Thinkpads Forum

Update2: Pictures over here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 98#p596498

Update1: To all those interested in this, I have to warn you, the project was basically a failure. The Plasti-dip spray is not durable enough. It peels off at the corners, even with primer. I would not recommend anyone wasting their time on it (unless they think I made a mistake somewhere).

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Summary:
A short work log of a project to spray the Thinkpad signature rubberized matte black finish to a Titanium cover Z61t. I used black Plasti-dip spray.

Background:
As a long time Thinkpad devote I've always loved the rubberized finish of T-series lids. Its durable, it feels solid, and it has a simple beauty. I've scoured the internet for ways to acquire this finish but never followed through.

When I bought a used z61t as my main machine 3 years ago I lost the beautiful finish. The titanium cover z61t are well known for losing their clear coat and becoming finger magnets. When I bought the machine the coat was half off and it looked terrible. I decided to completely remove it (all it takes is some alcohol and some elbow grease). I intended to reapply a clear coat, but after 3 years of daily use, I never got around to it. This last week finally gave me the motivation to get around to it: The z61t fell off the desk and the screen cracked Since I had to disassemble the lid to replace the LCD, I decided it would be a good time to spray that lid.

Initially the plan was to spray a matte clear coat, but when I was at home depot browsing the paint selection, I saw the plasti-dip and remembered coming across it online. I decided to give it a try!

Step 1:
Disassemble the lid. You can get the removal instructions for your model from Lenovo's webpage. I just went off of memory of servicing so many machines. The latch didn't come off easily so I just left it on. There is also a silver reflective sheet stuck to the lid (helps reflect the light of the LCD I assume) that I didn't bother to remove.

Step 2:
Clean the lid! Here's a picture of what it looked like before cleaning:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk15 ... G_1268.jpg

It looks terrible. The oil in our hands makes the metal finish uneven. Easiest way to clean it is with just some alcohol and a paper towel. Cleans pretty fast. Here's the results:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk15 ... G_1270.jpg

Looks a lot better, but the lid still has 3 years worth of scratches and scuffs. With a clear coat they would likely show through, so the black rubberized finish will be great.

Step 3:
Mask off the parts you don't want painted. The lid has a window for the indicator lights. While I could remove the sticker, I'd still have to mask off the area, so I leave it on and avoid bending or warping the sticker. I also mask off the latch mechanism since I didn't remove it. I want to cover all screw tabs so it will still fit back together with the bezel. I also want to protect the underside of the lid because of the reflective sticker. If you have removed the latch and don't have a sticker, you don't have to worry so much about overspray.

I decided not to mask off the logo. I wasn't a fan of the shiny metal sticker and I thought it would look tacky contrasted against the flat black, so instead I decided to just paint over it. Because its beveled and not flat, the logo will still be visible. In the past I've tried to remove it, but it looks like they glued it down with epoxy. My attempts to remove it only made the sticker look worse.

Topside:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk15 ... G_1272.jpg
Underside:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk15 ... G_1271.jpg

Step 4:
Painting! There are lots of tutorials for how to get a good paint finish, so I won't go into too much detail, but a few tips. I used to make model planes, so I've accumulated some painting knowledge. Before I sprayed the lid, I sprayed a scrap piece of metal to see what the finish was like. Its a good practice if you aren't confident in your painting ability
1. I gave a quick cleaning to remove any fingerprints and oil from when I masked off the areas.
2. If your lid is already painted, and especially if it has a glossy finish, you'll want to sand down the area, but this lid is bare metal so sanding isnt necessary.
3. Do many light coats. The can recommends at least 3, I did 6. If you do heavy coats you can get drip and uneven surfaces. The first 2 coats will look bad and won't completely cover the surface, but by #6 that won't be a problem.
4. Spray from side to side starting several inches away from the part. If you start on the part you are likely to get splatter.
5. Wait for it to dry. Really. Don't touch it. If it says wait 4 hours, wait at least 6. The longer you let it sit, the harder it will get. If you touch it while its still soft you can irrepairably ruin the finish.
6. Plasti-dip is very very forgiving to mistakes.

