Painting A PSU

[chrisprice12]

Hey,

 

I was looking into painting my PSU and remembered the one Linus did. He painted the exterior white and it looked gorgeous.

 

I thought I'd look into it and when I struggled to find any decent evidence and help I decided to post in here in an effort to create some sort of guide. Something where everyone chips in and explains the safety aspects and things to consider whilst doing it.

 

Any advice would be appreciated, hopefully it'll help more people than just me.

 

What not to touch when disassembling, best paint to use, etc. That sort of thing.

 

I understand you can get certain colour PSU's but thats besides the point.

 

Thanks again,

 

Chris 

 

-Edit-

 

Had people advising not to do it if you don't know what you're doing. At the end of the day, this doesn't help, answer the question or don't answer at all.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Don't disassemble it. If you don't know what you're doing, it is dangerous. 

 

The "best" way to do it is to mask off the PSU so no paint gets inside, then paint it when it's still assembled. Needless to say, it will void your warranty.

[don_svetlio]

Don't do stupid things when you have no knowledge of what you're doing.....

[chrisprice12]

Don't disassemble it. If you don't know what you're doing, it is dangerous. 

 

The "best" way to do it is to mask off the PSU so no paint gets inside, then paint it when it's still assembled. Needless to say, it will void your warranty.

Thanks for the help.

 

Chris

[chrisprice12]

Don't do stupid things when you have no knowledge of what you're doing.....

If you hadn't realised, this *is* for people that don't know what they're doing. I created this to help people learn, otherwise how are they meant to? Your post made no impact and just shows you don't know about the subject either. Keep it relevant or don't post.

[don_svetlio]

If you hadn't realised, this *is* for people that don't know what they're doing. I created this to help people learn, otherwise how are they meant to? Your post made no impact and just shows you don't know about the subject either. Keep it relevant or don't post.

Fine. Just don't be surprised if you break something - some PSUs can't be reassembled once disassembled.

[W-L]

-SNIP-

 

I have a generalized guide here on PSU Painting, but as others have advised you must be very careful when opening a PSU. The regular safety stuff with unplugging the PSU and pressing the power button on the case a few time before letting it sit 30 min-1 hour before opening and being aware of the contacts of a capacitors when taking it all apart.

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/407754-modding-faq-common-mods/

[chrisprice12]

I have a generalized guide here on PSU Painting, but as others have advised you must be very careful when opening a PSU. The regular safety stuff with plugging the PSU and pressing the power button on the case a few time before letting it sit 30 min-1 hour before opening and being aware of the contacts of a capacitors when taking it all apart.

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/407754-modding-faq-common-mods/

Thanks dude!

 

Chris

[mao91]

The modding thread is excellent. I'll add my own two cents, but feel free to ignore.

From an electrical standpoint, taking apart a PSU is relatively simple, if you have knowledge of taking apart electronics. Just remember this is more of an electrical item, and less of an electronic item. Since 120 volts go in and only 12 volts come out, there's a lot of power transformation happening inside the unit. This means you need to take some safety precautions that go beyond basic anti-static grounding. 

The first bit of safety is making sure you give ample time for all of the capacitors inside the power supply to drain so there is no electrical current left inside the unit when you take it apart. Otherwise, you risk discharging large amounts of voltage into your body if you touch anything (some capacitors can hold massive charges, and can actually kill you). With that in mind, my paranoid self would allow the PSU to rest, unplugged and disconnected from anything else, for at least 24-48 hours before taking it apart. Also, since this is a very sensitive piece of equipment, I'd recommend taking pictures every step of the way so you have a reference to help you put it back together safely. If you ever get to a point where you're uncertain of what you're doing, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING and contact the manufacturer for a repair manual (if they even have one). 
 

As far as what kind of paint to use, I'd recommend using something nonconductive (obviously), and be extra careful to use several light coats and allow extra time between them for drying so that there is no moisture remaining when you put it back together. And, of course, allow a few days for the paint to cure before you reassemble. This isn't like painting a case component; you need to allow plenty of time for it to dry and cure. It should go without saying, but make sure no paint gets on the inside of the PSU casing. I also would not recommend painting the fan grille, as you'll want this bare later so you can clip your anti-static strap to it for grounding while reassembling your PC (remember, plugged in but turned off is good for grounding).


