How would I even begin to spray my monitor case black?

[simms]

I asked a thread a while back about CD/DVD Roms and that went well. However with a monitor I can't exactly disassemble it and put it back together, right? Any ideas? I assume Krylon Fusion black paint will do, but anyone have any tips?

Thanks!

 

[Jeff7]

Sure, you can disassemble it, but you could be in for a helluva shock if you touch the wrong thing. And working with a huge CRT is bad enough with the plastic casing on - without it, well, chances of dropping it or touching the wrong thing drastically increase. And you're limited as to where you can hold it - basically, the front of the screen is it. The back of the tube has a narrow and delicate neck, with a circuit board attached to it.
I've not done it ever (painting a monitor that is; I have had amonitor open already), but I can think of some potential problems:
- Paint on the picture tube when painting the front of it, and paint seeping down into the tiny openings around the edges of the casing. Masking tape could help here, but I am uncertain if it would be safe for the anti-glare coating on the monitor
- While painting the vents on top, you'd also wind up painting the electronics inside. While these components should be air-tight already (pretty sure they have to be), the problem then would be when the thing is turned on, and starts to get hot.
- Paint on the buttons, making them stick.

That's what I think of when I think of painting a monitor in the case. Maybe something on Google can provide better advice.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Wouldn't it be better to use that dye stuff anyways? Painting plastic has always seemed like a gross-looking thing to me, but I've never seen it in person.

 

[Ludicrous]

I painted my beige 21" Dark Grey with Automotive Bumper & Trim aerosol.

I just took the case off, cleaned it with metho and painted...Looks groovy, and seems easier in the eyes too with the dark border.

After I did it, Numerous people told me that CRT's store high voltage...Oops. Just don't touch anything except the screen & casing.

Good luck.

 

[paendragon]

For the amount of effort / man-hours you're going to put into getting the paint job done properly, you could spend that same time pan-handling out at an intersection and make enough money to buy yourself a nice CRT that's got a black facotry paint job...

maybe make your sign for the street corner say something like "Please help! Must have matching colors for my game-box. God Bless"

 

[simms]

Originally posted by: paendragon
For the amount of effort / man-hours you're going to put into getting the paint job done properly, you could spend that same time pan-handling out at an intersection and make enough money to buy yourself a nice CRT that's got a black facotry paint job...

maybe make your sign for the street corner say something like "Please help! Must have matching colors for my game-box. God Bless"

Serious? There must be an easier way of doing this.

 

[M16Grenadier]

Wear latex gloves to reduce chance of a shock.

 

[Confused]

I thought I did a better writeup when I did mine, but I obviously didn't (the search isn't finding it anyway, but here's what I posted in a thread in the archives

You will most definately NOT want to paint the case while the screen is still there! I saw one thing where someone covered their screen on a laptop with paper/masking tape, and it still bled through, and the display was ruined. I wouldn't even THINK about leaving any of the internals in there while painting it, and just taping/newspapering them up, you're bound to miss one bit, or it will tear or break, and then you'll have paint all over the screen!

I suggest you look for some vinyl dye, you can get it from Auto stores like Pep Boys etc (i think that's the name, i'm not in the US, so i don't know exactly, just working from memory ), it will actually physically dye the plastic rather than sit on top of it like normal paint, which means that it won't rub/flake off etc.


I took my whole monitors (yes, s, i did 2) apart, and took off ALL the outer casing, left the internals in a pile on a table.

Then I cleaned it all down, and used some vinyl dye, let it dry, and put it back together.

It's not too difficult to take a monitor apart, just be careful and don't go prodding/touching anything inside!

Confused

 

[simms]

Originally posted by: Confused
I thought I did a better writeup when I did mine, but I obviously didn't (the search isn't finding it anyway, but here's what I posted in a thread in the archives

You will most definately NOT want to paint the case while the screen is still there! I saw one thing where someone covered their screen on a laptop with paper/masking tape, and it still bled through, and the display was ruined. I wouldn't even THINK about leaving any of the internals in there while painting it, and just taping/newspapering them up, you're bound to miss one bit, or it will tear or break, and then you'll have paint all over the screen!

I suggest you look for some vinyl dye, you can get it from Auto stores like Pep Boys etc (i think that's the name, i'm not in the US, so i don't know exactly, just working from memory ), it will actually physically dye the plastic rather than sit on top of it like normal paint, which means that it won't rub/flake off etc.


I took my whole monitors (yes, s, i did 2) apart, and took off ALL the outer casing, left the internals in a pile on a table.

Then I cleaned it all down, and used some vinyl dye, let it dry, and put it back together.

It's not too difficult to take a monitor apart, just be careful and don't go prodding/touching anything inside!

Confused

How long did it take? Ya, I know vinyl dye. I'll pick up a nice black one then. How careful were you?

--Simon

 

[alexquick]

just curious, how long would it take for a monitor to discharge all that energy if you didnt use it?

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: alexquick
just curious, how long would it take for a monitor to discharge all that energy if you didnt use it?

overnight to be safe.

