Guide to Spray Painting - Coolercases UK

coolmiester · 30-08-2005, 05:02 PM

An area that doesn't get touched on to often is spray painting, which when done right can look really smooth and professional but on the other hand if a few basic steps aren't followed you can end up with a finish that looks a bit like orange peel or even worse full of runs.

So to help get the most from those little tins of coloured spray I've put together a small guide that should help you on your way to getting really good results no matter what it is your painting.

On this occasion the victim is a Logitech Mouse and charger unit.

Preparation is everything to getting a good finish so no cutting corners here!

First of all you need to get the piece rubbed down and in this case, the remaining worn silver paint off so with a little washing up liquid added to a bucket of water and using 800 grit wet n dry paper I gently rubbed till I was down to the original bear plastic making sure not to let the paper dry out and frequently rinsing the piece to ensure no large bits of grit or debris get between the two that could cause deep scratching.

A general guide to wet n dry paper is as follows

240 to 600 grit - For smoothing body filler / bondo and metal
800 to 1500 grit - For preparing body filler/bondo metal for paint
1200 to 2000 grit - For sanding between coats of primer/paint

I also took this opportunity to sand the Logitech logo down which turned out to be aluminium so I polished it and using masking tape, masked it up and trimmed the remaining tape with a craft knife.

When both bits where sanded smooth they were dried using a clean cloth making sure not to touch either bit as the oils from your fingers can cause the paint/primer not to adhere properly.

So in a ventilated room I applied the first coat of primer. Holding the can approx 10 to 12 inches away from the piece spraying in even strokes.

Couple of word of warning here!.
1] Always follow the directions on the tin.
2] Test spray a piece of card first just to make sure the nozzle isn't clogged and the paint comes out evenly.
3] Don't try and cover the subject in one go - its far better to apply a few thinner coats (leaving 5 to 15 mins between coats) rather than one thick coat as your more likely to get runs in the paint.

Some people may only apply one coat of primer but I prefer to use two - the first being a very slight waft of paint barely covering the piece so you are still able to see the plastic colour showing through followed by a second slightly thicker coat approximately 5 to 15 minutes later.

Allow the primer 24 hours to dry then you may want to very gently rub down again with your bucket of soapy water and the finest wet n dry you can get your hands on 1500 - 2000 grit. This isn't entirely necessary on small pieces such as this but on larger things like case side panels etc. I would recommend it.

Anyway, your now ready for the first coat of paint which is arguable the most important.
Again, it needs to be a very fine waft applied in the same method as the first coat of primer.

Its so tempting at this point to just blast away with the spray can and drown the piece but be strong and resist the temptation as you will inevitably cause runs and ruin all the previous hard work.

Leave around 15 to 30 minutes and then apply a slightly thicker coat which you will see starts to give a more shiny appearance but don't go over the top........you can keep on building up with more and more thin layers until you are satisfied an even overall coat is applied.

This is the result of five coats (not including primer)

Now, a lot of people think the jobs done but no matter how well you have applied the final coat of paint it will still have that orange peel look to it on closer inspection so you need to let it dry for a least 24 hours, 48 preferably and again using your bucket of soapy water and finest grit wet n dry paper (at least 1500 grit) you can rub down once more making really really sure to keep it wet and frequently rinse down again so as not to cause any deep scratching form stray bits of grit etc.

You will see the orange peel effect disappear and the paint will become totally smooth with a very fine haze caused from the wet n dry paper which can then be buffed away using something like T Cut Paint Restorer followed a week to two later once the paint has totally cured by a premium car polish or wax such as Turtlewax

Alternatively, once you have sanded down the orange peel effect on the final coat of paint you can go straight onto applying a couple of coats of clear lacquer for added protection which I've done in this case as a mouse tends to get some heavy handling which will also need sanding down followed by T Cut and wax as above.
As you can see I've used a Glitter Lacquer, which is basically normal lacquer with glitter flake for that extra bling effect followed by a couple more coats of just clear lacquer

Anyway, it's a lengthy process and can be quite costly once you have bought all the bits and pieces but you have to agree the end result is well worth it no matter how small the job.

Finally, here is the completed mouse and charger unit all back together.

BTW, this is OV3RCLOCK3R's mouse so i hope he likes it

Leeum · 30-08-2005, 05:13 PM

I've got an MX700 with the same worn paint problem off the charger, fancy doing mine Paul?

