Paint my macbook pro?

[stevey500]

I have a 2.16ghz Core2duo macbook pro with the ATI x1600 card..
I've had it over two years now and it's still a champ. I've maxed out the ram and cloned the hard drive and replaced it with a 360gb drive. I always contemplate on thinking about getting a new machine and upgrade it but a year ago when I could still sell it for a good price, I didn't feel like there was much of a machine to upgrade to, I still felt up to date. I know my video card is lacking some, but I'm happy with playing unreal 2004 and the half life 2 series games instead of Unreal III, I'll get a computer for fun n' games when I have extra funds for that. And for the fact that I have Target-disk-mode, Firewire 400 and 800, with the ability to buy replacement OEM batteries for cheap, i love this machine and i'm sticking with it.

I've taken it apart a few times and tightened down the hinges and cleaned the speaker grills but I'm to the point that the case is beginning to look a little rankish... the wrist-pad is beginning to get oxidized real bad (the little black charcoal looking smudges and dots) in the aluminum. No dents though.

I feel getting down and dirty to pain this machine, maybe two-tone black/grey or something similar. I've never done much of a professional-ish paint job on an every-day use item other than some parts of the interior of my car.

If there's someone on the board experienced in this kind of thing, where do I start?
Can I go to a hobby shop and pick up a certain brand/color/mix of paint and spray on? Do I need to get an Air-brush kit or will the spray cans work? Do I need primers or anything to finish off the paint job so it isn't sticky, damageable, etc?

Any input is appreciated !

-steve

 

[Jethryn Freyman]

I can't offer an help, other than my advice: don't paint it. You could probably get a coloured cover for it if you really wanted to, and I think I've see companies who'll paint laptops.

 

[stevey500]

heh, if I'm an experimenter and I know if I totally slaughter the paint job I'm more than willing to just buy new case parts, which may end up being up to the price of what a pro company would charge for getting it painted by them instead but .. hmm.

 

[MattZani]

Dont use paint, anodize it, this adds a very thin layers of colour to the whole case, which is chemically attached, and perfectly even.

Cheap too, even for a company to do it.

 

[stevey500]

Ah, I was thinking over and over again thinking of what that word was!

Thanks, i'll get googling

I'm wondering if there's somewhere around salt lake valley that does aluminum/other metals anodizing for small parts

 

[ChrisN]

If you decide to anodize it post pics, I wanna see what it looks like after.

ChrisN

 

[VPrime]

If you want to paint, I suggest automotive spraypaint.
-Get some sand paper, ranging from 800- 2000 grit.
-Scuff the surface with the 800 (may require slightly lower).
-Apply primer.
-Sand primer layer with some higher grit sand paper.
-Apply layer of paint.
-Sand
-Paint another layer.
-sand with high grit... lightly
-Apply some clear coat to protect the paint and add some shine.
-Sand with much higher grit sand paper.. May want to use some water for wet sandng for a much smoothing shiner surface.

This is a rough idea of how to go. You want to keep going higher in sand paper grit.. Best to search the internet on detailed instructions though.