[im_not_an_artard]

so i decided on painting my thermaltake armor, i want to paint the entire thing white, inside and out, and cut the side window, so its one big plastic window instead of three small ones

i was wondering if you guys could tell me what paints and stuff i could use to cut teh case and paint it, and where i can get plastic for the new window thanks.

 

[BrinNutz]

you're going to need either a dremel or jigsaw, probably both for the window cutting.

As far as paint goes, make sure you prime it first, then put a couple coats of paint (automotive paint is what I use) and then a couple of coats of clear coat.

Home Depot has some Lexan and plexi for the window.

If you're looking for a pre-cut piece, check out performance-pcs.com or frozencpu.com

 

[im_not_an_artard]

im prolly gonna have to hold off on teh window cutting, tools too expensive, but im debating wat colors to go w/ now XD, i was thinkin either entierly white, or white outside and some colored inside (black, blue, or purple maybe XD)

i think ill go w/ white outside, black inside and lots of blue lighing inside

 

[BrinNutz]

Hmm...What about white inside? That'd be cool...

 

[im_not_an_artard]

yeah, i was just thinkin that would look really sweet

so white inside and out, and lots of blue leds, now i just wish my mobo was white, not black XD, ooh, maybe i could dismantle my psu and paint that white too, would that work?

edit: i was also thinkin maybe leave the black mes on the front of the armor case black, wonder how that would look

 

[BrinNutz]

Yup..should work (voids warranty thought)

look in my worklog..

I've taken apart my floppy so far (goign to paint it), and I plan on doing the CD as well..

So, another thing for you to think about (paint your opticals too!)

 

[im_not_an_artard]

ooh yeah, i gotta paint those too, and wat do u think, shoudl i leave the mesh in the front black, or go ahead and paint those too, but just the mesh black, id paint the plastic around it white still

well im gonna start tearing down my comp tuesday if i can get my mobo's bios to update, and i'll start painting and stuff

 

[Firestorm252]

cool, ought to look interesting. i don't recall ever seeing a white Armor case before.
Another tool that's cheaper than a Dremel or a jigsaw is a pair of tin snips. i use them pretty much whenever i can since they're a bit quicker than my Dremel and, if i remember right, were less than $20. they'll pretty much cut through most case materials, provided it's not like a full millimeter of steel or something.

 

[jriggs256]

If you want the paint to look good, run a fine grit sand paper after every coat drys, Once you start clear coating sand with a fine grit after every coat. After sanding the last coat of clear get some rubbing compund and polish it. You want to use 1500 grit or higher when sanding. Once you are finished polishing with the rubbing compound your finish will be very close to that of a nicely painted car. Almost forgot to mention that when you are sanding make sure you are wet sanding.

If you do not sand, your case will have a bumpy texture to it and IMO will not look as good. This bumpy texture is called orange peel which is considered a bad thing in the automotive P&B industry.

 

[im_not_an_artard]

i think im gonna do the whole clear coat thing on the outside, but im just gonna prime, sand, paint, and sand on the inside

btw im gonna paint the outside whtie, adn the inside like an arctic blue

 

[jriggs256]

If you dont plan on sanding the outside make sure you lay the paint on evenly, otherwise it will show very sorely. Also when going for the effect on the inside, lay the clearcoat on VERY thick, do it in multiple coats tho because you do not want to make any runs, If you look at my antec 900 worklog you will see a blue that might go very nicely with white.

edit: prime everything, If you do not prime the outside the paint will not adhere correctly and will be prone to chipping. The clearcoat also adds a layer of protection to it, if you want to keep it low gloss, they make a low gloss clearcoat.