How to prep laptop surface?

Dimitris

Mac-Valve Maestro!
Hi everyone,

a friend of mine gave me his laptop to "decorate it" with a cowgirl holding the Greek flag (she was holding USA flag), don't have a comission date to deliver but I definetely need some help on what prep I have to do on the surface so the paints would stick. I'm going to be using wicked colors (if that matters), just don't know what it needs.
Can you give me some advice oplease?
Thank you.
 
I painted on my older white plastic Macbook, Just wiped the plastic with denatured alcohol used straight wicked it stuck very nicely.
Clearcoat after is a must.
If I were doing it more seriously I would have scuffed with 800 though just to knock off the shine. The macbook is an awfully smooth slick shiny surface.
On the createx application guide.... They mention the tape test...do it after 24 hours. Thats your real ticket to see if you need to add 4030 or even move up to an adhesion promoter.
 
Here is the first place you should ........... do is highlight some specific areas you need to address.

thanks for the quick response!


I painted on my older white plastic Macbook, Just wiped the plastic with denatured alcohol used straight wicked it stuck very nicely.
Clearcoat after is a must.
If I were doing it more seriously I would have scuffed with 800 though just to knock off the shine. The macbook is an awfully smooth slick shiny surface.
On the createx application guide.... They mention the tape test...do it after 24 hours. Thats your real ticket to see if you need to add 4030 or even move up to an adhesion promoter.

Thanks @Robbyrockett2 , did the second process you mentioned, as I do with aluminum panel, but i tried to stick some fine line tape after a couple of hours and the paint came right off... although i got much humidity here (about 75%) but i turned the heater on for an hour to also reach some decent temperature.
I'll try once more and give it a 24hour window to cure as you said and if this doesn't work guess I'll have to order some Autoborne sealer and give it a go.
 
thanks for the quick response!




Thanks @Robbyrockett2 , did the second process you mentioned, as I do with aluminum panel, but i tried to stick some fine line tape after a couple of hours and the paint came right off... although i got much humidity here (about 75%) but i turned the heater on for an hour to also reach some decent temperature.
I'll try once more and give it a 24hour window to cure as you said and if this doesn't work guess I'll have to order some Autoborne sealer and give it a go.
You're on the right track.
One of the odd things I've noticed about wicked compared to basically all the other paint I've ever used is this:
They say 48 hours for wicked to fully cure, but so far 24 has been sufficient for me to see whether its gonna work or not.
After only 2-4 hours, tape can even take wicked right off of posterboard so the extra curing time definitely makes a huge difference.
It really does continue to cure long after it's dry.
It's not like with spraypaint where they tell you 48 hours but after two it's got 90% of it's strength.
 
There are two ways for doing this. They depend on what kind of the surface you have.
If it's bare plastic, then:
degreasing, plastic primer, primer, basecoat. After last step you can do your work right on the basecoat if you 100% sure you will not do mistakes. The better way to apply a coat of clear, then scuff it down and then do your work. In this case you can freely correct the mistakes without damaging the basecoat.
If the laptop is already painted (covered with any paint):
degreasing, you should give it a scuff with scotchbright pad, degreasing, and the steps as above, but without plastic primer as it's not required for painted surface.
I think it's proper technology I'd do this work for the laptop.
 
There are two ways for
doing this. They depend on what kind of the surface you have.
If it's bare plastic, then:
......... The better way to apply a coat of clear, then scuff it down and then do your work. In this case you can freely correct the mistakes without damaging the basecoat.
......... for painted surface.
I think it's proper technology I'd do this work for the laptop.

thanks Vladimir, you explained it how I needed to hear it! Already started!
 
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