-- Painting the Box
-- 8.17.2000
-- By: Withaz
Please Note: I do not
take responsibility for your stupidty, if you break something that
you paid a lot for, tough luck. I told you to be careful.
You've made all the case mods imaginable and now
you want to do one last thing to make your case stand out at those
frag fests. Or maybe you're just sick of looking at the logo on your
name brand stock computer. Try painting it! This is a mod for
everybody... from the novice to the expert. Even those not so
computer savvy family members of yours can appreciate it.
Materials:
Okay, before you get started, here's
what you'll need. You need a clear, well-ventilated area...
preferably indoors. I painted in a semi-covered outdoor area, and it
was a pain. The breeze caused me to waste as much paint as I used.
Obviously you'll need paint... not the kind that comes
in a bucket either. It needs to be spray paint. If you try this with
brush-on paint you'll only get an ugly case. No one wants to see
brush marks on their case. I used Krylon brand high-gloss paint
(because that's what I use for my art classes so I had some lying
around). You can use whatever brand you like, but I advise you to
make sure it's high-gloss. You'll probably be able to make it one
can, but I bought 2 because I will need it for something else on
down the road anyway. In addition to the paint, you'll also need
some sandable spray on primer and spray on clear coat. Once again, I
bought Krylon because that's what I'm comfortable with using.
Sandpaper is another important item to get. If you
don't sand, you don't get good results. I suggest wet/dry sandpaper
with grits of 320, 400, and 600. The 600 grit is not totally
necessary unless you are a nut in terms of wanting to do quality
work.
The last item, which just happens to be optional, is
masking tape/masking
material. This is only needed if you intend to paint more than one
color per piece of your case. I did this, and I must say that it
looks so much better than just painting the case one solid color. It
is what can really make your case look sweet! Here's some before and
after pics to show you the difference.
Before
After
Next:
Prepping --
