Custom painting my m11x

Lol, Yeah, When I got my house last year the office was the first thing that I did, it was a rushed job and didnt turn out that great... the rest of the house looks much better.... you can tell by going room to room what I did before I knew how to do it.

Before




After



This is also a few months after getting my m11x

 

I see harry potter books!

 

yeah, wife loves harry potter. We went to harry potter world in FL a few weeks ago. That place is pretty sweet! Expensive, but so cool.... if you ever go, do it on off season.. there was maybe a 20 minute wait for the rides. One of our friends works there, she said the wait is normally 2 hours for every ride there.


If you guys want to see larger versions of the photos
https://picasaweb.google.com/102583355895978755542/September292011?authuser=0&feat=directlink
They are still kinda blurry due to the crappy camera, but at least they are bigger.

 

That looks so sick, what are the chances of you being able to put an Aperture logo in the lid instead of an alienhead?

 

It can be done, but want to get another lid to cut up for that incase something go horribly wrong.

For the insert that lights up I would be using a plexi glass disc, then sandblast the backside of it to give it a etched glass look. Then just put the aperture logo sticker over the center.

 

I normally hate white on anything, but surprisingly it looks good on the M11x. Great job!

 

I was actually pretty surprised too, when I got the parts painted I thought it would look bad, but once it was all back together with the black it looked good, but then when I turned the lights on! oh my it looked better.

I will be ordering another m11x soon to try another color out.... going to try for a soft touch finish I think.

 

wow... simply wow... I have to say im now thinking to try something like this myself.. maybe a nice mat grey colour. I mean come on Grey alien(ware) its a logical choice...

 

Agreed! IMO alienware should actually sell white m11x's in the next revision, since ejohnson's white m11x looks so good.

 

It'd be cool if there'd be an option to have Alienware send the laptop to ejohnson for painting before they send it to us

 

Lol. Would you like your m11x to come in stealth black, nebula red or ejohnson white XD

 

So awesome , i think i'll do the same on mine soon

 

For anyone who wants to try painting it on their own, I can give you some pointers on how to take it all apart. The bottom half is the hard part, the rest is pretty simple.

Otherwise, Once I get my soft touch paint in, I may start offering a painting service.

 

Would be interested in seeing how durable the custom soft touch finish would be. So far my 15 month old R2 stealth black has held up remarkably well considering how much I'm abusing it every single day. Much better than the thinkpad finishes I've dealt with.

 

Yeah, I too wonder how well the new paint will hold up. I guess I will find out when it shows up.

 

Giving this a bit of a bump so others can see.

Final product is awesome ejohnson, love it! Eager to hear how the rest of your painting adventures turn out also

 

Any luck with those high reso pics ejohnson?

 

I need a white m11x with an Aperture logo instead of the alien, then these Custom made Portal portals are an interior decorating triumph | Joystiq in my room.

 

Sorry been a busy week/weekend with the wife. I think she is working tonight so I should be able to get something tonight.

 

Dunno if you found a solution for the Aperture logo, but you can buy a vinyl decal of them on Etsy. I bought some other decals (camera dials, skulls, etc.) for various laptops, iPads, iphones... and they are all about the same material-wise, apply and remove easily. I think this would look pretty cool on a white M11X ($8)- (picture of decal).


Other versions here- portal decals on Etsy, a global handmade and vintage marketplace.

 

Make my m14x electric blue?

allofmymoney

 

I ordered the one from etsy

Do you want gloss of soft touch?

 

Lol, either is fine. You should do blue on your other m11x. Imagine how awesome that would be (at least in my opinion)

 

I may just order a few more bare cases to paint up.

 

Awesome, I got the idea from this FYI

http://forum.notebookreview.com/computer-components/535151-alienware-m15x-custom-blue-lid.html

Except I was thinking a brighter color... ever seen an electric blue Nintendo DS?