 

[Scheer]

If you hadn't realised, this *is* for people that don't know what they're doing. I created this to help people learn, otherwise how are they meant to? Your post made no impact and just shows you don't know about the subject either. Keep it relevant or don't post.

 

While just telling you not to do it wasn't a very good answer, when it comes to something like a power supply you really shouldn't be playing with it if you don't already know, and simply asking on a forum isn't going to give you all the answers that you need to know (IMO). There is somewhat of a stepping stone progression when playing with electricity and power supplies are not first on the list.

 

Due to the potential dangers, however slim, it is something you need to at least research a bit. For the most part make sure it is full drained of power and still never touch any components or leads, or have anything cross them out and you are fine... but even experienced electricians make mistakes due to how easy it is to slip up. Capacitors SHOULD bleed their energy within minutes, and if not there are ways to force bleed them, but if any of the capacitors are faulty they can still hold their charge.

 

If you wear a ring make sure to take it off or tape it up, just shocked myself last night due to my ring...

[chrisprice12]

The modding thread is excellent. I'll add my own two cents, but feel free to ignore.

From an electrical standpoint, taking apart a PSU is relatively simple, if you have knowledge of taking apart electronics. Just remember this is more of an electrical item, and less of an electronic item. Since 120 volts go in and only 12 volts come out, there's a lot of power transformation happening inside the unit. This means you need to take some safety precautions that go beyond basic anti-static grounding. 

The first bit of safety is making sure you give ample time for all of the capacitors inside the power supply to drain so there is no electrical current left inside the unit when you take it apart. Otherwise, you risk discharging large amounts of voltage into your body if you touch anything (some capacitors can hold massive charges, and can actually kill you). With that in mind, my paranoid self would allow the PSU to rest, unplugged and disconnected from anything else, for at least 24-48 hours before taking it apart. Also, since this is a very sensitive piece of equipment, I'd recommend taking pictures every step of the way so you have a reference to help you put it back together safely. If you ever get to a point where you're uncertain of what you're doing, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING and contact the manufacturer for a repair manual (if they even have one). 

 

As far as what kind of paint to use, I'd recommend using something nonconductive (obviously), and be extra careful to use several light coats and allow extra time between them for drying so that there is no moisture remaining when you put it back together. And, of course, allow a few days for the paint to cure before you reassemble. This isn't like painting a case component; you need to allow plenty of time for it to dry and cure. It should go without saying, but make sure no paint gets on the inside of the PSU casing. I also would not recommend painting the fan grille, as you'll want this bare later so you can clip your anti-static strap to it for grounding while reassembling your PC (remember, plugged in but turned off is good for grounding).

 

Now thats what I call an answer, I would mark it solved although this is more of a guide than a Q&A if you get what I mean. Thanks for your help dude, will help a lot of people out.

 

Chris

[chrisprice12]

While just telling you not to do it wasn't a very good answer, when it comes to something like a power supply you really shouldn't be playing with it if you don't already know, and simply asking on a forum isn't going to give you all the answers that you need to know (IMO). There is somewhat of a stepping stone progression when playing with electricity and power supplies are not first on the list.

 

Due to the potential dangers, however slim, it is something you need to at least research a bit. For the most part make sure it is full drained of power and still never touch any components or leads, or have anything cross them out and you are fine... but even experienced electricians make mistakes due to how easy it is to slip up. Capacitors SHOULD bleed their energy within minutes, and if not there are ways to force bleed them, but if any of the capacitors are faulty they can still hold their charge.

 

If you wear a ring make sure to take it off or tape it up, just shocked myself last night due to my ring...

Thanks for the info! Will probably leave around 24-48 hours to bleed though just incase.

 

Chris

[JT8101997]

I just painted mine maybe two weeks ago. Not very hard. Mine was sitting for months unplugged though so i had no safety concerns about being shocked or anything (i would say give it at least a few days to discharge). All i had to do was take out some screws to open the case, break the solder between two wires for the power plug and switch. After that you just need to carefully pull the board out making sure not to tug on anything as it's kind of a tight fit in the casing and you don't want to break anything. Then sand/paint etc. You can use any paint that will adhere to metal, really. I used some kind of Rustolium (if thats how you spell it) spray paint. Spray paint wise, i would just go for the quality option. Don't be cheap. It's like $6 for nice paint, don't be cheap. Then once you're finished painting and you've given it time to dry just solder the wires back in place and get the board back in. Tighten all the screws in place and you're good to go

 

If you want to see them i took some pictures of the process and posted them in the build log in my sig. Hope this helps

[d3generat3]

Does anyone have the link to the vid in which linus painted the PSU white?

