Project: Shark

[.Maleficus.]

Thanks for all the comments guys! I originally didn't want to repaint the mouse (because what I didn't tell you was the final repaint was like repaint #7) but I knew I could get it better.

Anyways, today after work I'm going to call up my grandma (or have my mom do it when I'm at work) and see if my grandpa has a scroll saw. He probably does since he has tons of stuff like this, and I hope he does. I don't have my own, nor do I have enough money right now to buy the saw, the watercooling parts, and a season pass to our ski hill.

But, I do get paid sometime soon (in a few days I think) so I'll be ordering some of the watercooling parts (probably the rad(s), so I can work on mounting stuff in the case). If I have enough, I'll order the pump too, but I don't think I will, so it'll probably just be rads. But that's enough to tide me over until the next check.

[Remy]

GREAT JOB on the KB & Mouse. Could you tell us how you achieved the mesh look in your paint job and how you used the 3m rubbing compound? I see the before and after of your mouse and if that's all 3m compound, I have some great uses for it on my mod.

+rep after I spread some around...

[.Maleficus.]

GREAT JOB on the KB & Mouse. Could you tell us how you achieved the mesh look in your paint job and how you used the 3m rubbing compound? I see the before and after of your mouse and if that's all 3m compound, I have some great uses for it on my mod.

+rep after I spread some around...

Thanks man .

For the mesh look, I first did a black base coat on the entire mouse. Then I cleared that, and hit it with the rubbing compound. Then I took some of the mesh I'm using in the mod (well, different mesh, same look) and formed it around the mouse. THIS IS VERY TRICKY. If the last coat of paint (whether it be color or clear) hasn't cured enough, you'll leave deep gouges in the paint, forcing you to sand and start over. After you make a little shell for the mouse out of the mesh, tape it on so it doesn't move, and airbrush the part you want blue (in my case). The mesh acts like a very small mask, so anything that had the metal of the mesh over it will stay black. Let the paint dry, take of the mesh, and you're done. There are other things, like the fade, that you need to do with the mesh on, but fading is just a matter of letting of up the paint as you're airbrushing. If you can tell in the second mouse, I also having it fading from the bottom from all blue into the mesh. You do that after you take the mask off.

Using the 3M stuff is really easy. Get a lint-free cloth or an old tshirt, put some compound on the cloth, and rub it in little circles until it's dry, turning the cloth when needed. Depending on the size of the object you're rubbing, you'll need more or less compound. They recommend the size of a quarter for every square foot. I used about the size of an eraser head on each half of the mouse.

Hope that helped you man, and I'd just like to say thanks for all the great comments so far!

[.Maleficus.]

Panel design time.

Here's a quick look at it. Not very interesting if you ask me.

Have to take off that plastic thing on the front.

Screws and other parts from it.

Close up. I need some opinions on this. Do I keep it black or paint it like the mouse? The mesh has turned into a pretty big part of the mod, so what do you think? Black or mouse-style?

Naked !

Masked with the first part of the window design drawn in.

Better look at the design. Here's how it works: The pink is blue plexi (imagine this is the front of the panel). The 2 black circles are socket head cap screws. The black shaded is the cut of the panel. The plexi will hang over the edges of the cut a little to accommodate the screws, and the plexi will also be lifted ~1/8" off the panel for cool-factor. I'm thinking I may put mesh behind the panel too, but that's up in the air right now.

Also, there will be windows like the above on all of the masked area (or most at least). I'll post the finished design, well, when I finish.

Comments and suggestions please .

[The boy 4rm oz]

I think paint it like the mouse, paint it blue and and bleed it to black at the rear of the case, that would look great, especially with the mesh.

[.Maleficus.]

I'll the pictures speak for themselves on this one.

And that brings me to where I am now. Honestly, I can't do anymore right now. I can only take tedium in small doses, so I'll revisit this later tonight.

[Omega]

I say paint the plastic bit like the mouse, front-to-back gradient, mesh and all.

I'm seriously loving this mod, too. Just reading it makes me want to mod my mouse and keyboard (as I've been wanting to for a while honestly).

[.Maleficus.]

I say paint the plastic bit like the mouse, front-to-back gradient, mesh and all.

I'm seriously loving this mod, too. Just reading it makes me want to mod my mouse and keyboard (as I've been wanting to for a while honestly).

Thanks man .

So far that's 3 votes for painting it like the mouse (my dad thinks I should too). So, since I need to break up the tedium of drawing the designs, maybe I'll go do that in a bit. But I just bought Dawn of War Gold Edition so maybe not.

[.Maleficus.]

Ugh...

Masked the silver of the handle.

And the reason for the ugh...

Of course, clear coat doesn't like plastic.

I guess I'll have to repaint the black, well, black. Awesome. That's a job for after school tomorrow (first day...).

Also, since school's starting, (if it matters to anyone) updates will be coming a lot slower. I have after school off of work most days, but I do work weekends still, and I'm working less, and working less means less money. Meaning less parts. Meaning less updates.

[The boy 4rm oz]

You may want to get yourself a can of plastic primer, would help with your problem and you would get a much better result overall.