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Mah First Case Mod

M

MrDowntempo

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
81
Gonna try to go all out with this build. Starting off with a HAF 922 and a buncha clakity cans. I've got ideas where to take this build, but its all very fluid and I'm gonna remain open minded. First step is painting all the bare metal black... or rather prime it so I can paint it black later.
Pictures to come once I get my domain back up. :D
 
Here she is all naked and disassembled.


Here is the first bit of primer applied.


Here you can see the back side panel getting primed too.


And last, here it is hanging to dry on my garage door.


I already got the first layer of black on. I will post those pics later tonite.
 
You ask for more, you get some more. Some of those pics I posted were about a week old. I laid down some more primer without taking any pics. These are the newest pics here.

Here is the very first layer of Rusto Premium Flat Black. I've kinda got an urban camo thing going on now, maybe I should just clear coat it next. :rolleyes:


And here is a pic with the same back side panel now painted. I'm painting both sides so all the blacks match and I won't have to worry about masking (yet). The reason I'm only painting one side panel is because I've ordered the Storm Sniper's windowed side. Hoping that side will be close enough in color it won't require painting. I won't know though untill I've got more of the painting done of course. Also the top is still white because it needed a bit more primer touch up.


Now that we're all caught up, updates will prolly be a bit slower. Gonna lay down some more black when I get home from work tonite.
 
I'm interested in what you have planned for this, more of a cosmetic mod with paint and cathodes or a yes-I-did-just-cut-that type mod?

And +1 on the clear coat idea, it will probably turn your flat black into glossy but it'll prevent the paint from flaking off assuming you didn't have access to a self etching primer.

Keep us posted.
 
I got plans... BIG plans... but nothing set in stone. It'll mostly be a paint and LED mod, but I'll be doing some cutting too. (at least I hope so). The clear coat will be a very light coat. I'm aiming for a satin black. Will post more details when I get 'em figured out.
 
Got home from work and put on some more Rusto. Only have my iphone camera tonite though, so no flash. I took the pics I could with the light I have.

This is the first layer of black on the bottom. Everything else already had a coat.


The bare metal is really starting to darken up, but it is still pretty patchy.




The drive trays are filling in nicely. There are a lot of little metal folds that require paint from all angles or else you leave what I'd call unpainted shadows. Hopefully my technique of many light layers from different directions will take care of these over time. Patience is the key.




Now I gotta let it dry for a day or two. Damn this cold weather!
 
yup, painting in cold weather sucks. take your time :)
On a side note - since I just did almost the same as you (painting the innards of a midi-tower black):
Did you know that the NZXT M59 ist not only black inside from the start, but also has holes for cable management and easy cpu cooler mounting right from the factory? Just built a rig in one of these myself, ofcourse AFTER I painted another case because i couldn't find a single one that was black and not too expensive. Oh well.
 
Ya, I've heard they make cases that are all black. I hear Dell and HP make complete computers that are already built too. Probably complete nonsense though. ;)

Anywho. I'm thinking of doing all the front grills in white. And doing accents, internal lighting and sleeving in red or blue. I've got the Corsair kilowatt PSU which is black and blue, and the black and blue dominator GTs. Or I could paint the PSU and get the GTX dominators and go all red. dunno yet. Blue is prolly the cheaper route and will mostly likely win out because of it, even though it would mean new LEDs and fans. We shall see.

I really wanted to spray another coat this morning, but better to let it sit I think. Might coat it tonite again if I can't hold off till tomorow morning.
 
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I was googlin' around for some HAF 922 mods and ideas. I found a 932 mod thread on overclock.net. Well blue has won. I need to find that color of paint!

Also I'm gonna need a new optical for this machine. Has anyone stealthed an optical in a 922 before? Any ideas?
 
Another day, another layer of paint, another camera used.

Still a bit patchy. Gonna take 3 to 5 more layers I think. (I'll try not to drown this thread in paint pics)


Flat regions are looking good. Corners and edges not so much. I'm gonna flip the case over tonite and thickin up this layer before I let it dry for a day and a half again.


Drive bay is the real weak spot. It really does look more painted in person. The flash camera is a great tool to figure out what I've missed.
 
Looking good, I just picked up a HAF 932 also, planning on doing the same thing, lol. That drive bay does look like its gonna be a PITA to paint with a rattle can ><!

Keep us updated,
Jake
 
Hey Jake, Good luck with your 932. That's a great case, I've just been a bit tired of full towers and wanted something a bit more compact and easier to lan party with. Hence the 922. I like the looks of the 922 a bit better too.

I put on another layer today with the goal of filling in as many bear spots as possible. I still missed some, but I've done further touch up since these pics have been taken. I'm hoping only 1 or 2 more layers of black will be needed before the clear coat starts.



There are some spots that are just mean and impossible to get to. I'm beginning to wonder if deriviting the case mighta been easier after all.



The drive bay is still a big pain as well.



You all don't know how impatient I am, and how bad this slow painting method is killing me. Still It is looking better and better.



Oh and I placed an order for a few parts today haha hahaha HAHAHA MUAHAHAHAHAhahaha hmmmm :D
 
It does look good... I wouldn't have the patience to do a good job painting, so I don't bother... haha..

I need to attempt some cheap mods on a cheap case (window, painting, rad-grill holes etc.) so I can get the hang of all of it before I start modding a $200+ case... :)
 
Blazestorm said:
It does look good... I wouldn't have the patience to do a good job painting, so I don't bother... haha..

I need to attempt some cheap mods on a cheap case (window, painting, rad-grill holes etc.) so I can get the hang of all of it before I start modding a $200+ case... :)
Click to expand...

