Painting a P180

[angelkiller]

Hi all!

By request, I'm making short write-up of the process I used to paint my P180 black. I guess I should add a disclaimer here. Disclaimer: I'm no expert and I'm not necessarily recommending my methods. I'm just documenting my process. There. Ok, lets get started!

First I want to say thanks to Spacegoast. I based my efforts off this user's thread (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=55837). Spacegoast was also extremely helpful in answering my numerous questions and PMs. Thanks! :respect:

Now, a bit about exactly how I did this. First, I had to strip the case. Everything was taken off. All that was left was the metal frame. Then, I got the paint. Lowe's didn't have the DupliColor paint I wanted. But they had lots of Valspar stuff. I was really unsure if I was getting the right thing. But I guess to a certain extent it doesn't matter. I got two cans of primer and two cans of a glossy black. Next, I cleaned the case. I just hosed it down.Then I let it dry. It's really windy here during this time, so I painted in my garage. Primer went like this: Paint 1 layer, wait an hour, sand paint another layer, hour, sand, nother layer, but this time 24 hours. (3 layers down) Sand, and then a final layer of primer, 24 hours. I didn't sand the black paint at all. I didn't know if that would interfere with its gloss. :confused: Oh well. And all sanding was done with 600 gript sandpaper. I put two layers of black down, waited 24 hours, and then a final layer.

Pics!

The stripped case. (Ignore the plastic thing above the 3.5mm bay. It was removed later)
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1098

Cleaning the case
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1099

Drying
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1100

The paint I used
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1101

The first layer of primer.
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1102
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1103

Sanding the 1st layer of primer
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1105
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1104

2nd coat of primer
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1106

Closeup
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1107

There were some spots that I couldn't sand. Luckily you cant see these.
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1108
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1109

3rd layer of primer
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1110
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1111

4th and final coat of primer
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1112

Again, some spots I couldn't sand.
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1113

After sanding the 4th primer coat
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1114

Black! Wohoo! :D
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1115
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1116

2nd layer of black
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1117
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1118

3rd layer of black
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1119
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1120

It's done!! :rockout:
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1121
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1122
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1123
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1125
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1126
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1124

With all my stuff in. Excuse the messy cabling. It's not finalized yet.
http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1127

Ok, so the pictures tell most of the story. Overall, I'm very happy with the end result. It's exactly what I wanted to have. A black P180. But judging objectively, its not that great. On a scale of one to ten, ten being a high quality amateur paint job, I think this is about a four. :( There are lots of ways this could be improved on. But, what's done is done, and I like it, and that's what counts.

Just some extra notes/thoughts/ideas: Don't paint the feet. They're rubbery and when they compact, the paint chips off. Take em off and then paint. Go easy on the paint. This is probably the most important thing I learned. Layers should be really thin. This (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/Cali2na/Picture018.jpg) is how thin a layer should be. Now compare that to mine (http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1115). Mine is a good picture of what NOT to do. My paint is especially fragile. When I went to put the PCI cover on, I completely stripped the paint (http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/picture.php?albumid=147&pictureid=1128)! I ended up using washers to solve this problem. This was an issue on the PCI covers and the PSU cover. Also, in general, the paint dings pretty easily. The pistol grip thing is really worth it. Do your research. I didn't. Five days of preparation isn't enough. Before you start painting, you need to know exactly what you're doing and the process should be verified with or similar to someone who knows what they're doing. But I don't want to discourage you! Painting is a easy thing to do, especially when you know what you're doing. The hardest thing is doing the research. It gets easier from there. Thanks for reading! :toast: Any comments or questions are welcome! I especially want to hear how what I did could be improved on.

[angelkiller]

Here's some feedback I got from Spacegoast's thread (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=55837).
angelkiller... you probably ruined the paint's bond with the metal when you sanded it...

you should wait a minimum of 24 hours before sanding... since the paint's outside may be dry, while the inner layers are still moist...

not to mention, you should wait another 24 hours after a coat before handling or scraping for that matter

clear coat also helps protect the finish

finally... I've noticed some spots of overspray and chunks of running paint, that can be avoided if you paint a case fully disassembled... or you can just do it by spraying quickly and in short, short bursts over and over...

[erocker]

Where are the pics?

[angelkiller]

Fixed. My bad.

[NeoCrisis]

Painting a computer case is a pain in the ass. It took me almost 3 months to paint my case (see my sig) i didnt even paint the whole thing... just 7 pieces.
you actually have to let the paint dry and cure/harden for a month before wet sanding with 800,1000,2000 grit paper. To give it a nice Glossy mirror wet look you buff it with rubbing compound and then polish. Then wax about another month later. If you want you can add a few layers of clear coat to protect it that too is the same process of wet sanding and buffing.
Saddly i have to go through that ordeal again since some of the screws started to scratch the paint and Im just anal about that... gotta get me some washers next time.

[DonInKansas]

Not bad for a first timer. Could have saved some paint and improved airflow by cutting out those fan areas....:laugh:

No one gets it perfect the first time. I've got a case I'm gonna tear apart and take a crack at painting....dirty ol' beige case FTL!:roll:

[kenkickr]

For a first time paint job it looks awesome!! I can see some run spots in the paint so make sure when you are painting 1: Always use a constant back and forth, starting from one end working your way down to the other end. It took me 3 passes to cover all the primer when I painted mine. 2: Shake that can every now and then especially if you are working with any paint that has flakes in it. 3: Don't rush yourself. Have fun.

[lemonadesoda]

Very nice write-up (picture-up) Angel. The critical honesty at the end is great. That's where people learn.

Tips:

1./ Longer dry time required for each layer

2./ Dry should not be dont in garage... too cold... unless doing it on hot summer days. Somehow you do need to "bake" it although NOT at oven temperatures! But a lot hotter than garage ambient.

3./ Consider a final layer of gloss. Pure gloss, ie. transparent.

4./ An axel grinder with a lambswool polisher on it can help

The term "baking" comes from exactly that. After the paint as surface dried (but not longer) the whole thing should be brought up to a higher temperature. I'm not sure what the ideal temperatures are, but

[angelkiller]

Thanks for the feedback guys! And the advice is helpful for future readers. :toast:

[FatForester]

Nice work! Like others have said, you've gotta wait longer in between coats - especially when working with enamel. The main reason the paint started peeling away is because the inside was still trying to dry. Enamel can be dry to the touch, but that doesn't mean the paint has cured. It's too bad you couldn't get a hold of the DupliColor paint! It's automotive paint, so next time around you'll need to check out Advanced Auto Parts, Auto Zone, or Pep Boys instead.