wood grain pattern case

[khaangaaroo]

I've been trying out new ways to get rid of branding. Used a thick-ish gauge wire brush on a drill this time. The texture definitely gives the case a nice grip. Looks are a matter of taste, but I think i like it.

[SmallFry]

Looks like it's brushed aluminum. Nice idea! I'll have to try this!

[mushupork]

interesting - got a closer pic?

[khaangaaroo]

Looks like it's brushed aluminum. Nice idea! I'll have to try this!

I did one with more of a brushed aluminum look using sandpaper a while back. It took a lot longer though.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=36757.0

The drill method was pretty quick, maybe 30 minutes.

interesting - got a closer pic?

Yup

[SmallFry]

Looks like it would accept a clear coat very well. How's the texture on it, pretty rough I'd presume?

[khaangaaroo]

Yeah pretty rough.

I generally don't like things too shiny, but if I get bored of it, I might try a clear coat later. I have some sitting around in the garage.

[SmallFry]

A clear matte coat or summat. Dunno, didn't think that one through totally. Heh.

[mushupork]

I like this a lot ... reminds me of distressed wood.  I wonder if a bit of paint would make it even more so?

http://www.ehow.com/way_5427114_distressed-wood-finishing.html





edit: fixed typo

[zoolzoo]

Looks really good actually....nice.

[zoolzoo]

Can you speak a little more to how you did it?

It looks like you kept all of the brush strokes going in one direction. Any other little tips? I think the texture you created is awesome, I might give it a shot tomorrow. My father has a standing machine in his garage with a brush like that on it.

[khaangaaroo]

Yeah, I just did it in one direction. Try to keep it moving and not to concentrate on one spot for too long. You'll get more even results that way. You might want to try doing the back first and move to the top side once you get the hang of it. A higher RPM drill will get you through the paint layer faster. Don't worry about messing up. The plastic is pretty thick in comparison to how much you grind off. So you can always take off more if the look isn't how you want it yet.

[zoolzoo]

So I grabbed one of my QFR's and copied you today

I think it came out well, thanks for the idea. Somehow I think it came out more black than yours. Ironically, I started with a grey cover. What color was yours?

One think I did differently was that I chose to apply a matte finish after working down the plastic (http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=618). I didnt do this for looks, but because I felt like touching the rough unfinished surface left annoying little plastic particulate on my fingers. I used the matte finish as a "sealant". Im hoping that when it fully dries it will be even less shiny.




 

[tauburn]

So I grabbed one of my QFR's and copied you today

I think it came out well, thanks for the idea. Somehow I think it came out more black than yours. Ironically, I started with a grey cover. What color was yours?

One think I did differently was that I chose to apply a matte finish after working down the plastic (http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=618). I didnt do this for looks, but because I felt like touching the rough unfinished surface left annoying little plastic particulate on my fingers. I used the matte finish as a "sealant". Im hoping that when it fully dries it will be even less shiny.

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is that picture of the case with the sealant already applied? if so do you have any pics of before you applied it?

[cytoSiN]

These look great.  I wonder if it would take a coat of brown paint or stain, and then a matte finish, to really give it that wood-grain look.  Would be perfect for the Sindarin set...

[tauburn]

These look great.  I wonder if it would take a coat of brown paint or stain, and then a matte finish, to really give it that wood-grain look.  Would be perfect for the Sindarin set...

what if you took 2 shades of brown paint and put one on, and used the scraping tool lightly then applied the other and scraped more. and gradually do this with more and more coats until the colors are  blended and textured

[khaangaaroo]

Nice! I'm glad someone decided to try it out

I started with a gray case too. It might be gauge of wires on the brush, or how deep the scratches are that affects how glossy or dark it gets. It also could just be the lighting in my room and how I took the photo...haha.

[zoolzoo]

So I grabbed one of my QFR's and copied you today

I think it came out well, thanks for the idea. Somehow I think it came out more black than yours. Ironically, I started with a grey cover. What color was yours?

One think I did differently was that I chose to apply a matte finish after working down the plastic (http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=618). I didnt do this for looks, but because I felt like touching the rough unfinished surface left annoying little plastic particulate on my fingers. I used the matte finish as a "sealant". Im hoping that when it fully dries it will be even less shiny.

is that picture of the case with the sealant already applied? if so do you have any pics of before you applied it?

