[Tristrami]

I have an older mac that I use as a headless server, and it's beige-ness is getting to me. I noticed that somone painted one of the new iBooks to look "titanium-esque" and wondered: What's the best kind of paint to use on a Mac case? I'd love to paint my 8100, but how do I get an optimal result? Any ideas?

[zac4mac]

If you clean the case well, just about any enamel should work. Plain old foo-foo can of Krylon. Prep with some coarse steel wool and wipe down with a damp alcohol cloth.

[itomato]

I assume you're talking about the 6100 in your sig?
Having painted many a Mac, I have a couple of suggestions:
[*]<font color = blue>Clean the case well.</font> Use 409, Simple Green, or another spray cleaner that will do a good job of removing the grease. Windex just won't cut it. I don't suggest the steel-wool method on plastic, as it will scratch the crap out of it.
[*]<font color = blue>Be sure to spray every part you intend to paint with primer.</font> Let 1 coat dry, then do another coat. This will provide a surface for the paint to 'stick' to.
[*]<font color = blue>Use a durable paint.</font> Regular off the shelf Krylon will scratch off quicker that you can say 'Krylon'. Try to find 'Appliance Epoxy' spray. Red Devil makes a great product, though the colors are typically 'kitchen appliance' Their black can't be beat. Rust oleum makes a line of high-heat paints that are far more durable than stinky ol' enamel. If the paint in your hand is less than $3 a can, you don't want it. One can will be more than enough, and the $ difference is worth it.
[*]<font color = blue>Take your time, take your time, take your time.</font> One fingerprint can ruin hours of careful work.

Hope this helps!

[ 06-07-2001: Message edited by: itomato ]

[Tristrami]

Thanks for the advice. Actually, my signature is old.....I have quite a few more macs, but only list the two I work on frequently. Indeed I do have an 8100/100 that is a server. I was inspired by the funnymacs in the July Issue of Macaddict and 'm thinking about painting it silver. I'll post s picture of the results when I get the time to do this.

[cteselle]

I used olive-drab primer to paint an old quadra, and that worked great... it was kinda neat lookin' too.

[waffffffle]

Can you use that method to paint a notebook? Or will all the paint just rub off?

[itomato]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
<STRONG>Can you use that method to paint a notebook? Or will all the paint just rub off?</STRONG>

It is a whole lot more likely to rub off a notebook, because slide in/out of bags/cases and whatnot. Plus, your hands are on it all the time. The epoxy paint is pretty durable, but none of it is permanent, AFAIK.

I'm about to try it on a notebook. I'll post my results.