Interior Painting??

[xcaliber]

ok guys im new to this site and the modding scene been building pc's for a while. im looking to paint the inside of my case....now there are a few reasons why im cautious to do so.....1.) i cant seem to find any tutorial on it and 2.) im worried about static charges and or electrical grounding issues messing up my pc....has anyone done a internal paint job before or should i just not even try it???

[specialsteve]

yea i just did it
i used krylon spray paint its like 4 bux a can at your local hardware store
it shouldn't harm your pc in anyway

[Guttenaffe]

"Should" get all the grounding you need from the ATX connector. You can always paint it and clean out the screw holes by "re-tapping" them with the same size tap to remove the paint inside the thread groves. This actually is something that should be done to all things painted with tapped holes after painting.

The bare metal does nothing to ensure grounding and actually can cause shorts, the reason we use standoffs. Heck look at some lower end PCs they use all plastic snap standoffs now a days.

[Zuke]

It's usually the first part of my mod! No grounding issues to speak of. I ususally don't do the most extensive job on the interior (clearcoat, primer, ect) as it usually won't be under as heavy inspection as the outside. However, it does help add contrast so you can appreciate the componants more AND compliment the exterior mods you've done. It sucks to look in someone's window and see galvanized steel sitting there.

Basically, completely tear down your rig, and remove all panels. In some cases (like mine) the top panel is also a structural part of the case and so is riveted to it. It's super easy to replace pop rivets, so just drill those out. Make sure that the metal is clean and bare as dust will ruin the paint. Work in a well ventalated space and go nuts. Remember to hit the undersides of things (drive cages, ect) and that anything you do not hit willbe glaringly obvious!

My chassis I did a couple days ago.
http://moddin.stupoo.co.uk/zuke/newmod/skeleton.jpg

Thats not black paint on mine, it's Plasticote which lays down a small layer of rubber to dampen sound and vibrations.

[Guttenaffe]

Zuke, Is that a RAIDmax case?

[Zuke]

I guess it is! Did a quick search for it on NewEgg and found it. I bought it maybe 4 years ago, but I think it had the Powmax name on it. I've put probably 5 of my systems in this case and performed my very first mod on it (I painted it a fugly color of blue).

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-156-011&depa=1

I guess thats their "newer" version of it there.

[xcaliber]

thanks guys....i had heard of people having problems even fires after painting the inside of their cases so i was really worried and didnt wanna mess up my new system. have you guys heard of anything like that? oh and Zuke were can i get the platicote and how much does it normally run? thanks again...

[Zuke]

I get it from hardware stores. It's usually like $3 a can. It's meant for hand tools that don't have handles, so you can spray the bare metal and create a place for yout hand to hold it. They also have it in "bucket form" where you dip things in it.

Be sure to be in a WELL ventilated area with it; higher aresol content than normal.

[Kaolian]

some paints have an "offgas" time period after they are dry to the touch. Basically the paint will continue to emit flammable gasses several days after the finish coat is applied. Usually it is in fairly low amounts, not enough to cause a problem, however there are a few paints out there, particularily some of the color shifting paints that will give off enough gas that in the event of a spark from your power supply, bad things can happen. A good rule of thumb is , if it smells like paint still, you don't want to put the electronics back in.

[xcaliber]

thanks kaolian.....thats what i was afraid of happening...i think that the person i heard about havin the fire did exactly that and didnt let the paint set and air out long enough. have you ever used the Plasticote stuff Zuke was talking about? cuz i may try it.

[Kaolian]

I haven't personally used it, but it shouldn't be a problem. Just allow plenty of time for drying.

[Malatory]

Japala over at mektu used it to improve the grip on his game controller.
http://metku.net/index.html?sect=view&n=1&path=mods/supergrip/index_eng

[Cheesemold]

Does one need to do any sort of prep work (sanding or whatnot) to the metal that you want to apply it to? It seems like you'd have to cover your project in it so nothing could come off.

[timmer]

xcaliber, if you are going to do it real soon and have a vacation planned, just do it right before vacation and let it dry the whole time your out...that way it doesn't tempt you :)

[dafatkid]

The more time you spend preping the less time you'll spend trying to sand down the orange peel later. You can buy non-conductive primer at an auto parts store, it sprays on nice and sands really easy with 120 grit. But as everyone said let everything dry in between coats and assembly.