Painting a case

[Shadow Gamer]

So, I'm a complete beginner with case modding(n00b alert) and I want to start with painting. I wanted to know, should I do sanding, and how much should I do? I'm probably just gonna spray it a nice black(I love matte black).

 

So, should I sand it, and how much should I sand it?

 

Thanks, 

-Shadow.

[Ahaber]

What is the color and finish of the case you are starting with?

[Shadow Gamer]

It's an old crappy Emachines office case.

The front "panel" is mostly white, but there is also black around the sides. It's the only part made of plastic. (The entire front panel)

[DevilishBooster]

It's an old crappy Emachines office case.

The front "panel" is mostly white, but there is also black around the sides. It's the only part made of plastic. (The entire front panel)

If you're wanting to repaint plastic case parts, you want to use Scotch Brite pads to scuff it up instead of sanding. Also, unless the metal panels are in really bad shape and need to be completely stripped and repainted, you only need to scuff them with Scotch Brite as well.

 

EDIT: Make sure you use a tac cloth on anything you scuff/sand before painting to remove as many contaminates as possible.

[Shadow Gamer]

Thanks for the help, DevelishBooster!

 

Do you know what type of paint would be best for this? General Purpose?

[W-L]

Thanks for the help, DevelishBooster!

Do you know what type of paint would be best for this? General Purpose?

 

As @DevelishBooster previously said it's good to scuff up the surfaces before painting and if necessary apply a thin coat of primer if the original panel is in rough shape or heavily scuffed. For plastics and bare metal however it's a good idea to sand/scuff, and apply a self etching primer to promote adhesion before applying a top coat. Be sure to apply in thin even coats as with any spray paint and let it dry the recommended manufacture's amount of time between coats and a good week cure to ensure maximum durability.

 

Paint brand or type wise if you want a good selection or extra deep blacks, then automotive paints such as duplicolor are excellent, in most cases general spray paint will work, if extra durability is needed some enamel based are superior.

[DevilishBooster]

Thanks for the help, DevelishBooster!

 

Do you know what type of paint would be best for this? General Purpose?

It depends on what quality finish you want to achieve. Personally, I'm a perfectionist, so I will never buy cheap paint.

The biggest thing, for the metal parts at least, is using a self etching primer. Something like this. This will help the primer (and then paint) to really bind to the scuffed/sanded metal.

This is a good article on repainting PC cases. They explain the difference between a regular primer and a self etching primer.

1. What is the difference between regular primer and etch/self etching primer?

Answer: A regular primer is made to go on the substrate and provide mechanical adhesion. This is done by the primer settling into the scratches created by scuffing or sanding. As the primer dries it shrinks causing the primer to grab onto the scratches providing you with a mechanical adhesion.

An etch primer is made to be put on bare metal and provides chemical adhesion as well as mechanical. The mechanical adhesion of an etch primer works just the same as a regular primer mentioned above. The chemical adhesion is achieved by an acid contained in the primer. This acid will etch itself into the substrate.

No matter what kind of primer/paint you ultimately decide to go with, I would recommend doing small test areas on each surface first (if possible) so you know how the finished product will look.

[DevilishBooster]

-snip-

The main thing I would recommend would be to check out Bill Owen's YouTube channel. His whole business centers around custom cases and case mods, so just watch a bunch of his videos and you will learn a lot.

Here is his website as well, where he has a bunch of links at the bottom of the page.