Bloody Keyboard!

[grizzlyironbear]

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4498/compaqku9978keyboard.jpg (http://img163.imageshack.us/i/compaqku9978keyboard.jpg/)

This is the keyboard that I got in a rummage sale and thought I'd try to give it a new lease on life. (The actual keyboard I got was A LOT older and....well, dirty. I had to search and find on the net because I forgot to take before pictures.) I talked it over with the wife and thought that maybe adding a bit of color to the keyboard would spruce it up a little. So, off to the hardware store! I bought a few cans of spray on paint for the job, and set to work. I did the usual clean/sand/prep work for the primer to adhere nicely with no flaws. After the primer coat was applied and had sat in the house for 2 days to dry, I taped off a corner and sprayed on the nice red color I wanted. Almost immediately, disaster struck! The primer started wrinkling up.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8610/dscf0357.jpg (http://img221.imageshack.us/i/dscf0357.jpg/)

Now to be honest, at this point I was more than a little disappointed, and kinda just flung it down on my desk. The next day the wife brought it back to me and asked "Why did I go with the dried blood look on the keyboard?"

O.O.........

PERFECT! The keyboard wasn't a total loss after all! So i grabbed the red again and hoped that it would still wrinkle up the other part of the keyboard....

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/9792/dscf0368s.jpg (http://img251.imageshack.us/i/dscf0368s.jpg/)

AWESOME! it wrinkled up perfectly, matching the other half exactly! Now there still is a two tone paint line, but I can merely add more coats to it till it blends in...

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6579/dscf0367b.jpg (http://img267.imageshack.us/i/dscf0367b.jpg/)

You can see the tone line a bit better with the wrinkles here...
Anyways, this is as far as ive gotten at this point. I wanted to upload it to you guys and see what you guys thought, and if there was any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Grizzlyironbear

[mDust]

Hang a slashed-up dead body above your computer area?

:think:

Make sure you take it to LAN parties and explain that you keep getting the blood of your slain enemies from your hands onto the keyboard. Do your mouse up as well. :twisted:

[x88x]

Interesting affect (even if it was unplanned ;) ). What are you planning on using to seal and protect it?

[slaveofconvention]

The problem I see in this keyboards future is flaking. The primer lifting like that basically means it hasn't got any grip at all on the surface underneath due to a chemical reaction. The slightest pressure may well make this crack and flake off :(

[grizzlyironbear]

I bought some high gloss finish coat and once the color blend is done....i gotta tape off the parts that i dont want "finished" and do up the top!

Also...the bottom half of the board is still a white. not sure if i should leave it white, or just go full on dipped look....

I was worried about flaking as well. so i tried to get it to flake away on an area that was going to be covered up as well....and i literally had to take a dental tool to it to get it to release and finally flake off...hopefully the sealant im slapping on it will make it rock hard.

[SgtM]

It looks good. The reason the paint reacted like that is what's known as solvent pop. You actually should have sprayed the red much sooner or waited about 5 days longer depending on the recoat times on the can. Make sure you read the directions, and follow them closely if you want a smooth coat on your next project. Glad to see you salvaged it though!

[nevermind1534]

The primer that I normally use says to recoat within 15 minutes or after 48 hours.

[grizzlyironbear]

Well, I got done coating the back....and of course the stupid camera dies...so its off to best buy tomorrow for a new one for pics! hopefully i'll have pics up by tomorrow night!

[grizzlyironbear]

OK...Update to the keyboard!

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9713/dscf0375o.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/dscf0375o.jpg/)

Remember the line? well its gone now! I added a coupla more coats to the line area and not only did it blend in, but it made that area really nice and blackish red. Much like the real thing!

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/5153/dscf0378c.jpg (http://img844.imageshack.us/i/dscf0378c.jpg/)

So then I decided to go with the "dipped in blood" look and painted up the back of the keyboard, and taped off the area that holds the model number of the keyboard. That way, if I ever decide to sell it, the buyer can find the drivers for it.

I also decided to leave the keys as they are for cleanability. With two boys running around, I need to be able to clean my keys pretty much weekly. Also kinda gives it a "bony keys sticking out of coagulated pool of blood look" as the wife puts it. Brownie points!

Anyhoo....Heres the finished project!

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/8035/dscf0371p.jpg (http://img179.imageshack.us/i/dscf0371p.jpg/)

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8509/dscf0373w.jpg (http://img692.imageshack.us/i/dscf0373w.jpg/)

Funny thing though...I figured I would just be content with this..but it seems like all its done is make me want to do MORE...my head is filling with new ideas I want to try out. Anyways, thanks for the support, ideas, and information! I hope to be able to post on here again soon!

Grizzlyironbear

[x88x]

Looks great. The grey bar at the top looks a bit out of place though..not sure if it would look better with the same treatment or something else though.



Also kinda gives it a "bony keys sticking out of coagulated pool of blood look" as the wife puts it. Brownie points!

That's an interesting wife you got there dude, hang on to her. :D

[grizzlyironbear]

Yeah Im still trying to debate on what i should do with it. i tried the so called chrome, but the color wasnt going to be what i liked...sooo not sure yet... i may just end up spraying it red as well....

[msmrx57]

Looks great! :up: As far as that panel goes maybe just a light coat of the red to tint it? Just a thought.

[grizzlyironbear]

OOOOOoo now that sounds like an IDEA! I gotta run to the store for some round stickers, so i can cover up the decals stating what keyboard button does what. Then i can paint it red as well :)

[grizzlyironbear]

Well, I am just going to have to call the keyboard done as is, due to the fact that the cats decided to go insane one night and dumped the plant water on the keyboard. 2 days passed by before I had time to sit down at the computer and find out, sooo the keyboard is toast. :( But i learned a bunch from it and my next one hopefully will look even more realistic!