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"Is that a dell?" The ultimate d800...I mean 8600

post #1 of 58
6/6/04 at 9:23pm
Thread Starter 
I used plasti-kote Dark Blue Metal flake paint, plasti-kote 702 clear coat and plasti-kote classic laquer clear coat. I would not recommend metal flakes to the beginner for it is very very hard to get smooth. Nor do I recommend black paint for the beginner because it is very very hard since black shows every single inperfection. Metal flakes is quite cool because it has a very suttle color shift from light blue to dark blue depending on the angle the light hits the surface.

After painting the laptop, I was very surprised that the plastic feeling everyone complains about is gone. The autopaint hardened, reinforcing the plastic, and the finish is very very smooth. Like I said in my tutorial thread, smoother than a showroom car. I now understand why alienware people and hypersonic people rave about their painted laptops. Painting made a HUGE difference in the overall feel of the laptop.

Here are some pics, they do not do justice to how nice the finish looks in person.
Click on the pic for a larger image. Note to 56k'ers the larger images are quite big in size (around 800k).

Here is a link to the gallary in my tutorial. There are much more pictures with notes on each picture.
http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/painting6.htm









base is unpainted because picture was taken before painting was finished.




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post #2 of 58
6/6/04 at 9:37pm
WOW that looks great!! wanna do mine?
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post #3 of 58
6/6/04 at 11:13pm
What type of paint exactly is that? The shiny, blue, stuff? Where can i get it? Even though i'm too scared to do something like that
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post #4 of 58
6/6/04 at 11:45pm
Yah really , how did you do that exactly? should have took some pics while you were working on it.
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post #5 of 58
6/6/04 at 11:56pm
My 600m would be so much better if I wasn't so scared. If I wasn't scared to paint it, I probably would as soon as he gave a reply. It's just i'm afraid of doing one thing wrong, and then it always having a defect, in the painting. And cool, are those LED's in your speaker holes?
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post #6 of 58
6/6/04 at 11:58pm
Thread Starter 
i did chromance, but I'm not going to clutter this thread with pics of how i did it when i'm writing a tutorial. If you haven't come across my modding thread, which is stickied in the Dell general section here is a link

Sterlin, I used an automotive paint which you can get any Pep boys or Autozone. The brand is Plasti-kote, the color is Dark blue Metal Flakes. The 2nd picture shows the can that contained clear coat.
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post #7 of 58
6/7/04 at 12:00am
What about the LED's in your speakers, where do those hook up, inside the laptop? As far as power I mean?
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post #8 of 58
6/7/04 at 12:02am
Thread Starter 
http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=18160

click on the tutorial for it
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post #9 of 58
6/7/04 at 12:03am
Thanks for all your help Spiike. I'm probably going to start modding my 600m soon. And if I get brave enough, maybe paint it.
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post #10 of 58
6/7/04 at 2:26am
OMFG, Spiike, that is awesome. I knew you were going to do a good job as always, but that is ****ing amazing! I am going to order some chassis parts as well down the line, and will paint them too... but probably in a glossy black or chrome. This is incredible, really, congratulations!
stu
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post #11 of 58
6/7/04 at 2:33am
Ok, I decided to do it, except with black. But, it says the paint hasen't fully hardened for nearly 2 months afterwords . So for the first couple months, how careful do you have to be to not scratch it. Is it really easy to scratch right when you reinstall the case(after the painting)?
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post #12 of 58
6/7/04 at 3:22am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Sakor. I really wish I did black, but since this is the first time I've ever painted something.. I decided not to do the hardest color to paint. The mirror finish on pc-pitstop is unbelievable. I learned after talking to some pros at some local paintshops, that the mirror finish can only be really achieved with black or a dark non metallic paint. maybe my next laptop will be painted black

Sterlin, it does make swirl marks after use right now, but I just take some polish and buff them out. After a month or so, extensive use shouldn't create swirl marks (hair line scratches).
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post #13 of 58
6/7/04 at 3:41am
Thread Starter 
I just wish Heath would make that one last batch of custom badges so I can get rid of the Dell badge and finish my led mod. oh well.
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post #14 of 58
6/7/04 at 3:46am
Are you planning on finishing up the base? Painting the bottom(except for the labels)?
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post #15 of 58
6/7/04 at 3:53am
Thread Starter 
Yea, but I dont' want to paint my original base in case I need to use my warranty. When I get a base and a d800 hard drive caddy those will be painted promptly. Then my painting will be complete.
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post #16 of 58
6/7/04 at 3:55am
Because your using a D800 case, with your 8600 parts/mobo, does that mean i can do the same with a d600 case, and my 600m parts/mobo?
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post #17 of 58
6/7/04 at 4:06am
Exactly. That way you will have a full, untouched 600m chassis in the event of servicing or warrenty claims. This is what Spiike has done for his as well, and is what I will do too . But first I've gotta find all those pieces here and for a reasonable price.
stu
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post #18 of 58
6/7/04 at 8:23am
This seems like it might be a bit tougher than the guides say. Because the laptops don't have metal on the case, it's plastic, and the problem is that the plastic is REALLY thin and flimsy too, i think. The good part is that by switching to a D600 case, i'm going to gain a pointstick, or whatever that second mouse thingi that's better than the touchpad is called. But did the fact it was all plastic give you any trouble? At all? And any pointers you'd like to give that are needed because it has no metal?
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post #19 of 58
6/7/04 at 9:02am
that looks great! id love to do mine completely white
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post #20 of 58
6/7/04 at 9:26am
Sterlin FYI, some parts of the Latitude cases are trimetal I believe, not plastic like the Inspirons.
stu
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