Great guide, the results speak for themselves

Leeum · 30-08-2005, 05:17 PM

I know Halfords do packs of assorted wet and dry at a fair price, worth a look

EDIT: That post thing is happening again, I've posted in reply to bennywidag and my post is before his

bennywidag · 30-08-2005, 05:19 PM

very very nice coolermeister, but i cant say i like the glitter, but very nice anyway. the best wet and dry i can get hold of from my local diy shops is 1000 grit, and one only had 400, where can you get higher grain than this?

coolmiester · 30-08-2005, 05:59 PM

Those assorted packs from Halfords - B&Q etc are great as they have everything in you should need from very course throught to 1500 i think.

TBH i'm really dissapointed with the final pictures as it looks amazingly sparkly in real life but it just looks like speckly and flat on the pics

See what OV3RCLOCK3R thinks when he gets it back.........its a lot better than when it got here lol

Don't know whats up with the dodgy post thing Leeum............hopefully sc0rian can sort it out

30-08-2005, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolmiester

Those assorted packs from Halfords - B&Q etc are great as they have everything in you should need from very course throught to 1500 i think.

TBH i'm really dissapointed with the final pictures as it looks amazingly sparkly in real life but it just looks like speckly and flat on the pics

See what OV3RCLOCK3R thinks when he gets it back.........its a lot better than when it got here lol

Don't know whats up with the dodgy post thing Leeum............hopefully sc0rian can sort it out

LOL, yeh the condition was pretty bad

Hey, i know what you mean about the pics.

It looks great. I love it!

Great job on my mouse

Thanks

bennywidag · 30-08-2005, 07:00 PM

ah the two places i didnt check, will be near there when i go to work on friday so wll get it then, thanks for the heads up guys. excellent work as always coolermeister

Sc0rian · 30-08-2005, 09:43 PM

wonder if i could do it with my mx1000... last time i spray painted the mouse it was glose black.. bloody thing was so shiny kept sticking to my hand

GodsUnicorn · 30-08-2005, 10:26 PM

Nice guide Paul, and a nice result on the mouse.............U taking orders ???

sunnyg · 31-08-2005, 08:01 PM

are there any special techniques for the chrome spary paint?

30-08-2005, 05:02 PM	#1
coolmiester Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,788	Guide to Spray Painting An area that doesn't get touched on to often is spray painting, which when done right can look really smooth and professional but on the other hand if a few basic steps aren't followed you can end up with a finish that looks a bit like orange peel or even worse full of runs. So to help get the most from those little tins of coloured spray I've put together a small guide that should help you on your way to getting really good results no matter what it is your painting. On this occasion the victim is a Logitech Mouse and charger unit. Preparation is everything to getting a good finish so no cutting corners here! First of all you need to get the piece rubbed down and in this case, the remaining worn silver paint off so with a little washing up liquid added to a bucket of water and using 800 grit wet n dry paper I gently rubbed till I was down to the original bear plastic making sure not to let the paper dry out and frequently rinsing the piece to ensure no large bits of grit or debris get between the two that could cause deep scratching. A general guide to wet n dry paper is as follows 240 to 600 grit - For smoothing body filler / bondo and metal 800 to 1500 grit - For preparing body filler/bondo metal for paint 1200 to 2000 grit - For sanding between coats of primer/paint I also took this opportunity to sand the Logitech logo down which turned out to be aluminium so I polished it and using masking tape, masked it up and trimmed the remaining tape with a craft knife. When both bits where sanded smooth they were dried using a clean cloth making sure not to touch either bit as the oils from your fingers can cause the paint/primer not to adhere properly. So in a ventilated room I applied the first coat of primer. Holding the can approx 10 to 12 inches away from the piece spraying in even strokes. Couple of word of warning here!. 1] Always follow the directions on the tin. 2] Test spray a piece of card first just to make sure the nozzle isn't clogged and the paint comes out evenly. 3] Don't try and cover the subject in one go - its far better to apply a few thinner coats (leaving 5 to 15 mins between coats) rather than one thick coat as your more likely to get runs in the paint. Some people may only apply one coat of primer but I prefer to use two - the first being a very slight waft of paint barely covering the piece so you are still able to see the plastic colour showing through followed by a second slightly thicker coat approximately 5 to 15 minutes later. Allow the primer 24 hours to dry then you may want to very gently rub down again with your bucket of soapy water and the finest wet n dry you can get your hands on 1500 - 2000 grit. This isn't entirely necessary on small pieces such as this but on larger things like case side panels etc. I would recommend it. Anyway, your now ready for the first coat of paint which is arguable the most important. Again, it needs to be a very fine waft applied in the same method as the first coat of primer. Its so tempting at this point to just blast away with the spray can and drown the piece but be strong and resist the temptation as you will inevitably cause runs and ruin all the previous hard work. Leave around 15 to 30 minutes and then apply a slightly thicker coat which you will see starts to give a more shiny appearance but don't go over the top........you can keep on building up with more and more thin layers until you are satisfied an even overall coat is applied. This is the result of five coats (not including primer) Now, a lot of people think the jobs done but no matter how well you have applied the final coat of paint it will still have that orange peel look to it on closer inspection so you need to let it dry for a least 24 hours, 48 preferably and again using your bucket of soapy water and finest grit wet n dry paper (at least 1500 grit) you can rub down once more making really really sure to keep it wet and frequently rinse down again so as not to cause any deep scratching form stray bits of grit etc. You will see the orange peel effect disappear and the paint will become totally smooth with a very fine haze caused from the wet n dry paper which can then be buffed away using something like T Cut Paint Restorer followed a week to two later once the paint has totally cured by a premium car polish or wax such as Turtlewax Alternatively, once you have sanded down the orange peel effect on the final coat of paint you can go straight onto applying a couple of coats of clear lacquer for added protection which I've done in this case as a mouse tends to get some heavy handling which will also need sanding down followed by T Cut and wax as above. As you can see I've used a Glitter Lacquer, which is basically normal lacquer with glitter flake for that extra bling effect followed by a couple more coats of just clear lacquer Anyway, it's a lengthy process and can be quite costly once you have bought all the bits and pieces but you have to agree the end result is well worth it no matter how small the job. Finally, here is the completed mouse and charger unit all back together. BTW, this is OV3RCLOCK3R's mouse so i hope he likes it __________________ MSN: paul@coolercases.co.uk Laptop Contact: mobile@coolercases.co.uk Last edited by coolmiester; 18-12-2008 at 02:24 PM.