( http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4958261076_a76107d73f.jpg)

 

how much to do a soft touch white? pm please

 

System wont let me PM you yet.

What model do you have right now? Do you want the everything white, or just the "outer shell"

 

WOW never seen this thread before, but that looks amazing !!!

if i wasnt so chicken to take apart my new r3 id do some sort of blue, cause i love blue, but thats an awsome job that white looks pimp

 

The newer systems you have to remove the factory soft touch stuff, From what I hear, Isopropyl Alcohol and an old sock works like magic to remove the soft touch paint.

 

How much for a M11X in blue? soft touch

 

Let me test the soft touch paint that I ordered before I give out any info on price to do a soft touch.

When my computer comes back from repairs I will test it out by making mine a soft touch.

BTW, the soft touch finish is actually clear, so I would paint the computer what ever color you want, then apply the soft touch finish to that.

 

THIS SOUNDS AWESOME!

i always wanted to plasti dip my M11x for the rubberized feel/durability but i wasn't sure i wanted black.

 

Hey ejohnson, was just wondering if you had any ideas on a price to paint an m11x white exactly how you did yours. I'd really love to get this painted and (if possible) have you add in the color changing Alienhead on the lid if that works out for you on your other m11x.

 

Gloss, semi gloss, flat, or soft touch?

 

I really could care less, yours looks perfectly sexy the way it is .

 

how much for a white 11xr2? bro white :] exactly like urs :]

 

OK, Gloss white would be 75$.

That includes a full take apart and cleaning while I am in there. I can repaste it to while there for a extra $10. I can add blue tooth for free and I can install wwan antenna for $10. (you supply bluetooth or antenna, or I can order them for you)

 

WOW!

It looks absolutely gorgeous in white.

Both full white or sky blue would be my choice if I were to ever get it custom painted. Bravo!

 

johnson i think i might take that offer bro my only fear is if i move the laptop from desk to desk does the paint chip easilY? or is it sturdy and how much is it for wman monthly* hey my gf lives in minessota bro :]

 

Hey Ejohnson.

Quick question, I've got 4 Hp 2510p laptops in good-mint condition which I'm planning to a DIY project on- painting them different bright colors to store around my house.

Most forum posts are dating back a good few years and the products they used are old and out of stock.

What products did you use to custom paint your Alienware m11x?

 

I had an idea. What about a console theme? You could make your m11x look like a wii or PS2 or gamecube, and then use it like an emulator device. Or just like a regular computer but having one that looked like a PS2 would be cool lol

 

Any chance we could have a guide for painting?

1. How to sand properly
2. Link to paint
3. Link to the best type of finish
4. Link to paint brush
5. How long it takes to dry
6. Link to the tool set you use to take apart laptops (I want to avoid shredding the screws)

So it's sand > paint > dry > soft touch finish > dry, correct?

I had sent enjohson a PM months ago but I accidently deleted that PM since my inbox was at full capacity.

Thanks

@Enjohnson - I'm sure many of us would appreciate a youtube guide broken into step-by-step chapters on how to paint properly if you have free time to do it

 

Soft touch clear
Alsa Corp | Killer Cans Soft Feel
Colors of paint (lots of colors/effects to choose from)
Alsa Corp | Paint Template
Tools
wiha precision screwdriver set
Sanding
First you need to strip the computer down all the way.
LCD: Unbolt lcd from chassis. You will need to remove the "glass" cover from the lcd, it is held in with snap clips around the edge, and double sided tape on the lcd it self. Be very carefull when removing it because you can crack the lcd glass.
One you have the cover off, remove the lcd it self, you have to take off the hinges, then the 2 rails on either side. This will allow the lcd to come out. From there you can remove the alienhead. It is held down by melted plastic posts. Just use a razer blade and cut the tops of the posts off and then push the head in.

