S4 MINI Classic (S4M-C)

MODZERO

Average Stuffer
Jul 9, 2016
86
337
www.instagram.com
I agree with the masses, they look great! Get em shipped.. haha. I rather like the addition of a Kensington lock! (I presume that's what it is..) Although it's placement does limit rotation choice if you were to make use of it. Also, your photography rocks..

J.
 

1461748123

Master of Cramming
Nov 5, 2016
489
1,068
I ask one of my friends to make a sleeve for my up coming S4:


It's on the way to me now, what do you guys think? :)
 

Phuncz

Lord of the Boards
SFFn Staff
May 9, 2015
5,827
4,902
In the end, painting these panels is like painting car parts, but with more attention for imperfections and details. So if you know a car detailing shop, you could ask for their help. But generally, you want to use high-quality spray cans (depends on which country you're in), do all the necesary prep work, have experience and use a good environment. You need to do a lot of wet-sanding (in between layers too), need 1000-1500-2000 grit sandpaper, use primer, paint coat and clear coat to get a proper lasting paint done.

In the end it might just pay off bringing it into the car paint shop or ask @Josh | NFC for a quote on a specific color you want.
 
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Josh | NFC

Not From Concentrate
Original poster
NFC Systems
Jun 12, 2015
1,869
4,466
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I love sharing all my "knowledge" why is why I love making videos... It's just that DIY spray paint is hard for me to recommend because it's just hard to get good results. You absolutely can, but it's really hard.

My friend and top tier modder Bill Owen recommends engine enamel by duolicolor and krylon and hates Rust-Oleum. I liked Rust-Oleum and don't like duplicolor...

Bill recommends heavy coats with enamel so it sets smooth. I think that's nuts and would tell you light coats with long dry times in between... But I can't argue with his results or experience. So I think it comes down to personal preference and techniques...

I haven't found a really good base paint yet but I do like Spray Max s 2k urethane.

Peace and good luck!
 
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Ceros_X

King of Cable Management
Mar 8, 2016
748
660
Plastidip - that way if you screw it up you can peel it off and start over.

I think asking Josh about rattle canning the S4 is akin to asking Henry Ford about covering up a first year Model T with chalk. He's happy to let you do what you do but a little part of him dies inside at the thought lol.

What kind of paint job did you have in mind? I thought about getting an unpained/blem version and trying to do it up in digital pattern camouflage (would have used spray paint) but never bought one.
 
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Ceros_X

King of Cable Management
Mar 8, 2016
748
660
Wouldn't water transfer printing be much better for a digital camo pattern?

For sure! Or getting it professionally cerakoted or something similar. But it would definitely look more authentic with flat black and olive drab spray paint from my workplace (also cheaper). Also much worse :V
 

fjbruening

Chassis Packer
Nov 30, 2016
17
21
It feels like I'm playing a game of "Where's Waldo" - trying to find the differences between the 'new' pics from Josh against the pics on the NFC site. Is it a color or texture thing? I've looked at the latest pictures and like what I see, which is how I felt about the first set of pictures.

Reminds of advice my father-in-law (20 year Marine) told me - "Don't get too refined a pallet. Learn to appreciate warm beer, cold coffee, and curvy girls and you'll rarely be disappointed".

I'm quite anxious to get these shipped if possible. I've got all these new computer parts depreciating faster than a car while waiting for my S4... :-)
 

Josh | NFC

Not From Concentrate
Original poster
NFC Systems
Jun 12, 2015
1,869
4,466
www.nfc-systems.com
It feels like I'm playing a game of "Where's Waldo" - trying to find the differences between the 'new' pics from Josh against the pics on the NFC site. Is it a color or texture thing? I've looked at the latest pictures and like what I see, which is how I felt about the first set of pictures.

Reminds of advice my father-in-law (20 year Marine) told me - "Don't get too refined a pallet. Learn to appreciate warm beer, cold coffee, and curvy girls and you'll rarely be disappointed".

