Spraypaint

From TheBestCaseScenario

[edit] Intro

Spray Paint, or canned aerosol paint, is the most commonly used type and method of paint used by home modders, due to it's ease of use, affordable price and availablity. It is most frequently found in hardware stores, DIY shops, hobby shops, even occasionally in supermarkets.

--onelegout 14:43, 26 February 2007 (EST)

[edit] Safety First

Allways spray in a well ventilated area.

If you have the money, it is a VERY good idea to buy a respirator. These are not very expensive and work wonders. If you don't feel the need to buy one at first, wait until you wake up the morning after painting something, and sneeze out a mix of black, pink, and silver paint. The best respirator on the market is a 3m 6000 series, you will need the organic vapour filters as well as the dust filters. Remember: Bandanas don't block out the fumes, which is what will kill you, they only block out the particles. This is why you need the vapour filters.

--onelegout 14:43, 26 February 2007 (EST)

[edit] Brands of Spraypaint

There are so many brands of paint that it would take days to list them all, so here are a few of the more well known ones.

Cheap paint:

Cheap paint will be fine for basic paint jobs, and many use it happily. A word of warning however - If you live in the UK, so called 'cheap' paint like plastikote often costs £6 a can, where as the good paint such as belton costs only £2.50 a can. (but if you're ordering off the net you must remember £10 standard shipping charge)

Brands include:

• Krylon

• Rustoleum

• Plastikote

• Wal-mart brand

Good paint: This paint is thicker than the cheap paint, it is of a better quality, and has a much wider colour range. The main benefit of this thicker, smoother paint is its ease. Painting with good quality paint makes it FAR easier to acheive an even finish. It is also less likely to fade or discolor over time.

Brands include:

• Belton premium

• Montana (german)

• Montana (Spanish)

UK websites which sell paint:

• www.valleyofchrome.com - My favourite, sells belton.

• www.thelayup.com - Recomended by many people

• www.illuminarty.co.uk - Very cheap site, decent paint but don't buy the extracheap stuff as it is of very low quality.

[edit] Acrylic Enamels

Acrylic enamel is a paint that is very beneficial for the case modder, who wants a professional, and automotive style paint job for their computer case. Modders choose this paint for their projects because of it’s high quality of the finished product, availability, ease of use, and also it’s low price. acrylic enamels can be found in spray paint form and are mostly carried by automotive parts stores.

One thing that should be noted is that acrylic enamel is a type of paint that is somewhat different than average spray paint. While it is similar to painting with other spray paints for the most part there are three keys to keep in mind. The first thing about acrylic enamels is that is covers any material in a thick coat. The potential problem with a thick coat is that parts such as case doors may not fit back exactly as before and may require a bit of scraping after the paint has dried. The second thing you should know about this type of paint is that it should be painted on thickly. Very opposed to other methods, acrylic enamel must be painted on almost to the point of dripping. Many have found that if painted in thin coats this type of paint leave a white haze that nothing can repair, save sanding and repainting. That key to painting with acrylic enamel relates to the third which is that the paint covers best and most equally on a surface that is lying flat. Unlike most painting techniques that require the material being painted upright, acrylic enamel covers best lying flat on a table or floor. The reasons are two fold. If you paint the case thick like described above then you will want it to lie flat to avoid any running that may occur. Also the paint has a tendency to cover unequally, especially around holes. By lying your to be painted surface flat you allow gravity to spread the paint equally over the entire case and not thicker at the bottom like you would have occur if you painted upright. As long as you sand the surface you are painting, paint a layer of primer before your color coat, and keep the three things listed above in mind, you should have no trouble painting a beautiful coat of acrylic enamel paint on your case.

One case project entitled "Redbeard's Case" [1] shows the results even a "first-timer" can yield. The exact paint was used came from the company - Dupli-color, which is very well known in the United States. The color selection for their Acrylic Enamel Spray Paint is limited but there are some colors that are really nice and could stand very nicely on a case. Most cans of acrylic enamel spray paint cost about $6 U.S. So the paint is rather inexpensive. However be warned that sometimes, the spray can will clog and will render the can unusable. However if you’re lucky the store that you buy it from may allow you to exchange the unusable can for another.