Do you tape over the stickers and feet when painting? or some other type of masking?
I would say it's quite durable for normal use. Very durable on hard metal surfaces (like cars or bicycle frames -- it's basically the same paint, just in rattle cans (and less fancy solvents probably). Plastic surfaces are more tactile, so you could dent / scratch them more easily, but for a desk keyboard it's not really an issue. But I would advise against oil based clear coats on sufaces where acidic oils from sweaty hands would dull and dissolve the coating over time: surfaces like miceor plastic keyboard wrist rests. I'd use something like plastidip for those. Narrow keyboard bezels will be fine with periodic cleaning. All of my painted computer cases still look like new--I just clean any dust and oils with a fiber cloth every few weeks.
Out of interest where did you get those metal arrow keys? Haven't been a fan until now but they are sexy!
But which one should I do! I can never decide because I like a lot of them, and settling for just one is boring :)
Man this is making me hate my stock QFR even more :(. I like the old color a lot but that orange looks really good. Then again I used to go to Virginia Tech so I'm kind of biased.
Awesome work on these. I'll be watching this forum for when I start my painting. I've already tried the Krylon Fusion and I've found that it is quite thick and doesn't spray even (I'm not an expert spray painter though).
Thanks for the advise on paints.
Think I'm going to pick some paint up tomorrow and give this a go on my ducky case. Any Rust-oleum colors you recommend? ;D
oh i just ruined my first paint job! everything went fine until sanding the clear coat to buff the paint up.
1200 is the finest sand paper I have, so i used it, so scratchy, then I thought i could use Dremer rotary tool to help me polish, half way through my patient ran out because of all the scratches so i left the tip on one place for too long and it burned out the clear coat and paint :'(
ill try again on another board! not giving up yet. :p
I dip the whole sand paper into water, so i reckon it was wet enough. I suspect I didnt coat it enough, 4 coats i did, but i think they were very thing coats.
but most importantly not that im looking for an excuse, but the case i was painting (KBTalking Pro, bluetooth one), wasnt ideal with so many angles and edges rather than flat like filcos... it was sort of difficult to get even coating (considering it was my first time).
Ill try with a filco, or a leopold or a G80-3000 again first and see if i feel like sanding it off and re-paint. plus ill try to get some sanding compound too. thanks for your input :D
I wonder if they have any neon colors, like a yellow or green
Random thought: What if you used a fluorescent paint?
Random thought: What if you used a fluorescent paint?she
This is what a silver QFR cover looks like after being wet-sanded with 200-grit rough sandpaper to remove much of the rubbery silver coating, followed by fine 1000-grit sandpaper to smooth out the resulting grooves:Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/2mIhA1S.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/NUt29CQ.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/4zK4zhk.jpg)
I don't know if you can tell from the photos, but the coating is very thin. The shinier silver parts are the original surface.
Do you mean not stripped it down, painting over the rubbery coating? Confused by the wording. That would probably be okay, but I have no idea how the paint will react with that coating in terms of long-term durability. And if the rubbery coating is too soft for the hard enamel over it in terms of susceptibility to dents. I just sand it off, because it doesn't take long.
No, the plastic is black. Silver bits are the remnants of the top coat which has that rubbery texture.
Once again your paintwork is really great
how many layers of paint and clear coat did you apply?
For this, I sanded most of the previous paint, did 3 very fine layers of the black metallic paint and one final thick layer of it. No clear coat here. It's not always necessary, and in this case, I like the satiny finish of this paint. I have a gloss clear coat over my mouse, which made it very, well, glossy after polishing. I think the dark-colored keyboard will look better with less glare coming from the screen when it has a satin finish. I've not yet found a matte or satin clear coat that looks good. And polishing those results in a smooth surface and gloss. It's likely due to the limitation of spray cans--even matte clear coat sprays with bits of gloss. If I had fancier spraying equipment, matte / satin clear coats would be nice.
You should offer case painting as a service.
Well if you don't want to get fancy, just paint is all you need.
