My CF-29 Paint job :)

Whaddya think?

Opinions please!

 

Rattle can paint? oh no...

 

Yeppers, beauty of it is, I don't care if the paint job gets beat up a bit.
I like the "used" look, now just gotta make it look used...

 

I think that for the type of paint used it looks pretty good. I've seen them in a number of different colors, but my personal favorite was metallic red.

 

I guess I don't get it. You paint it new but can hardly wait to beat up the paint job you just put on?

Personally I have an aversion to painted Toughbooks unless (and only unless) they are special orders and must be painted to match logos or a business scheme. Then only after carefully removing the prior finish (If needed or possible) and applying an automotive type paint that has the needed hardeners to help prevent wear.

The few I have resprayed were only after 6-8 hours for each laptop. The custom autobody shop was charging me around $120 each unless I gave them to them in numbers of 3 or more. Then to top it off I would design a logo or use theirs and take it down to the local sign shop and they would print out a logo to take the place of the plastic PANASONIC logo in the center of the lid.

But generally I try to discourage painting laptops. The sellers on ebay do it only to hide the massive wear their laptops went through before they bought them. They use the spraycans too. Their customers may like their laptops... Until they see how easily scratched they are... Then they look trashed.

I'll taken a beaten up old Toughbook over a refurbished one any day... Unless I am the one refurbing it.

 

Looks Awesome great Job.

 

I like my Toughbook with it's battle scars intact...

*blink*blinkblink*

mnem
What IS that SMELL?

 

Its looking too good
You won't want to take it anywhere in fear of scratching it lol


Alex

 

I love watching those people buy CF-27 and 28s all painted up for $1500 when you can buy a CF-30 for that price

 

Thanks for the input guys!
I am using the same rationality I used on my equipment in the Military.
Looks great with a new coat of paint, but looks better after a few "battle scars".

My lid was in pretty great shape, it had one little ding in it.

The pictures have been taken for looking nice, now it's off to the car trunk, floor mat, and the gear box for it.

Lemme get some dings and I'll repost.

 

Heck man... I could have airbrushed some dings, tears and rips onto the thing for ya!

 

I theenk we should call eet the SCREAMIN' CANARY !

mnem
Who let the birds out?

 

"Heck man... I could have airbrushed some dings, tears and rips onto the thing for ya!"

That's really not a bad idea....

 

Now THAT is funny!

 

Maybe paint some tire marks or tank tread marks across the lid...

 

Toughbook Exchange (Scott???) - How are things going over there? This is Rob from Proton Computers over in Lombard... I remember we sold you about 80 CF-51's some time back. I'm sure you turned around and made quite a large profit on those I hope.

Good to see you on here!

 

I like it but i would'nt want to scratch it all up after the work i did to get there.. jst my 2 cents..

 

Mmmmmhmmm... and Tweety flippin' the finger... LOL

mnem
Ohhh, Thylveth-ter...

 

Decided to do the handle and use Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric RED on the POWER BUTTTON. (great stuff!)

 

You're making the "Ketchup and Mustard" Toughbook...

Can't say I like the color scheme, but if all else fails you can give it to Ronald McDonald!!

 

bahahahh!!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

I'd rather beat him with it..
If you beat a clown does it make "funny" noises?

Well, I tried KRYLON FUSION on the power button to make it yellow.

That stuff was worthless.... Came off real easy.
I have painted Keyboards and Mice with the Duplicolor stuff, no worries...

 

Clowns frighten me...

mnem
*Squishy*

 

In most studies on the subject, clowns are usually either #1 or #2 on the list of things that people are either frightened by or have a phobia about. Strangely, the single most frightening thing people would usually claim was waking in the middle of the night to find a clown standing at the foot of their bed. Two things are for sure, one, it WOULD scare the out of me and two, it would be a dead f@#$ing clown!

 

Kinda like that Burger King commercial where the guy wakes up to see that freak smiling at him in bed? Kinda gay....

And the "meatnormous" commercial almost made me crash my car.

 

gmgfarrand -

I got an off-topic question for you about your CF-29-

In the 2nd pic there is a D-Ring or oval ring screwed into the back corners of your laptop. Is that to facilitate the use of a shoulder strap? Is that custom work by you or can you get those parts somewhere online?


Thanks for any help and Nice Paint job!

 

Those are shoulder strap rings and are available on ebay or Heartlandsi.com

 

I actually added those d-rings onto his computer when I sold it to him from one of my paperweight mk2s. jabtac if you do get some of these and add them to your computer it's best to put some threadlock on the screws so they don't shake loose then your computer takes a free fall and bounces down 6 flights of stairs. I'm sure the computer would survive but the hard drive prolly wouldn't

 

Thanks for the help, I figured that's what they were for... now onto finding them... on google/eBay I tried every search I could think of (CF-29 D-rings, Toughbook D-rings, CF-29 Shoulder Strap, etc etc) but no dice. I'm new to Toughbooks and never shopped @ heartlandsi.com and looks like they don't have an online store up and running yet. If I contacted them what specific part name/number am I looking for? "CF-29 Shoulder Strap D-rings?"

