Pob's laptop mod

[Pob255]

It's summer so modding time again.

This time my volunteer is a toshiba Satellite Pro U400, it's a lovely little laptop with a 13.3" wide screen (cracked which is why I've ended up with it)

So as I'm going to have to that the top apart and it is also a bit scratched, I thought why not make it something more interesting than plane silver.

My plan is to do a custom paint job on it, both lid and keyboard surround.

I had been kicking about ideas for this, just haven't been happy with them.

Then I hit upon the idea of mixing old Soviet Propaganda posters with Pob

After a bit of messing around in potoshop I've come up with this.



What do you think?

the colours are not right yet, I'm thinking about doing this with spray cans and air brush, so I'm trying to keep is graphic with a limited colour palette.

improved version

[Pob255]

Ohhh I was just getting some new paints off fleabay (after getting a replacement panel) and came across the fleabay shop of www.specialistpaints.com who do custom paints in spray cans including candy, peal and flake paints, not cheap at £12 or more a can.

[Pob255]

I've got an tested the replacement screen, so it's all working, so now I need to strip it down to paint

And here it is a toshiba U400

You can see the scratches in the top corner.

Here's a close up

apart from the deep scratch which has got through the silver paint, the other scratches are more noticeable in person because the surface is different.

Out with the screwdriver and about an hour of trying to figureout which screws hold which bit together I'm down to this

Not perfect, the web cam is still attached as is the backing foil and the wireless arial, these are all stuck down and too tricky to remove without damage so what I'll have to do is carefully mask them off with tape.

I've got some of the paints I'm going to use, I'm giving plasti-kote enamels a try and I'll probably pick up a can of red candy coat from here http://www.specialistpaints.com/prod...p?p=candy-canz

(ps can a mod please move this into the build log section)

[CooperXS]

I don't see the propaganda - just the symbol

[Pob255]

The whole design is based on elements of 3 different original posters and of course replacing Lenin with Pob

[razer121]

nice, sub'd!

[Stephen C]

Looks good, are you going to try and make it look faded/aged/distressed at all? I think that would suit the design tbh.

[Biscuit]

In Soviet Russia, even the toys are legends.

Subscribed

[Pob255]

Thank guy's

Well you know what been missing so far?

Om-nom-nom-nom's

Today's modding fuel is Doughnuts!

One lemon (lemon iced and lemon curd filled) and one Milkshake Doughnut (strawberry iced, white chocolate sprinkles and strawberry cream filled)
And yes they are as yummy as they look, although I did want the coconut one as well but they had sold out

And on with the modding

first things first, mask it all off

Just masking tape as I lack blue painters tape (I must get some) oh and I peeled off the labels and removed the glue residue with isopropanol.

Next sand, to key

This was done with my number 1/3 emery paper, which is the same as 400 grit I do believe.

Then a wipe down with tack cloth, for those of you who haven't got some, do get them, so nice to wipe off all the excess sanding dust.

finally undercoat


It's now being left for a couple of hours to dry, then I'll wipe it down with a tack cloth to remove any excess lose paint, depending on how smooth it is I might give it another coat and/or a light sand with 800grit paper.
It'll then be left overnight to dry before I start on the base colour coat.

[Pob255]

Looks good, are you going to try and make it look faded/aged/distressed at all? I think that would suit the design tbh.

maybe . . .

You'll have to wait and see

Also after some talk over on the ebuyer forum on this mod, I've been thinking of adding some cyrillic writing

I'm currently think this виток компьтер-книжки
which if my translation is correct is, the (revolutionary) turn of the [kompter]- book

[razer121]

cool, liking it so far, possibly adding a window to the lid?? or is that out of the question, you could etch that writing into it! would be pretty xtream dont you think??

[Pob255]

I had looked at adding windows, couple of things, the foil backing is stuck down too well to get it off without damage and the panel back is the CCT so all you've have is a white light shining out when it's on, or was that your idea?

I'm going to get a can of candy coat, metal flake or pearl not decided yet, It's going to look lush if I get this right . . . or a mess

For those of you who don't know what a candy coat is it's like a clear coat only with added dye, it should bring out the richness and vibrancy of the underlying colours.
And has ether reflective flakes or very fine reflective powder in it, to catch the light and change the highlight colour.

Should end up with something like this http://www.specialistpaints.com/imag...paints.com.jpg
or this http://www.badasspaint.com/images/red-candy-skulls.jpg

[Pob255]

Ok admission time when I said

It'll then be left overnight to dry before I start on the base colour coat.

I sort of lied because I did a bit more work on it.

I only left if for an hour then I went over the edges roughly with some matte black


Left that for an hour then went over with the white undercoat again

keeping it very light at the edges

The reason for this is than I don't want the base colour a solid red and that when I put down the base colour the red will come out brighter over the white and darker over the black.

After it was left over night I gave it a light sanding with 1200gritt as the white primer is a bit powdery.
Tack clothed off any dust then spared it with a coat of Red Metallic Plasti-kote Fast Dry Enamel.





You can see the way it's darker at the edges.

The paint is a gloss red with metal sparkles in it

The effect is quite subtle, but I'm not sure I'd say it looks like red metal.

It's now going to be left to dry for a day (I've got other things to do tomorrow) so on monday I shal hopefully be able to start on the details . . .

[razer121]

Yay! enjoying this thread! your giving me many ideas! keep up the good work, im looking forward to the end result

[Pob255]

Yay! enjoying this thread! your giving me many ideas! keep up the good work, im looking forward to the end result

You keep reading and I'll keep posting, heck i'll keep posting anyway

UPDATE, yes I know I said I wasn't going to do anything on this and I haven't really.

What I have is my first sponsor, well sort of.

Here's the story, Today I was at the Alternative Bring & buy sale (and no they are not my sponsors) I help my otherhalf on her stall and do general pack mule duty.

While I was looking around the stalls I discovered that Geof, a friend of mine, actually made it this time, he draws comics and illustrations.
So while I was chatting to him I showed him a picture of my plan for the laptop and he loved it, then the idea struck me, I still don't really have any design for the keyboard surround.

And he very kindly knocked me up a sketch for free, so in return I said I'd mention it, credit him and put up link to his site in my logs . . . which, let's face it, that's what sponsor ship is in modding.


He dies sell his work on mugs, posters, cards as well as framed original artwork and of course the fetishman comic, but his shop section seems to be broken currently
Still you can look at his artwork, read his blog and contact him if you want to commission a piece.

And here's the sketch he did for me


The idea is to have two of these lovely ladies ether side of the tracker pad, backs towards it.

After a bit of cleaning up in photoshop


Not sure quite where to go from here, it's just what I want however as a line drawing it'll not be easy to stencil and I'm not sure I can do him full justice if I try to copy it by hand.

The best way I can think of doing it, will be to block fill the image turn that into a stencil and hand line it, this in turn raiser a new question.

Keep it two colour

It'll match the lid artwork better (remember the white will actually be the red under paint)

Or go full colour

The red will be a different red from under colour, although I'm not sure how well that would react with a candy coat, probably have to do that after the candy (if I candy that is)

Well what ever I do come up with, I do want to give a big Thanks to Geof.

[razer121]

dont go colour, i think it will ruin it! But that is ultimately your personal choice