If you want to get fancy stuff, different sandpaper is around $5 a package from automotive stores (that's per each roughness level). Rubbing compound and polish are around $10 per bottle. I use them with large cotton balls for small surfaces like keyboard covers (can get those at a pharmacy). Paint can be cheap and less cheap. Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch / UltraCover and Stops Rust lines are around $4-6 at Home Depot. Universal line is more like $8. Fancier metal flake paints are more like $10-13 a can.
If you just do paint and don't plan to polish, go with flat or satin finishes--not gloss. Same for clear coat: satin or flat.
It's still cheaper to paint than to buy an acrylic case, even with all the added costs. Plus I'm not sure about those acrylic cases--I feel like they scratch easily, especially the gloss finishes. Fine swirls and such from cleaning over time. I'd love for someone to comment on that though.
I have an IMSTO poker case that I'll paint that way (due to blemishes on the anodizing)
Powder coating is too expensive here in France
Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it. I didn't even consider how easily those acrylic cases can be scratched. I really want an aluminum case since those reds look so nice, but they're also really expensive and I don't think I've seen any for QFR. I'll have to look into paints to see if there is something I like. Not sure if I like how metal flake looks kind of...sparkly? but I think it would look much better than just plain gloss red.
Oh I don't plan on painting aluminum, I just meant I really like the way they look. If I paint anything it will just be a QFR top cover.
Thanks for the explanation. Would it be easier/better to sand it with a Dremel?
I just wanted to say thanks so much for all your tips and advice! It was a lot of work, and I definitely know some aspects I'd do differently, but it was also very satisfying to mod a keyboard case to exactly the color/design I wanted.
I just wanted to say thanks so much for all your tips and advice! It was a lot of work, and I definitely know some aspects I'd do differently, but it was also very satisfying to mod a keyboard case to exactly the color/design I wanted.
:thumb: Just noticed you have non-standard caps too (Deck keyboard?) Will look cool with the military set!
Who here agrees that we should all pitch in to buy Photoelectric a nice airbruch kit? Could you imagine the work photoelectric could do for us?
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush-Multi-purpose-Professional-Airbrushing/dp/B006FQCBZK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376502833&sr=8-2&keywords=airbrush+kit
Thanks guys--I'm glad to share my experiences, as I think it's fun to make stuff, and if the results look good--even better! I don't have a garage, so I can't really use fancy equipment requiring external power. I have to just set up outside of my building. Thank you for the sentiment though <3
Haha, it's because you don't see all the in-between parts. I just take photos once I finish a stage and clean up. My hand still have a lot of cyan on them. If I'd known, I'd have worn gloves =/
I thought some of you might find this interesting, so I'm posting some "before" photos :) Namely of DupliColor MetalCast system (base coat + top coats).
The reason I find this paint so curious is that the semi-transparent top coats that add color to the base coat (silver or just bare primed metal) look like complete crap while they dry and before polishing. They look milky, messy, and scary :) So I'll leave you with a "before" photo of purple with some layers of blue for an ultraviolet effect:
(http://i.imgur.com/wETusvc.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/wETusvc.jpg)
Somebody get that man a workshop and some good equipment, stat!
This is what a silver QFR cover looks like after being wet-sanded with 200-grit rough sandpaper to remove much of the rubbery silver coating, followed by fine 1000-grit sandpaper to smooth out the resulting grooves:Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/2mIhA1S.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/NUt29CQ.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/4zK4zhk.jpg)
Very nice colour Defying! May I ask what paint you used?
I like that color :)
Which paint did you use? The paint can be repaired on the back: just sand it gently (~600-grit quality sandpaper followed by 1000-grit to smooth out) to even out as much as possible and do another series of thin layers over that area and any other areas that you sand.
Make sure to wet the surface really well with water and gently glide the sandpaper in a circular motion over the uneven part, sanding it. Clean that area with water periodically so you can see your progress, and continue sanding until it looks and feels smooth.
Depending on the paint you've used, you need to wait at least 1-2 days--sometimes a lot longer--to add any more paint on top, or you will risk melting the paint underneath and causing bubbling / lifting.
That's good paint! Wait a couple of days after you painted and then you can re-spray :) Just sand as I mentioned beforehand and make sure to clean the keyboard really well. Don't use rubbing alcohol on the paint, it will melt it / make it tacky. You can just clean it with light detergent and water if you got it oily with dirty hands or what not.
