Build log - The Vox Caster PC mod part 2

It's time to get some paint down in the second part of our PC modding project to create an artefact from 40k's grim dark future.

Last week we introduced you to our 40k Vox Caster PC case mod. We talked about our hardware plans and the kind of feel and finish we’re aiming for, and got started on taking the case apart and making some initial masking ready for this week’s stage of the project, the painting.

As we mentioned, we’re going for a rugged and worn military look, so we’ve chosen military colours that we know work well and complement each other. Specifically, we’re using a mix of Games Workshop and Tamiya produced spray paints. The GW is a tin of Chaos Black undercoat, and the other colours are Field Grey and Royal Light Grey.

There are many other brands of spray paint out there, but I’ve gone with these ones for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I have then lying around, but most importantly, I know exactly the effect these colours when they’re used together, and I know the consistency of how they spray. It’s always worthwhile doing some test sprays when you’re first doing this kind of thing so you can learn how far you need to keep the nozzle from the painting surface, and how much paint it places on that surface.

These paints produce a mixture of finishes, but I’ll be using a satin varnish on all painted parts to tie it all back together.

Next, we need to find a place to spray our myriad array of panels, bits and fans, and that’s really our first hurdle. Ideally, you want a place which is secure (parts will need to be left to dry), not too damp, free of airborne dust (which can settle on a wet surface), and more or less ventilated – huffing paint propellant may be cool and all, but with the amount of painting we’re doing here it’s going to get stinky and offensive fast. You also want an environment that you can either afford to get paint all over, or build a simple painting box.

We built a rough and ready painting box and gave it a test spray in the labs.

Now, we’ll talk about the painting process soon, but after this first coat we had to relocate our box to an empty part of the building. Getting your workmates high on paint fumes is a blast, but rather frowned on by OH&S types. Here's where we ended up doing most of the spraying.

On the next page, it's serious paintin' time!