Painting a laptop

[objecterror]

I've seen the work many have done to old and new laptops. now it's my turn. It will be pretty simple black on red perhaps something else. I have an idea of what i need, but realistically I only have a few cans of spray paint. Is there any real 'protection' on the laptops case i need to remove?

[nitestick]

what do you mean by "protection"? sanding never goes astray, even on plastics. just be sure this is what you want to do. i would recommend removing the "guts" of the laptop before spraying the case, just to be safe (if you feel confident in doing so, laptops are difficult to disassemble!!!). take your time when doing it. the best modders use a few coats.

[objecterror]

Well, I've noticed(being in retail and around alot of laptops) some of them have this 'glossy' finish to them, the one I have is an hp and about three series older, but, I realize that there may be complications. And gutting the laptop? I don't feel to comfortable about doing 'that' much, i might as well settle for those external covers.

[TheDiceman]

If y u do not "gut" the laptop you are running the risk of getting paint into problem areas. I happen to take laptops apart for a living... oddly enough so they can be painted where I work, lol. It is really not THAT bad, but it is a trying experience if you have never done it before. If you have a rather mainstream unit you may be able to find a guide online with step by step instructions. For instance, ifixit.com is an excellent resource for taking about Apple products.

As far as a finish is concerned, when you paint the unit you woudl have to apply a "clear coat" to accomplish this. Doing so woudl also make your paint job more durable. Although, overall I have yet to witness a spray can paint job that acually looked good in person.