h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've actually considered this. I've had the same case for three years now, and it is getting a bit boring to look at.

I was thinking of a sort of blue with some highlights around the drives and openings.

I'm just wondering what kind of paint to use. Maybe I'll go look for some info on paint...

Whatever sort of finish you want, you need to get a good, "flat", light-grey undercoat/primer. Take the case completely apart, and prime each part seperately. Otherwise, the paint will look a different colour on the plastic parts from the metal ones... If you use car primer, then you have the whole range of car touch-up sprays to choose from - Ford do a nice "Signal Orange"

Talking of plastic parts, remember to take the facias off your drives before spraying them!

My first 386/20 was sprayed red, with "go faster" stripes purchased from a local model shop. I still have the red keyboard, on my NT box, with a "Speedworks" logo running along the top...

Thanks alot.

Where is a good place to buy the paints and primer at?

(US, please.)

Well, I'm in the UK, but I would suggest any garage who sell touch-up kits

E'dalethni, I was just nostalgically visiting some old threads, and wondering if you ever succeeded in painting your system? I'm still using the red keyboard, but now on a Win2000 machine... It's been on 3 machines since the last time I posted here...

Well, I've got a mostly new computer since then, and I got bored one day, so I just detailed parts of it with acryllic model paint. It is still mostly beige, but it looks rather different now.

The huge construction of Lego I am now using to hold all sorts of things including scissors, pliers, mail, my keyboard rf tranceiver, headphones, and DVD's is much more noticable and interesting.

You should post a description of it on the "Lego" thread!

Isn't there a danger of overheating if you paint the case?

Other question - is it possible to paint a keyboard without getting gunge between the keys and ruining it?

Well, I painted the keyboard case, not the actual keyboard... When you take the screws out, the shell seperates easily from the electronics. It is possible to get tinted (but otherwise clear) varnish to add colour to the keycaps themselves - you just have to take them off and arrange them on a sheet of newspaper before you do it.(*)

Overheating isn't a problem if you don't block up any vents - the big tip is to use automobile touch-up paint, and use many fine layers rather than a single thick one.

(* Photocopy the face of the keyboard before you start taking keycaps off - that way you can figure out where they are supposed to go later!)