That's good paint! Wait a couple of days after you painted and then you can re-spray :) Just sand as I mentioned beforehand and make sure to clean the keyboard really well. Don't use rubbing alcohol on the paint, it will melt it / make it tacky. You can just clean it with light detergent and water if you got it oily with dirty hands or what not.
Awesome. I wonder if I could do the same for that little spec of dust.. it's really noticeable and it's bothering me. :P
That's good paint! Wait a couple of days after you painted and then you can re-spray :) Just sand as I mentioned beforehand and make sure to clean the keyboard really well. Don't use rubbing alcohol on the paint, it will melt it / make it tacky. You can just clean it with light detergent and water if you got it oily with dirty hands or what not.
Awesome. I wonder if I could do the same for that little spec of dust.. it's really noticeable and it's bothering me. :P
If you haven't clear-coated it, yes you can. Just when you put paint over the sanded areas, don't do focused spraying into one spot, or you'll end up with too much paint, which will run and sag. Go from a distance, at least 8-10" in a light sweeping motion. Better to do a few light layers until it looks even.
The black cover, on the other hand, is a different story. The coating on it is very thin and filmy, and once you sand off some, you basically have to keep going, as it frays and peels at the edges, and you can't sand it smooth. Only off.Has anyone tried White Spirit / Turpentine on the black QFR's coating?
@Defying
Have you come up with a name for you keyboard yet?
Great paint work btw....I've got one I'm going to attempt to paint probably tomorrow (later today :eek:)
Since I have 6 extra QFR cases I might as well start practicing. :p
@Defying
Have you come up with a name for you keyboard yet?
Great paint work btw....I've got one I'm going to attempt to paint probably tomorrow (later today :eek:)
Since I have 6 extra QFR cases I might as well start practicing. :p
Hmm.. not exactly.
Maybe something like "Key Lime Pie"? :))
NICE PAINT JOB THERE
NICE PAINT JOB THERE
I appreciate your comment even thought I did not pick any beige colors!!!
:p
I've had a busy weekend and decided to post my attempt at some painting. Enjoy the (Attachment Link) pics!!!!
Satin White QFR case (for a coworker)
(Attachment Link)
Painted SP DS tall spherical keycaps (also for a coworker)
(Attachment Link)
Here is a link to a good thread that has some notes. If you read through this one you will find a lot of good tips from Photoelectric.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=47959.0
Thanks alot! One of my main questions isnt answered though. Its about doing a glossy paint. What kind of coats and polish would i use + what paints good to use for glossy looks.
Thanks alot! One of my main questions isnt answered though. Its about doing a glossy paint. What kind of coats and polish would i use + what paints good to use for glossy looks.
I've linked a thread on the second page here, specifically about doing a high-gloss finish:
http://www.overclock.net/t/382840/guide-painting-patterns-with-spraypaint
It's a great guide.
You can make a stencil for your logo. Draw it on paper as an outline, cover the paper with painter's tape on the underside in smooth layers, then cut out the logo, leaving a hole in the shape of your logo. Then you can tape this stencil to the surface you want your logo to appear on, and make sure that the stencil is flush with the surface. Spray over the stencil in gradual thin layers. Allow it all to dry, then remove the stencil.
You can apply a clear coat in 24 hours or so. You can try Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Clear Gloss or Automotive Gloss.
Personally, I'd advise you to not use Krylon Fusion due to so-so results I've had with it and some questionable interaction with other paints you might layer over it.
If you have access to Home Depot stores, look at their Rust Oleum Painter's Touch X2 line. It's the easiest paint to use (good coverage, fast drying) and already comes with a premixed primer in it to stick to plastic and many other surfaces. You can get a clear (transparent) coat there as well from the same line. They cost ~$4 after tax--very cheap.
Also white is not clear. Clear = transparent = no color.
Painter's Touch line.
You can make a stencil for your logo. Draw it on paper as an outline, cover the paper with painter's tape on the underside in smooth layers, then cut out the logo, leaving a hole in the shape of your logo. Then you can tape this stencil to the surface you want your logo to appear on, and make sure that the stencil is flush with the surface. Spray over the stencil in gradual thin layers. Allow it all to dry, then remove the stencil.
