A question on painting case fans...

krnmastersgt

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Jan 10, 2008
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So I have a bunch of Swiftech Helix 140mms lying around waiting for my re-build, and one part of that was going to be painting the blades from white to red due to the color theme. I've seen a few guides on how to do it and I've already practiced on an old and loud Thermaltake fan from who knows when and re-assembled without much issue.

My question is regarding the paint itself, every project I've seen uses a rather standard spray paint with even layers etc.

Has anyone tried Plasti-Dip? Reason I ask is I'm fickle and prone to changing things just because, and I quite like these fans and would prefer to not have to buy them all over again or keep repainting (that does add up in thickness) the fan blades to change colors. Plasti Dip seems like an alternative but I'm not entirely sure how it coats on and such and if it'd have problems in the type of environment I'm about to subject it to. Worst case scenario I see is that the skin peels off while the fan is running and just gums it up in a weird way that breaks the motor or the blades.
 

Tweakin

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Feb 7, 2000
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So I have a bunch of Swiftech Helix 140mms lying around waiting for my re-build, and one part of that was going to be painting the blades from white to red due to the color theme. I've seen a few guides on how to do it and I've already practiced on an old and loud Thermaltake fan from who knows when and re-assembled without much issue.

My question is regarding the paint itself, every project I've seen uses a rather standard spray paint with even layers etc.

Has anyone tried Plasti-Dip? Reason I ask is I'm fickle and prone to changing things just because, and I quite like these fans and would prefer to not have to buy them all over again or keep repainting (that does add up in thickness) the fan blades to change colors. Plasti Dip seems like an alternative but I'm not entirely sure how it coats on and such and if it'd have problems in the type of environment I'm about to subject it to. Worst case scenario I see is that the skin peels off while the fan is running and just gums it up in a weird way that breaks the motor or the blades.

I would think the added weight of the plasti-dip would change the acoustics of the fan as it now has to spin more mass...not sure, but that would be the only problem I could think of.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
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Sep 28, 2005
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dont...

when you paint the blades, you tend to unbalance them and ruin the fan.

Id say it greatly depends on the fan, for example, a scythe GT will be destroyed once u paint them as the fan blade is fully balanced.

Think of a tire on a car and wheel balancing.

If your going to run the fan on low speed, it doesnt impact it as much as high speed.
But painted fans, the first complaint i always read is vibrations, like a car, followed by noise later on.
 

dma0991

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Mar 17, 2011
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If weight of the paint does in fact cause balance issues, you could try a very thin coat of color. It could be a stain type of paint, much like you would color the blades with a permanent board marker. You'd get the desired color but some translucency due to the thin coat.
 

krnmastersgt

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Jan 10, 2008
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Only issue I've come across regarding the weight is that when it's coated unevenly it ruins the weight distribution, thus making them spin off centered and noisy/broken. From all the information I've found as long as you paint them properly and coat them evenly the added weight doesn't seem to be much an issue as long as it's still center balanced.

I would think the Gentle Typhoons are the best candidate for painting as the gray isn't particularly pleasant and it's a very heavy blades and weighted center make it harder to imbalance.

And I wasn't plan on using just standard paint, was looking into something that bonds to plastics better, might take my fans down to a Sherwin Williams or something and get them to give me advice on what type of compound to use, not to mention if I can get the shade of red I want. Luckily there's 1 down the street from work that I can check in on :p
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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What you want is Krylon paint. It's made to bond on plastic.

That, or a good enamel spray-paint made for plastic. But even for the painting, I'd rather not do it if there are drawbacks to prepping the surfaces with sandpaper.

Point is -- I'm more interested in CFM, MTBF and dBA. It may be nice to find an LED fan of the right color which meets all the other criteria. But if it doesn't stand up against an uglier fan -- I'll take the ugly one.

The issues about painting might raise more attention to periodic dust-removal. That stuff builds up, even if there's little effect on balance.
 

krnmastersgt

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Jan 10, 2008
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I've always gone for the nicest point of performance:cost historically, this build I decided to spoil myself a bit and went a little overboard but hey, now I'm committed to finishing this the way I had planned it out and there's only a few missing pieces to it all.

I definitely see people using Krylon a lot, thought it was just some brand but will definitely look for it now. Might still pick up some Plasti Dip for the actual case itself, few things I want to try and Plasti is removable so hopefully no real harm done trying it out a bit.

As far as dust removal I've been an advocate for a while of high positive pressure with correctly positioned exhausts to manage the dust and airflow, but I clean out my filters every few days or so, not sure what other people's schedules are like but I have carpet floor and while my system sits on my desk it still catches a lot of the dust.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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I've always gone for the nicest point of performance:cost historically, this build I decided to spoil myself a bit and went a little overboard but hey, now I'm committed to finishing this the way I had planned it out and there's only a few missing pieces to it all.

I definitely see people using Krylon a lot, thought it was just some brand but will definitely look for it now. Might still pick up some Plasti Dip for the actual case itself, few things I want to try and Plasti is removable so hopefully no real harm done trying it out a bit.

As far as dust removal I've been an advocate for a while of high positive pressure with correctly positioned exhausts to manage the dust and airflow, but I clean out my filters every few days or so, not sure what other people's schedules are like but I have carpet floor and while my system sits on my desk it still catches a lot of the dust.

If I filter, I've inclined toward "custom" filters cut from the $2 AC fiberglass filters obtained from the hardware store. If the fans are running at lower RPM during low-load situations, I'd think it also means less dust.

