MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Articles - Inwin IW-S508-I Case Mod Project

Painting technique is very important to the success of any case mod project and if you decide to undertake a project of this size there are some excellent guides available on the Internet. Some of the best recommendations include what type of paint to use (Krylon, Tremclad, Rust-Oleum or Dupli-Color), type of sandpaper as well as the type of primer. One of the best guides that I have found is available at[H]ardOCP as part of their Case Modding 101 series. For this particular project I planned on painting the case frame bright candy apple red and all the outer panels universal black. I've always had success using Canadian Tire Motor Master automotive paint, so I picked up a few cans of bright red, black, grey primer and clear coat for this project.

Motormaster paint accessories

Primed Inwin IW-S508-I case frame

I first started off by light sanding down the entire frame with 600 grit sandpaper covering all areas. The purpose of this was to rough up the surface of the case in order for the primer and future paint to adhere properly. I used some MG Chemicals Super Duster compressed air to remove the dust from the case and then sprayed two light coats of grey automotive primer. The approximate drying time was about 8 hours, but for best results you should let it dry overnight.

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Once the primer had dried completely, I started light sanding once again with the purpose this time to smooth down the case surface. I then used the compressed air to clean out the dust and then applied my first coat of bright red covering all areas of the case except the bottom. It took approximate 3 days of this repeat procedure to get the frame painted correctly using an approximate drying time of 24 hours in between coats. I finished off the case frame by applying two light coats of clear coating to protect the painted frame surface.

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With the frame completed, I proceeded to take the generic 300w power supply and bundle all the PSU wire connections with black automotive split loom with black tie wraps in between. I wanted good air circulation in the case and I would use this same procedure for IDE and floppy cables when it would be time to install all the components into this case.