You can apply a clear coat in 24 hours or so. You can try Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Clear Gloss or Automotive Gloss.
Photoelectric, You should really write down your knowledge. It's terrible trying to do things and not knowing how to do it and learning by mistakes. it takes time and money!
6 months ago I painted a keyboard (A music keyboard) and it was terrible to sand it. It had a super thick soft paint that made any sand paper garbage in a second. I tried every solvent that was recommended in the store, without success. It was out of my curiosity to try if Easy Off would take it off, and it did!
Even when I painted something and dripped, I did not sand, but removed the paint completely with Easy Off. So, all that knowledge you have should not be wasted!
I know you can fill a wiki talking about textures and types of materials to paint (and differences to paint different cases).
Congrats! :thumb:
The black cover, on the other hand, is a different story. The coating on it is very thin and filmy, and once you sand off some, you basically have to keep going, as it frays and peels at the edges, and you can't sand it smooth. Only off.Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/wr43Ux4.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/gbeNWNI.jpg)
The black cover, on the other hand, is a different story. The coating on it is very thin and filmy, and once you sand off some, you basically have to keep going, as it frays and peels at the edges, and you can't sand it smooth. Only off.Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/wr43Ux4.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/gbeNWNI.jpg)
This. This. This.
I've been sanding one of my two black QFR cases with 400-grit sandpaper, and I can say that yeah, it takes a while. Basically, I think I've got it all off, then wash off the dust, dry it, and then find more to remove. It's taken me maybe two hours over the course of 3 days to get very nearly done. Maybe a coarser grit would be better.
But thanks, Photo, for the heads up.
I found a great way to remove the coating on the black ones - steel wool. I used 00 and it came off in about 30 mins. The key was to work from the corners. I still had to use some 400 for the tight corners, but the rest just came right off.
Well, I got my new QFR case a few days ago and I went ahead and painted it today. Came out rather nicely :thumb:
Few little flaws, but other wise I'm very happy with it.Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/BWm7B2Fh.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/heAIIDPh.jpg)
Well, I got my new QFR case a few days ago and I went ahead and painted it today. Came out rather nicely :thumb:
Few little flaws, but other wise I'm very happy with it.Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/BWm7B2Fh.jpg)Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/heAIIDPh.jpg)
Looking good!
I painted my QFR a few months ago using the same brand of paint, but with a different Key-Lime
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7332/9728520348_3a79e524c5_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98431455@N03/9728520348/)
It looks a little yellow in the picture, but irl, it is kind of an inbetween of your pic and mine.
Case painted to Aluminium :)
(http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh495/jokrik89/Mech%20Keyboard/Frame2_zps0e99a136.jpg) (http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/jokrik89/media/Mech%20Keyboard/Frame2_zps0e99a136.jpg.html)
Very nice, Jokrik! That aluminium paint really looks like metal!Thx to you!
Updated with painting guidelines in the first post.
Updated with painting guidelines in the first post.
Reading it now -- thanks for this Photo. And congrats on your Maker gear/star!
Updated with painting guidelines in the first post.
Reading it now -- thanks for this Photo. And congrats on your Maker gear/star!
Thanks! Let me know if anything doesn't look right or needs to be rewritten / be more comprehensible.
It sounds like YOU should make a cover like that! Then tell us all about it.
Yes, you did say you would--there's no backing out of that one :cool:
Yes, you did say you would--there's no backing out of that one :cool:
I know, I know! It's either that or I have to help demik build the dog car from Dumb and Dumber.
(Attachment Link)
Why not do both!!
Any tips on painting chrome?
Any tips on painting chrome?
Any tips on painting chrome?
All of those super-reflective metallic paints will accentuate the surface texture they are painted on. So if you're looking for a mirror-like finish, you need a very smooth surface to start with, and even then, I don't think you can achieve a truly chrome-like surface with spray paint out of a rattle can over plastic. It might still look interesting, and to each their own. I've never used chrome-like paint myself for the fear of it looking poorly, based on some photos I've seen, but someone here painted their cover silver chrome and then coated it with a clear coat. It made it look sort of like satin aluminum, if I recall correctly--a nice effect. I know Rust-Oleum makes gold, silver, and copper-chrome-finish paints.Show Image(http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/5/Rust-Oleum-1937830-rw-204764-313677.jpg)Show Image(http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/ea/ea3ebeef-ab8b-476c-ba20-fe22698ba507_300.jpg)
and I'm sure there are other brands. I think Krylon makes them too.