I'm quite anxious to get these shipped if possible. I've got all these new computer parts depreciating faster than a car while waiting for my S4... :-)

I debated whether to bring it up because I didn't want people to freak out over something that they normally wouldn't even notice or know it was different. I decided that wasn't the right thing to do and that customers deserved to see a difference. People should be getting minis this week so we can ask them what they think, but I'm thinking that I over reacted.

Peace
 

Josh | NFC

Not From Concentrate
Original poster
NFC Systems
Jun 12, 2015
1,869
4,466
www.nfc-systems.com
Rustoleum Universal Series - Dark Steel.

If you are going to paint anything with Rustoleum:

1. Sand surface smooth. If you can feel something it will show up after painting.
2. If surface is smooth to begin with, use some steel wool or scouring pad to swirl surface so primer will stick.
3. Clean surface with acetone or rubbing alchohol
4. Use a light coat of self-etching primer for aluminum. Darker primer is you are using a dark paint, and lighter if you are using light paint.
5. Wait 8+ hours depending on humidity for the first light primer coat to fully cure.
6. Finish up with one coat of the self-etching primer. It doesn't need to be thick--you actually want it as thin as possible. just get decent coverage.
7. This is where I see the biggest difference when using rattle cans. I wait a full WEEK for the primer to cure and harden. Sometimes more depending on how humid it is. If you decide that you don't want to wait that long your paintjob wont be as durable as the chemicals in the primer will weaken your top coat. Or something. I don't know...all I know is that is made a huge difference for me. Remember that dry to touch is not the same thing as fully cured.
8. wetsand the primer smooth.
9. Heat up your top coat can in a pot of hot water to 120-130 degrees.
10. While your paint is heating up, prepare your part on a piece of cardboard so you can rotate it easily. It also helps to have a fan nearby pulling air away from your part VERY gently. This will help you get a smoother finish.
11. Shake the bees out of the can. Don't be lazy here...you want a good mix. It helps if your panels are a bit warm too from the sun first or oven but they dont need to be hot.
12. Spray about the distance I did from that video you linked in even motions all the way through the part. The amount of overlap you want is from experience not science, but you do want some overlap. Practice on cardboard first. LIGHT FIRST COAT!
13. Wait four hours+ for the first light coat to dry. Go for another coat and aim for 60% coverage. Wait overnight.
14. Go for 100% coverage for next coat, but don't worry about evening the paint. Wait overnight.
15. Final coat should be just to even the paint. Don't touch it for two days. Just don't. If it is going to be installed against another part, you might have to wait 2 weeks to a month for it to fully cure depending on your climate.

-----

That's the easy part. The hard part is if you chose a paint not meant to be clear-coated, and if you are using Rustoleum then you probably have this type of paint. You might need to wet-sand slightly between coats if you got a really rough spray (but heating the paint and shaking well should dramatically help).

If you are clear coating it then you need to find a compatible paint. Don't just assume it will work because it is from the same brand and a clear coat. It can be really bad and your clear can crack or it will melt the underlying paint. You can apply the clear faster and thicker, but I still recommend the same process. You will need to wet sand and buff, and this is a multi-stage process in itself. If you plan on doing it on a S4 MINI panel...good luck. Those vents are a PITA.

Peace and good luck.
 
Last edited:

EdZ

Virtual Realist
May 11, 2015
1,578
2,107
Remember to always specify your units, don't want to be like Lockheed Martin and burn up $300 million worth of satellite in the Martian atmosphere :p
At least in this case we can assume F. °C would need a pressure chamber, and K would be well below water's freezing point at any pressure. :p
 
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TheWhiteWolves

Caliper Novice
Jul 28, 2016
25
14
I assumed Josh meant °F as he is american and afaik they don't use °C too much, correct me if I'm wrong there, it's just the impression I've always got about temperature measurements in america.
 
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REXTON

Efficiency Noob
Dec 1, 2016
6
0
Josh, do you have any sketch or ideas how you want the S4's stand/legs? I really like the Dr Zaber's Sentry stand/legs...