[Completed] Steps in painting a radiator and also Gentle Typhoons?

So I was thinking about painting a RX240 to a white color without painting the fins. What steps should I take to do this? I've seen other people use Krylon primer and then enamel to paint it with high-grit sanding inbetween coats. Can I get any input from anyone who has done this?

I'm also contemplating on taking my 2150RPM GTs apart and painting the blades white. Would the same paints used on the radiator work just as well or would I need the kind specifically for plastic?

Thanks!

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Update: I used Rustoleum White Enamel to paint the radiator. I also used 400grit sand paper and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to roughen up the base and degrease. I only did 3 coats with about 15~20 minutes of drying and a bit of light sanding with 400grit in between coats. After drying it for 24 hours, I sanded it with 2000 grit to get smooth sides. It almost feels as smooth as the original black paint job!

For the fan blades, I used Krylon Fusion Flat White. I took the fans apart (I really hate those c-clips), dusted with a microfiber cloth, sanded with 2000grit sandpaper, and then cleaned it with 91% Isopropyl alcohol. After covering the shaft and magnet with painter's tape, I first painted the back side with 3~4 coats, waiting 15 minutes per coat. Afterwards, I did the same thing on the front side. Once the final coat was applied and it dried, I used 2000 grit sandpaper to smoothen any rough parts and also excess paint and then I assembled everything back together.

I hope this helps anyone who is looking to paint their radiator and/or fans!
Edited by Kokin - 8/13/12 at 4:03am

Thanks for the advice, +rep.

How long did you wait between the coats and how many coats did you use? Also did you add a primer first and a clear coat at the end? I've only painted wood before and it's my first time to paint metal and plastic.

If I go for a matte white, can I just use a primer and skip the clear coat? I like the look of glossy but that's not my goal for this build.

Well I ended up getting flat white enamel for Rustoleum, I do have primer but if it's not recommended I won't use it. I have the Krylon primer and I've seen it used in other forums, so I assumed it's safe to use. What's the consensus on primer? Could I just paint the rad straight after sanding and cleaning or is it recommended to strip off all the previous black paint before I sand and clean?

I also got Krylon Fusion (Satin White) to paint the blades of my GTs. I like the flat gray of the frames so I will keep them that color. I've seen a few threads on here regarding that so I should be able to emulate them.

These will go on a black Bitfenix Prodigy and I'll be getting solid white tubing to complement the fans and radiator. I don't think I have the balls to do sleeving yet, but I will probably go with MDPC Shade 19 and Vanilla Sands to match my Asrock Z77E and Seasonic X750 if I ever have the money and time to go nuts on a sleeving my PSU (highly doubt it).

Thanks for all the tips guys, saves me the trouble of finding things out the hard way!

Thanks for that post airdeano, it was exactly what I was looking for and also to rabbit for confirming.

I'll be getting my CPU block later today and I should be able to test out the rad, GPU block and CPU block once I get back from work. If it all checks out without any leaks, I will probably start the painting process this weekend.