Painting My Case.....

[Swollen Ostrich]

Im buying a Cooler Master ATC-210, made out of aluminum, and i want to know a good process of gloss painting it. could anyone with any experience with this help me.

[Ottoman]

I'm not exactly sure on it..

but u could use automotive paint...

but u may need to sand and use primer on your case, and a couple coats of paint...

it should work...

[Dissolved]

ud be better off anadizing it.. (however its spelled)

[TJ9]

I have yet to paint my case but have been researching it a bit now so heres my plan:

1)Use 80 grit sandpaper to get most of the paint off but not all.
You don"t want to scratch the metal with this.

2)Take a 150 or so peice and sand the rest of the paint off.

3)Clean it good and make sure it is dry before you start to paint.

4)Put on a coat of primer.

5)Sand down a little with 500 -1000 to smoth it off and roughen it up a little. Clean and Dry it.

6) Put on a coat of paint with the color that you want it to be.

7)Sand this with 1500 or high just a little. Clean and Dry it.

8)Put on a clear coat.

9) Wax it with something.

Paint will not stick to anything that is too smooth, dirty, or wet.
Allow the paint to dry completly before you put on the next coat, this may take a day or more. Try and do this in a dust free and clean area.

If you make a mistake just sand it down some and redo that coat again.

[Dissolved]

that above sounds good, just be4 u paint make sure u get the finest grit possible.. id look for some 2000 if u can find it :)

[Diggrr]

Don't wax for a month after finishing the paint. It continues to harden and the surface levels out more. (ie. gets glossier)
You can buff it out 3 weeks after painting, but it's easier to wait until before you wax.

Wait a day...a full day between coats of paint. If you aren't patient, the extra thick coat will take alot longer to harden.<edit> (the fresh coat will soften up the last coat)
The primer is good to go in about an hour, and make sure you get the sandable auto primer. That does a pretty good job of filling scratches from the sanding with heavier grits. I use 400 grit on the primer and 600 between coats of color. 2000 is good after the last color coat, before the clear coat.

That's how to get a good auto finish, I'm just guessing that's what your'e up to.

[Burning Phoenix]

I went through similiar steps on painting my case months ago. After the primer stage i bought one of those Marblizing kits and made my case look like green marble. I finished with a spray on clear coat. All in all it took about 3 days between coats drying and such.

[KeyboardCowboy]

Originally posted by TJ9
I have yet to paint my case but have been researching it a bit now so heres my plan:

1)Use 80 grit sandpaper to get most of the paint off but not all.
You don"t want to scratch the metal with this.

2)Take a 150 or so peice and sand the rest of the paint off.

3)Clean it good and make sure it is dry before you start to paint.

4)Put on a coat of primer.

5)Sand down a little with 500 -1000 to smoth it off and roughen it up a little. Clean and Dry it.

6) Put on a coat of paint with the color that you want it to be.

7)Sand this with 1500 or high just a little. Clean and Dry it.

8)Put on a clear coat.

9) Wax it with something.

Paint will not stick to anything that is too smooth, dirty, or wet.
Allow the paint to dry completly before you put on the next coat, this may take a day or more. Try and do this in a dust free and clean area.

If you make a mistake just sand it down some and redo that coat again.

this is exactly what i do when i paint a case, i have done 6 cases so far

[NOWIS]

KeyboardCowboy and all, Can you give me an estimate on the cost of painting one pc case. will one spray can of metallic paint cover the job or will I need two? Thanks for your help.

[Diggrr]

Well, at about $3.00 a can for paint, You'd need probably two cans of primer, and two cans of color. I've used one can, but not for a glossy finish, I just basically color coated the spatter finish it already has. You'll eat the primer up fast cause it goes on thicker, and you'll spend alot of time sanding/recoating to get it very smooth.

You can get a multi pack of good wet dry sand paper for $8-10.

haven't priced clear in a while.

Most of the cost is your labor. For probably $30 bucks, you could have a darn sweet paint job. I spend less for the reason above, I gave you the process I use for painting car repairs. You probably already have a good car wax.

Remember, the day between color coats is a must!
And happy modding!

[Tithulta]

why wax? It's not like it's outside in the sun,rain,wind,snow etc. So is it to prtect from household uv rays? please explain as this is somethign I plan to do in a couple weeks.

btw found this nice write up on case painting over here
http://www.vhforums.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard3/ikonboard.cgi?s=3c22b13c1246ffff;act=ST;f=2;t=9

[Diggrr]

Nah, not for UV protection, just to add more shine. If you're going to use a dark paint, that shine really tops it off. But like I said a few posts ago, wait a month before cause the paint can take that long to finish hardening. You can touch it fine the next day, but as long as you can smell the paint fumes, it's not done drying all of the solvents out of the paint.

*edit* if ya like the fumes, paint it once a week:D

[CrystalMethod]

Also easier to wipe off coffee stains on the top of your case when it's waxed. :D

[Tithulta]

Just a bit of information... I began the painting process earlier...sanded and then cleaned and then primer. In my computer room...thinking both windows open with ceiling fan on being adequite ventilation.

It IS and it IS NOT....while the visible gases dissapted rather quickly the smell seems to have stuck around much longer ;)
I wanted to get the case done while I'm off from work for Christmas and thus the reason I chose to start and it 21f outside and my system running at 36c. Moved the primed case to the bathroom shut it up tight and turned on the exhaust fan and the heat. Color coat goes on tomorrow....

Ideas for [painting in COLD weather? I know the cans say that you shouldn't paint with temp below 68f so what options other than painting indoors?

[Diggrr]

I spray the paint outside, (no snow, no rain) wait 5-10 minutes, then bring it inside. The bathroom is not a bad idea, but don't paint it in there, the spray will get everywhere. You could put a cardboard box in the tub to set it on, and the shower is usually a dust free place for it to dry.
After a couple of hours (like if someone needs the shower) any room with a small fan will work. I just put mine in the back of the kitchen with a 6" fan (not blowing on the paint!). After two hours drying time, the fumes are down to a more tolerable level, allowing you to put it anywhere you'd like.

*edit* almost forgot. To paint out in the cold, both the piece you're painting, and the paint can must be indoor room temperature. Bring the can back inside when you are waiting those 10 minutes. Never store paint in the cold. I have it in the house always, and it will last for a year or more. If it freezes, it is junk!

[KILLorBE]

Originally posted by Diggrr

*edit* almost forgot. To paint out in the cold, both the piece you're painting, and the paint can must be indoor room temperature. Bring the can back inside when you are waiting those 10 minutes. Never store paint in the cold. I have it in the house always, and it will last for a year or more. If it freezes, it is junk!

May I ad something?
I will anyhow :D
If you paint it outside when its cold it might look kinda matt instead of glossy, don't worry just let it dry and wax it after a couple of weeks, it will shine:D

[CrystalMethod]

Originally posted by Tithulta

Ideas for [painting in COLD weather? I know the cans say that you shouldn't paint with temp below 68f so what options other than painting indoors?

There's pretty much no other option for painting, other than inside. Painting in the cold won't let the paint adhere to the surface/primer properly, and will be prone to chipping and flaking. *sigh* I have to wait till spring to paint my case. Also variations in temperature, if the paint does stick, will cause "orange peel". Painting in too humid an environment will cause the paint to wrinkle.

[Tithulta]

So far the primer looks great, but I'm not going to sand it til later this afternoon. The can said I only had to wait 2 minutes between coats so i put 2 coats on it and letting it dry. Can didn't say how long til it was cured so I guess 18 hours be ok? Don't want to wait 24 as that put it night time again and temps are supposed to be below 20 tonight.

Merrrrry Christmas all.