Quick but crazyish question: painting cables?

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starhawk

[H]F Junkie
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Oct 4, 2004
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I'm planning out an SFF mod using a Pico-ITX board a friend got me for Christmas a year or two ago. Whoo. (In related news, I hate Poulsbo. I'm a Linux guy, so it's warranted...)

I want to, as part of the mod, paint some of the light-grey cables for the mobo to be flat black. I can afford and use regular ol' acrylic craft paint (the cheap Mal*Mart stuff) but I don't want to screw with anything else because either it's too cold out (spray) or the paint's too expensive (anything other than spray and craft-in-a-bottle).

The cables involved are the USB port cables, and a pair of custom audio cables made to fit the board (thanks 404!). The audio cables are from old HP desktops.

I can post a pic if that helps.

I'll be buying the paint later today. Will that stuff stick reasonably well to the cables, or do I need to change my modding plans?
 
Acrylic paint is probably going to crack with time since you have to bend the cables. Only thing I can think of suggesting is Plasti-Dip which is pretty flexible.
 
Crap. I don't want cracking :(

Last I heard, plasti-dip type stuff was expensive as crap, too...
 
As fishrule pointed out, paint will likely crack. The cables in your case are exactly stationary, and you really can't paint them in place effectively, so the effect won't last long. Plus, all those paint chips could end up in all the same places as dust, which would be less than ideal.
 
I would just sleeve the cables. You would have to get all the necessary tools/sleeving but I think you would be better off than having pieces of paint flake off and get into your system.
 
Actually, I was going for a caseless mod ;) Think Star Trek* -- specifically the Borg ;) I think I have a solution but it involves changing the color of the mod a little. I was going to go with matte black with green and metallic accents here and there... but if green becomes red I have some cable-tidy stuff I can use. Flexible ribbed plastic tubing, split down the middle. IIRC it was my grandfather's (may he rest in peace), he worked on engines and that's where it's from. I'll have to build little housings to disguise the connectors but that's not a big deal, either.

I like the black and red look, anyways -- and I like it a lot more than anything with green. LOL.

*No, not the two most recent movies, and not really the series Enterprise, either. JJ Abrams, go suck a dick, will you please? You're totally destroying my favorite sci-fi series.

EDIT: to address the sleeving idea that came up while I was typing -- I neither have nor can afford the tools, and considering the connectors are molded into the cables I'm not sure it's doable anyways. I'd have to pull the header connectors off and that would be a real pain.
 
I know you said you couldn't afford sleeving, but for the future I do believe they have kits for pulling the headers off so that you can sleeve them.
 
2mm pitch headers. I hate 'em. Standard is 0.1" / 2.54mm pitch, larger in every way... total pain in the ass to work with the 2mm variety, but every single header on this board is that way.

Although, for what it's worth, I have a Commell board, 3.5" industrial form factor (think two desktop hard drives, stacked vertically, yeah, it's about that big) that has some really weird headers. The pitch and row spacing are different on half of 'em. So for example one will be 2.54mm row spacing but 1.27mm pitch. Geez. That's one place I /don't/ want creativity!
 
Before I put this thread to its proper rest... the paint I bought is this shit. Will it stick to the molded rubber part of the connector, that I don't expect to flex any because it's not actual cable (and too bulky to move much anyways)...? Easier for me to paint 'em than to box 'em... and (particularly given my skill level) it'll look way better, to boot.
 
starhawk said:
Actually, I was going for a caseless mod ;) Think Star Trek* -- specifically the Borg ;) I think I have a solution but it involves changing the color of the mod a little. I was going to go with matte black with green and metallic accents here and there... but if green becomes red I have some cable-tidy stuff I can use. Flexible ribbed plastic tubing, split down the middle. IIRC it was my grandfather's (may he rest in peace), he worked on engines and that's where it's from. I'll have to build little housings to disguise the connectors but that's not a big deal, either.
Click to expand...

You mean something like this:
pJu29F


You can get a variety of types, sizes and colors at Summit Racing. I used silicone tape (AKA TommyTape) to get a fairly nice finish at the power connectors (see upper left of image).

I like the black and red look, anyways -- and I like it a lot more than anything with green. LOL.
Click to expand...
They have red and black! :D

*No, not the two most recent movies, and not really the series Enterprise, either. JJ Abrams, go suck a dick, will you please? You're totally destroying my favorite sci-fi series.
Click to expand...
:(:(:( They wouldn't be so bad if Abrams wasn't such a lens flare freak and the engine room didn't look like a boiler room or a distillation plant!
.
 
