Simple Automotive-grade paint job

J

JDanser

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 9, 2012
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246
Not sure if this belongs here, or in mobile computing, but I'm sure it applies either way.

I've discovered that Duplicolor paint (Snag it at any old auto parts store) is AWESOME, and am going to attempt to give my old Dell Vostro 1500 a bit of new life with it.

I'm gonna keep a simple worklog here, if you guys spot me doing anything stupid, lemme know.

I chose a simple crack-filling primer, medium garnet red metallic (I've owned a lot of cars that color and know it shines up really nice), and a regular clear coat.
colorsv.jpg


First thing to do was tear off the old dell logo, and fill the hole with epoxy. This took a little more doing than I'd imagined it would, so I didn't get pics of this part. Suffice to say it took a pair of pliers and my foot on the lid to actually remove the logo.

Next came a quick coat of sandable two-part epoxy in the gap where the logo medallion went.
epoxy.jpg


Tomorrow, after the epoxy dries, I'll make sure and snag shots of all the sanding/primering and painting.

If anyone has questions, comments or slick ideas please let me know.
 
I would suggest to you if you don't mind pay ALOT of attention to smoothing where that logo was. If you don't spend the time you will see it from a mile away once painted. I would also buy some very fine wet or dry sand paper to scuff the surface with before priming or painting.
Here is a link to one I did but only a before and after picture remains. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1551322&highlight=D610+laptop

My next one will be alot more extravagant.
 
Ugh. Late update, but disaster struck. My room mate's idiot cat decided it would be a grand idea to lay down on the laptop after it was primered. How it got in the garage is beyond me but regardless, project is on hiatus. Will try again later. Also, cats look 10x funnier when they're covered in grey primer. :D
 
jackofalltrades said:
I would suggest to you if you don't mind pay ALOT of attention to smoothing where that logo was. If you don't spend the time you will see it from a mile away once painted. I would also buy some very fine wet or dry sand paper to scuff the surface with before priming or painting.
Here is a link to one I did but only a before and after picture remains. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1551322&highlight=D610+laptop

My next one will be alot more extravagant.
Click to expand...

None of your pictures load, use www.goodluckmakingrent.com to upload pictures
 
Cat's lucky to be alive. He probably started trying to clean that primer off himself...?
 
Nah. Roommate caught him in the act, and wound up having to bathe the cat. So to a small degree, revenge was served. In the meanwhile, I quick & dirtied a couple coats of primer, slapped a couple of coats of paint on the thing, and frankly it turned out pretty asinine :D. Turns out the two part epoxy I used is soluble in spray paint solvent. I'll post a pic or two when I can lift them off my phone.

Edit : I'll eventually try this again, but this time I'm gonna try wood putty, and put the bastard in a box (cat or laptop, either way works). The color did come out pretty bitchin.
 
JDanser said:
and put the bastard in a box (cat or laptop, either way works).
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I can guarantee you right now that this is the best thing I will hear all day. Thank you for giving me a good laugh. As a cat owner (two furballs) I can testify they love their boxes.
 
Bondo is much easier to work with than epoxy. And it will obviously work with auto paint. Just scuff the surface very well with coarse sand paper. Put down the bondo and let dry. Then sand back smooth and get down to at least 400 grit or whatever the rest of the lid is comparable to.
 
For anyone still interested, here's how the actual color came out. You can see where the epoxy soaked up the solvent. Before primer it was damned near perfectly flat.
imag0049qoi.jpg


And after a couple coats of clear.
imag0069wn.jpg


I may or may not have been slightly intoxicated during the painting process... and forgot to remove the masking tape before the paint fully cured... and lost a few chips off of various corners... oops. :D
 
Power5 said:
Bondo is much easier to work with than epoxy. And it will obviously work with auto paint. Just scuff the surface very well with coarse sand paper. Put down the bondo and let dry. Then sand back smooth and get down to at least 400 grit or whatever the rest of the lid is comparable to.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree with this guy man, that paint job looks pretty rough.

Maybe get some sandable primer as well so you can get it extra flat. If Nothing else get some bondo fine filler for that (its a small red tube). Also if you want a car paint look, you should use car paint and spray it with a spray gun. That would prob make the paint more durable as well.
 
Morphes said:
Yeah I agree with this guy man, that paint job looks pretty rough.

Maybe get some sandable primer as well so you can get it extra flat. If Nothing else get some bondo fine filler for that (its a small red tube). Also if you want a car paint look, you should use car paint and spray it with a spray gun. That would prob make the paint more durable as well.
Click to expand...

Not horribly worried about it all in all. This is my beater/workhorse machine that I lug everywhere, and was mainly just sick of the Dell logo. I'm actually thinking about slapping a big old N7 Mass Effect logo on the back and calling it day.
 
Come to think of it, this might actually be a candidate for the Ghetto Case Mod gallery.
 
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