Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter in conjunction with the Krylon X-Metals purple with no ill effects. I've heard of people cautioning against mixing vendors products. For optimal results, I understand why they say that. But when one vendor has something (Duplicolor clear Adhesion Promoter) and the other does not... then I'm going to be crossing the vendors up a bit to get what I want! I'm also going ot experiment with clear coats to try and add a few layers to make the items a bit more durable, however keep this in the back of your mind. Some areas are built to very tight tollerances. Don't paint to beauty, and then realize that the pieces dont fit together anymore. For example, on Lupine, my power switch fascia and the power and reset keytops both pass thru a hole in the fascia. I was initially thinking that a couple layers of CC would be good here, but the test fit of the reset switch and the power switch showed me that I did not have any more room, and that the additional layers would cause friction of the key passing thu the hole (rubbing off the paint, causing the button to stay depressed, stuff like that). So I have opted to not use CC on those parts.


I'm also considering just hitting a case frame piece with a 3 step Duplicolor (Adhesion/MetalCast Base/color) and then hitting another one with Krylon comparable (Adhesion/Krylon Base Metal/Krylon color), just to see if there are any dicernable differences. I had a piece of scrap alum that I sprayed in stripes to see how the colors would come out with only a base metal appearance, and not the Metalcast coat evening everything out...

Over the alum, all of the colors came out very nicely and showed the grain of the metal very well. If you want to highlight the metal's character, use the Adhesion Promoter in conjunction with the color of your choice. It appears to not matter which vendor's color coat you use.

I hope this shed a bit of light on your question.
To sum it up, Duplicolor seems to have their products setup right. Just practice on the application before hitting your primary piece and I can almost guarantee that you will achieve the result you are looking for. I have some other experiments that I plan on trying with these types of paints later on... so stay tuned.

 

Wow folks! I turn my back for a few and drop a big answer... come back and there has been a few more passers by! Thanks for the comments guys! More to come, and it'll be pretty rapid when it happens...

My wife just told me this morning that I get to go tomorrow morning and pick out my drill press!!!

Schwing!
I'll be looking forward to meeting you @ QC! (que ticking clock sound...)

Mod on bro!

 

Let me just say, that Coolermaster likes rivets!

9 of those little boogers on the 3.5" drive rack alone! And they were *strong* too! Broke one of my new bits while I was trying to whittle one of the rivets out! :evil:

Oh well...

Here is my story for what I am doing right now.
The frame is going to match the bezel colors. It will also hopefully match it's smoothness (this is likely to be the death of me, but we'll see...). So, to match the color, the base metal needs to be about the same brightness as the alum on the front trim.
Uhmmm....



That ain't it....

So... how can I brighten this thing up! Start off with a good dose of Adhesion Promoter, then a dark grey primer coat:




let that sit for a hour or so.... lightly sand it with some 220 to get as much of the heavy texture down on most of the viewable areas, then I use what I never *ever* thought I'd use on one of my mods... rattle can Chrome paint...









There is a time and place for this kind of paint, and I just found the *ideal* place and time to use this stuff! We all know that a truly chrome finish is impossible with this stuff, but I remembered that this stuff, if given a decent base, will reflect pretty well.... and *that* was all I wanted!

....a decent reflective or bright surface that I can apply the X-Metals paint over, so that it will reflect like the front trim! or a bit more! I'm not looking for a Chrome finish, I'm looking for semi reflective, but imitating a metal surface... and I got that in spades! I'm going to pick up another can of the Duplicolor chrome to even up some of the spots, but after this dries, and I wipe it down, I'll cover up all of the shiny frame bits with the purple X-Metals paint!

I think the case frame is going to look niiiiice this time tomorrow!

 

Well, I mocked mine up, to test out the fans placement and noise, as well as to see how well the components fit together. *Please* pay no attention to the unevenness in the internals color. I only wanted a bacsic covering on the internals, as I have another plan for that area. This was just to see how well the fans lit up the case, and see that the colors worked well together.