For "looks," though, I've got my eye on a couple BitFenix 200mm green-LED fans. I tested a "red" one, and they seem reasonably true to CFM and dBA specs. But the larger fans don't come in a "100,000 hrs" MTBF spec.

I think those fiberglass filters can be had in either green or white, so .. .
 

krnmastersgt

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Jan 10, 2008
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I saw your thread about the fiberglass filter and might give it a try myself, still need to work out a few things for my intakes but it's rather hard to find a mix of open enough for airflow but fine enough to catch most dust particles, aesthetics also playing a much larger role for me in this build than the usual.

Gonna pick me up some Krylon tomorrow and test it out on my broken experimentation fan and then maybe one of the half dozen Corsair stock fans I've somehow accumulated.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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I saw your thread about the fiberglass filter and might give it a try myself, still need to work out a few things for my intakes but it's rather hard to find a mix of open enough for airflow but fine enough to catch most dust particles, aesthetics also playing a much larger role for me in this build than the usual.

Gonna pick me up some Krylon tomorrow and test it out on my broken experimentation fan and then maybe one of the half dozen Corsair stock fans I've somehow accumulated.

With the looser mesh of fiberglass strands, it indeed allows for more airflow than you'll find in some options. Once it is sufficiently "clotted-up" with kruft, you only need to put it on the patio cement and "give it the hose."

that leaves the nature of these filters, which come with the edges of the fiberglass mesh glued to a cardboard frame. If you want to prevent fraying and make the filters a semi-permanent, cleanable and replaceable item, the solution I'd found so far adds some slight increment of expense and can be a bit messy.

I get a tube of silicon adhesive/sealant (clear) from the auto-parts store, and put a bead of it around my custom-cut fiberglass-mesh pieces. Maybe a sheet of saran-wrap will keep this one-time chore from becoming too messy, and of course -- anything done with silicon sealant is a tad messy. Once it's dry, though, you'd only have to cut away the saran-wrap (or wax-paper or whatever), and the filter is "good to go."

We're never going to eliminate dust from case-interiors without eliminating airflow. I have yet to purchase this item, which comes highly recommended, but I think I'll put in an order very soon:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16896367002

The six-packs of compressed "air" obtainable from the computer-accessory counters at various stores like Best Buy and Costco are a bit expensive. I always get a bit irritated using them, because discharges cause the can to become cold, which reduces the intensity of the air blasts. And when the cans are nearing a state of "empty," they aren't too effective, either. Always an irritation for their varying effectiveness and price.

A nice, soft paint-brush can also be helpful.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
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i have a data vac...

its saved me a lot of money from not having to buy compressed air cans...

but they are loud... its not something u want to turn on in the middle of the night unless u want to piss off your family members who are trying to sleep.
 

krnmastersgt

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Jan 10, 2008
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I've used a few data vacs at work and I don't see anything special about them that you don't find on like a normal vacuum with a good attachment personally. That being said the place I work is cheap so maybe just cheap equipment. I was thinking of buying a small compressor meant to top off tires and adjusting the nozzle so I can use it to blow dust out of my case, don't need a crazy strong blast since most of my filters are washable.

I FORGOT TO GO BUY PAINT! I knew I needed to buy something before taking off from work but then only realized after I got home and don't feel like going out to buy it now so the painting shall have to wait a bit.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
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Sep 28, 2005
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I've used a few data vacs at work and I don't see anything special about them that you don't find on like a normal vacuum with a good attachment personally. That being said the place I work is cheap so maybe just cheap equipment. I was thinking of buying a small compressor meant to top off tires and adjusting the nozzle so I can use it to blow dust out of my case, don't need a crazy strong blast since most of my filters are washable.

I FORGOT TO GO BUY PAINT! I knew I needed to buy something before taking off from work but then only realized after I got home and don't feel like going out to buy it now so the painting shall have to wait a bit.

the data vac bonzai linked doesnt suck air tho.
it blows, and the quality is almost the same as a compressed air can.

Air compressors are BAD BAD BAD... because when u compress air, you also get moisture unless u get the attachment which catches the moisture.
So in short, your spitting out water too sometimes, which can be VERY BAD.

Normal Vac's can cause static which is also bad.
I learned this from way back... the only safe vac is a DC vac, and not a household AC vac.

This is why i have that vac bonzai linked.

Also data vac hand blower, comes in 2 different sizes.. there is one for cars which is a bit stronger... however that one generates a lot of heat which is again BAD.
So the white one is the best for PC applications.
 
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BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
16,052
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the data vac bonzai linked doesnt suck air tho.
it blows, and the quality is almost the same as a compressed air can.

Air compressors are BAD BAD BAD... because when u compress air, you also get moisture unless u get the attachment which catches the moisture.
So in short, your spitting out water too sometimes, which can be VERY BAD.

Normal Vac's can cause static which is also bad.
I learned this from way back... the only safe vac is a DC vac, and not a household AC vac.

This is why i have that vac bonzai linked.

Also data vac hand blower, comes in 2 different sizes.. there is one for cars which is a bit stronger... however that one generates a lot of heat which is again BAD.
So the white one is the best for PC applications.

I was distracted today by (the very successful) replacement of my HDD with a Sammy 840 Pro with Magician's "RAPID."

So it was good that Aigo came back here with his Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat on the Metropolitan blower. NOW I'm going to place that order!