Base: first you want to gut the base, take all the computer parts out of it. Now you will have the plastic shell along with the metal inner parts. You want to split these parts, they are also held on with the melted over plastic posts. All along the edges, and around the fan area. afte you get those out, you can pop the plastic away from the metal. cut the posts off for the fan grill and your have your 2 parts that you will be painting.

Bottom cover: You will want to remove the cloth stuff thats covering the holes twards the fron of the computer, it just pulls off, but you wont be able to reuse it... dont worry, its fine with out. Use blue painters tape to cover the battery indicator thing. Remove the 4 screws for your name plate.

Now back to the lcd cover, part of it is textured plastic, you will need to tape off this and the hinge covers. Use your razer blade to push the tape into the groove on these parts to get a good seal.


After you have it down to these 3 parts your ready to prep them. First thing you want to do it get some sand paper, I used 400 grit for mine along with a soft sanding block. Dont use you hand or fingers as a sanding block, you will end up with a wavy computer. Use the sand paper to remove any and all shine from the parts. For r2/r3 guys, your going to need to remove the soft touch coating first befor you sand. Use denatured alcohol and a green scotch pad. This should remove all the coating, then you can lighty sand it.

Now that we have it all sanded down your going to need some wax and grease remover(wgr) to clean your greasy finger prints off the computer. This can be gotten at any auto parts store. Use 2 lin free cloths, one to wipe the wgr on and then another clean one to wipe it off. The wgr just lifts and suspends the wax and grease, so you need a clean cloth to wipe it away.

Let it dry for awhile, failure to do so will result in a poor finish.

Now we can paint! First you will want to use your color, its spray paint, so just doing a few light coats till you have full coverage. Putting it on heavy and thick will result in really long dry times and sagging paint. I usually wait about 15-20 minutes between coats.

Now that we have our base coat done, we can add our clear coat. THis is the important part, it protects your finish.
There are many option for finishes, so choose what you want to see.

Do a few coats of clear, letting it dry for 15-20 after each coat. I would do 4-5 coats of clear, 2-3 of soft touch, depending on the finish you want.

Now I let the computer sit for 1 full week before I put it back together. This will ensure that your paint is hard enough to not get scratched, and hard enough to not get damaged.

For putting all those parts you cut up back together you will need 5 minute epoxy. First trim off the plastic posts that are left on the bottom and top covers, these are just going to get in the way when you try to glue it back together and make the chassis not sit flat. Once you have these posts off, put some epoxy on each of the spots that there was a post and press it back together. Put a few books on top to hold it hard. Make sure you put the fan grill on before you glue the base backtogether, its between the 2 parts, so it has to go in first.

For the lid, do the same with the alienhead, but make sure you line it up right, it can slide and not look right.

Now you can let it sit for about 5 hours to harden. Make sure you let it dry all the way or it may split while putting it together.

Now put it back together (remove you tape first)

And your all set with your new color.

 

wow that's an awsome guide.. I would love to to something like this with my m11x! Awsome work!

 

You're incredible! I didn't think you'd reply this fast.

Thanks a bunch, man!

 

My job is intake based, so when its slow I troll the forums.

 

Hmm, if I made a custom logo (cloudy clear, sorta like the apple logo in mac laptops) to replace teh alien head

how much would it cost for a glossy white, custom logo implant on a r3?

also, would you be able to apply the heatsink mod for a price?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/585720-m11x-r1-heatsink-mod-6.html

(of course this is probably after the warranty expires~)

meep [oh, any guidelines making a custom logo?, I don't even have a m11x yet :x]

...never liked working with glass (should a seen what happened to my tc1000 ;-

 

Kanoka, you dont have enough posts for private messages, so after you have a few more posts under your belt shoot me a pm and we can talk.

The market place is the only area that sales/transactions can be talked about.

 

ahh sorry 'bout that~

(on a quick note, how to pm? [does the button appear later on~])

 

After five quality posts, your user status will get updated and you'll be able to use the PM system. It's an anti-spam measure.