P.S.: If you're looking for actual painting tips, just follow directions on your can. Shouldn't be much different. Clear coat will probably change the appearance of your paint, so I'd make some samples first.
What are my fellow GeekHacker's thoughts on me painting my incoming HHKB? Not just the case either....the keycaps too?
What are my fellow GeekHacker's thoughts on me painting my incoming HHKB? Not just the case either....the keycaps too?
What are my fellow GeekHacker's thoughts on me painting my incoming HHKB? Not just the case either....the keycaps too?
You are a brave brave man? :D
What are my fellow GeekHacker's thoughts on me painting my incoming HHKB? Not just the case either....the keycaps too?
whoa wait a minute ......if your going to paint them I'll swap you my black on gray printed caps for your black on white printed :p
Need advice
what color for the case you guys think would suit this keycap combination?
was thinking matte black for the upper part and yellow for the bottom part
(http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh495/jokrik89/Mech%20Keyboard/Numpad_zpsf4d97c81.jpg) (http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/jokrik89/media/Mech%20Keyboard/Numpad_zpsf4d97c81.jpg.html)
just wanted to thank you again for this thread. here are a few shots of how mine came out.Show Image(http://i5.minus.com/ib1BJFZ3ShB8EE.jpg)Show Image(http://i4.minus.com/ibn9eMDeTXmUEf.jpg)
its only been rubbed out with rubbing compound so far. i still need to polish and wax.
i'm extremely happy with how this case came out, so i'll be painting my other 2 keyboards as well.
It's beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
just wanted to thank you again for this thread. here are a few shots of how mine came out.Show Image(http://i5.minus.com/ib1BJFZ3ShB8EE.jpg)Show Image(http://i4.minus.com/ibn9eMDeTXmUEf.jpg)
its only been rubbed out with rubbing compound so far. i still need to polish and wax.
i'm extremely happy with how this case came out, so i'll be painting my other 2 keyboards as well.
Aged Copper takes a really long time to dry--I'd give it 5-6 days before you clear coat it. I've noticed that 3 colors from the Universal line are all slow to cure, and you can dent them even after 2-3 days. If you clear coat such slow drying paint too fast, you risk the bottom layers not fully curing in some places, because clear coats normally dry quickly and are quite hard. Which is why I recommend waiting for that particular paint.
Don't wet-sand between coats--just after you've finished all the color coats or color + clear. You don't really need to sand it unless you want as smooth a surface as possible, but remember that by sanding flake / metallic paint like that, you'll be changing its appearance a bit. It will look more silver where you sanded, as more of the paint will be removed and metal flakes will remain. At least that's been my experience. I would let that particular paint cure well for 5+ days and then do 2-3 layers of clear gloss. Then couple days later you can wet-sand (2000-grit) + polish that.
Regarding dust / fibers... yeah, those are terribly annoying, and that's the price we pay for not using proper painting booths. Not much you can do other than let the paint dry and try to rub them off with a bit of paper towel. You don't want to touch the surface with your fingers much, as that will introduce oils and dirt, and you'll be clear-coating it. You can scuff the surface lightly with wet 2000-grit sandpaper, rinse off REALLY well, buff with a soft paper towel or microfiber towels, use something to blow all the dust away from the surface (like a can of compressed air), then clear-coat.
Oh and wash your hands with soap and dry them very well before handing prepped and painted pieces.
Hi, I'm new to all of this painting stuff and kinda new to mechanical keyboards as well. :)
I will be getting a Ikbc f104 White and i wanna paint it.
But what colour combination to paint?
*keycaps are white as well
hey, just wondering, I easily disassembled my filco, and looks easy to paint all except for the logo, is there a way to do this?
Time to start reading :p
Hate the ugly crap on my 11800 so I'm going to give it a blue coat
hey your job ...... well looking good;)
do you have any tips to put out covers? cause last time i did try i was able to unscrew without any problems but when i did try to take upper cover i broke 3 of 5 plastics which should "lock" in lower one.......
