How To Paint Your PC Peripherals

Painting a Keyboard: A DIY Project with Unexpected Results

When it comes to customizing our personal items, some projects can be straightforward and easy to execute, while others may require more creativity and experimentation. In this article, we'll explore one such project that took an unexpected turn – painting a keyboard.

The process began by selecting the color of the paint. The author chose white Plasti-Dip, which was applied in several thin coats to ensure even coverage and avoid wasting time. It's essential to allow adequate drying time between coats to prevent the paint from becoming uneven or difficult to work with. With each coat, the result became more refined, and the author was satisfied with the final appearance.

However, before applying the paint, a layer of white paint was applied first. This initial coating served as a base for the Plasti-Dip, which added depth and dimension to the keyboard's design. The liberal application of Plasti-Dip resulted in a glossy finish that enhanced the overall aesthetic appeal of the keyboard. If a matte finish is desired, it's recommended to avoid this step altogether, as the white Plasti-Dip will suffice.

The author also considered the ergonomic aspect of the project. By painting the keyboard, they aimed to create a unique and personalized design that would not only enhance the appearance but also provide improved functionality. The addition of paint did increase key resistance, as each area for the key slot was slightly reduced. However, this minor adjustment did not significantly impact the overall experience.

Upon completing the paint job, the author reassembled the keyboard by merging the top and bottom panels together and securing them with 14 screws. They also tested each key's functionality to ensure that it was properly contacting the printed circuit underneath. The results were satisfactory, and the keyboard performed smoothly.

One aspect of the project worth noting is the choice of paint material. Plasti-Dip comes in a variety of colors, including lime green, red, sunburst orange, black, gray, gold, yellow, blue, and more. While white was chosen for its compatibility with the author's Fantex Evolution ITX case, any paint intended for use on plastics or other materials should be suitable.

For those interested in attempting a similar project, it's essential to exercise caution and consider the potential risks involved. Painting a personal item can lead to damage or loss of value if not done correctly. The author encourages readers to proceed with caution and assume all risk for any modifications made to their own items.

The final result was a unique and personalized keyboard that exceeded the author's expectations. By embracing the unconventional approach, they created a one-of-a-kind design that added an extra layer of flair to their computing setup. While not everyone may appreciate this type of project, it serves as a testament to the possibilities of DIY customization.

As always, we invite our readers to share their thoughts and opinions on our content. If you enjoyed this article or have any feedback, please don't hesitate to engage with us in the comments section below. We welcome all perspectives, from those who appreciate the creativity and experimentation that went into this project to those who may disagree with certain aspects of the author's approach.

