CM QFR Top Case Customization

[Photoelectric]

And to add to the previous post, I see that the colors people wanted are : Red, Blue, Light Blue, and White.

Are people interested in them being flat colors or metallic?  I know of a nice metallic Red ("candy apple red") and can also do deeper blue in a metallic color.  Otherwise, flat colors.  And what was the shade of "Light Blue"?  Aqua? Cyan? Pure light blue?  Just trying to figure out enamel equivalents if that's what I'll be doing.

P.S.: I will also add "black metallic" and "green with silver flake" (on the bluish side) as options.  Otherwise, any color I can get ahold of in the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X line.

[Latin00032]

I originally wanted a white.

Metallic blue also sounds good though.

In the end I'd still rather go for white.

[Photoelectric]

Well, doesn't matter to me which to do!  I'll use the list  of colors and numbers Gupgup will give me, so I guess tell him if you need anything different.

[Latin00032]

I was actually waiting to hear from Gupgup about what are options are going to be at this point.

He said he was going to message us as to what is going to happen.

[Gupgup]

Instead of messaging each individually ill just post here what will be happening:

I'll be shipping them to photoelectric ASAP, we will be sticking with the colors Red, White, and Light Blue. (There is only one person that would like light blue). The cases should arrive around Tuesday if I can get them out by tomorrow( it's my birthday so I don't know how likely that is, but I'm going to try, if not they will be going out Saturday for sure) and then we will go from there!

Photoelectric I will be Pming you regarding all color details and so on, expect a PM later this afternoon!

Thanks for saving this GB personally photo, I will be repaying you with a little surprise in the package!


Gupgup

[naokira]

Goodguy Photo!

[esoomenona]

What will your next excuse be? Will you rehash the excuse about being too busy with work and your birthday to be able to send them out Saturday? Or will you come up with a new and fancy one? I love your imagination.

[Photoelectric]

I'm good with that plan--just let me know all the details (paint, number of covers of each color, addresses, etc.)  Weather has been good, so I can paint whenever it doesn't rain.  I'll probably do 3-5 per day for sure--but we'll see (sanding will be the slowing factor--painting itself doesn't take long): could be more.  I'd probably do it in batches (sand all the covers for white, paint white, while white dries sand covers for red, paint red, etc.)  I would wait around 3 days before shipping out--depends on the kind of paint I'd use.  If it's oil, it'll be stinky for the first week or so, because oil takes some time to cure, and when a cover will be all wrapped up in packaging material, all the evaporation will be trapped in the box during shipping.  So if enamels are what will be used--don't be surprised by the oily / chemically smell for the first few days!

P.S.: I know you guys have been waiting a long time, so I'll take a bunch of photos to show the progress.

[Latin00032]

I think its good using photo's assistance. We already know he has done this a couple times. And, he does great work as can be seen in some of his threads.

[Photoelectric]

As an update from my end, I've not been contacted by Gup still (but I did send him my address info just in case), and he's not been on since last Wednesday--hope he's okay and his birthday celebration did not turn out to be too crazy.

[SpAmRaY]

As an update from my end, I've not been contacted by Gup still (but I did send him my address info just in case), and he's not been on since last Wednesday--hope he's okay and his birthday celebration did not turn out to be too crazy.

Yeah gupgup updates are few and far between he is one busy guy.

You might try emailing him if you need to contact him.

[Photoelectric]

Got an update: hopefully the covers will be on the way to me tomorrow

[Photoelectric]

For those who ordered red, which red is preferable: medium neutral red or a deeper red?

[Photoelectric]

Alright well... love talking to myself

Got some paints today, after a long time looking at some sizeable selection.



I'm tending toward the medium neutral red (one on the left called "sunrise red", although the photo does not represent it well).  But if more people prefer darker red ("regal red"), I'll use that instead.

Seeing as people here don't seem to be visiting the thread, I'll probably have to write a mass PM with specifics regarding each color choice.

[Tym]

Photoelectric, I didn't participate, but can you film it and do a time lapse painting video please? 

[HoffmanMyster]

So that you don't have to talk to yourself, Photo, I'll interject and say that it's a really great thing that you're doing here.  I did not participate in this, but I still really appreciate your help.    And for free nonetheless!  What an awesome person.  Thanks!  Keep doing what you're doing.

[Tym]

Also that ^^

+1

[Photoelectric]

I can't promise a video, because I'll be doing it outside, and I live in a city... and I don't want to take a chair downstairs to set up a camera.  Plus I want to focus on getting the paint done as neatly as possible   But I appreciate the interest.  Perhaps if I didn't have the huge volume of covers to work on for this!  I have 2 other people who want their cases painted in very specific colors, so I'll just focus on getting it all done for now.

P.S.:  Mass-PM sent.

[akuji13]

To answer the pm (i ordered one white and one red):

* Do you want your paint finish matte / satin or high gloss?
The red matte, the white satin please. 

* If you ordered Red, do you want it a medium neutral Red or a darker neutral Red?
I want a burning my eyes red! But if i have th choose from that two, i prefer the medium. 

* If you ordered White, do you want it coated with pearl white for a pearly slightly metallic finish?  Or do you want it standard flat or glossy white?
For that i prefer it in standard flat. 

[Photoelectric]

Thanks

[Photoelectric]

The covers should be on the way to me.

