Gateway Parts

Laptop Painting questions?

Okay, so in the past I had a friend custom paint his laptop and I am looking into doing the same. After doing massive research online I was eventually led to you guys by tons of posts of people doing this and posting progress on here. Tho, I have a few concerns about doing this that I want to address before I start. I should probably add that I've done some work to my laptop, so know very well how to take it apart and put it back together... luckily! So... a few questions about doing a custom paint job thumbs-up.gif My first concern is the biggest. My laptop is a Gateway P-6860FX. Nothing too special anymore, the warranty is almost up and the colors are pretty unattractive. However the case is a very glossy black plastic. Is it possible to paint over this or sand it down, or will I completely ruin it if I try? You can kind of see what I'm talking about here: http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/gateway-p-...7-32976305.html If it is possible to sand it down, what type of sandpaper would you guys recommend for the first sanding, and what type of sandpaper should I use between coats? How many coats of paint are needed, AND... what is the best type of paint for the job, do I need a primer? What I'd like to do it paint it (not sure the colors yet) and put my own logo on the top of the case. I haven't figured out what for that yet, but after making a stencil how hard would that actually be, assuming I want it detailed? And last question, again assuming that I can even sand this laptop down, what would you guys recommend putting over the paint to protect it? I've heard talk of using a clear finish, what works best or should this even be something I should worry about? Thanks in advance guys!

Public Comments

1. You probably should have paid attention when your friend painted his... from your questions, you were either asleep the entire time he was working on his, or you weren't in the same room. You also must never have talked with him about the project. Painting. Why sand? Sanding, or roughing the surface to be painted up, gives the paint something to stick to. If you don't sand, your paint flake and peel off. If you don't sand between coats, your paint will flake and peel off. You do not sand to remove your coat of paint. You sand to scuff the surface. You should use between 100 grit and 1000 grit. If that makes no sense, ask someone about sandpaper. After any and all sanding, thoroughly clean the surface before applying paint. Why Primer? Primer provides a solid base to paint on top of. The right primer can bring out the color of your paint job. Again, expect to sand between primer and main coat. Paint. You do not want to attempt to get full coverage on the first coat. You paint, let dry, scuff it up with a fine grit, and paint again. Depending on the finish you want, 3 or 4 coats should be plenty. Clear Coat. You will need steel wool, or a fine grit emory paper. you wait until your paint is dry, scuff lightly with steel wool or a fine, fine sand paper (emory... 1000 grit, etc) and then put a coat of Clear Coat on top. Dry, scuff, paint. The more coats of clear coat you put on, the closer to that thick, candy gloss you will get.