Re: Star Trek. For me it's the plot -- what he does makes the two movies into generic sci-fi flicks with an unfortunate title and set of character names. That's not what Star Trek is. Star Trek, as best I can explain it in brief words, is about exploring humanity by showing humanity explore -- how do humans react to xyz situation, and is that necessarily a good thing? ;)

Re: cables. I have the cable-tidy stuff. I don't want to buy more... but what I do want to know is: can I paint the end connector 'housings' -- the molded rubber ends of the cable that hold the USB and audio connectors proper -- without the paint eventually cracking...? The USB cable ends in a large rubber block, while the audio cables are somewhat cylindrical.
 
Can you post a pic of what you are trying to paint? The "molded rubber ends" is kinda throwing me off. The connectors should be plastic not rubber. Sharpies work reasonably well on most plastics as long as they are not handled too much. It won't crack and flake off but it may rub off on stuff rubbing against it (like your fingers). There are also plastic dyes used for automotive interiors that should work well.
 
Yeah, pics would help. Don't think the paint you bought will adhere very well since it is acrylic/water-based. I'd try the Magic Marker/Sharpie or better, brush-on Plastidip or Liquidtape--since you are needing black they should be easy to find. Might need to thin either product a bit with some solvent and use a smaller brush--a cheapo artist brush maybe quarter-inch.

Wipe the ends with some of the solvent lightly first so either product will adhere well. Brush-on Plastidip can be had in a small can and the LiquidTape comes in a small bottle with (large) applicator--neither are very expensive; 5-10 dollars for the bottle or jar. Hardware/auto parts stores should have it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-4-fl-oz-Liquid-Electrical-Tape-Black-LTB-400/100119178
 
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Re: paint, what I got is what I got. I ain't got money to go out and get other stuff. Particularly since transportation is a perpetual issue for me... I gotta do the public transit dance and that's expensive since I'm in a kinda rural area. I know $2 each way isn't much for you guys but it is for me. FWIW I have some ColorPlace rattle cans, but that shit's gloss and I want matte. I also have some metallic black Krylon (the real stuff, it's their "Oil Rubbed Bronze" flavor). Hell, I think I have some late 90s vintage matte spray shit, but if I do it's old old old enamel or epoxy type stuff. Only Krylon Fusion I got is gloss This Place On Fire Yo! Red and that won't work here, either. Other than that and the Apple Barrel black whotsit in a bottle, I got nothin'. Won't be out again till Thursday and my patience won't stretch that far. LOL.

Re: cable. It's a synthetic, rubbery but slightly firm plastic... here's a pic of the two cables (below). Note that on the USB cables, two of the connectors have their wings clipped so they're no longer panel mount. Previous owner did that... I got the board and its cables used... audio cable is custom made by 404 on [H]ere -- great guy!

XgkNJAsl.jpg
 
Well, then I guess it's Apple Barrel or bust! Not even a black Magic Marker? Don't look like the Apple Barrel stuff has an applicator--maybe there is one inside. Try a Q-tip or maybe somebody has an old bottle of fingernail polish you can steal a brush from! Try and clean the plastic ends good before you put the Apple Barrel to them--dab of soapy water and carefully dry before painting. And let them dry real good after painting. Hope you have a very small paintbrush somewhere around.

Problem is if you put on the acrylic and it doesn't work, it might be hard to get off if you do want to try something else later. Good luck.
 
I have paintbrushes... I also have sharpies but I'm not a fan of that look. Sharpie is uuuuuuugly. Friend of mine did up an old case that way (it was an early HTPC in a beige Presario case, years ago, and he wanted to make it match his stereo system, lol) and my mind winces every time I see the damn thing.
 
Waiting to see how it looks after the Apple Barrel treatment. Take a picture for comparison to the unpainted cables. You are going to use the cable-tidy stuff over the wiring right?
 
tordogs said:
Waiting to see how it looks after the Apple Barrel treatment. Take a picture for comparison to the unpainted cables.
Click to expand...

I was hoping that I'd be able to find out ahead of time... oh well. I'll start assembly in a little bit, and shortly thereafter there'll be a thread in Worklogs about it.

For the record, the oldass can of spray was Plasti-Kote Epoxy stuff for appliances. Gloss black. Oh well.

tordogs said:
You are going to use the cable-tidy stuff over the wiring right?
Click to expand...

Yep!
 
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