SWEET!!! I didn't fux0r my case painting. w00t!!!

[EY2K]

edit- [Wow, am I impressed with my handi-work. I actually didn't mess up my case when I spray-painted it. Damn, the gloss black enamel looks daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn sweet too with my off-white front bezel. There were some blotches when I applied the primer, but they all disappeared when I coated the panels 3 times with the black Rustoleum. Yep, and indeed the trick is to go slow and main tain distance when spraying. I'm so happy! Maybe I should post some pics later tonight if any1 wants to see? My dad said not to do and that I would screw it up, but will he be surprised.

Peace,
EY2K] -end edit

original post- [Ok, I have a few questions that I need answering. First off, I have an Antec KS-188 Full-tower ATX case. I removed the two side panels and top cover for painting. I am going to paint these three black while leaving the front bezel the off-white that in came in. I think that would look pretty neat. My main reason for doing this is that my side panels have incurred a lot of nicks and scratches during movement (my movement in/out of dormitories). This is how I approached my project after reading an article at GideonTech.com.

1) Sanded all three panels with 220 grit all-purpose sandpaper. This is the only sand paper I could find at my local Home Depot besides 600 grit which I thought was too fine. It worked well, and I managed to get the surfaces really smooth.

2) Rinsed and dryed the pieces.

3) Sanded again with 220 grit paper really quickly to make sure I got all the bumps out.

4) Used soap water and dryed to remove all excess paint from the pieces.

5) Sprayed Rustoleum 'Stop Rust' White Primer over the three pieces. Waited 2 minutes like the instructions said and repeated with another coat. Did the same again. For a total of 3 coats of primer.

NOW I am letting them dry overnight, and I will finish it up with 2/3 coats of Rustoleum 'Stop Rust' Gloss Black Enamel spray paint. My question is this, the primer looks somewhat blotchy from certain angles and from a distance while up close it looks like a pretty even coat. (This was my first time ever spray painting.) I know that I will cover the primer with this black enamel. So will the primer blotchiness remain even after I spray over it with the black paint??? I'm thinking no, but I'm not too sure. Please feel free to give any tips or suggestions, cuz that's what I'm looking for. Thanks all.

Peace,
EY2K ] -end original post

 

[TechZen]

Did you sand between coats of primer? You may want to do a light sanding of the primer before putting on the finish coats( the black). This should help remove any blemishes as well as smooth out any particles you may have gotten between coats of primer. Also when you do the finish coat, make sure you are around 12" away from the surface. Also when spraying back and fourth, go past the ends of the piece you are spraying before you go in the other direction. Also try to keep the can the same distance from the object while going back and forth. You don't want to arch closer in the middle. You want a thin even coat. IMHO this works best when doing multi coats.

 

[AznBruin03]

if you sand the primer or paint between coats. I believe your suppose to wet sand it. Thats what I did, turned out fine.

 

[Renob]

If i were you I would not use gloss black it looks tacky and cheap use the mate black the spray with three coats of clear over black looks nice thats what I did... Now for all you guys getting ready to paint your cases dont sand them buy Jasco paint and epoxy remover and use it on all metal parts only it will melt the plastic be very sure to ware eye protection and gloves this is some nasty stuff... but it works great it will remove all the paint form the side panels and top panel in about 2o minutes just brush on a thick coat and it comes off with very little work... then Prime two heavy coats let dry and sand.... Then spray on 3 to 4 coats of the color of your choice then do the same with the clear coat it will look great..... For me I used a HVLP high valume low pressure spray rig and used auto paint and it looks great but most people dont have acces to a HVLP and dont know how to use them. I do Im a painting contractor......... good luck and happy painting.....

 

[EY2K]

Thanks for all the replies guys. That's exactly the type of info I needed. Guess I'll have to lightly sand it with the 220-grit paper that I got. However, if I don't see any blemishes I'm going straight for the black paint. The reason why I chose Gloss Black Enamel was that I did not want to go over the paint again with a clear coat. That would've meant I would need to buy 3 cans of paint for one lousy job. I wanted a very durable paint job for least amount of money. We'll see how it turns out. BTW, if this looks like crap I'm junking the case and getting one of those newer black Antec full-towers. Thanks all.

 

[EY2K]

bump!