I just recently started to experiment with painting my treasure (read: computer). There are several steps in this endeavor, and my crusade was long in duration.
- STEP 1: Get spray enamel -This was the first barrier I had to break through, as I forgot that my local hardware store (by the name of "Doody", and in my opinion, rightfully so) did not sell spray paint to minors, so my good friend and companion dragonmonkey walked back home, discouraged, but infused with a new sense of purpose after seeing the wide selection of Krylon® products.
- STEP 1: Get spray enamel(again) -: Luckily, however, my father was at Doody later that day on his own agenda, and my mom, who was with him, called me on her cell. I rejoiced at the aqcuisition of my new spray paint. Wait a second. I asked for spray enamel. SHIT..
- STEP 2: Test paint - Now, I didn't just spray the stuff on. I'm not THAT stupid. I tested it on some plastic...thing. It looked good, and I liked the texture, regardless of it not being the correct type of paint. Good.
- STEP 3: Prepare surface - Once more, patience and information proved to be a virtue and a boon. As per the previous writeups here, I carefully removed the keys on my keyboard with a flathead screwdriver. My keyboard was quite dirty under the keys, so I took the opportunity to clean it. I did not want to do all of the keys, so I just took off all 26 letters of the alphabet. After a quick rinse, wipe, and drying, I got out a pair of garbage bags and went into my backyard to complete my procedure.
- STEP 4: Spray - The preparations complete, I was standing on my rear patio, shaking the spray can, the keys layed out on the garbage bags, the New York City dusk to my rear, ready to complete that which I had been wanting to do for the past two days. This is it, I said to myself. The wind was right. The can was shaken. I removed the cap as per the instructions, shook it a little for good measure, and sprayed. Back and forth, trying to get the angles, seeing the keys covered with the black liquid, was almost too much for my mind to handle. Almost.
- STEP 5: Let dry - The suspense. The agony. The...timer rang, and I returned to the keys to claim my prize. AT LAST my keys were complete. The letters were not visible at all. But they were stuck to the bag. Fuck.
- STEP 6: Prepare to reattach keys - After removing the keys from the bag, I filed off the remaining paint on the undersides, and prepared to reattach them. One thing I noted was that SOME OF THEM WERE SHAPED DIFFERENT. After about 30 minutes of experimentation, however, I managed to get the keys onto the keyboard correctly, and took my prize to my room to reconnect it to my box.
SUCCESS!
They keys smelled, however, like acetone, or spray paint.Fuck.
Later on, I tried painting the side panel of my box, and used masking tape to make designs. Let's just say nothing ever turns out perfectly.