This is a HAF922. They're about $100 although I think I picked this one up for around $80. So its a great first mod case. I say that now... before I'm done ;)
 
Oh I know, but I buy expensive cases and would want to mod one of those eventually...

I'd want to mess around with a $20-30 case first...
 
First, looks like a great paint job. I have no patience for painting I get things powdercoated, or anodized aluminum.

I feel that someone that can take a cheap case and do a good mod is better then someone with an expensive case and expensive modding. Case mod competitions should always be broken down by the price, or skill range.
 
This mod is looking better and better with every update. Keep it up, post more pics
 
I think it's entirely painted black. Finally!!!


Yay I can move on to the cle.... oh wait.


In my efforts to cover all the tough parts, I have succumbed to the plight of overspray on the inside bottom. I'm gonna have to pick up some real fine grit sandpaper tomorow and see if I can just sand it away and touch it up.
 
Wet sanding is your friend. When I painted my first case with spray cans, I wet sanded after doing the clear coat and it made the whole case POP! Try it out ;)
 
PixelsGC said:
Wet sanding is your friend. When I painted my first case with spray cans, I wet sanded after doing the clear coat and it made the whole case POP! Try it out ;)
Click to expand...
You've got me very interested. Do you have any pics or examples so I can see what it would look like?
 
Another day of painting goes by and I still have more to do!

I looked into this so called wet sanding. According to EVGA it's the bee's knees. Step one, just add water!

Step two, get on your knees and grind that shit off.

I found this to be qu... GOOD GOD, IS THAT MY NOSE??!

I will admit, I do not, at all, enjoy wet sanding. It is just like normal sanding except you have to wet the case and the paper, then all the grit gets in the water, and the water gets on everything. It makes a terrible mess on the case, the work area, and me.

Cleaning up the sanded material is much more difficult and time consuming. The results are hard to argue with though. I'm glad I'm taking the extra steps. I'm sure its going to make a big difference in the end. Muchos Kudos and thanks, PixelsGC, for the tip.

Before I goto bed tonite, I've got to flip the case over to touch up the bottom with some paint to fill in the areas I ground down to primer. Then sometime tomorow I'm going to wet sand the whole thing once more. I'll probably use a higher grit too, hmm... Then comes clear coat, Then comes even more wet sanding for the final finish. With every new layer of paint I'm feeling further and further away from pWn1n6 n00b5. So rest easy twinks. Drink your bufs, up your stats, and level your skillz because when I am ready, I'll be coming for you on my satin black cooler master steed.

Once I decide on a motherboard that is...
 
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Definitely looks good

Get some pics in natural light outside, brings out the best in finishes I think...
 
Slow and Steady, this is where you want to make sure it's just right. Once you put it back together, you don't want to take it back apart :D
 
No Problem man, Yeah it takes a long time and is a B**** to do but, you can not argue at all with the results. That case looks sharp! I knew it would pay off ;)
 
Wow nice paint job. Maybe I should endeavor to finish off my first mod with painting the interior black and adding a window. I always thought you needed to be super pro to get a nice paint job. Keep it up.
 
Wet sanding is good for fine sanding, i wouldn't go and use wet sanding for a big job like a case. Wet sand while lapping.
 
That's going to be awesome, I got $100 worth of stuff I'm getting from them in the next week or so.

Cant wait to see some pics!!!!
 
Went over the whole thing with wet 1000grit. Whole thing of course needs another layer of black now. (I've said that before) But, I got all of the imperfections out, and the finish is even. She feels so smooth :)
Only had the iPhone tonight so I only took one pic. You can see where I sanded the edges down to primer again. Hope it's all dry in the morning so I can lay down that last layer when I get home from work tomorrow. I only have a half day!


I got my fingers crossed I don't screw up this last layer, if I don't I can clear coat. (I think I've said that before too). I haven't even ordered the mobo yet, so there really isn't any rush. I can take my time and do it right. MSI and Gigabyte have some pretty blue boards, but I'm really leaning twoards the Asus P6T6. Its the best looking black and blue board out there... well actually.. P6T7 looks a bit better with no white pcie slot and the word supercomputer etched on heatsink, but I really don't think I want 2 NF200 chips.... hell I don't even know if I want one, I might be better off without one, but then I'd have to settle on a black and cyan board. *SIGH*, Woe is me.

Blazestorm said:
Get some pics in natural light outside, brings out the best in finishes I think...
Click to expand...

Sorry, still no pics in natural light. I promise I'll take some in the latter stages. Problem is I can only work on it on my time off, and that's usually late night after work. But here is a picture OF a natural light to tide you over.
495.jpg
 
Sorry, still no pics in natural light. I promise I'll take some in the latter stages. Problem is I can only work on it on my time off, and that's usually late night after work. But here is a picture OF a natural light to tide you over.
495.jpg
Click to expand...


Lol, i love a good joke every now and then.
 
Just a quick update: I finished painting the main body black last night. Just lettin' her dry. Clear coat is next once it finishes drying. I really want it fully dry before I put down the clear coat and it is still pretty cold so I wait. I didn't take any pics, since you all already know what it looks like, lol. I'll take some more once I start laying down the clear coat. I sanded down the side panel pretty good too, it still needs some more touch up before it gets any clear coat.
 
Long time no see, yall. Real Life can be a bitch sometimes. Now, back to the truly important stuff. First off I wanted to clean the case real well before I put on any more paint. I hosed if off, but needed a good place to let her dry off. How about on the can?


While the main chassis took a dump, I started sanding down the drive clips.


Next up they got primed.


Then when finished wiping the chassis (hehe, toilet humor), It got its very first taste of clear coat.


I'm gonna give it some more paint tomorrow. You guys will have to hold out a bit more for your nattie lights though.
 
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