deskthority

Today I painted my Zenith Z-150 plate for the handwiring project. I bought some spray paint and tried my best. In the end, it turned out OK, but at the last moment, when I was inserting the stabilizers, my screwdriver scratched off the paint!! I was very angry. So I tried to coat that part again, and now it looks worse. But what can you do. I don't have $1000 equipment for this stuff like you guys!


The scratch



Painting out side and dealing with the annoying wind




At least do you like it?

Did you remember to sand the plate down uniformly before spraying? That was what made my plate restoration project most painful. Extra layers of paint can be really hard to do and can end up with an inconsistent finish. Don't worry about it. You won't see it under keycaps and stuff.

Also, I wish I had $1k of equipment I bet Wodan does though.

scottc wrote: Did you remember to sand the plate down uniformly before spraying? That was what made my plate restoration project most painful. Extra layers of paint can be really hard to do and can end up with an inconsistent finish. Don't worry about it. You won't see it under keycaps and stuff.

Also, I wish I had $1k of equipment I bet Wodan does though.

I sanded down everything as much as I could. But now I won't try getting lung cancer again because of the fumes.

green-squid wrote:

scottc wrote: Did you remember to sand the plate down uniformly before spraying? That was what made my plate restoration project most painful. Extra layers of paint can be really hard to do and can end up with an inconsistent finish. Don't worry about it. You won't see it under keycaps and stuff.

Also, I wish I had $1k of equipment I bet Wodan does though.

I sanded down everything as much as I could. But now I won't try getting lung cancer again because of the fumes.

What fumes? If you paint it outside in the open there should be none

Dingster wrote:

green-squid wrote:

scottc wrote: Did you remember to sand the plate down uniformly before spraying? That was what made my plate restoration project most painful. Extra layers of paint can be really hard to do and can end up with an inconsistent finish. Don't worry about it. You won't see it under keycaps and stuff.

Also, I wish I had $1k of equipment I bet Wodan does though.

I sanded down everything as much as I could. But now I won't try getting lung cancer again because of the fumes.

What fumes? If you paint it outside in the open there should be none

Still, I could smell the fumes for a bit, even outside.

ouch... looks like there is still rust and pits underneath the paint. should have sanded it more. I like the color though.

mike52787 wrote: ouch... looks like there is still rust and pits underneath the paint. should have sanded it more. I like the color though.

I really like the Z-150 restoration posts, plus also those with some tasteful twist to it.
Sanding, priming, painting, sanding, and then painting, and repeat... if done thoroughly can a lot of work. I have procrastinated the project on my Z-150 since then - my plan is painting it in really dark metallic purple, and the case painted (or dyed) industrial olive green. like some of those industrial IBM keyboard in that era, to achieve a subtle green vs purple color contrast. For the time being, my Z-150 project has be just talk, and salute to those to roll up their sleeves and take actions.

Green-squid, green plate!!

You applied too much paint and maybe painted without correctly moving the can.
Step 1: aproach 10-15 cm to your target
Step 2: play Stukalied
Step 3: feel like a steel eagle dropping paint on the plate (never stop horizontaly moving when you spray paint).
If you were capable to see my first paintjobs your eyes would commit suicide, also a poor paint gives you a bad finish, try Rust-Oleum next time.
Just remember, we don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.

You could wait for the paint to dry fully and then wet sand the entire plate. For the pitting you can use some high build primer or Bondo glazing and spot putty. Once this cures, wet sand the putty, and then paint a coat or two of green. Optionally apply some clear coat for protection. I prefer matte / non-glossy.

Since you're painting the plate on a flat surface, paint one side at a time, make sure it has dried properly, then do the other one; wait another day if necessary. Pick your day: temperate and overcast, with as little dust and pollen in the air as possible, a few hours after light rain might be good.

Bottom line, the color is nice but you should redo that paint job. I know it sucks to do a job twice but you're learning, take your time and follow the very good advices here

One problem with over-painting Alps plates is build-up in the slots where the stabilizer tabs are seated.

If you re-paint, you should consider scraping the inside faces of those openings, otherwise the paint will be thick and close up the already-tight tolerance. The tabs may then be harder to re-insert than they were the first time. By now you probably have a good technique for inserting one leg and gently flexing and seating the other side. Everybody ruins a few of them while learning.

Guys, thank you all for the great advice! But yesterday's painting was already a nightmare to deal woth, so I'm leaving the plate as-is.

Was I the lucky recipient of the switches from this board? What do you have planned for it next?

snacksthecat wrote: Was I the lucky recipient of the switches from this board? What do you have planned for it next?

I wil be getting some SKCL yellows from china and I'll be wiring them up to a teensy in this case!

Hey I just handwired a Z-150. It's a lot of keys to wire up. Hope you enjoyed my valuable contribution to this discussion.