Here's a picture after coat #6:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk15 ... G_1273.jpg

Step 5:
Remove the masking tape. Because this is a spray rubber, you have to be very careful. The rubber can peel right off the surface (which is nice if you do make a mistake). Use an exacto knife along the edge of any masked surface.

Here's a picture with the mask removed:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk15 ... G_1274.jpg

I think it looks excellent!

Step 6:
Reinstall!
...
...
Wait, so where's a picture of it all put together? Well, I haven't received a working replacement LCD yet, so its on hold till I get one. The first I ordered arrived with a broken backlight. Arg.

Conclusion:
I really like the plasti-dip finish. Its not 100% the same as a thinkpad finish, but very close. I liked it so much I've decided to spray the palmrest and bezels with it (similar to the finish on the newer lines of thinkpads). Long term durability is still a question. I applied 3 coats to my scrap piece and after 4-6 hours scratched at it with my nail. Where the paint was thick it didn't make a mark. The paint has definitely gotten harder the longer its cured. My mail worry now is peeling.

Let me know if you have any comments, suggestions, or whatever!

Interesting idea. You went beyond most people's wildest imagination, by re-finishing the oh-so-coveted Titanium lid. Although I've never done anything similar myself, why you went this route is fully understood. These lids are a horror show when they start aging, which was about ten days after the first use on most of them...

I'm curious about the overall appearance of the finished product, and the durability of the paintjob. Regardless of that, you are to be congratulated on this unusual - and brave - enterprise.

Good luck.

A great thing about this "paint" that I mentioned is that its really easy to remove. So if I change my mind, shouldnt take much to fully remove without any negative effects. Plasti-dip has a clear rubber spray but I haven't been able to find it at a brick and mortar store. I have another z61t with titanium lid in my possession that needs to be refinished.

I'll definitely post finished shots when I get it reassembled, along with comparison shots to my unfinished z61t.

I always wondered if anyone ever did this, and now...after a long time, I know.

The palmrest and keyboard bezel came out great. I ran into some problems with the display lid though. The edges didn't get enough spray and when I went to install the lid the edges have started to peel up. I will try doing some touch ups tomorrow. But I'm afraid edges are the weak point of this type of paint.

Perhaps sanding could create a better surface for the rubber to adhere to, but I'm not looking to ruin the metal cover by trying to sand it.

Sparta, you'd probably get a better match for the flat black T-color using Duplicolor's automobile bumper spray, found in most auto supply chains.

But the matte black lid on a t-series picks up every fingerprint and smudge very well too. And, it wears off around the edges, leaving a very "used" look in a couple of years. A hard gloss/matte finish would hold up much better.

sparta.rising wrote:The palmrest and keyboard bezel came out great. I ran into some problems with the display lid though. The edges didn't get enough spray and when I went to install the lid the edges have started to peel up. I will try doing some touch ups tomorrow. But I'm afraid edges are the weak point of this type of paint.

Perhaps sanding could create a better surface for the rubber to adhere to, but I'm not looking to ruin the metal cover by trying to sand it.

Perhaps there is some kind of undercoating or primer that could be applied first (before the rubberized topcoat)?

Perhaps. But it is intended to be applied directly to metal. I think its primarily used for coating for tools. I also applied the spray to my iPhone 2G and its holding up great in my pocket. I think the problem was just that the edges didn't get enough spray to bond well enough.

Hmm, interesting. Once the clear coat started peeling, I just removed it like yourself, but I actually think that the Titanium looks pretty great 'used' and it has held up remarkably well - far better than the soft-touch coating that most new thinkpads have. If you can resolve the edges issue, I think the plasti-dip will hold up far better than the Dupli-color. I painted the front grille of one of my cars which was peeling 'chrome' plastic. The Dupli-color lasted about 100 miles before it started chipping, despite careful prep work and 6 coats. The plast-dip has held up to thousands of miles of driving without a single mark.