[W-L]

Does anyone have the link to the vid in which linus painted the PSU white?

 

He didn't do a detailed guide but it was here @8:10:

[Benji_w]

Don't disassemble it. If you don't know what you're doing, it is dangerous. 

 

The "best" way to do it is to mask off the PSU so no paint gets inside, then paint it when it's still assembled. Needless to say, it will void your warranty.

 

Seriously millions of people die yearly from taking PSU's apart lol.

[Benji_w]

Fine. Just don't be surprised if you break something - some PSUs can't be reassembled once disassembled.

 

LMAO!!! It's really really simple to do, I don't understand why everyone thinks that it is a massive deal to just take something apart... People throw waterblocks and build computers every day without a 2nd thought...

[don_svetlio]

LMAO!!! It's really really simple to do, I don't understand why everyone thinks that it is a massive deal to just take something apart... People throw waterblocks and build computers every day without a 2nd thought...

You've never actually disassembled a Power Supply, have you?

[Benji_w]

You've never actually disassembled a Power Supply, have you?

 

3 of them, they all worked after, taken apart due to dust build up.

[Oshino Shinobu]

LMAO!!! It's really really simple to do, I don't understand why everyone thinks that it is a massive deal to just take something apart... People throw waterblocks and build computers every day without a 2nd thought...

 

 

3 of them, they all worked after, taken apart due to dust build up.

GPUs don't have large capacitors with a fair bit of power still potentially in them. If he doesn't discharge it properly, doesn't ground it and so on, it can shock you. Just because you've done it a few times doesn't mean it's safe, it just means you haven't messed anything up yet. 

[Benji_w]

GPUs don't have large capacitors with a fair bit of power still potentially in them. If he doesn't discharge it properly, doesn't ground it and so on, it can shock you. Just because you've done it a few times doesn't mean it's safe, it just means you haven't messed anything up yet. 

 

How to discharge a PSU

1. Turn off power at wall
2. with PSU in the on position, press pc power switch
3. ???
4. Profit.

[Scheer]

Seriously millions of people die yearly from taking PSU's apart lol.

 

I know you joke, but it has happened, and I'm sure there are many more than this one: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215200/Teenager-Shawnee-Oklahoma-dies-electrocuted-fixing-computer.html

 

 

How to discharge a PSU

1. Turn off power at wall
2. with PSU in the on position, press pc power switch
3. ???
4. Profit.

 

 

Like I said earlier, it is highly unlikely... but it is still possible for there to be a lot of charge left even if you think you have fully drained the power supply. In one of my engineering classes in high school the teacher showed us a documentary or whatever you would call it, where they tested dozens of old TVs that they knew the duration they have been unplugged. There were several that had been unplugged for 5+ years that still could kill you. I'm sure they were all cherry picked to get the point across, but it can still happen, no matter how sure you are that it won't.

 

3. Test for charge with a multi-meter.

[Benji_w]

I know you joke, but it has happened, and I'm sure there are many more than this one: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215200/Teenager-Shawnee-Oklahoma-dies-electrocuted-fixing-computer.html

 

 

Like I said earlier, it is highly unlikely... but it is still possible for there to be a lot of charge left even if you think you have fully drained the power supply. In one of my engineering classes in high school the teacher showed us a documentary or whatever you would call it, where they tested dozens of old TVs that they knew the duration they have been unplugged. There were several that had been unplugged for 5+ years that still could kill you. I'm sure they were all cherry picked to get the point across, but it can still happen, no matter how sure you are that it won't.

 

3. Test for charge with a multi-meter.

 

 

 

Computers experts have warned not to strip an old computer to build a new one because of the danger it poses to people who don’t know what they are doing.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215200/Teenager-Shawnee-Oklahoma-dies-electrocuted-fixing-computer.html#ixzz3p9mEIuMq

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