Knight Rider CWC

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Last package came. It was suppost to be 1 red cathode tube.


But they sent me a whole kit.


I went to buy the paint. And this is what greated me at the door. Stuiped snow. I hate this white stuff.


Bought 2 part paint system














Now that looks so much better

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Althought the rist rest looks good, had one problem with paint dripping.










Time to paint the hub.











Now the mouse and hub











Now that came out well.

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Marquee’s guide to great paint job.

You will need these things.

Sand Paper
180 grit
220 grit
320 grit
400 grit
600 grit
800 grit
1000 grit
1500 grit
2000 grit

Paint
Filling primer*
Normal primer
Paint color of choice
Clear coat

Candy look
Color tint and base coat.

Other things
Tack cloth
Some sort of glove (like rubber gloves)

Explaining My Technique
First off I would like to start by saying that my techniques were created by refining many tactics and methods. Just like many first time modders, I looked for advice by reading step by step guides and reviews on how to improve my methods of work. Then I tried to do one, it was kind of successful, but since then I have come across difficulties and some miner kinks that I have fixed. Note by no means is my guide a perfect one.

Using filling primer
Filling primer, a thicker primer to the can finishes quicker but if used right give even noob a nice paint job. When starting to paint the object, you must sand the surface to get rid of the clear coats or any surface errors. This is a good place to identify any surface dents that might need to be filled and scratches that will need some sanding. For noobs I suggest using filling primer as there first coat of primer. This way the sanding you just did will be easily filled. I found in my experiences as a newbie that my sand with low cores grit was very bad, in terms of leaving to many surface scratches that were hard to fill. Nevertheless after reaching a 220 grit move on to a 320 grit. Remember to make sure you are sanding in perpendicular motion. Meaning, sanding from right to left then sand up and down.

Like so:
First sand /\ \/ second sanding < >

Make sure to sand in alternating pattern. After every coat, sand is opposite direction.

Explaining the Colour Coats
After reaching 400 grit sanding make sure to move on to the colour coats. If you read any paint can it tells you to sand lightly and this really has some weight when painting the colour layers. From here on paint a coat then sand all the way to 100 grit. Then move to clear coat. Spray clear coat then 1500, then if you can get it clear then 2000. After the last layer I don’t like to sand. I personally don’t have much exprince with finishing the paint job, in terms of wax or some sort of after market creams. One thing that did happen to me is once I tried to use a turtle wax finisher after painting my first case the G5 theme, I had used a tremclad silver rust proof paint and the paint started to come off when buffed with turtle wax.

Candy Finish

The candy finish is a fun paint job. For some modders this will be supper easy. For other this will be moderate skill level needed. You start off with these things:

With Dupli-Color MetalCast paint system. You need a MetalCast ground coat. Its silverfish and the paint has some sort of additive that allow the later tint coat to bond together better. This is the thing I love about the Metal cast system. The paint has some sort of additive that if you apply enough paint that the gloss comes to the top and give you a nice smooth finish. So after reach about 800 grit I moved to the ground coat. A thing layer every 5-10min, at least 4 times. Then as paint can says, from the last layer I wait 30min and then applied the tint layer. Same with tint layer, apply 5-10min a thin layer then after about 4 layers stop and let dry.

Wait a couple days, let the paint cure and then apply clear coat. The MetalCast system to tell you the truth though, if applied right the surf might be able to do with out clear coat. But if you want your paint job to last years I suggest to clear coat it for sure.

Secrets of Marquee
I have found that using tack cloth before each coat has dramatically made my paint job better.

Painting inside, in highly ventilated area has also bettered my work. The outside has wind and may thing in the air that get stuck on the paint while paint out side.

Use a clamp and wear glove. Move the object around to paint all the hard to reach areas.

Clear of the area of paint with a cloth to get rit of dust that might get stuck to painted surface.

Prep is everything. The more you sand, the more detailed the sanding is, the better the paint job will look. Take you time. Painting is a art for those with patients not a thing that should be rushed or done to quickly.

Have a nice cold drink will sanding. It will make the time pass faster. Play some music flow to the beat.

My guide is not perfect, no a complete guide. I strongly recommend reading the mnpctech guide.


Here is an overview:


Colour Painting

Sand with 180 grit if needed. 180 is corse and I like to start with 220
Prime
Sand with 220 grit
Prime
Sand with 320 grit
Prime
Sand with 400 grit
Move on to Colour paint
Sand with 600 grit
Colour coat
Sand with 800 grit
Colour coat
Sand with 1000 grit
Colour coat
Sand with 1500 grit
Clear-Coat
Sand with 2000 grit
Clear-coat












Candy Finish

Sand with 320 grit
Prime
Sand with 400 grit
Prime
Sand with 800 grit
Ground Coat
30min Tint colour
Clear coat after cureing

*make sure that you ground and clear coat layer are not sanded off and that the ground and tint are applied nice and smooth. A few layers are required to have nice clear look. Avoid any orange peal effect.

What it look like before


Sanding one


Prime


Sand




The paint


Get ready for ground coat


Ground coat. This is what I was talking about, how the clear coat comes to the top of enought paint is applied.








Tint coat, after 30min

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All finished











I will like thank my good freind Claris for support.

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This will be my last photo update for a while guys. Its a mock-up of the water cooling, lights (UV & RED) and the top panel cover on my G5 chassis. The Knight Rider Chassis will be the same but will future a 120mm rear fan and also a 120mm front fan; Other then that the two chassis will be the same.

Also on the Knight Rider I will be cutting some holes on the mother board tray for the PSU cables and hard drive cables. I want to keep them hidden till they reach there right hardware there supplying with power.

I have I also came up with a new way to mount my hard drives. The new way is not in my sketches but will be soon.

On the sketches you will see the front Bezel design and some other little thing floating around in my mind. Also in the sketch you will see the window etching I want to do.

The case in the dark. Man no X-mas tree for me, my computer will do. LOL







This is were the rad will be placed with some spacers.



I love the look of this dual tube thing. So sexy.




In the end the though the pump will be on its side for some space problems



And also be a few cm above the floor of the chassis


i fixed a tag for you - cheebs

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Here are some of the sketchs

THis is what I am gunning for in the end \/



The frame for the front bezel


Some ideas
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/1f5a8dfc.jpg

Front bezel ideas and res idea

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Here is a never before seen protype sketch.


Also here are some new sketchs that lookd more like what I am going to do.

Here is a sketch were I was playing with some ideas for the front. I was thinking of the front bezel and how it will work.


The front and top panel will look like this sketch but I am no 100% sure on the side. I was thinking of adding a cowel to the side but I am sure. Also I am thinking how the 24" x 12" peice of acrylic sheet will make a nice window for the side of teh cause.

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I got a new little toy... Laser guided Jig saw. As most of you might know I am the founder of Mi-PCs.com. Soon Mi-PCs will be up and running. One thing we are trying to do is to create new cases. We hope for the first little bit to get cases and mod them, and in the future to have our own designed cases. That said over the last few months I have been building up a modding tool arsenal. The latest tool to be added to the arsenal is a Jig Saw. Ever since I saw tribelo, get a new one with laser guider I needed to get one. So I got a Laser guided, Jig saw with 4.5A motor, and many other features. One feature that it has that is pretty sweet it that the blades are stored onboard and look like the cartridge for the blades can be removed and secured to a belt.



The next toy to get is


Also


Hopefully some on this Christmas will get me a new rotary tool. This time the digital speed display one with extra light for lighting up your work area and 512 piece accessories.