" I think its primarily used for coating for tools."
Primarily tool HANDLES while have no EDGES, but get dipped all the way around. Unlike a notebook cover where the paint is going to end at an edge--and lacking good adhesion then easily peel back from that edge.
Pretty much every "metal" paint is also sold and used with some type of primer, many plastic paints too. The primers always aid adhesion, either by etching the surface or providing a chemical bond to it.
Plasticgrip? No matter how else they try to market it, is still mainly for dipping handles and such.

Flexible car bumper paint, over a matching primer, would have to stick better.

I'll have to visit an auto parts store. Any opinion on rubberized undercoat spray?

"rubberized undercoat spray?"
Be VERY CAREFUL about that. Most of them are designed as undercoats and they DO NOT DRY OUT but remain "tarry". They are not designed for abrasion from handling, only to remain stuck on and not get chipped by gravel, or to stay tarry so the chips heal.

Thanks for the warning on the undercoat, I'll stay away from it.

I tried the bumper paint spray on a test piece. Didn't like the finish.

I ended up getting a self-etching primer (so I didn't have to sand the lid). Applied about 3-4 coats and then did another 7-8 with plasti-dip. On my last coat I was at the end of the can and got a little splatter... but I've shown 3 people and only I've been able to see it. Edges came out better (I elevated the lid on some cans to spray). I haven't reassembled it yet... because I still don't have one. First one I ordered had a bad backlight. Second one I ordered they sent my some generic brand where the screw holes didn't line up. Grrr.

Just a little update.

I peeled off the original coat because of edge peeling and cleaned the surface. Peeled off clean. This time I elevated the lid from the paper using two tin-cans. This allowed me to spray the edges better. I then applied self-etching primer on the lid and reapplied Plasti-dip. Except for some splatter from the end of the can, it all went well.

I finally got a working screen installed (after some problems with a bad inverter) and the machine reassembled. It looked great, I should have taken pictures. I've been using it for about a week now and feel I can report on durability. Firstly, the coating is a dust-magnet. Traded on magnet for another but its not terrible. There has been no peeling on the edges. There is a spot near the hinge that wore off, I might try applying some more plasti-dip with a brush here.

I love the feel of the coating on the palmrest. However, I did not prime the keyboard bezel and palmrest. Consequently, its been peeling substantially at the edges. I'll take a photo when I have time. Being a perfectionist, I think I'm just going to have to peel it all off and abandon the idea. If I prime the palmrest, I'm stuck painting it if the plasti-dip doesn't work out (primer doesnt remove cleanly or easily).

More updates to come.

sparta.rising wrote:Perhaps. But it is intended to be applied directly to metal. I think its primarily used for coating for tools. I also applied the spray to my iPhone 2G and its holding up great in my pocket. I think the problem was just that the edges didn't get enough spray to bond well enough.

They used to sell a Plasti-dip Primer spray to improve adhesion on bare metal, but this does not seem to be available anymore, except in large cans. http://www.plastidip.com/industrial_solutions/Primer

I have used this stuff on tool handles, and on some automotive parts in non-appearance areas. Peeling is a problem. Powder coating might be an option, if you decide to strip this off and start over at some point. I don't think you will get a rubbery feel to it though. Once powder coated, you will not be able to easily change it, which is a downside. You might inquire about specialty coating services in your area.

mediasponge wrote:I have used this stuff on tool handles, and on some automotive parts in non-appearance areas. Peeling is a problem. Powder coating might be an option, if you decide to strip this off and start over at some point. I don't think you will get a rubbery feel to it though. Once powder coated, you will not be able to easily change it, which is a downside. You might inquire about specialty coating services in your area.

I've been sniffing around the Z6x machines as a possible next project, and were kind of interested in the "different" lid than the standard ThinkPad. It had occurred to me that it might be interesting if I could get that "Titanium" lid either anodized or powder-coated, so I'm glad to see that somebody else was thinking along those same lines.