These pics were taken after the clear coat was applied. I dont have any from before unfortunately.

[zoolzoo]

These look great.  I wonder if it would take a coat of brown paint or stain, and then a matte finish, to really give it that wood-grain look.  Would be perfect for the Sindarin set...

You have to try it and take some pics!

[tauburn]

i'm going to try this with mine today or tomorrow. i'm tempted to put a coat of white paint over it but i'm hesitant to do something i dont know the outcome of

[tauburn]

i dont know how you guys are doing this. i tried to but it barely made any difference to the plastic. at first it made it shiny then it started digging in at random spots but i couldnt get it to be coarse consistently.

edit. figured it out and did it. drill direction change solved the problem

[khaangaaroo]

Are you using a big enough wire brush? The wires on mine were pretty thick and stiff, and would definitely take off chunks of skin haha. If you're just getting a polishing effect, the metal wires might be too soft.

These right here: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-wire-wheel-and-cup-brush-set-1341.html

[tauburn]

Are you using a big enough wire brush? The wires on mine were pretty thick and stiff, and would definitely take off chunks of skin haha. If you're just getting a polishing effect, the metal wires might be too soft.

These right here: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-wire-wheel-and-cup-brush-set-1341.html

i got it. its just that mine was bent in one direction from so much use that i had to make the drill spin the opposite way to get it to dig in. then i reversed it and use the bristles to remove burrs. mine looks just like the other two now.

[zoolzoo]

Are you using a big enough wire brush? The wires on mine were pretty thick and stiff, and would definitely take off chunks of skin haha. If you're just getting a polishing effect, the metal wires might be too soft.

These right here: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-wire-wheel-and-cup-brush-set-1341.html

i got it. its just that mine was bent in one direction from so much use that i had to make the drill spin the opposite way to get it to dig in. then i reversed it and use the bristles to remove burrs. mine looks just like the other two now.

Are you going to try painting?

[tauburn]

Are you using a big enough wire brush? The wires on mine were pretty thick and stiff, and would definitely take off chunks of skin haha. If you're just getting a polishing effect, the metal wires might be too soft.

These right here: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-wire-wheel-and-cup-brush-set-1341.html

i got it. its just that mine was bent in one direction from so much use that i had to make the drill spin the opposite way to get it to dig in. then i reversed it and use the bristles to remove burrs. mine looks just like the other two now.

Are you going to try painting?

i want to but if it looks terrible i will probably lose my mind. i already painted it and did a bad job and spent days sanding it all off before doing this. so for now, no.

[cytoSiN]

These look great.  I wonder if it would take a coat of brown paint or stain, and then a matte finish, to really give it that wood-grain look.  Would be perfect for the Sindarin set...

what if you took 2 shades of brown paint and put one on, and used the scraping tool lightly then applied the other and scraped more. and gradually do this with more and more coats until the colors are  blended and textured

Good idea.  That's probably what I'll do.  But I have to prioritize...I only have one clean QFR left, and I need one to powder coat white for the Klaxon 2.0 set!  But this is definitely on my list for a summer project.

[cytoSiN]

Are you using a big enough wire brush? The wires on mine were pretty thick and stiff, and would definitely take off chunks of skin haha. If you're just getting a polishing effect, the metal wires might be too soft.

These right here: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-wire-wheel-and-cup-brush-set-1341.html

Nice, and cheap ($2.99), but shipping costs three times what the bits cost!  Amazon has the same HF set, but they're selling it for $13...sigh.

http://www.amazon.com/Piece-Wire-Wheel-Cup-Brush/dp/B004QEYSG8

[zoolzoo]

Just go grab one at Home Depot or Lowes.

[cytoSiN]

Nah I just ordered it cuz they had a respirator I wanted on the cheap.  Looking forward to trying this out.

[zoolzoo]

Nice. Yah, you def want to use safety glasses and at least a good dust mask. Lots of tiny bits of plastic and paint flyin everywhere.

