MODDING / HOW TO GUIDES
14 / ALLOW TO DRY
Once you’ve applied all your paint, allow the objects to dry naturally in
a well-ventilated area for 48 hours before you handle them and
reinstall them on your motherboard.11 / USE WET AND DRY SANDPAPER
Allow the primer to dry for an hour. Then, so you can achieve the
smoothest surface as possible for your colour coat, tear off small sections
of 1,000-grit wet and dry sandpaper and use water to lubricate them.
Rub them lightly for just ten seconds or so on each area of the object.15 / MASK POWER SOCKETS
To spray your motherboard, you’ll need to mask all the important bits.
Start by masking the port openings, although you can leave the covers
of items such as SATA and USB 3 ports, if you want them to receive a
coat of paint too.12 / SPRAY COLOUR COAT
Colour coat has a tendency to run, which can be made worse on
angled heatsinks, so apply it in multiple light layers, spraying from
different angles and allowing each one to dry thoroughly. Once you’re
done, remove the masking, as doing this job later can tear the paint. If
necessary, reapply the masking prior to adding a clear coat.13 / CONSIDER CLEAR COAT
Most gloss coats offer enough shine themselves and, as you won’t be
banging into the motherboard on a regular basis, clear coat or lacquer
isn’t strictly necessary. However, for more protection and the ultimate
shine, it’s worth adding, and you only need two or three light coats.10 / SPRAY UNDERCOAT
Use a normal primer or undercoat on metal objects. This creates an
even surface and uniform colour before you add the colour coat. Apply
it in thin coats, spraying two or three times across the object from 8in
away, and applying as many coats as necessary to cover it, turning the
object to get into crevices.