painting a case with a brush.

S

shadowfax

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
313
Here's the problem. It's winter. I have an unheated garage, and my apartment manager probably wouldn't be happy if I spraypainted in the kitchen, so if I want to paint this case I can't use spray or airbrush. Anyone got any tips for painting where I won't have brush lines?

Added difficulty: It's the interior of the case I'm painting, so getting sandpaper in there to smooth things out is gonna be next to impossible.
 
I have painted in cold weather, but not metal. I suppose you could use a disposable foam brush. I used to use them when staining doors.

Can't you do a few quick coats of spray paint in the garage when the landlord leaves the house? (or wherever you live)
 
well we're talkin' frequent below zero weather here. The paint would likely literally freeze in the air between the nozzle and the case. He wouldn't care if I sprayed in the garage - - but with an unheated, uninsulated garage. . . .
 
hmm yea...an oil based paint would not be so great to use either. I am not sure if it is worth/possible to paint in below zero temps. The paint would be far too thick (best way I can describe it).

Your best bet is painting at someone else's house, or inside your own. Like I said, I have painted in temps in the 50s, and even that is a bad temp to paint in. Its not meant to be used at those temps.

[E]dit

I suppose you could use a space heater and crank it and keep the paint nice and warm (not too warm) as well as the surface of the case. I just thought of that because I have a space heater sitting right next to me.
 
the apartment's heated, but i don't want spraypaint getting all over the place. . . I'm trying to find a good way to paint the case that doesn't involve spraying it. Hobby shops sell paint brushes so I know there must be a way to paint with the damn things and not have brush grooves all over the place, but I've always been an airbrush guy myself. I'm looking for any tips on painting *without* an airbrush or a rattlecan.
 
Some of the hammer finish paints will dry without leaving brush strokes. (But test it first, the stuff does not behave like normal paint.)
 
Even in an uninsulated garage, a $15 2KW fan heater should be able to bring the air temperature up enough to spray.
 
hit up hardware store for some of those thin plastic sheets/tarps and hang them up and one on the floor. I did this in my old apt when painting my bicycle.

edit: just used some bluetack to hold them up. Guess that masking tape might work also as that is easy to pull off walls. I am talking the really thin clear plastic sheets. Not the heavy blue tarps.
 
shadowfax said:
well we're talkin' frequent below zero weather here. The paint would likely literally freeze in the air between the nozzle and the case. He wouldn't care if I sprayed in the garage - - but with an unheated, uninsulated garage. . . .
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Exactly right, though the piece I had was at room temp and the paint was at room temp when I went into my garage, it froze into tiny droplets. It gets very cold in Montana in the winter time.
I let it set in the garage for a few hours, then brought it into the house and it stunk bad of paint more than likely the paint that was sprayed was warming back up to temperature to finish drying causing the smell.
I am putting the other coats off until spring. :(

I would also advise NOT to spray paint indoors, your home would totally reek and its a serious health hazard.
 
wolveen said:
I would also advise NOT to spray paint indoors, your home would totally reek and its a serious health hazard.
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Yup, that's one of the big reasons I'm not planning on spraypainting in the apartment. Putting it off until summer is an option, but it's not my first choice because tearing the whole computer apart to paint it would be rather a pain.
 
Green Bay, where we're currently enjoying a heat wave. It's 19 degrees out. That's my whole problem. I don't feel like waiting until the middle of June to paint the case ;)
 
Green Bay..... wow what a small world after-all. II am also in Green Bay, but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to help out tho. I got an attached garage on my duplex but it is not heated.

You on the East or West side?
 
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