We also encourage our readers to subscribe to our channel for access to future content, including upcoming projects and tutorials. Our goal is to provide engaging and informative content that sparks discussion and inspires creativity. Thank you for joining us on this journey, and we look forward to sharing more projects and ideas with you in the future.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey everyone Greg here with science studio so a few videos ago you may recall a video that I uploaded detailing the painting process behind one of my older computers it was based on the i3 6100 and was built inside of a white NZXT s340 case I had painted everything in there from the graphics card like the entire graphics card I had to disassemble everything to the vrm he sings to the solid state drive trays and even the ddr4 I had painted completely white I ended up calling the color scheme cocaine white even though I obviously do not condone the recreational use of cocaine right this video here is going to expand upon that idea just a little bit we're not going to paint any PC parts in particular at least the parts that are in a case like that but we're going to paint some peripherals so basically things that aren't physically inside the PC but that work with the PC all the time so in this case I decided to paint my keyboard now you're thinking that doesn't sound very smart Greg how you gonna paint a keyboard you got a lot of keys in there and you have to disassemble everything well yeah I did have to disassemble everything that was just part of the process but I think that the results kind of made up for the amount of time that I had put into it and the six or seven bucks that I paid for the paint so let's get right to it I don't want to keep you too long I know that the last painting video was super long this one's not gonna be that long so let's jump right into the painting process and the steps that I had to go through to make it look like this okay that's all you can see of it now let's get the painting the very first thing I decided to do before anything else was take a picture of the keyboard with my phone and this would come in handy later for reassembling each individual key under the keyboard itself if you don't believe me now you'll believe me shortly the keyboard we're using here is pretty old made by Lenovo and honestly not all that special so my feelings won't be hurt if this paint job in particular goes south I unplugged it from the back of my computer tower and then flipped it onto its back side from here 14 screws had to be removed and they essentially held the top frame to the bottom frame so just they kind of just sandwich them together and since we'll only be looking at the keyboard from the front I mean most of the time I don't know why you'd ever look at your keyboard from down below we'll just be painting the top of the keyboard so we'll be saving some paint and we'll also be saving some time as well now each of the keys on this keyboard were held mechanically into place in the top frame which meant that I had to manually remove each one of them individually to flexible grooves held each onto the board so what I did was just grab a pair of tweezers and essentially squeeze each pair of grooves together they were basically just acting like a locking mechanism and once they were squeezed together the key would fall straight through the frame and onto a styrofoam sheet that I laid underneath it to keep all the keys in order this would make the reassembly process move much quicker as well so if you can try to keep these keys as in order as possible even if they're backwards because you'll just be able to pick one up and then pick the next one up in that line all the way down the keyboard it'll save you a lot of time once each key was finally removed I pulled out the only remaining component that was that green LED shield on the top right corner and yeah just set that to the side don't wanna paint that so all we have left now is a large piece of plastic which is exactly what we want it because we can paint this entire thing so let's do that let's paint it I had a can of white Plasti Dip and a can of Plasti Dip gloss to be applied afterwards I made sure to shake the cans vigorously before each coat was applied and that pretty much just helps stir up the liquid inside and prevent sudden overspray stang application you definitely don't want over sprays that's yeah they're not fun to get rid of remember to spray back and forth side to side in a similar pattern with each coat begin spraying away from the panel and gently glide the can across it being sure to stay around 6 to 10 inches away from the panel with each pass drift to close in this case and you could end up without an odd looking paint splotches something you don't want drift too far away and you'll find yourself applying 8 or 10 coats before you actually see any solid result so yeah we don't wanna waste paint here we allowed roughly 30 to 45 minutes in between coats to ensure that each previous coat was dry remember in this case to not touch the paint when it's wet you'll be left with an irritating thumb enter something like that that will require many additional coats to remove properly once we had an adequate number of coats applied and dried onto the panel we moved on over to our Plasti Dip gloss now in this case we use liberal amounts to give the white paint a more glossy reflective finish obviously and the more coats of gloss that were added the shinier the result so if you're looking for a matte finish just stay away from this step completely you won't need this at all the white plastidip look just fine the way it is so when everything is dried bring the panel back inside and inspect it for any obvious flaws this is essentially the point of no return you're not going to want to repeat everything all over again just because you found a few spots that we're lacking in paint depth I flipped the front panel upside down and then refer to the picture I took with my phone to carefully reinsert each key into its proper place holder the addition of the paint did increase key resistance since you know each area for the key slot was slightly reduced but I still found it to be tolerable I reinserted the green