HANDS ON GUIDE

Paint your case

What you'll need: A can of primer; four cans of automotive or hobbyist spray paint; three sheets each of wet and dry sandpaper of various grades, from 600-grit to 1,600-grit; sanding block; tack cloths; T-Cut rubbing compound; bag of soft cloths; car wax.

While PC cases have thankfully evolved from the bland beige boxes of the 1980s, there's still nothing like having your PC clad in your choice of colour. Whether you love British Racing Green, Duck Egg Blue or Boltgun Metal, you can give your case your own personal stamp by painting it. However, doing a decent job isn't as easy as tagging your neighbour's wall; there's a fine art to painting your PC, and we'll take you through the basics here.

1. Your first job is to sand down your case's original coat of paint to its layer of primer, but not to the bare metal. Wrap the highest grit of sandpaper around your sanding block and sand vigorously with dry paper until you have a smooth finish. Many parts of your case will need to be sanded without a block, which is a pain but it's essential that you do this. Any plastic parts, such as the front fascia, will need to be scrubbed with hot water and detergent. Then clean your case with a tack cloth to remove any dust.

2. After that, it's prime time. Make sure the surface of the case is free from dirt and dust, and then spray an even coat of primer on the surface of each section of your case, holding the can 20cm away from the surface and spraying in long flowing lines. Start at the edge closest to you and work outwards, being careful not to create pools at the start and end of each stroke.

Leave the primer to dry for at least 30 minutes, and then give it another quick smoothing pass with some 800-grit sandpaper before applying a second coat of primer. You may find that you've sanded down to the bare metal in some areas, but don't worry - just apply another quick spray of undercoat and try again.

3. When the primer has dried, you're ready to apply a layer of paint, which shouldn't be too thick or too thin. If it's too thick, the paint will pool, drip and take ages to dry. Too thin a layer will result in a blotchy, orange-peel-like surface that requires a lot of sanding and involves a lot of paint wastage.

Leave the layer of paint to dry overnight, then sand it gently using soapy water and 800-grit paper. Continue this process of applying layers of paint and sanding them flat until you reach your third coat of paint. By then you should have built up a deep colour that's free from blotches.

4. Your case will now be looking good, but you can make it look even better. Gradually sand it using various grades of sandpaper. Start with an 800-grit sheet and sand your case extremely gently, using a lot of soap and water, while regularly changing your sanding direction to crosshatch previous strokes.

When you finally achieve a smooth surface, move to a higher grade of paper and repeat the process. Keep doing this through all the levels of sandpaper, and then dispose of the dust with your tack cloth.

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