DIY: Bezel paint mod (Removed Glossiness)

When it comes to glossy finishes, count me out. Unfortunately, Clevo decided it would be a fantastic idea to put a glossy bezel on an all rubberized computer! Fortunately, spray paint is a miracle product that can fix this issue. Here are some before and after pictures of my new Satin finish bezel.

I was going to purchase Krylon Fusion but I couldn’t find any at my local wal-mart and the paint lady over at home depot thought I was speaking gibberish when I asked for Kyrlon. Nevertheless, K-Mart had good ole Rust-Oleum American Accents Spray, Satin Canyon Black on sale, so I went with that. I have used both and they both seem to be about the same quality. Buy whatever you like.

I carefully removed the (4) rubber grommets which exposed the corner screws. Use a Philips to remove the screws and keep them in a small sandwich bag so you don’t lose them. You can remove the rubber cement from the grommets with a tad bit of rubbing alcohol or just rub it off with your finger. Remove the other rubber pieces (which act like bumpers for the screen) and set them aside.

I used a non-marring tool to pry the clips away from the computer but if you have a thin card that is plastic, that will do. Use your tool and slowly pry the bezel, then slide it gently across to separate it. You can use a bit of force to get it snapped off, just be careful not to break the clips.

I used 400 grit sandpaper, since that is what I had, and wet sanded the gloss off. I would suggest using anything 400 or above (nothing too fine though like 2000) to remove the shimmy off. After sanding, wash off the residue in the sink. Make sure you fully dry the bezel before painting commences. Towel dry it then if you have a condensed air can around, use that to get the any dust off.


Spray a light base coat and let it sit for about a couple of minutes. About three minutes apart, repeat coats until you are satisfied (I did about 3). Touch dry is about an hour. Let it sit for about 24 hours before putting it back on. I think for plastics, it takes about a week to fully cure.

Attach bezel back to the computer and press around the bezel until you hear some clips snap into place. Screw it down and place the grommets back. You can use super glue or rubber cement as an adhesive, just be careful not to get any around your bezel or computer. I suggest using a toothpick as an applicator.

Enjoy the new look!








Link to the spray paint: Amazon.com: Rust-Oleum 7946830 American Accents Spray, Satin Canyon Black, 12-Ounce: Home Improvement

 

Nice....it will be interesting to see how well it holds up.

 

Thanks! I hope so!

 

Looks nice!
Do you happen to have any close ups of the frame after it was sanded, but before you painted it? (I'm just curious as to what that looked like.)

 

So much nicer when playing diablo 3 by a window, not getting discracted by the tiny microscratches that glossy bezel brings.

I will rummage through my pictures to see if I got one right after the wet sand.

 

sooo jelly :3 that looks so hawt. I don't want to do it in case I break the bezel xP

 

Nice work and guide +rep.

I thought I would hate the glossy bezel but it's not actually that bad.

I might give this a go though as matte definitely looks better.

Are you a bit thin on paint on the lip under the top edge on the left side - looks like you can see the black glossy surface slightly?

 

Nice I wonder if it was usable enough after sanding or did it look too scratched up?

 

Thanks! That's funny, didn't notice the contrast until now. It was just the way the sun was hitting on the bezel. Its even all around.

 

It looked dull and scratched, but then again I used 400 grit. Still would highly recommend painting it if sanded.

 

Yeah sorry I didn't mean the shadow, I meant this:

 

+1
Wow great job!

I like it, and I bet several thousands of people would too!

 

Here is a straight on shot, hard to tell in the picture but all of it is covered. Good eye though!!

Thanks!!

 

Great job! I'm going to do the same to my P180.

 

Sweet! Post some pics when you are done