 

[KillaKilla]

Originally posted by: Mday

Originally posted by: alexquick
just curious, how long would it take for a monitor to discharge all that energy if you didnt use it?

overnight to be safe.

You can use a well shielded screw driver+string(to hold it) after it's sat over night. Obviously have it disconnected. Touch the screwdriver to the tube, it should discharge. I read that in an A+ book somewhere, never done it though. Is it true the transformer in CRTs goes up to 12,000 Volts? Even at low amperage, jeez.

Also, how do you get the cover of the DVD/CD drive tray to come off? I have gotten the fixed part of the drive, and the button off but I cant see how the tray comes off. Does it?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: KillaKilla

Originally posted by: Mday

Originally posted by: alexquick
just curious, how long would it take for a monitor to discharge all that energy if you didnt use it?

overnight to be safe.

You can use a well shielded screw driver+string(to hold it) after it's sat over night. Obviously have it disconnected. Touch the screwdriver to the tube, it should discharge. I read that in an A+ book somewhere, never done it though. Is it true the transformer in CRTs goes up to 12,000 Volts? Even at low amperage, jeez.

Also, how do you get the cover of the DVD/CD drive tray to come off? I have gotten the fixed part of the drive, and the button off but I cant see how the tray comes off. Does it?

I think it's more like 28KV actually.
And be aware, I've read that monitors can reacquire a charge even after they've been discharged. I guess it's similar, at least in the effect, not so much in the actual mechanics of it, to the way a "dead" battery can build up a small charge after being left idle for a time.
But some monitors may have a bleeder circuit that gets rid of any dangerous charges after the unit is shut down. It's still safer to treat it like it may have a dangerous charge though. That "bled" capacitor might still have some life left in it.

 

[SeTeS]

I did a really nice paint job on a 21" viewsonic a few years ago. It's just a pain to get the guts out w/o killing yourself.

Actually the viewsonic made it pretty easy, as the entire backend of the tube area was enclosed in a shield. The big danger, from what I gather, is the big anode on the mid top of the tube, usually rubber encased.

That being said, vinyl dye is the way to go. Pick it up at an auto parts place. Stinks to high hell tho', so do it in a well ventilated area, preferably w/ a respirator (I was lucky enuf to have one). Also, flat black will come out plenty glossy enough on plastic, so I'd go w/ that instead of any kind of gloss.

THAT being said, you can pick up a 21" black monitor for 200-400 bucks online. Sadly, the viewsonic crapped out on me about a year after the paint job, and I picked up a 21" black IBM used from www.merkortech.com. Was just over 400 delivered. Trinitron screen. Very nice. They have great deals at that place. Most are lease pulls, so they are in like new condition.

 

[grant2]

If you leave the monitor unplugged for a day you don't have to worry about shock; all the capacitors will have lost their charge.

 

[eldorado99]

Originally posted by: grant2
If you leave the monitor unplugged for a day you don't have to worry about shock; all the capacitors will have lost their charge.

You willing to bet your life on that?

 

[grant2]

And be aware, I've read that monitors can reacquire a charge even after they've been discharged. I guess it's similar, at least in the effect, not so much in the actual mechanics of it, to the way a "dead" battery can build up a small charge after being left idle for a time.

I believe that what you are describing is when a battery (let's say a car battery) is being discharged quickly, all of the sulpheric acid near the lead plates is consumed faster than it can be circulated. When the battery is left alone, the water has a chance to dilute within the acid.

In this case the battery isn't "dead" if you mean "discharged".. the energy still is in the battery, it's just not available immediately.

I'd be interested in hearing how a monitor would reacquire a charge.

 

[grant2]

Originally posted by: eldorado99
You willing to bet your life on that?

Yes, not that it matters to you

 

[nunyer]

Hi
I just got done painting 3 monitors. Most of the new ones have protection around all the stuff you should not touch. Just be careful taking it a part and you should be ok.

Since I own my own paint shop I though what the heck, and shot my monitor to match my alien case.

www.canopyfx.com/ebay/monitor1.jpg
www.canopyfx.com/ebay/monitor2.jpg

I am shooting my wifes now, doing a star, planets and galaxies. Will post when I am done

Joe

 

[barnett25]

I've painted an old 15" crt with krylon fusion. what I did was:
1. Take the back cover off.
2. Tape off all vent holes from the inside of the case.
3. Wrap the cord in tape.
4. Put the back cover back on.
5. Mask the screen off (I used scotch brand blue safe release painters tape)
6. Paint.

Make sure you remember to take off all the tape from the inside of the monitor or it will overheat when you turn it on. Using this method I never had to come close to touching anything dangerous inside, but to be a little safer leave it unplugged awhile before you take it apart.

As far as masking the screen goes, I had good results with this masking tape, no bleed through. There were places where I didn't get the masking tape right up to the very edge of the screen, so I used an exacto knife to easily scrape the paint off. I don't know If I could bring myself to do this to a new monitor, but I didn't notice any marks or distortion due to either the tape or knife.
Have fun!