LED cover at this point as well to finish off the reassembly stage for the front panel now with every key back in its resting place I merged both the top and bottom panels together again oh it's another merge and secured them with the 14 screws I had set to the side after plugging the keyboard back into the system I tested each keys functionality to ensure that everything was properly contacting the paper than circuit underneath I also gave it a real world test on Microsoft Word only to shortly conclude there after that I was very satisfied with the ergonomic an aesthetic appeal of the board now keep in mind that if white is not your color of choice there are several other options to choose from Plasti Dip comes in lime green red sunburst orange black gray gold yellow blue for screen okay you get the point I chose plastic it because it's removable but any paint intended for use on plastics or I guess whatever material your keyboard is made out of should be just fine you'll just have to paint over it again if you get tired of what you already have the white in my case matches the fantex evolved ITX case right there if you miss that entire build log video you can go ahead and click the link here if you want to just see a simple review of this case in particular you can click the link here can I have to move in here so you can see both of them but yeah I think you'll enjoy either of those videos you can see them already go and check them out I think you will like them so let me know what do you think now obviously painting something like a keyboard is not going to be up everyone's alley in fact I'm fairly confident that a few of you think this idea is just completely stupid and should never have been pursued in the first place but nonetheless I'm happy with the result and that's really all that matters you know other people's opinions about things that you do to your own personal items don't matter as long as you think it looks cool go right on so I encourage you go out and paint something doesn't have to be a keyboard or a computer mouse or even all the parts inside of a PC just you know something something that you don't really care much about that you think would become more appealing if you painted it something like that it's a it's a project to consider at least just be careful as you'll assume all risk for anything you do to any item that you own ah see how I squeeze that disclaimer in there not bad huh hmm I appreciate the watch if you enjoyed the video you know if you truly did be sure to thumb it up we appreciate all this thumbs up but if you hated the video think we should never do this again thumb it down let us know in the comments below why you thumbed it down what you thought was done wrong or what you would like to see more improved in future videos you know just start discussions down below I enjoy some of the common chains that are going on I mean some get pretty crazy that FX 6300 versi 360 100 comment chain is getting a little out of hand and I frankly cannot keep up with I think we're like over a thousand comments at this point I just so anyway be sure to subscribe if you haven't already I appreciate all views and all the videos that we have up so far and stay tuned we have an i5 4460 has well build coming very very soon this is science studio thanks for learning with ushey everyone Greg here with science studio so a few videos ago you may recall a video that I uploaded detailing the painting process behind one of my older computers it was based on the i3 6100 and was built inside of a white NZXT s340 case I had painted everything in there from the graphics card like the entire graphics card I had to disassemble everything to the vrm he sings to the solid state drive trays and even the ddr4 I had painted completely white I ended up calling the color scheme cocaine white even though I obviously do not condone the recreational use of cocaine right this video here is going to expand upon that idea just a little bit we're not going to paint any PC parts in particular at least the parts that are in a case like that but we're going to paint some peripherals so basically things that aren't physically inside the PC but that work with the PC all the time so in this case I decided to paint my keyboard now you're thinking that doesn't sound very smart Greg how you gonna paint a keyboard you got a lot of keys in there and you have to disassemble everything well yeah I did have to disassemble everything that was just part of the process but I think that the results kind of made up for the amount of time that I had put into it and the six or seven bucks that I paid for the paint so let's get right to it I don't want to keep you too long I know that the last painting video was super long this one's not gonna be that long so let's jump right into the painting process and the steps that I had to go through to make it look like this okay that's all you can see of it now let's get the painting the very first thing I decided to do before anything else was take a picture of the keyboard with my phone and this would come in handy later for reassembling each individual key under the keyboard itself if you don't believe me now you'll believe me shortly the keyboard we're using here is pretty old made by Lenovo and honestly not all that special so my feelings won't be hurt if this paint job in particular goes south I unplugged it from the back of my computer tower and then flipped it onto its back side from here 14 screws had to be removed and they essentially held the top frame to the bottom frame so just they kind of just sandwich them together and since we'll only be looking at the keyboard from the front I mean most of the time I don't know why you'd ever look at your keyboard from down below we'll just be painting the top of the keyboard so we'll be saving some paint and we'll also be saving some time as well now each of the keys on this keyboard were held mechanically into place in the top frame which meant that I had to manually remove each one of them individually to flexible grooves held each onto the board so what I did was just grab a pair of tweezers and essentially squeeze each pair of grooves together they were basically just acting like a locking mechanism and once