MODDING / HOW TO GUIDES
22 / CONSIDER 2K CLEAR COAT
Standard clear coat is easy to apply, but it’s quite soft, even once it’s
fully dried. You can consider using 2K clear coat, which dries harder, but
is expensive and more hazardous, needing a proper respirator as well
as skin and eye protection. It also needs to be mixed first, so be sure to
follow the instructions.25 / RERIVET CASE
If you’ve drilled out rivets in your case, you’ll need to insert new ones.
Measure the diameter of the holes and buy the appropriate-sized rivets,
along with a rivet gun. Insert the rivets into the gun and squeeze the
handles to secure the rivets in place.23 / APPLY THE CLEAR COAT
Clear coat needs to be applied more liberally than colour coats, so it binds
to the surface. Apply it from 30cm away, moving 20-30cm a second
from left to right. It takes longer to dry than colour coat, with most clear
coats needing 30-60 minutes between coats, especially on cooler days.26 / REASSEMBLE CASE
Once the panels are dry, polished and up to your standards, reassemble
the rest of the case with screws and/or rivets. Take care not to press too
hard on the paint finish, especially if you’ve used standard clear coat.24 / POLISH CLEAR COAT
Leave the clear coat to dry for the specified time, which is usually a few
days, or up to a week in some cases. You can now gently use automotive
polish such as T-cut to buff the finish to a shine.27 / HELP, I’VE MESSED UP
If you’ve messed up, or if the paint hasn’t taken well to the surface, all
is not lost. Use paint remover to dissolve what you’ve applied, wiping
it clean with kitchen towel, then rinsing with washing-up liquid and an
abrasive sponge before trying again.