2 quick surprises that are going in this machine (hopefully) and my other machine (blingGreen).



I think these just look... SO COOL! (Totally, no pun intended...)
More later!

 

yaaa man it cool

 

dont lie you just bought em cuz they came in a purple box

this case is looking too damn sweet man

 

BWAHAHA!!!!
You funny bro!
I did not notice that "color" until I posted up the thread...
Hehehe...

Thanks for the compliments!

 

That definitly is a love it or hate it color. I love it.

Very nice.

:~subscribed.

 

niiice, good job. you tried to shoot the case like some painters shoot candy paint. i hang out w/ a guy that does custom body work and painting (we're both VERY much into cars) and he went throught the whole process of shooting candy colors with me. chrome is just about the best thing you can get out of a spray can, my brother and i tried to shoot some silver and it DID NOT come out well. it was a deep DEEP red, not the bling red you would expect out of candy red. basically the process involves shoot multiple layers of paint, regular base coat, then the most metalic looking paint you can get, full of flakes as well. the flakes add all the reflectiveness.

 

I just love the inside paint job! Just shows chrome paint aint all that bad Keep up the great work.

 

How can you hate that color/case

It looks totally flabbertastic, great job

 

You don't agree with me this color is kinda extreme?

 

Thanks guys! And "nope", I dont think that the case color is extreme. I prefer the term "Rare" or "unexpected", but not extreme. I think chartruse would be an "extreme" color. But purple, as far as I know, has not been used on a rig that *I* have seen. I'm sure it has been done before by someone, but I have not seen it. I take that back... one... HP RES is purple... and a FANTASTIC shade of purple it is! (Man, I love his work....)...

...

Whoa! Anyway...
...on with a small update:

My front panel Firewire/USB cables, the front "mic in/speaker out" plugs and the 80mm front intake fan. I used a spiral wrap to pull the USB/Firewire cables together, I may include the mic/speakers line depending upon where the connector is on the mother board. Reading the manual now to see if I can plan out some more cable management before the board arrives!






This is my rear 120mm exhaust fan and the motherboard front button bundle (power switch/reset/hd act/power LED). I spiral wrapped the button bundle and will be trying an experiment with them to see if I can disguise them. The spiral wrap may not stay. But to be sure I did not have spurts of unexpected cable colors coming between the twists, I sleeved the bundle in a black cable sleeve. I also sleeved the 120mm fan, and will likely vinyl dye the white end cap.






The DVD Burner is now stealthed. I still have to rig up a button interface (which may be a bit difficult due to the front mesh panel construction) but the mesh fits perfectly! I had to cut off the side legs of the bezel plate (these things actually screw in to the front bezel frame. 2 screws remove it, then it is latched in place by notches on the side walls of the front bezel frame.), and then put it in my bench vice to give it a good "hug" to lower the height of the piece and the width of the piece. It was designed to be snug up against the other front plates, but "being snug" and "opening an optical device tray" are not good in the same sentence. So, by gently tweaking the front plate, I took enough of the dimensions down to allow it a tiny, immeasurable ammount of room. Enough for the tray mechanism to eject properly, and then close properly... without scratching or catching on anything else. I like the result!

The top pic, the black velcro tape causes a bit of a reflection, but trust me, in real life, you cannot see that it is there. The flash highlights the tape a little bit, but in normal light, you cannot see it!

 

Lovin the purple. Thanks for goin through the whole paint process with the primer then chrome, then color coat. I might use that when I am doin my box

 

I love the color. Awesome choice.

 

I like what you've done so far. Subscribed!

 

You are quite welcome GigantoR, I'm glad that the detail has benefit to you! Use away! I'd like to add that you likely want ot put a clear coat on this for durability. I'm thinking that I will go that way, from a durability take.... but I'm still debating it, as there is a time clock on this mod.
Noot and ralph.pickering - Thanks for the support! I appreciate it and I'm glad that you like it!