i'm kind of tired of looking at a crappy case [Archive]

CrawlingEye

09-18-2002, 03:13 AM

Good luck. I'm finally painting my dummy pci fancard. The primer should be dry right now in fact. I've yet to decide on what color I'm going to use for the stripes. (I'm going to stripe it like a candy-cane type thing with either a fluorescent paint or chrome, I'm leaning more toward the fluorescent, with a flat black as the main color)

Post some pics with how it comes out. I'm using krylon paint ($3 for the primer, $3 for the paint) that I just got from k-mart. Works like a charm.

:)

TAZTG

09-18-2002, 07:19 AM

Originally posted by tu2thepoo
i think i'll paint it nice and glossy black.

like so (http://www.pc-workshop.net/articles/paint101/paint101-1.shtml)

i'll post again in a few days, let y'all know how it goes.

Thats the guide I used for Big Blue.. Take lots of PICS of all the steps and keep them coming. ;)

tu2thepoo

09-18-2002, 07:58 AM

Originally posted by TAZTG
Thats the guide I used for Big Blue.. Take lots of PICS of all the steps and keep them coming. ;)
did you sand the plastic panels too, or just lay a coat of primer then sand the primer?

(i'm guessing you sanded the plastic parts - luckily i have nothing like the Antec's plastic ventilation grill to worry about on my case)

TAZTG

09-18-2002, 01:45 PM

I lightly wetsanded all the parts, then cleaned it with the denatured alcohol, then put the primer down and on and on.... The only thing I did diffrent was at the end I put Clearcoat on the Plastic Parts and used Rubbing Compound and Glaze on the side panels and top. They shined up really good. :D

tu2thepoo

09-18-2002, 10:17 PM

just blew about 45 bucks getting the materials i needed at Ace Hardware.

hell, i could've bought a new case with that money :)

Goofas

09-19-2002, 12:44 AM

If it looks anything like the one in the how-to demo....I can't wait to see that baby!:eek:

tYteaZzAzN

09-19-2002, 03:23 AM

that'll look slickkk ;) you gunna do that to your whole case?

tu2thepoo

09-19-2002, 03:40 AM

just a reminder, kids:

if you think silicone marine sealant is a good adhesive to stick your fans to the side panels of your case, think again. it's a ***** to remove. :mad:

i'm planning to do both side panels, the top panel (will have to remove the bolts and replace them with nuts n threaded bolts), and the front panel.

TAZTG

09-19-2002, 07:20 AM

Originally posted by tu2thepoo
just blew about 45 bucks getting the materials i needed at Ace Hardware.

hell, i could've bought a new case with that money :)

Yea, but it wouldn't be as fun. LOL
:cool:

pwain

09-19-2002, 12:47 PM

I painted he front and right side panel black, It looks pretty sharp with the yellow drive bays, I havent finished though because Im not sure how I am going to do the rest, want it to be origional.

tu2thepoo

09-19-2002, 08:16 PM

quick update:

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/Pict0129.jpg

finished sanding the panel, i lost one of the two pics i took - so you'll have to be satisfied with this one. currently the panel is primered and drying.

you can see that it's already got a little bit of luster, just from an hour of sanding with 600grit sandpaper.

by the way, sanding a panel is messy ****; don't do it without LOTS of newspaper and paper towels handy.

(figured i'd start with one side panel and make all my mistakes on just one before doing the others)

Goofas

09-19-2002, 09:33 PM

Keep the pics coming....lookin good so far!

tu2thepoo

09-19-2002, 10:12 PM

argh, i done ****ed up the color coat (too much overspray, and i smudged a corner while moving the panel to another spot to dry). looks like i'll have to one more coat than expected (i planned on two, looks like it'll be three), since i'll have to sand this farker down tomorrow when it's dry.

good thing i decided to do only one at a time.

tu2thepoo

09-20-2002, 12:26 AM

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/black01.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/black02.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/black03.jpg

1st coat didn't turn out as badly as i thought. still some thick spots and orange peel, though. sanding and 2nd coat will follow tomorrow.

tYteaZzAzN

09-20-2002, 01:05 AM

Originally posted by tu2thepoo
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/black01.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/black02.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/black03.jpg

1st coat didn't turn out as badly as i thought. still some thick spots and orange peel, though. sanding and 2nd coat will follow tomorrow.
nicceeee ;) exactly which case are you modding anyways? you've done a great job so far, keep up the good work. :D

talldude

09-20-2002, 01:06 AM

very nice...usually the first coat is pretty crappy. How many coats are you putting on?

tu2thepoo

09-20-2002, 04:25 AM

Originally posted by talldude
very nice...usually the first coat is pretty crappy. How many coats are you putting on?
at least one more; if i go through to the primer (or god forbid, the metal) too often while sanding tomorrow i'll make it three. I'm not sure if two cans of spraypaint will cover two side panels, the top panel, and the front bezel if i make it more than two coats, though.

tYteaZzAzN: on the plate is painting said panels and making a new waterblock clamp; after that i'll be done modding for a good while (esp. since i have no cash on hand any more).

if you figure at least a full day and night per coat of paint (plus half a day of sanding and primer per part), and the fact that school starts in about a week, i imagine this particular project will take me a while.