I'm trying to plan for how I will be shipping them out and trying to imagine boxes.  The only thing that comes to mind is pretty much making custom boxes out of larger ones.  I figured I'd ask here just in case someone has a bright idea of a good box source for single or double 14" x 5.5" x 1" covers and save me time of making a lot of boxes   Otherwise I need to get on cranking those out

Found some huge cardboard boxes--will see about making boxes from those

[Photoelectric]

Not much to report today, but I've started making some shipping boxes



EDIT: I posted too soon.......   more photos inc. in a bit

[Photoelectric]

I have the covers!!!

A whole lot of them 



On to sanding.  I hope those red ones won't be too much trouble--the paint looks pretty bad on them.

[Photoelectric]

Disclaimer: If you are for some reason not happy with my work or there are imperfections that are my fault that you are not satisfied with, please let me know, and I'll be happy to fix / repaint your cover!

Let the painting begin!

Today, I have received all the covers, and many have been pre-sanded, so I've been inspecting them and polishing them a bit with finer sand paper, as there's some unevenness that I've discovered just a bit ago when painting.  I have started with single color orders of Light Blue / Cyan (semi-gloss) and Deep Metallic Blue (satin) today.  Going to work on all the reds and whites in the coming days.

If anyone wants to change their red / white order to a different color, please let me know ASAP.  The colors I already have on hand are cyan, metallic flake cool green, metallic flake blue (as pictured), metallic flake red-orange, medium flake silver, metallic flake black, light aqua satin (flat color), lilac (flat color--would be good with the Lily set GB).  Click Here for Photo

Drying:






 

[Xenderwind]

2 down, 16 to go?  Looks great so far.

[Photoelectric]

More like 14 to go--2 are to be left stock black.

[Badwrench]

Glad to see that something is finally happening here.  It is awesome of you to help these people out photoelectric. 

[Latin00032]

That deep blue metallic one looks good. I wonder who is getting that one.

[Photoelectric]

That deep blue metallic one looks good. I wonder who is getting that one.

Hehe   You know!

Updated the photo post above with additional color options if anyone's interested, but I'll need to know as soon as possible!

[Latin00032]

That deep blue metallic one looks good. I wonder who is getting that one.

Hehe   You know!

Updated the photo post above with additional color options if anyone's interested, but I'll need to know as soon as possible!

If I sent you my own QFR case to paint, how much would it be?

[elton5354]

Awesome job photoelectric!  Looking good

[Smeagol_RP]

Nice job!

[strafe]

Hi Photoelectric,

The Blue Covers look awesome!  Can you please change my order to:

1 x Stock Black
1 x White Painted
1 x Metallic Flake Blue Painted

Thanks

[xavierblak]

Awesome news. I'm definitely going to change at least one of my colors. But I wanted to ask before I decided, do you have samples of the colors so we can get an idea of what we're picking from?

[akuji13]

Great work. 

You should definitly paid for helping us out of that mess.

[Photoelectric]

Awesome news. I'm definitely going to change at least one of my colors. But I wanted to ask before I decided, do you have samples of the colors so we can get an idea of what we're picking from?

Click to zoom in:


The teal all the way on the right is actually quite saturated, so I wouldn't personally recommend it, unless you're really into that kind of color.

[Photoelectric]

Test neutral red gloss on a freshly scrubbed cover (2 rounds of Easy-Off to get old paint off then sandpaper, oof)

Drying, still sticky wet:







I love this shade of red

[SpAmRaY]

Test neutral red gloss on a freshly scrubbed cover (2 rounds of Easy-Off to get old paint off then sandpaper, oof)

Drying, still sticky wet:

Show Image

Show Image

Show Image

I love this shade of red :thumb:

You are really getting into this painting thing!!! These are looking good so far.

[Photoelectric]

Final paint update for the day--current progress + Pearl White.  Going to polish and touch up when these are dry.

[demik]

great job photo, thanks for saving this gb even though i wasn't a part of it!

[xavierblak]

Very nice looking. I'm going to change my colors. I believe I had ordered a red and a white. I'd like to change that to a cyan and a metallic flake red-orange.

Thanks for your work on this Photoelectric! 

[Photoelectric]

Very nice looking. I'm going to change my colors. I believe I had ordered a red and a white. I'd like to change that to a cyan and a metallic flake red-orange.

Thanks for your work on this Photoelectric! 

Cool--I'll do those today

[Photoelectric]

Metal flake reddish orange (looks different depending on light: orange in bright light, reddish in dim light)

[SpAmRaY]

That metallic flake is really nice!

[Smeagol_RP]

DO you still have this black paint?

[Photoelectric]

Yeah, I do a little bit.  Enough for one cover, I think.

[Smeagol_RP]

Okay, now please delete your post and hold it for me. )

[Photoelectric]

Haha okay   I can always get more!

[Photoelectric]

Well, I'm exhausted, but done a good number of covers today.  It's the sanding that's the toughest by far.  I HATE the stupid rubber coating on these covers.  Many came pre-sanded, but not entirely, and unfortunately a bunch have been painted with something else, so removing that paint is tough.

Anyway, current progress:



Turns out the nozzle for my white paint was bad--all fixed now.  Two matte white covers today, and they look great!



And a glossy cyan, waiting to be sanded a bit



Pretty cool piano gloss.

I think I'm going to take a break and focus on polishing the already painted covers tomorrow.

[Techno Trousers]

Wow, these are all gorgeous. Talk about saving the day and turning lemons into lemonade! Photoelectric, I nominate you to be the official Geekhack.org case painter. I wish I'd gotten in on this GB.