# Computer Case Scratches



## thirdwatch4

Hi.  I have a Compaq X1010 Laptop.  My Aunt's dog    scratched the top of the case.  I was wondering if anyone knew of a good scratch remover that would get rid of the scratches?  Thank you so much.


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## Praetor

Plastic or metal?


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## Lorand

I think it's plastic, so you can't remove the scratch. The case would look worse if you use an abrasive scratch remover.
You can buy a new case top (here you can find one: http://www.sparepartswarehouse.com), but it's much cheaper to put a sticker over the scratches...


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## Praetor

> but it's much cheaper to put a sticker over the scratches...


LOL i love the way you see the simple solutions to everything


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## Lorand

Life is beautiful when it’s not over-complicated...  
Btw, be gentle with the dog - I’m sure he didn’t scratch your case on purpose just to cause you trouble...


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## Praetor

I'm a programmer.. we complicate things by nature


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## Lorand

Yeah, but even a program is more efficient if its source is simpler...


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## Praetor

> Yeah, but even a program is more efficient if its source is simpler...


1. Tell that to my final exams 
2. That reminds me of something i read somewhere ... "Some people will argue, if it's not broke, don't fix it. Engineers argue that if it's not broke, it doesn't have enough features"


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## btwitteyuk

*Re:*

I have a Toshiba SPA10.
I have scratches on the front of mine. Do you know how I can remove them? The Cover is plastic (i think)

Cheers


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## kof2000

mickey mouse or hello kitty stickers will do. just make sure to get evenly sized ones or you'll need to put quite a few on the same spot.


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## btwitteyuk

Na I'm trying to sell it, not make it look silly. So I need to get these scratches off it asap.


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## Lorand

You could try this product: http://www.spadepot.com/products/005novus.htm.
They say that it can remove scratches from plastic surfaces too (but I don't really believe it).


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## btwitteyuk

this stuff works on laptops yeh?


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## btwitteyuk

If you dont trust them, lol then I wont ethier


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## Lorand

I think it will work if the laptop's case was made from the same plastic. If it has just a thin layer of its actual colour and below the plastic's colour is different, then it won't work.
So take a look on the scratches: if you see the same colour everywhere, then you could try that product.


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## btwitteyuk

the scratces are black.


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## btwitteyuk

I could really do with some special paint. Can you get this?


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## btwitteyuk

Any Ideas Anyone?


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## Praetor

You could try to buff down the entire topside of the chasis


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## GigaBytez5

...Black touch up paint...!


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## btwitteyuk

its silver.
What kind of paint should I use?


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## vortmax

Okay, this is very easy.  I’ve done automotive painting by this method before and had great results.  

First you need a few things:

800, 1000 and 1500 grit wet dry sandpaper
1 can plastic adhesion promoter
1 can primer
1 can body color
1 can clear coat
buffing compound (optional)

All of this stuff is available at a auto part shop.  Advance auto usually has a good selection.  This may seem like a lot of work, but it will take one day to do and will look amazing when finished.

First remove the part or encase the CPU part in plastic.  Mask off anything you don’t want painted.  I recommend 3m fine line tape for edges as it stretches and will contour to curves.  Normal masking tape will fill in everything else.

Smooth the surface down, using a razor if the gouges have pushed plastic up higher then the surface.  You will need to sand the scratches out and feather the edges.  Just wet sand with the 800 grit until you can’t feel an edge anymore.  Sand the entire surface with 1000 grit to prep the surface for paint.  

Clean the surface with mineral spirits, then a mild soap solution and rinse well.  There is a prep cloth made that has a cleaner on it for this purpose.  It works exceedingly well.  You just wipe the surface down with it and you’re good to go.

Now read the can of adhesion promoter and follow the directions exactly.  You will end up spraying a thin coat, allowing it to tack, then spraying more coats.  There should be a final tack time before painting.  Make sure you follow those times listed.

Once the adhesion promoter is on, it’s time to prime the surface.  The secret to a good paint job is how you spray.  Keep the nozzle 6” away from the piece and make sure you start the stroke before you get to the piece and stop it once you are away from it.  Never start spraying with the nozzle facing the piece.  You will get blobs of paint on it.  Keep your strokes even and don’t worry about getting a solid coat the first time.  Just get a nice even coat that’s not too thick.  Allow to tack and repeat.  Do several thin coats.  Once you reach an even uniform color, then examine it under a bright light for thin spots.  Apply one final coat, focusing on evening out these spots and let it dry a few hours.

Now…take the 1000 grit sandpaper and some water and sand down that primer.  You will see that when wet, the paint should look extremely glossy, but when dry it has a matte finish.  You will also see that any low spots will retain a gloss finish even after sanding.  So sand until the entire surface is a matte finish and is free of glossy spots.  Once you reach this point, your surface is perfectly smooth.  Keep the paper wet.  This will keep you from burning through the primer.  If you sand too much and go too deep, just apply more primer, wait, and do it again.

Now you’re ready for paint.  Paint the surface just like you did with the primer.  Go through the sanding stage too.  You said you wanted silver, so just get a silver auto paint.  A metallic silver would look pimp, and the more coats you put on, the deeper the color will be.  If you want a really nice effect, then do a good coat of red first, then put silver on top.  Gives it nice depth.

Now you have the sanded color, put on the clear coat.  Again, thin coat first, allow to tack, then thicker coats.  Put on about 5 coats of clear and let dry very well.

Now, you can leave it like this and be happy.  If you want a mirror-like surface tho, you need to sand the clear down with the 1500 grit until you get that perfect matte finish again.  Then buff it back to a shine with the buffing compound.  Use automotive grade polish and wax to finish it off and you have one killer laptop cover.

This whole process takes one day.  And since most of the time is spent drying, you can do it as a side project.

I know you are selling it, so you probably don’t want to put the work into it, but if you ever want to know how to do impressive custom painting, well now you know.


***edit***
If you happen to run or sag the paint, don't try to wipe it off.  Just let the piece dry for an hour or so, then wet sand the drip/sag down with 800.  Maybe smooth with 1000, if the surface is rough from the 800, and start painting again.


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## btwitteyuk

WOW!! Thanks for that mate, I will give it a go and tell you how it went. Cheers maty.


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