****, that reminds me, i've got to buy my textbooks.

[edit]
that's, what,
4 parts, x2 coats/part, x1 day/coat = 8 days
plus 4 parts x 1/2 day/part for sanding and primer = 2 days

that's at least a week and a half, give or take, of continuous work; assuming i have the time to work every day and i only need two coats per part.

TAZTG

09-20-2002, 07:27 AM

Originally posted by tu2thepoo
quick update:

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/Pict0129.jpg

by the way, sanding a panel is messy ****; don't do it without LOTS of newspaper and paper towels handy.

(figured i'd start with one side panel and make all my mistakes on just one before doing the others)

Tell me about the mess, I did alot of my sanding in the Bathtub. I did one panel at a time and would rinse it off take back out to dry and then do another. Made it a little easier to clean up. Wait til you start wet sanding the paint, Black will be everywhere. Looking Good. Is there some kind of way you can use your Calculations for school and get College Credit for it??? LOL
4 parts, x2 coats/part, x1 day/coat = 8 days
plus 4 parts x 1/2 day/part for sanding and primer = 2 days

:D

CrawlingEye

09-21-2002, 07:01 AM

Lookin' good in the neighborhood, tu. :p

pudad

09-22-2002, 01:53 AM

Originally posted by tu2thepoo
just blew about 45 bucks getting the materials i needed at Ace Hardware.

hell, i could've bought a new case with that money :)

http://www.actvsdei.com/~mystif/images/smilies/lol.gif

kpxgq

09-22-2002, 03:08 AM

keep posting pics at each stage tu!

tu2thepoo

09-26-2002, 05:46 AM

sanded the 1st color coat and sprayed the second. you can see in the pics it's already picked up a lot of luster, shininess, and overall "MMM MMM SEXY"-ness. still need to sand it, though, and probably put another coat on it; you can see in the last pic that there are some edges i didn't get on the second coat.

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0139.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0140.jpg
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0143.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0145.jpg

CrawlingEye

09-26-2002, 06:16 AM

Very nice. When do you expect to be done? :)

tu2thepoo

09-26-2002, 06:46 AM

Originally posted by CrawlingEye
Very nice. When do you expect to be done? :)
at this rate it'll be a while. i'll probably have this panel done by this weekend, but i have no car polish to use on it. it'll probably be the end of october before i'm done, since school starts this friday.

CrawlingEye

09-26-2002, 08:35 AM

Jeez. That's a while. :)

Turtle wax (seriously) works very well with it. I doubt you have any of that lying around if you don't have any car wax lying around.

Just saying. :)

tu2thepoo

09-26-2002, 08:03 PM

well, it's a convservative estimate. school workload shouldn't be too bad, but it never hurts to pad the numbers :)

sanded, 3rd (and final) coat of paint:
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0156.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0157.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0158.jpg

CrawlingEye

09-26-2002, 11:32 PM

Very nice, tu. What kind of paint are you using (I can't make the labels out)?

tu2thepoo

09-27-2002, 12:31 AM

Originally posted by CrawlingEye
Very nice, tu. What kind of paint are you using (I can't make the labels out)?
Ace Hardware indoor(?) lacquer. it's about $5-6.
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/acehardware.jpg

tYteaZzAzN

09-27-2002, 12:35 AM

one sexy thang you got there tu2 :cool:

tu2thepoo

09-30-2002, 09:02 PM

sanded it again with 600 and 1500grit, then went over it 4x with rubbing compound. if you look at it from certain angles (specifically, from the bottom towards the top), there's splotches where the spraypaint doesn't quite cover the panel (see third pic, pict0179. if you look at it from normal angles it's much less apparent, so i'm not going to bother with a fourth coat.

just a warning to those who want to do this: you should sand harder than you want to - get it as flat as possible BEFORE doing color coats. a few passes in the beginning can save you a lot of trouble when doing the color coat(s).

my friend's coming over with some Turtle Wax; it's not readily apparent in the pics, but it's not entirely glossy yet (still quite flat black if you look at it straight on). i'll post some more pics when i'm done waxing it.

figure i'll be done with the rest of the case (top panel, other side panel, front bezel stuff) by the end of october, mid november at the latest.

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0177.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0178.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0179.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0180.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0181.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0182.jpg

sapasion

09-30-2002, 09:17 PM

Very impressive reflectivity.

tu2thepoo

10-07-2002, 06:45 PM

finally nabbed some Turtle Wax for the panel and put it in. you can see in the last pic that the paint coverage is uneven, depending on the camera angle; such is life when you've only got 600 and 1500grit sandpaper.

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0183.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0184.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0185.jpg

sanding the second panel now, hopefully i'll get the primer coat on it by tonight.

CrawlingEye

10-07-2002, 07:36 PM

Again: Lookin' good in the neighborhood, tu2. :D

Keep the pics coming.

tu2thepoo

10-14-2002, 09:24 PM

pics of first coat of primer on my other side panel, after sanding.