Psych0Thrasher - You have another set laying around you wanna let go on the cheap? Help a Texan out buddy!

Thanks!
Johnny

 

Yeah I have a few more sets. drop me a message

 

psych0 - Yahoo IM sent! (Sorry for the thread hijack - I don't have PM privileges yet or I would have gone that route)

 

Ahhh... 4 more posts and they roll out the red carpet for you!

 

I don't really use yahoo anymore brother. don't even have it installed on this computer. [email protected] is my e-mail though

 

I plan on turning my second CF-27 into something similar by using yellow Krylon Fusion and making it look like a Gorsvet truck from Night Watch.





It worked well on my old Dell craptop:



One thing I discovered while cleaning my Toughbook CF-27 in preparation though is that "Goo Gone" will take the matt surface off the casing and leave a lovely glossy black finish. It takes a bit of elbow grease but it's probably better than painting the thing in the first place.

 

All Goo Gone is doing is leaving a citrus oil behind... Which will wear off in short order..

 

Au contraire, it's actually taking the surface of the paint right off. I noticed these shiny patches on my first CF-27 and thought it was some kind of clear plastic residue from a sticker but, on further examination, it's the shiny black underneath.

I used the Goo Gone to get a sticker off the second CF-27 and the paint started coming off not where the sticker was but at the edge of it and below. There are a lot of other places where the paint has gone leaving a raised rougher matt edge and a smooth shiny centre. As I rubbed more the matt paint started to come off more leaving more glossy parts which were lower than the rest of the paintwork. I then went over it with glass cleaner and a paper towel so it wasn't the citrus oil residue that was left behind.

If they had come from only one source then I'd think they'd been repainted or something but it's happening on both. Judging by the age of these things it must be some kind of paint decay.

I'll take some pics later and show you what I mean. I think it's an interesting phenomenon which would make the Toughbooks look like new (except not matt).

Since I'm probably going to repaint the thing anyway I'm going to try and make it all glossy with the Goo Gone to see if it can be done.

Edit - a pic:

 

The glossy black stuff is the epoxy primer that Panasonic uses. On the CF-28 it is white.

 

Dood.. I've been using Goo Gone and other solvents on Toughbooks for years... I know what each and every one does... And what it doesn't. You are right though... Goo Gone is one of my favorites for cleaning sticker residue without removing some of the sensitive coatings that some Toughbook models have. Some are vastly different than others. Some you can swab with 91% Isopropyl alcohol and some will melt and smear if you do!

My point was that after everything is all cleaned up... That shiny finish from the Goo Gone will fade away. Personally I can't stand the oily finish. It picks up prints, dust, crud, etc... After I do the Goo Gone... I swab everything with my "secret sauce".... 92.63% filtered tap water, 7% 91% Isopropyl alcohol and .37% scented antibacterial hand soap from the Game Room bar.

Now THAT will clean your Toughbook!

 

Ah, well, if it's epoxy primer then I'm thinking that removing the surface paint with the Goo Gone is the way to go. The Krylon will probably bond with it better ...I hope.

 

91% Isopropyl Alcohol will take that rubbery cover finish right off... No need to scrub with Goo Gone. If it is the same finish that the CF-28 has on its bottom... And palmrrest for that matter. I don't know... I've never had a whole CF-27... Just the parts that fit on CF-28s...

 

I shall purchase the aforementioned Isopropyl Alcohol tomorrow and do this thing.

I haven't tried the palmrest but it feels pretty smooth already.

One of the things I've noticed is that the finish on it at the moment picks up all the lint, bits of paper and dust because of its roughness. I think I'd actually prefer it to be shiny and smooth... albeit with its other dents and holes.

I'm so glad these things only cost me $22 including shipping. I'd hate to do this to a new one.

 

Oh wait the part in your picture is not painted magnesium it is a plastic decal and you are probably just removing the top film layer.

 

I thought it looked an awful lot like the bottom of a beat up CF-28 type finish....

 

MEOW MEOW MEOW


Alex

 

Yup the CF-28 and pretty much all the toughbooks have a similiar plastic decal on the bottom it is not painted.

 

I know... I am worried too.

 

Meoooww, mew, purr, meow

 

I know most aren't fans of paint jobs but I did this to "Girl Up" my daughters CF-29. Think it turned out ok, and I think she will love it when she sees it.

 

BAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I laugh at your "Toughbook"

 

You mean "not so tough book"?