# Painting a P180



## angelkiller (Jun 3, 2008)

Hi all!

By request, I'm making short write-up of the process I used to paint my P180 black. I guess I should add a disclaimer here. *Disclaimer:* I'm no expert and I'm not necessarily recommending my methods. I'm just documenting my process. There. Ok, lets get started!

First I want to say thanks to *Spacegoast*. I based my efforts off this user's thread. *Spacegoast* was also extremely helpful in answering my numerous questions and PMs. Thanks! 

Now, a bit about exactly how I did this. First, I had to strip the case. Everything was taken off. All that was left was the metal frame. Then, I got the paint. Lowe's didn't have the DupliColor paint I wanted. But they had lots of Valspar stuff. I was really unsure if I was getting the right thing. But I guess to a certain extent it doesn't matter. I got two cans of primer and two cans of a glossy black. Next, I cleaned the case. I just hosed it down.Then I let it dry. It's really windy here during this time, so I painted in my garage. Primer went like this: Paint 1 layer, wait an hour, sand paint another layer, hour, sand, nother layer, but this time 24 hours. (3 layers down) Sand, and then a final layer of primer, 24 hours. I didn't sand the black paint at all. I didn't know if that would interfere with its gloss.  Oh well. And all sanding was done with 600 gript sandpaper. I put two layers of black down, waited 24 hours, and then a final layer.

Pics!

_The stripped case. (Ignore the plastic thing above the 3.5mm bay. It was removed later)






Cleaning the case





Drying





The paint I used





The first layer of primer.









Sanding the 1st layer of primer









2nd coat of primer





Closeup





There were some spots that I couldn't sand. Luckily you cant see these.









3rd layer of primer









4th and final coat of primer





Again, some spots I couldn't sand.





After sanding the 4th primer coat





Black! Wohoo! 









2nd layer of black









3rd layer of black









It's done!! 

























With all my stuff in. Excuse the messy cabling. It's not finalized yet._





Ok, so the pictures tell most of the story. Overall, I'm very happy with the end result. It's exactly what I wanted to have. A black P180. But judging objectively, its not that great. On a scale of one to ten, ten being a high quality amateur paint job, I think this is about a four.  There are lots of ways this could be improved on. But, what's done is done, and I like it, and that's what counts.

Just some extra notes/thoughts/ideas:
Don't paint the feet. They're rubbery and when they compact, the paint chips off. Take em off and then paint.
Go easy on the paint. This is probably the most important thing I learned. Layers should be really thin. This is how thin a layer should be. Now compare that to mine. Mine is a good picture of what *NOT* to do.
My paint is especially fragile. When I went to put the PCI cover on, I completely stripped the paint! I ended up using washers to solve this problem. This was an issue on the PCI covers and the PSU cover. Also, in general, the paint dings pretty easily.
The pistol grip thing is really worth it.
Do your research. I didn't. Five days of preparation isn't enough. Before you start painting, you need to know exactly what you're doing and the process should be verified with or similar to someone who knows what they're doing.
But I don't want to discourage you! Painting is a easy thing to do, especially when you know what you're doing. The hardest thing is doing the research. It gets easier from there.
 Thanks for reading!  Any comments or questions are welcome! I especially want to hear how what I did could be improved on.


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## angelkiller (Jun 3, 2008)

Here's some feedback I got from *Spacegoast's* thread.


			
				commandercup said:
			
		

> angelkiller... you probably ruined the paint's bond with the metal when you sanded it...
> 
> you should wait a minimum of 24 hours before sanding... since the paint's outside may be dry, while the inner layers are still moist...
> 
> ...


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## erocker (Jun 3, 2008)

Where are the pics?


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## angelkiller (Jun 3, 2008)

Fixed. My bad.


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## NeoCrisis (Jun 3, 2008)

Painting a computer case is a pain in the ass. It took me almost 3 months to paint my case (see my sig) i didnt even paint the whole thing... just 7 pieces. 
you actually have to let the paint dry and cure/harden for a month before wet sanding with 800,1000,2000 grit paper. To give it a nice Glossy mirror wet look you buff it with rubbing compound and then polish. Then wax about another month later. If you want you can add a few layers of clear coat to protect it that too is the same process of wet sanding and buffing.
Saddly i have to go through that ordeal again since some of the screws started to scratch the paint and Im just anal about that... gotta get me some washers next time.


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## DonInKansas (Jun 3, 2008)

Not bad for a first timer.  Could have saved some paint and improved airflow by cutting out those fan areas....

No one gets it perfect the first time.  I've got a case I'm gonna tear apart and take a crack at painting....dirty ol' beige case FTL!


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## kenkickr (Jun 3, 2008)

For a first time paint job it looks awesome!! I can see some run spots in the paint so make sure when you are painting 1: Always use a constant back and forth, starting from one end working your way down to the other end.  It took me 3 passes to cover all the primer when I painted mine.  2:  Shake that can every now and then especially if you are working with any paint that has flakes in it.  3:  Don't rush yourself.  Have fun.


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## lemonadesoda (Jun 3, 2008)

Very nice write-up (picture-up) Angel.  The critical honesty at the end is great. That's where people learn.

Tips:

1./ Longer dry time required for each layer

2./ Dry should not be dont in garage... too cold... unless doing it on hot summer days.  Somehow you do need to "bake" it although NOT at oven temperatures!  But a lot hotter than garage ambient.

3./ Consider a final layer of gloss. Pure gloss, ie. transparent.

4./ An axel grinder with a lambswool polisher on it  can help

The term "baking" comes from exactly that.  After the paint as surface dried (but not longer) the whole thing should be brought up to a higher temperature. I'm not sure what the ideal temperatures are, but


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## angelkiller (Jun 4, 2008)

Thanks for the feedback guys! And the advice is helpful for future readers.


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## FatForester (Jun 4, 2008)

Nice work! Like others have said, you've gotta wait longer in between coats - especially when working with enamel. The main reason the paint started peeling away is because the inside was still trying to dry. Enamel can be dry to the touch, but that doesn't mean the paint has cured. It's too bad you couldn't get a hold of the DupliColor paint! It's automotive paint, so next time around you'll need to check out Advanced Auto Parts, Auto Zone, or Pep Boys instead.


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## oblivionlord (Jan 12, 2009)

Are there any pics still around?


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## angelkiller (Jan 12, 2009)

Hmmm. Dunno what happened to them.  I'll get them back up when I get home.


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## Meizuman (Jan 22, 2009)

I wouldn't even sand it. The surface of the inside of the case is most likely smooth enough so there would be no need for sanding. I would use maybe a few thin coats of primer and then spray it with gloss black + high gloss lacquer. I used matt black in my old rig and it turned out really good. I only cleaned the case thoroughly with acetone before painting.


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## Laurijan (Jan 22, 2009)

Looks sexy


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