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0022.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0023.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0024.jpg

it's giving me some trouble because i'd already cut holes for my 2x 120mm side fans, and the silicone i used to glue them on won't come off :mad:. I figure since i'm putting the fans back on, i can just drill holes for screws and cover up the crap. then it's just a matter of using some black touch-up paint on the spots that still show when i'm done.

you can also see spots where i inadvertently sanded down to the metal; it shouldn't be that bad, since the etching they use usually goes down pretty deep. those spots are there because i started with 400 grit sandpaper this time (as opposed to 600 grit for the other panel), which takes off quite a bit more stuff ;)

the panel is currently drying - just sprayed the second coat of primer.

JDC

10-18-2002, 04:24 PM

hey nice work. I'm thinking of painting my case black, super glossy so I could see myself :D, but I'm thinking it'll take a long time cause for each coat you gotta wait like a dry, for the paint, primer, etc. to dry, and if you want glossy then you're gonna need a few clips, so I think I'll have to postpone this painting until summer.

tu2thepoo

10-18-2002, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by JDC
but I'm thinking it'll take a long time cause for each coat you gotta wait like a dry, for the paint, primer, etc. to dry,
yeah. each primer coat only takes about half an hour to dry completely, but i usually leave each color coat for the rest of the day and night.
so I think I'll have to postpone this painting until summer. [/B]
it's good for an on-again, off-again kind of project - it's probably not a good idea to inhale spraycan fumes constantly for 2-3weeks straight ;)

tu2thepoo

11-07-2002, 02:35 AM

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0186.jpg
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0187.jpg
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0188.jpg

screwed up yet another 1st color coat. probably take a few rounds with the sanding block to get it flat again.

ROMark5

11-07-2002, 10:22 AM

Might want to try a finer grit sand-paper, tu. Good luck. :)

tu2thepoo

11-07-2002, 07:27 PM

Originally posted by ROMark5
Might want to try a finer grit sand-paper, tu. Good luck. :)
no, it just looks like that because i forgot to lay the panel flat (it was resting at an angle), and i used too much spraypaint. if anything, i need to use lower-grit sandpaper (i only have 600grit and 1500grit to work with)

AdrenalineRushan

11-07-2002, 08:14 PM

lookin good. keep up the good work

AdrenalineRushan

11-07-2002, 08:30 PM

ya, paintings tough. try not to get too frustrated.

fbs1992

11-10-2002, 01:18 AM

Originally posted by AdrenalineRushan
lookin good. keep up the good work

definately, thats gonna be a hell of a case

built_ford_tough

11-25-2002, 10:53 PM

Here's my paint job....oh and the rest of the machine too.
Glossy Black (http://www.geocities.com/builtford_tough/gallery.html)

TAZTG

11-26-2002, 07:09 AM

BFT, very nice rig.. Nice use of graphics on the Face Plates and Window. Like the Color Scheme..:)

built_ford_tough

11-26-2002, 05:37 PM

Originally posted by TAZTG
BFT, very nice rig.. Nice use of graphics on the Face Plates and Window. Like the Color Scheme..:)

Thank ya vetty much

krazie662

11-30-2002, 12:37 AM

Originally posted by CrawlingEye
Jeez. That's a while. :)

Turtle wax (seriously) works very well with it. I doubt you have any of that lying around if you don't have any car wax lying around.

Just saying. :)

For a professional finish, polish and wax :)

Mequire's non-abrasive polish is good for that showroom shine, then finish it off w/ a good wax for protection. Mequire's, S100, Turtle Wax are all good for a computer case :)

tu2thepoo

12-14-2002, 11:51 AM

started in on it again, just sanded it down and put on the second coat. reflection is coming in pretty well, but there's a bunch of rough spots and bubbling. i don't think i'll be able to get rid of them without starting all over with some 200-400 grit, so i won't worry too much about it.

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/Pict0021.jpg
won't come off - probably have to sand it off.
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/Pict0022.jpg
yuck.
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/Pict0023.jpg
not too bad, especially considering i haven't used any rubbing compound or wax.
http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/Pict0024.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/Pict0025.jpg

TAZTG

12-14-2002, 01:35 PM

Originally posted by tu2thepoo
pics of first coat of primer on my other side panel, after sanding.

http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0022.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0023.jpg http://www.actvsdei.com/~tutu/temp/pict0024.jpg

it's giving me some trouble because i'd already cut holes for my 2x 120mm side fans, and the silicone i used to glue them on won't come off :mad:.
tu2, I would have sanded it down to the metal then primed it. That silicon might give you hell in the end. Hopefully the fans will cover it all up. :p

tu2thepoo

12-14-2002, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by TAZTG

tu2, I would have sanded it down to the metal then primed it. That silicon might give you hell in the end. Hopefully the fans will cover it all up. :p
see, i wanted to leave the etching on it so that it'd be easier to keep the paint from scratching. eh, it's a moot point now.