With the GH60 (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=41464.0) plates now complete and the GB coming to a close (hopefully), I'm toying with the idea of painting some, or all of the plates. They are made from stainless steel, non-coated and I was wondering what tips you might have on how to go about painting them?
With the GH60 (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=41464.0) plates now complete and the GB coming to a close (hopefully), I'm toying with the idea of painting some, or all of the plates. They are made from stainless steel, non-coated and I was wondering what tips you might have on how to go about painting them?
Why paint stainless steel?
Stainless resists primers like other materials such as aluminum and other odd metals.
I bet Melvang has the best advice.
Otherwise, clean very well, and use Rustoleum. Many very light coats, and follow the directions to the letter.
With the GH60 (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=41464.0) plates now complete and the GB coming to a close (hopefully), I'm toying with the idea of painting some, or all of the plates. They are made from stainless steel, non-coated and I was wondering what tips you might have on how to go about painting them?
Why paint stainless steel?
Stainless resists primers like other materials such as aluminum and other odd metals.
I bet Melvang has the best advice.
Otherwise, clean very well, and use Rustoleum. Many very light coats, and follow the directions to the letter.
Thanks fohat.digs.
It's something that I've been debating about, because I do like the look of steel, but I have KBT Pure with WYSE key cap set (https://www.flickr.com/photos/compactkey/10563071693/in/set-72157636701950813) that I want to add a plate to and I think a dark blue color would offset nice since the plate would be flush with the case.
The case is the low-profile Vortex aluminum case that came with the Pure LE in 2012. You can see an example of what I'm talking about here (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=57618.msg1383190#msg1383190). In those pictures, he has an anodized silver IMSTO universal 60%.
For metal, I've used Duplicolor's Adhesion Promoter (link to post) (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44191.msg979482;topicseen#msg979482), after reading about painting bare metal. It goes on clear in a fine mist, and you can use translucent paint on your plate afterwards (or regular paint)--it's the primer recommended for their MetalCast line, but you can use it with other oil paints just as well (including by RustOleum). I've painted a sanded Filco plate (steel) with Duplicolor's translucent red color and that primer underneath, and the result was very hard and scratch proof. That primer is my general favorite to use in general now, because it goes on thinly, evenly, and is basically invisible.
hello!
i recently got a filco tkl which is currently stock and was planning on painting it a glossy white using rustoleum ultra cover 2x gloss spray. as this will be my first time, i want to be very thorough with the process. ive read through your keyboard painting tips and have made a rough plan on what im going to do, so please correct me if im missing a step, one of them is needlessly redundant, or one of them are incorrect.
sand with 200 grit, then 800, then 100 to smooth out the case
lightly spray dupli-color adhesion promoter with 2 light coats 5 minutes apart
wait 5 minutes between last coat of adhesion promoter and first color coat
lightly spray rustoleum ultra cover 2x gloss spray with 5 light coats 5 minutes apart
wait 2 days for paint to cure
use clear coat rustoleum ultra cover 2x clear spray 3 light coats 5 minutes apart
wait a day for paint to dry
sand with 2000 grit paper lightly with water
questions about the process:
do i need water when i sand for the first step?
in one of your posts, you said that my paint has a primer already, so i dont need an adhesion promoter; however, as i want this to last a long time, will the adhesion promoter help the longevity of my paint or will it be redundant?
also, the reason i plan to use this one is because i saw in your past posts that you use it on mostly everything; however, there is a rustoleum ultra cover 2x primer spray from the ultra cover 2x line which comes in white (http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/painters-touch-ultra-cover-2x/primer). should i use that or stick with the dupli-color, if i use it at all?
are my intervals between coats good?
since the paint will add thickness to the case and potentially cause the case not to fit, do i have to cover the insides with painters tape? if not do i paint the insides as evenly/well as the outside?
thanks in advance
Good stuff!!Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/GQP20a7.jpg)
Clear, goes on in a smooth fine mist. Using that on everything now, under paint. Here is a Filco plate--normally powder-coated matte black--sanded down to bare steel, coated with the Adhesion Promoter, and followed with DupliColor Metal Cast in RedShow Image(http://i.imgur.com/77xnUQx.jpg)
It's been a few days after spraying, and the finish is very hard.