30-08-2005, 05:59 PM	#5
coolmiester Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,788	Those assorted packs from Halfords - B&Q etc are great as they have everything in you should need from very course throught to 1500 i think. TBH i'm really dissapointed with the final pictures as it looks amazingly sparkly in real life but it just looks like speckly and flat on the pics See what OV3RCLOCK3R thinks when he gets it back.........its a lot better than when it got here lol Don't know whats up with the dodgy post thing Leeum............hopefully sc0rian can sort it out __________________ MSN: paul@coolercases.co.uk Laptop Contact: mobile@coolercases.co.uk

30-08-2005, 10:26 PM	#9
GodsUnicorn Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Wallsend Posts: 145	Nice guide Paul, and a nice result on the mouse.............U taking orders ??? __________________ I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like my dear old Grandad, not kicking and screaming like his passengers. When someone annoys you it takes 42 muscles to frown but only 4 to raise your arm and slap the B****D Last edited by GodsUnicorn; 30-08-2005 at 10:31 PM.*

31-08-2005, 08:01 PM	#10
sunnyg Hyper Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Watford Posts: 723	are there any special techniques for the chrome spary paint? __________________ http://uk.geocities.com/ashok.gohil@...et.com/sig.gif

30-08-2005, 05:13 PM	#2
Leeum Administrator Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,573	I've got an MX700 with the same worn paint problem off the charger, fancy doing mine Paul? Great guide, the results speak for themselves

30-08-2005, 05:17 PM	#3
Leeum Administrator Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,573	I know Halfords do packs of assorted wet and dry at a fair price, worth a look EDIT: That post thing is happening again, I've posted in reply to bennywidag and my post is before his

30-08-2005, 05:19 PM	#4
bennywidag Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 117	very very nice coolermeister, but i cant say i like the glitter, but very nice anyway. the best wet and dry i can get hold of from my local diy shops is 1000 grit, and one only had 400, where can you get higher grain than this?

30-08-2005, 07:00 PM	#7
bennywidag Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 117	ah the two places i didnt check, will be near there when i go to work on friday so wll get it then, thanks for the heads up guys. excellent work as always coolermeister

30-08-2005, 09:43 PM	#8
Sc0rian Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Suffolk Posts: 511	wonder if i could do it with my mx1000... last time i spray painted the mouse it was glose black.. bloody thing was so shiny kept sticking to my hand