how to paint case?

**forcifer** · 01-14-2006, 09:47 AM

im thinking of doing a new paint job on my case, or at least the metal bak. i hav an idea from my dad(owns a sheet metal company) but i wanna c if ther r more ways.

cainmosozihcs · 01-15-2006, 02:46 PM

so is your question on how to paint a case?

**Fox** · 01-15-2006, 03:00 PM

I think the base paint on most metal cases is a powder coat (they don't use solvents to attatch the paint). Could be wrong though.

This is an industrial technique, so don't count on being able to do it at home. I've been thinking about modding a huge white tower I just got and painting it, and I think I'm going to call some of the automotive respray shops in the area and ask if they'll do paint work on a PC case.

wastedtime · 01-15-2006, 04:25 PM

What about CARC...never hurts to be prepared.

**forcifer** · 01-16-2006, 08:25 AM

yea. my dad says that u can sand it down, then put on the special metal paint eh has at work(he works alot with aluminum). just seeing if ther r other ways.

manofsorrow · 02-05-2006, 02:12 PM

ive painted a case before. First sand the existing paint. You don't really need to take it all off, it just needs to be rough so that the new paint will stick. When you apply the paint ( I assume it will be spray paint ) spray it in very very thin layers. these thin layers will make sure the paint is even and no drips form. If your layers are of the correct thickness it should literally take you over ten coats to obbtain full coverage. If you search the internet there are several articles that explain the painting process much better than I ever could. Also they have pictures on what your thin coats of paint should look like. I hope you have as much fun painting as I did!

Volt-Schwibe · 02-17-2006, 04:53 PM

i normally just wash the case with denatured alcohol, and from my experiences, paint sticks just as well to clean paint as it does to sanded paint.

**Fr4665** · 02-19-2006, 11:32 PM

sand it down nicely and to get the perfect look wet sand it. yes it does make a slight difference. just put on some coats of paint but make sure you wait to let them dry dont rush !

timk9 · 02-24-2006, 12:59 PM

What about painting the inside of an aluminum case? I've never painted any part of a computer before, I don't want to paint the already black outside. I was thinking of painting green the bare inside drive cages, bottom, mobo tray, etc. There is no paint to sand off. Does it need to be sanded anyway or primed? What kind of paint do I use?

I don't have access to or desire to use automotive or professional-grade paints, just something simple. But I don't want to do it half-assed either.

Thanks!
Tim

**Fr4665** · 02-25-2006, 12:30 PM

well actually that does sound like a cool idea i never thought of that. My color of choice would be a Black case with white inside and blue cathodes.

The point of sanding the metal is that the paint can stick and have some rough surface to stick to. If you dont sand the metal sometimes,like i said sometimes,chips can occur or the paint will just peal off. You also want to keep in mind that it can get pretty hot in there,especially behind the mobo, so you would need some paint that doesnt start melting at 50*C. i know there is high heat paint out there so that might be a choice

good luck but i wouldnt garantee that it will work right

**prsings** · 02-25-2006, 01:57 PM

I may be wrong, but I wouldn't paint the inside, it may affect heat transfer.

**Fr4665** · 02-25-2006, 05:15 PM

got a point there but if ur running a pretty cool system and as long as thers enough fans blowing cold air into it and sucking the hot air out right away i dont think there would be much of a problem

01-14-2006, 09:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
forcifer Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kansas City kansas Posts: 3,627 OS: Vista Premium 32 My System Blog Entries: 1	how to paint case? im thinking of doing a new paint job on my case, or at least the metal bak. i hav an idea from my dad(owns a sheet metal company) but i wanna c if ther r more ways. __________________ now i remember

01-15-2006, 02:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
cainmosozihcs Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: new york Posts: 52 OS: XP Pro	so is your question on how to paint a case? __________________ --------------------------------------------- Beware the succubus of Doom!

01-15-2006, 03:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	I think the base paint on most metal cases is a powder coat (they don't use solvents to attatch the paint). Could be wrong though. This is an industrial technique, so don't count on being able to do it at home. I've been thinking about modding a huge white tower I just got and painting it, and I think I'm going to call some of the automotive respray shops in the area and ask if they'll do paint work on a PC case. __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

01-16-2006, 08:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
forcifer Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kansas City kansas Posts: 3,627 OS: Vista Premium 32 My System Blog Entries: 1	yea. my dad says that u can sand it down, then put on the special metal paint eh has at work(he works alot with aluminum). just seeing if ther r other ways. __________________ now i remember

02-05-2006, 02:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
manofsorrow Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 89 OS: winxp	ive painted a case before. First sand the existing paint. You don't really need to take it all off, it just needs to be rough so that the new paint will stick. When you apply the paint ( I assume it will be spray paint ) spray it in very very thin layers. these thin layers will make sure the paint is even and no drips form. If your layers are of the correct thickness it should literally take you over ten coats to obbtain full coverage. If you search the internet there are several articles that explain the painting process much better than I ever could. Also they have pictures on what your thin coats of paint should look like. I hope you have as much fun painting as I did! __________________ Asus A8N-E mobo Benq light scribe dvd-rw Amd athlon x2 4400+ @ 2.8 ghz 2x 160 gig hard drives in RAID 0 array water cooled 4x 80mm case fans controlled by a Vantec controller 42" LG plasma monitor Idle temp. 28C load temp. 34C (on average) Fully sleeved etc.

01-15-2006, 04:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
wastedtime Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 79 OS: win2k	What about CARC...never hurts to be prepared.

02-17-2006, 04:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
Volt-Schwibe Asst. Manager, Automotive Forums; HJT Trainee Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Behind you, watching you as you type. Posts: 7,372 OS: Click "My System" to view details My System	i normally just wash the case with denatured alcohol, and from my experiences, paint sticks just as well to clean paint as it does to sanded paint. __________________ <signature> TSF is funded by our Admin's pocket, care to help? Power Tip: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. New Members: Creating a single new thread in the correct section is the best way to assure your thread will receive a reply. </signature>

02-19-2006, 11:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	sand it down nicely and to get the perfect look wet sand it. yes it does make a slight difference. just put on some coats of paint but make sure you wait to let them dry dont rush ! __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game

02-24-2006, 12:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
timk9 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Lockport, NY, USA Posts: 58 OS: XPPro, XPPro X64, 98, DOS, MacOSX, various Linuxes	What about painting the inside of an aluminum case? I've never painted any part of a computer before, I don't want to paint the already black outside. I was thinking of painting green the bare inside drive cages, bottom, mobo tray, etc. There is no paint to sand off. Does it need to be sanded anyway or primed? What kind of paint do I use? I don't have access to or desire to use automotive or professional-grade paints, just something simple. But I don't want to do it half-assed either. Thanks! Tim

02-25-2006, 12:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	well actually that does sound like a cool idea i never thought of that. My color of choice would be a Black case with white inside and blue cathodes. The point of sanding the metal is that the paint can stick and have some rough surface to stick to. If you dont sand the metal sometimes,like i said sometimes,chips can occur or the paint will just peal off. You also want to keep in mind that it can get pretty hot in there,especially behind the mobo, so you would need some paint that doesnt start melting at 50*C. i know there is high heat paint out there so that might be a choice good luck but i wouldnt garantee that it will work right __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game

02-25-2006, 01:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
prsings I helped the forums. Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 120 OS: WinXP Home My System	I may be wrong, but I wouldn't paint the inside, it may affect heat transfer. __________________ PR My system is in my profile.

02-25-2006, 05:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	got a point there but if ur running a pretty cool system and as long as thers enough fans blowing cold air into it and sucking the hot air out right away i dont think there would be much of a problem __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game