Do you have experience using hammered spray paint?
As far as the current question, I am not familiar with your particular plate, but if the plastic tabs can be removed and replaced after painting you will get an infinitely better result. I have broken a number (5%-10%) of various hold-down tabs, so I might do it with trepidation if I didn't have spares, but you should consider it.
Good stuff!!Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/GQP20a7.jpg)
Clear, goes on in a smooth fine mist. Using that on everything now, under paint. Here is a Filco plate--normally powder-coated matte black--sanded down to bare steel, coated with the Adhesion Promoter, and followed with DupliColor Metal Cast in RedShow Image(http://i.imgur.com/77xnUQx.jpg)
It's been a few days after spraying, and the finish is very hard.
Not sure if anyone is still watching this thread but I find it very useful info in prep for a Filco rebuild that I'm working on.
Many thanks for the tips. I'm prepping an old, semi-rusty Filco and I've stripping down the metal plate as you can see here:Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/8xtKSlY.jpg)Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/6YeLWl3.jpg)Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/A1FUYFk.jpg)Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/u0cwao8.jpg)Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/7T1J3dD.jpg)
Couple of questions please as I'm new to this:
- Shown in the first photo: is it possible to remove the clips (not sure what the technical term is) on the metal place that hold the stabilizers? I would like to be able to sand the entire metal frame so can they be removed? If so, what tools do I need and how they they be removed? Is it possible to buy clip replacements?
- Should I continue sanding until it's completely clean of paint and rust or is this good enough to apply the primer / adhesion coat?
- Finally I see that you're using adhesion instead of primer on the frame. Is surface primer and the "multi-purpose" top coat a good choice to paint the frame?
Those are Costar stabilizer clips you’re talking about? You should be able to remove them by gently squeezing both pointy ends toward each other and pulling one end out of the plate at the same time. The plastic should be flexible.
Looking more healthy now. I think I'm ready to paint :)Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/hKMuDII.jpg)Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/m68FUoW.jpg)Show Image(https://i.imgur.com/i1nvger.jpg)
Thank you. The pitting that you mention is rust indeed however I don't think it's worth continuing to sand any further given that it's cosmetic. I'd be a little wary of creating a slight dent in that area which may affect switch height a fraction.
On a side note, is it okay to spray paint in my living room haha? I have a balcony but I think I would have greater control on the environment if it's indoors :)
Yeah it's a black Filco. I've already taken it down quite a lot but not as much as your previous jobs. I don't want it to get too thick. I would have guessed that the finish would be better if I take a lot of the paint off?
Are you sure? I would be surprised if it didn't have some kind of clear sealant at least.
Do you have any advice on sanding the shall parts? For example the inside on the caps lock mum lock led holes and underneath the filco logo
the primer texture is quite rough.
I've applied the primer using thin coats which is going well. Even though I sanded the case with 2000 smooth, the primer texture is quite rough. Wondering if I should sand it with 2000 before applying the top coats?
How long should I wait?
how long should I wait?
How long should I wait?
how long should I wait?
EXACTLY AS LONG AS THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY, OR LONGER.
Strongly depends on the paint itself and your painting conditions. In my experience gloss paints have more thinner in them or else formulated in such a way as to stay runnier for longer. They take longer to dry vs. matte paints. Also if you paint in warm or humid conditions, it takes longer too. I would say that between the primer and top coat, you can just wait an hour or two (follow instructions on the can). With the primer I mentioned that I like, I only wait about 10 minutes, as it goes on super fine and dries really fast. As for waiting between paint coats, as long as you're doing them in very fine even layers, you can just wait about 10-15 minutes before doing the next coat, for something like 3-4 fine coats. I would wait a full day for the top clear coat. I would wait 2 days to begin sanding and polishing--test on a small, less conspicuous area. If you intend to do a lot of surface smoothing from orange peel texture to glass smoothness, definitely do 2-3 layers of clear coat so that you don't sand through it when doing the final fine-grit wet sanding.
Once I used a white pearl paint over white base paint, and the pearl layers were still soft to fingernail dent test 3 days after painting. Thankfully the surface hardened properly after a full week of curing.