PAINTS
The best aerosol paints for getting a good finish on your case are
enamels and lacquers. Both are formulated for the best possible
adhesion on metal, wood, plastic, and previously finished
surfaces. Enamels are the most common and come in a wide
range of colors. Generally, they are more easily wet-sanded, are
durable, and shine up pretty well. The downside to enamels can
be the drying time—up to twice as long as lacquer-based paint.
Lacquers give you the best aerosol-can shine you can get and
have good durability; for the beginner, this is an excellent choice.
Brands such as Plasti-Kote and Dupli-Color are popular and come
in many automotive-flavored and matched colors. When selecting
a brand, you should also purchase the suggested primer and
clear topcoat to ensure the best compatibility and save the time
of having to do a test piece. Lacquer applied over some enamels
becomes an effective paint stripper and can basically ruin your
day. Your best bet is to read the labels carefully.
The first and most crucial coat of paint is the primer.
Whichever brand you choose, make sure it is wet-sandable
(or even dry-sandable, for that matter) by carefully reading
the label; if it’s not stated right on the front of the can, then
generally it is not wet-
sandable. Wet-sanding with
an incompatible primer
results in peeling, lifting,
cursing, redness of the face,
and sometimes tantrums.
My personal favorites are
Krylon wet-sandable black
and ruddy brown primer; for
light-colored paints, I use the
brand’s gray or white primer.
For painting parts such as
bezels, CD-ROM faceplates,
and other plastic parts of
your case, you can use the same materials and methods we
discuss later. There are also specialty products you might like to
experiment with, such as the Plasti-Kote automotive vinyl dyes
and Krylon Fusion brand paint. The vinyl dyes from Plasti-Kote
are sold in aerosol cans and are applied much the same way as
your basic spray paints. The consistency is more akin to a plastic
“stain.” Krylon Fusion paints are said to bond to plastic on a
molecular level, creating a durable and scratch-resistant finish
on hard-to-paint plastic surfaces. The drawback of plastic paints
and dyes is the limited colors available, but if they happen to fit
your color scheme, give them a try.WET/DRY SANDPAPER AND SANDING BLOCK
A block of rubber and a few sheets of wet and dry sandpaper are
your most important tools for creating a show-car-quality finish
on your PC case. You can find these at just about any hardware
or automotive supply store.
A favorite in the automotive
restoration business is 3M and
its Imperial brand of silicon
carbide papers. Good-quality
sandpapers have fast cutting
properties and a tendency
to last a bit longer beforeclogging up with paint residue and requiring replacement.
Wet and dry sandpapers for paint finishing also have a weight
specification: A is a light paper, and B is slightly heavier. For this
project, we use A-weight papers from 600-grit to 2,000-grit.RUBBING COMPOUND AND POLISHING GLAZE
After your painted case parts are made as smooth as possible
with 2,000-grit paper, a liquid rubbing compound and polishing
glaze are used to create a wet-look mirror finish. Rubbing
compound is a
liquid that contains
fine abrasives and
removes the fine
scratches, swirl marks,
and imperfections left
behind by the 2,000-
grit sandpaper. Your
best bet is to get the
type that can be used
by hand because some
are formulated for use
only with high-speed
buffing machines.
Hand glaze is another
liquid that is applied after the rubbing compound and contains
no abrasives, but rather special polishing agents that create the
final shine. For these final steps, be sure to have plenty of clean,
lint-free cotton cloths on hand—you should get yourself one of
those “big bags-o’-rags” at the hardware store. For this paint
job, I use 3M Perfect-It 2 fine-cut rubbing compound and 3M’s
Imperial Hand Glaze.DENATURED ALCOHOL
After you’ve stripped any factory paint from your case and
sanded it silky smooth, you should clean up the case with
denatured alcohol before you begin painting. Remember, hand,
eye, and lung protection is a must.About the Materials
This should go without saying, but before you go and
ruin your favorite Moby shirt or low-rider jeans,
make sure you wear clothes and shoes you don’t
care about. If you’re painting outdoors—and
we wholeheartedly recommend it—mild
breezes can cause paint overspray to wash
back over your clothing. You might also want to
consider wearing a hat, lest you end up with a
blue-metal-flake ‘do.
MARCH 2005 MAXIMUMPC 49