[cytoSiN]

I've actually got a bigger job I need these wire brushes for...need to grind rust and paint off OLD screws holding my busted old mailbox to the metal post (cemented into the ground) so I can put the new mailbox that my wife just got onto the post.  Definitely need the respirator for that!  If she catches me using these brushes for anything else before I replace the mailbox...well, let's just say the keyboard can wait

[khaangaaroo]

Haha these wire brushes are handy indeed! http://www.khangfixesit.com/2012/06/jeep-yj-trunk-rust.html
Definitely needed a respirator for that one.

[ITzNybble]

Do you guys think this would work on a WASD board, It should right? Also do you think it would look nice on my board? Not sure if I want to paint it or give it this rough texture.

[khaangaaroo]

It should work. I'm sure results might vary depending on the color of the plastic, what kind of brush you use, and your technique. You could also test on a small area on the underside of the case and see if you like it.

[ITzNybble]

It should work. I'm sure results might vary depending on the color of the plastic, what kind of brush you use, and your technique. You could also test on a small area on the underside of the case and see if you like it.

Hmm...I just don't know if I should paint or try this. I need to get another case so I can try both

[cytoSiN]

You can always try this on the back, and sand it out if you don't like it.

[tauburn]

It should work. I'm sure results might vary depending on the color of the plastic, what kind of brush you use, and your technique. You could also test on a small area on the underside of the case and see if you like it.

Hmm...I just don't know if I should paint or try this. I need to get another case so I can try both

you can always still do this after painting it

[ITzNybble]

It should work. I'm sure results might vary depending on the color of the plastic, what kind of brush you use, and your technique. You could also test on a small area on the underside of the case and see if you like it.

Hmm...I just don't know if I should paint or try this. I need to get another case so I can try both

you can always still do this after painting it

hmm didnt think of that, very smart. What I would like to try is do the wood grain pattern then try and paint some white and grey and wipe it almost like a stain and create an antique look. If I do this I will create a thread and let everyone know how it goes. The next time I visit my father I will try it has he has this kind of brush in he mechanic shop.

[zoolzoo]

Im not sure how it would come out on other boards, but I would love to see. The thing is, the QFR top plate is kinda unique in that its a rubbery type of plastic, its weird. Im not sure if that would really make any difference.

[tauburn]

Im not sure how it would come out on other boards, but I would love to see. The thing is, the QFR top plate is kinda unique in that its a rubbery type of plastic, its weird. Im not sure if that would really make any difference.

that has nothing to do with it because the method we're using completely removes the rubbery coating

[zoolzoo]

well there you go

[cytoSiN]

Did you guys use a vice of some kind to hold the board while using the metal brush? 

[zoolzoo]

Did you guys use a vice of some kind to hold the board while using the metal brush?

I tried to, but the cover is full of holes and is sort of flimsy. I couldn't get the vice to hold it properly for the most part. When I was doing the sides of the case I was able to wrap the cover in an old towel and use a vice somewhat effectively. For the top portion of the cover, I just held onto it with my left hand and held the drill in my right. My right wrist was really tired after to say the least.

[khaangaaroo]

I supported the weight of the drill on a railing and held the case with my other hand.

[cytoSiN]

Both good ideas.  I just held it in my left hand and used the drill with my right.  I was planning to paint it white and then apply a matte coat anyway, so I didn't need to get completely through the grey rubbery stuff, just needed to get the logos off and get the grain the way I wanted it.  First coat of paint is on, will apply the rest and the matte later.  Pictures to follow!

[tauburn]

i had one person hold it against the back of a chair while i used the tool.

[cytoSiN]

Just finished putting it all together.  I like how it came out painted, but interested to see what others think.  Here are some shots of the process:

Larval stages:



As you can see, it makes a ****ting mess!  I did it in the garage and just swept all the plastic debris away when I was done.

Close up of the final "wood grain," pre paint:



After first coat of paint, and closeup after several coats:





And some shots of my final product, Klaxon a la Faux Wood:

[F u r u y á]

I like very much the results, it really looks like raw wood.

[zoolzoo]

cytoSIN that looks awesome!

[ManagerKun]

Looks really nice!

[cytoSiN]

Thanks guys.  Painting it was a pain in the ass.  Even thin coats had a tendency to fill the "grain" and sit on the surface, so after each thin coat I had to blot with a paper towel to push the paint into the grain and remove excess paint.  Ended up applying more thinner coats than I would normally do, but it was a nice day and I had the time, for once, so it was worth it.