# Advice: spraying the inside of my case



## HookeyStreet (Sep 13, 2007)

I would like to spray the inside of my case black but Im unsure what spray paint to use 

Would it be just a standard metal paint (ie like Hammerite, Humbrol etc) and do I need a primer 

Any advice would be great, thanks in advance guys


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## technicks (Sep 13, 2007)

I'll pm you in an hour.
I will tell you everything you need to know.
I have to get some food first. LOL


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## jocksteeluk (Sep 13, 2007)

id suggest using metal stain instead


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## HookeyStreet (Sep 13, 2007)

technicks said:


> I'll pm you in an hour.
> I will tell you everything you need to know.
> I have to get some food first. LOL



Cheers m8


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## HookeyStreet (Sep 13, 2007)

jocksteeluk said:


> id suggest using metal stain instead



Whats that lol 

PS:your avatar is scary


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## Deleted member 3 (Sep 13, 2007)

technicks said:


> I'll pm you in an hour.
> I will tell you everything you need to know.
> I have to get some food first. LOL



The idea of a forum is to allow many people to share information, ie instead of sending a PM post it in this thread.


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## ShadowXP (Sep 13, 2007)

Yep, please post in this thread =) I'm currently looking at doing the same with my Kandalf LCS before starting a little mod-project I've been thinking about.


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## technicks (Sep 13, 2007)

DanTheBanjoman said:


> The idea of a forum is to allow many people to share information, ie instead of sending a PM post it in this thread.



I'll pm him when i want.


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## technicks (Sep 13, 2007)

Ok will do

First clean out your case.
Take out everything but leave the frame in tact.
Sand it with 1000 grid sandpaper.(waterproof)
You dont have to sand it down till bare metal but sand it lightly.
After you sand it, clean and dry very well.
Get a primer for the surface you are spraying. ( Duplicolor brand)
Spray 2/3 layers of primer but be careful, dont spray to much. You can better spray 4 times thin, then one time to thick. Let it dry for 24 hours.
Look for uneven spots in the primer and sand those spots down very gently with 2000 grid sandpaper. Clean the case again with water and soap.
When you are done with that you can start spraying the color.
Apply very thin layers.You want to spray more at once but really dont do it. 
It takes about 4 times before it begins to cover completely. Let dry for 4 hours.
Look for spots again and sand it down with wet 2000 grid paper.
Then spray the final coat.
After the final coat you can spray a protective clear coat on top. Spray 2 times for a nice result.
Always use primer, color and clear paint from the same brand. I recommend Duplicolor paint.

This is very nice guide. http://www.mnpctech.com/case-mod-paint-computer-pc-case-mod-how-to.html

Dont expect a result just like it, but it will help a lot.


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## jocksteeluk (Sep 13, 2007)

HookeyStreet said:


> Whats that lol
> 
> PS:your avatar is scary



you could use an oil based gel stain, http://www.minwax.com/products/woodstain/gelstain.cfm


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## technicks (Sep 13, 2007)

Yeah or you could use pudding.


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## Vinc3nt_Steele (Sep 13, 2007)

I used rustoleum flat black on the last case i painted with no sanding.  It came out beautifully.  Just ensure you use a large sweeping motion and many thin layers of paint.


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## grunt_408 (Sep 14, 2007)

Also make sure that you get enamel not acrillic.
You cannot paint acrillic over enamel it will not stick.

But you can paint enamel over acrilic strange I know but its true.


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## keakar (Sep 14, 2007)

bare metal cases usually have a protective residue to prevent rust or machine oil on them so it needs to be degreased before painting if its new. if its been in use for months then the residue has dried up already but a good wipedown with a solvent degreaser and a green scrungy pad for doing dishes to lightly scratch the surface is always recommended. then a good automotive grade spray paint will make it shine for you. if you want a non-reflective finish use primer in the case and only your lighted components will have color. dayglo and flouresent paints should go over a primer coat first so they stick better. a little pinstripe detailing goes a long way to really making a sharp job. overspray dust gets everywhere so plan to wash the case with soap and water after a good 48 hour drying time so paint is able to get a good hard finish and fully cures.


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## sneekypeet (Sep 14, 2007)

Hey Hookey ,this is what I used when painting the inside of my Antec 900. Just a different look is all to widen your options.

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=31

I used the Dark grey/black combo. Turned out nice ,sorta looks like subwoofer speakerbox carpet, only no fuzz.


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## Velocity (Sep 14, 2007)

Rustoleum is decent, but if your going to do it with that brand do it Flat Black, their gloss is ok, but from what ive seen (after doing 2 cases with it) the glossy stuff never really dries fully after 2 or 3 coats and takes fingerprints badly.  1 or 2 coats of flatblack look good though for the inside of any case.