they were squeezed together the key would fall straight through the frame and onto a styrofoam sheet that I laid underneath it to keep all the keys in order this would make the reassembly process move much quicker as well so if you can try to keep these keys as in order as possible even if they're backwards because you'll just be able to pick one up and then pick the next one up in that line all the way down the keyboard it'll save you a lot of time once each key was finally removed I pulled out the only remaining component that was that green LED shield on the top right corner and yeah just set that to the side don't wanna paint that so all we have left now is a large piece of plastic which is exactly what we want it because we can paint this entire thing so let's do that let's paint it I had a can of white Plasti Dip and a can of Plasti Dip gloss to be applied afterwards I made sure to shake the cans vigorously before each coat was applied and that pretty much just helps stir up the liquid inside and prevent sudden overspray stang application you definitely don't want over sprays that's yeah they're not fun to get rid of remember to spray back and forth side to side in a similar pattern with each coat begin spraying away from the panel and gently glide the can across it being sure to stay around 6 to 10 inches away from the panel with each pass drift to close in this case and you could end up without an odd looking paint splotches something you don't want drift too far away and you'll find yourself applying 8 or 10 coats before you actually see any solid result so yeah we don't wanna waste paint here we allowed roughly 30 to 45 minutes in between coats to ensure that each previous coat was dry remember in this case to not touch the paint when it's wet you'll be left with an irritating thumb enter something like that that will require many additional coats to remove properly once we had an adequate number of coats applied and dried onto the panel we moved on over to our Plasti Dip gloss now in this case we use liberal amounts to give the white paint a more glossy reflective finish obviously and the more coats of gloss that were added the shinier the result so if you're looking for a matte finish just stay away from this step completely you won't need this at all the white plastidip look just fine the way it is so when everything is dried bring the panel back inside and inspect it for any obvious flaws this is essentially the point of no return you're not going to want to repeat everything all over again just because you found a few spots that we're lacking in paint depth I flipped the front panel upside down and then refer to the picture I took with my phone to carefully reinsert each key into its proper place holder the addition of the paint did increase key resistance since you know each area for the key slot was slightly reduced but I still found it to be tolerable I reinserted the green LED cover at this point as well to finish off the reassembly stage for the front panel now with every key back in its resting place I merged both the top and bottom panels together again oh it's another merge and secured them with the 14 screws I had set to the side after plugging the keyboard back into the system I tested each keys functionality to ensure that everything was properly contacting the paper than circuit underneath I also gave it a real world test on Microsoft Word only to shortly conclude there after that I was very satisfied with the ergonomic an aesthetic appeal of the board now keep in mind that if white is not your color of choice there are several other options to choose from Plasti Dip comes in lime green red sunburst orange black gray gold yellow blue for screen okay you get the point I chose plastic it because it's removable but any paint intended for use on plastics or I guess whatever material your keyboard is made out of should be just fine you'll just have to paint over it again if you get tired of what you already have the white in my case matches the fantex evolved ITX case right there if you miss that entire build log video you can go ahead and click the link here if you want to just see a simple review of this case in particular you can click the link here can I have to move in here so you can see both of them but yeah I think you'll enjoy either of those videos you can see them already go and check them out I think you will like them so let me know what do you think now obviously painting something like a keyboard is not going to be up everyone's alley in fact I'm fairly confident that a few of you think this idea is just completely stupid and should never have been pursued in the first place but nonetheless I'm happy with the result and that's really all that matters you know other people's opinions about things that you do to your own personal items don't matter as long as you think it looks cool go right on so I encourage you go out and paint something doesn't have to be a keyboard or a computer mouse or even all the parts inside of a PC just you know something something that you don't really care much about that you think would become more appealing if you painted it something like that it's a it's a project to consider at least just be careful as you'll assume all risk for anything you do to any item that you own ah see how I squeeze that disclaimer in there not bad huh hmm I appreciate the watch if you enjoyed the video you know if you truly did be sure to thumb it up we appreciate all this thumbs up but if you hated the video think we should never do this again thumb it down let us know in the comments below why you thumbed it down what you thought was done wrong or what you would like to see more improved in future videos you know just start discussions down below I enjoy some of the common chains that are going on I mean some get pretty crazy that FX 6300 versi 360 100 comment chain is getting a little out of hand and I frankly cannot keep up with I think we're like over a thousand comments at this point I just so anyway be sure to subscribe if you haven't already I appreciate all views and all the videos that we have up so far and stay tuned we have an i5 4460 has well build coming very very soon this is science studio thanks for learning with us\n"