Spraying

[skool h8r]

Hi all,
Earlier, at college, one of my mates was asked to spray some front bezels' black to match the rest of the case. This gave me an idea. I thought that maybe i should spray the inside of my case. I've seen a few cases that were sprayed black and they look awesome imo.

Now, what i want to know is whether i should use Matte spray (like was used for the bezels), or whether i should go with Gloss. My only concern with Matte is that it could scratch off easily due to the 'powdery' feel it has.

I have also thought of going over my case exterior and getting a 'mirror black' sort of finish. I'm not sure whether metallic paint or gloss would be better. Metallic is pretty hard to come by (if not impossible) in spray form. Gloss is cheap, easy to come by, but might not give the mirror effect.

Either mirror black, or actually mirrored is what i'm after, a la Antec P182 Special Edition. I'm guessing chrome spray would be the best idea?

I could also go for a hybrid of "black-chrome", kinda like the colour you get with sunglasses.

So what do you guys think would look best; Chrome Exterior and jet black interior, Blackened-chrome exterior and black interior, black chrome exterior and Black chrome interior, or another combo of black, chrome, and blackened-chrome? Also, Matte, Gloss or another type?

Cheers,
Scott.

[aghastpumpkin]

Any gloss will achieve a mirror surface providing you give it the time. Painting is an extremely hard skill to learn
You'll need to apply primer - then sand it down so it's smooth. Then apply primer again and sand again.
Then apply 1 coat of paint thinly. Sand it down so its smooth. Repeat this 2/3 times. The last time you apply paint don't sand it. Then apply a layer of Gloss. Sand it - but with extremely light sandpaper and only very gently.. Then apply another layer but don't sand.

It will probably take you about 3-5 days to achieve this - depending how you spend your time.

[aghastpumpkin]

Chrome Spray paint, it must be said, is not only extremely difficult to apply properly but will never give you a mirrored surface. I think you will be biting off more than you can chew trying to use Chrome Spray Paint. It just won't ever look right. The high quality mirrored surfaces you've seen are achieved by an Industrial Method called Chrome Plating.

Matte paint also won't scratch off any more easily than gloss. If it does - it's because your either using cheap/wrong paint or you've applied it wrong.

Oh - and Metallic isn't hard to come by at all. You can buy cans of the stuff for £5 from Halfords.

[danrok]

There are so many different types of paint. It's not just a case of gloss or matte, there are many variations in between.

You can get matte paint which doesn't scratch off too easily. Make sure it's an oil based paint. Avoiding paint which comes off easily, is a matter of preparing the surface and using a primer, many coats, etc.

Whether you go for matte or gloss is down to how you want it to look. Gloss black will reflect your case lights, if that's what you want.

[Samuknow]

I did a gloss black. I also sprayed the back of plexy panels and they are in the bottom and other spots in my case. Looks like black mirrors...

[skool h8r]

Originally Posted by Samuknow

I did a gloss black. I also sprayed the back of plexy panels and they are in the bottom and other spots in my case. Looks like black mirrors...

That's what i'm after if i can't get an actual mirror effect. I did see a guide that told you how to get the exact effect.

I've got a lot of case modding planned for this year including a completely custom case which will probably host my current hardware. That's in my list of "To do" Projects.

Cheers,
Scott.

[booman]

Definitely paint the chassi! You won't regret it. The mod I have done without painting the chassi screams paint me!

I have done a case where I tried to get a very glossy reflective finish. Its hard and its never as smooth as a car laquer finish, but still very reflective. I use a primer and sand it down with 320 grit sandpaper, clean it off with damp paper towel, let dry, and then paint your glossy metallic coat. Then paint over it with a clear gloss finish. It takes several coats and may look a little bumpy when up close, but gives a very reflective finish. You won't be able to see yourself like in a mirror, but at an angle you can see everything reflecting off of it.

[Samuknow]

Water sanding and then using a polishing compound will get you there. It takes a lot of time. Prime and then several coats of paint. End up with 2000 grit and then a very fine polish. Wax if you like. Should be able to see your face in it.

[booman]

What kind of polishing compound would I use?
I was reading about a rubbing compound on the laquer spray paint can...
I bet its at the auto store.

Did some searching and found this: Meguiars Mirror Glaze

And they have some step by step directions on how to polish your laquer finish.

You can use some polishing pads like this one: Polishing Pad

[booman]

I found some rubbing compound at Ace Hardware for polishing car (laquer) finish's. I also bought a shamy and did some experiments.
I found that it takes toooooo long to get a shine after sanding with 320 grit sandpaper. So I tried starting with 320 grit and going to 440 grit,
then polished. It still takes a while but the shine is a bit quicker.
Its a lot of hard work polishing by hand.
I'm going to keep trying experiments to see what is the easiest way to get a mirror finish.

[raphael2040]

320 is too light, in my opinion.

All the painting mods I've seen all use somewhere between 600 - 800 grit sandpaper initially. 320 grit would be useful for the final sanding down, but not the initial one.

Just my two pennies. <3

[Samuknow]

Other way around my good man.

320 paper is 320 grains per square inch.

800 paper is 800 grains per square inch.....much smoother.

[booman]

Man it is a lot of work polishing a finish! I've polished an entire front bezel and it looks pretty good. I know that it would look even better if I had taken more precautions.
You definitely have to start with 320 grit then 400 grit, before you start using the rubbing compound. Otherwise it would take hours to polish through the bumpy finish! I'm even going to try sanding with 600 grit before polishing. One tip to think about: make sure your laquer or clear coat is very thick! I accidently sanded through the clear coat and now I have to repaint it and clear coat again. I don't know how many coats are needed for sanding three times and then polishing, but I'm sure its going to take 5 layers or so.
I'm still working on it....
I'm going to dedicate my next case to a complete mirror polished finish.
I want it to look like a car finish.

[Samuknow]

Are you wet sanding on your 800 grit?

[raphael2040]

Originally Posted by Samuknow

Other way around my good man.

320 paper is 320 grains per square inch.

800 paper is 800 grains per square inch.....much smoother.

Well, so long as someone can rectify my limited knowledge of sandpaper, I'm not fussed. =D

[booman]

I havn't used 800 grit yet and I'm a little afraid to wet sand.
How does it help exactly?

[Samuknow]

It washes away the particles and helps prevent any scratches from forming.

It is what they to to cars. Try it. You will be pleased. You want to use fine sandpaper before you use polishing compound. That way you already have the surface very smooth.

[booman]

Does it need to be running water or should I just use a spray bottle?
I found that the polishing process gets rid of most scratches left from the sandpaper, so I don't know if it is totally necessary.
I'll have to do more tests.
So far, I have re-painted my case about 4 times.

[Daniel ~]

Black Lacquer! I love to lacquer! I did my bike fuel tank, 7 coats, You could see your face perfectly... arm length deep below the surface. Very easy to use and very forgiving. Just a thought.":O}