How do ya get the paint so flat and pure?

[HRslammR]

i sanded down my case as well as i could using 1000 grit paper and then we spray painted it, but we're still getting runs in the paint and small imperfections. is it just the total amount of sanding ya do that provides such a smooth finish?

[lessthanjakejohn]

Did you sand it down to the metal? Most of the times if it is too smooth or slick th epaint wont stick or will not cure right. If you have bare metal you need to use a primer, sand, primer, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, poliish... You get?

I dont know what is good sandpaper grit for the paint you want But for the primer, no need to go to 1000. WHen you get to the actual paint, wet sand. Also, there should be some guides online

[olaf2821]

it is a lot of things. The surface prep, the amount of layers you put on, wetsanding between coats (use something finer than 1000grit for that) and a coat or two of clear enamel. Most will use a good spray gun too, no cans of spray paint if you want that aotomotive finish. If you prep the surface correctly and are still getting runs, then you are being greedy, either putting too much on or getting too close, step back from what you are doing and put on thin even coats on.

[rogue_jedi]

my finish is alright... didn't really spend much time working on it (i wanted to put my computer back together, ended up with just the frame in use, sides elsewhere) i just sanded the old paint off (mostly anyway) with 100 grit sandpaper and sprayed 2-3 coats of Rustoleum on it. fun stuff:) it looks speckled because i did it in my garage and some dirt got blown onto in (couldn't stop it unfortunately) but other than that it's fine.

[CompMage]

Some suggestions dude. Sand it down. I usaly get it sannded to the point of being able to see my self. Looks real nice. WASH YOUR CASE! Then get some soap and water out and WASH it again. Some colors don't show up as nice. Paints with metallic flaks tend to bunch up with some air burshs. And that is the second thing get an airbrush. You should be able to get a Badger 350 for around 60 - 80 US dollors. It's a great investment. Plus if you want to get some nice heads for pin point painting that always looks nice. I use VERY light sparing sprays. Don't be afriad to take some time to spray it. It took me a little over a week to get the finish right with the diffrent coats (You may be less I use a FULL TOWER) And pay attention to what brand paints you buy. Talk to the people at the local hobby shop or paint store. I like to use enamals. Some people use empoxys. I've used both and use enamal since it's what my paint gun was designed for. And most of all let it dry completly between coats. This is why I used very light sprays. Yea you could see the case under the first 2 passes. But it dryed and I got no runs. For drying find a nice place put aside from everything. I mean everything I had to redo a panal cause I checked it to find a bug stuck to the paint. And most of all keep in mind how you are going to handle it while it's wet. Cause you got a lot of case to paint even with them mid-towers or smaller. And fingerpints suck.

Well I hope I've been some help. Good luck. Oh yea when buying your paint. BUY IT ALL AT ONCE. Some cans / jars of paint can be slightly diffrent batch to batch and can sometimes be seen. I found this out with the silver trim of my case. Have fun. And remember paint is supposed to be relaxing. And if you belive that, well you should have been painting in better vented area cuase well. . . . . Have a nice day.