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## sneekypeet (Sep 14, 2007)

Velocity said:


> Rustoleum is decent, but if your going to do it with that brand do it Flat Black, their gloss is ok, but from what ive seen (after doing 2 cases with it) the glossy stuff never really dries fully after 2 or 3 coats and takes fingerprints badly.  1 or 2 coats of flatblack look good though for the inside of any case.



The paint I showed is a texture paint,neither glossy, or reccomended to apply more than 1 coat!


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## keakar (Sep 14, 2007)

Velocity said:


> Rustoleum is decent, but if your going to do it with that brand do it Flat Black, their gloss is ok, but from what ive seen (after doing 2 cases with it) the glossy stuff never really dries fully after 2 or 3 coats and takes fingerprints badly.  1 or 2 coats of flatblack look good though for the inside of any case.



rustoleum goes on thick and dries slow so you sealed the first coat before it got hard when you spayed a second coat over it. thats why it says on the can to use many light coats to avoid skinning like you had. you cant do anything with it after that but sand it back to the metal. i dried it with heat before but it got wrinkled in spots and crackede in others.

i find that krylon works best on metal cases because it goes on thin and dries fast.


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## Velocity (Sep 14, 2007)

keakar said:


> rustoleum goes on thick and dries slow so you sealed the first coat before it got hard when you spayed a second coat over it. thats why it says on the can to use many light coats to avoid skinning like you had. you cant do anything with it after that but sand it back to the metal. i dried it with heat before but it got wrinkled in spots and crackede in others.
> 
> i find that krylon works best on metal cases because it goes on thin and dries fast.



so waiting 24 hours before coats is bad? believe me i gave it plenty of time to dry


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## keakar (Sep 15, 2007)

Velocity said:


> so waiting 24 hours before coats is bad? believe me i gave it plenty of time to dry



if you put the first coat too thick it skins over and you could wait 24 days and it still be rubbery but i doubt it was you fault, you must have had a bad batch of paint that didnt have enough hardner in it. thats why i stopped using it on projects, you cant depend on it to act the same way from one job to the next.


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## Carcenomy (Sep 20, 2007)

technicks said:


> Ok will do
> 
> First clean out your case.
> Take out everything but leave the frame in tact.
> ...




Fail.

Sorry to sound harsh about it, but that's seriously a bad idea. Primer paint is hygroscopic... if you go _deliberately_ applying water to it, you're seriously advancing corrosion. Not a problem on a case made of aluminium, but on SECC steel... that's a death sentence.

The primary clean should be a wipe down with solvent if you're dealing with bare metal, something like toluene. It shouldn't need cleaned again - just blown down. A can of compressed air works a treat for that.


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## technicks (Sep 20, 2007)

Carcenomy said:


> Fail.
> 
> Sorry to sound harsh about it, but that's seriously a bad idea. Primer paint is hygroscopic... if you go _deliberately_ applying water to it, you're seriously advancing corrosion. Not a problem on a case made of aluminium, but on SECC steel... that's a death sentence.
> 
> The primary clean should be a wipe down with solvent if you're dealing with bare metal, something like toluene. It shouldn't need cleaned again - just blown down. A can of compressed air works a treat for that.



There is nothing wrong with my painting skills.
I'm doing it for a long time. Cars, bikes and pc's.


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## Carcenomy (Sep 20, 2007)

And you clean it down with soap and water?!

There's no discussion needed... primer is hygroscopic, it absorbs water. You are basically forcing corrosion.


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## grunt_408 (Sep 20, 2007)

Carcenomy said:


> And you clean it down with soap and water?!
> 
> There's no discussion needed... primer is hygroscopic, it absorbs water. You are basically forcing corrosion.



I agree primer is not water proof.

Me and my old man were doing up an old car, it was sitting in the shed primed and almost ready to hit with colour. We were having a garage sale on the weekend and this realy old dude had literaly shit his pants decided he was gonna lean on the nosecone of the car!:shadedshu Anyway we cleaned it of and the following weekend painted the car. Six months later you could see the rust coming through from were this old fart was leaning on the car. grrrr ashole we had to rub it right back and start over!


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## technicks (Sep 20, 2007)

Must be the primer i use then. Self etching primer.
And did not mean to soak the case but i clean it with a cloth that's a bit wet.


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## Carcenomy (Sep 21, 2007)

Etch primer is a bit extreme for this application, a standard sandable primer is all that's required. Yes, etch primers DO seal - as the name suggests, it bonds to the surface of the metal.

In any case, you shouldn't ever put water near a primer, compressed air is more than adequate.


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## technicks (Sep 21, 2007)

Ok thanks for the advice.
I won't do it again.


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