I do have a question though that I'm not certain if anyone has looked into; and that's if that "Titanium" lid is actually titanium (which I doubt given the cost and the stories of easy scratching) or aluminum. Anyone know for sure?

Well, if it is a real titanium lid? There's always the classic "engine turned" spirals polished into the metal and then clearcoated over. It was good enough for the engine cowling on "Spirit of St. Louis" and if you're into steam punk, it would work perfectly too.<G>

In the 1960's, Titanium technology was top secret. Only the Skunk Works knew how to work with it. Nowadays, you can get jewelry made of it. Of course, nothing is pure Titanium, it's all alloys. Alloys of Titanium and Aluminum are common enough that engine parts are made of it. OK, maybe race car engine parts, but the cost is within reasonable bounds. One of the most common ingredients in white oil-based paint is still Titanium Dioxide. It's also used in sunscreen products. The advantage of Titanium in something like a laptop, is that for the same strength, it is lighter and thinner than plain Aluminum, and stronger than plastic. An engine turned metal laptop lid would look pretty cool, IMO, but them I am a gearhead.

Supposedly, when the Skunk Works was building SR-71s out of Titanium alloys, the US was buying most of the Titanium it needed from Russia telling them it was for things like paint and abrasives. A lot of it was rejected for contamination, though.

I have a 600E. Can I use the same technique to restore it? It's SO beat up lol. >>

mediasponge wrote:Supposedly, when the Skunk Works was building SR-71s out of Titanium alloys, the US was buying most of the Titanium it needed from Russia telling them it was for things like paint and abrasives.

That's hilarious.

I think I should update the first post because no one is reading down to my last post which says: It peeled off, even with primer. It was a larger failure. Plasti-dip is just not appropriate for this application.

I peeled off the plastidip, cleaned it up, gave another coat or two of primer, sprayed it with some multipurpose Burgundy paint, and then a few coats of Matte acrylic clear coat. Looks good so far, we'll see how it holds up for durability. The logo looks terrible though. The coats of paint rounded off the logo. They are epoxied on metal lids, so they can't be peeled up. I'd advise anyone to mask it off. I think I'm going to try using epoxy to smooth it over and put a logo sticker on top. I'll post some pictures once I get the logo.

mediasponge wrote:Peeling is a problem. Powder coating might be an option, if you decide to strip this off and start over at some point.

I've read some tutorials about powder coating at home and I've been wanting to try it, but I currently don't have the room to set up a work space for it. I don't care enough about it to have it professionally done

mustangzach wrote:I have a 600E. Can I use the same technique to restore it? It's SO beat up lol.

Read through all of my posts. The plastidip was a failure, I can't recommend it. Once I had a spare beat up T42 lid that I started to sand down to the metal. The T42 lids were magnesium coated with a rubbery texture. The magnesium looked really nice and I was hoping to do something with it, but I never got around to finishing and the lid was sold when I sold off my spare parts as a lot at an electronics flee market.

hellosailor wrote:Well, if it is a real titanium lid? There's always the classic "engine turned" spirals polished into the metal and then clearcoated over. It was good enough for the engine cowling on "Spirit of St. Louis" and if you're into steam punk, it would work perfectly too.<G>

I'm with you on the engine turning thing. I think that an actual titanium with that charcoal gray color would look great like that!

hellosailor wrote:Well, if it is a real titanium lid? There's always the classic "engine turned" spirals polished into the metal and then clearcoated over. It was good enough for the engine cowling on "Spirit of St. Louis" and if you're into steam punk, it would work perfectly too.<G>

According to the psref sheet ltwbook

top cover: silver color; CFRP, aluminum, titanium material

CFRP is carbon fiber reinforced polymer, which is the plastic part of the lid (it has two layers)
The fact that it says aluminum, titanium material, it must mean a titanium aluminum alloy.

Great post, I have a z61t as well and have a hard time cleaning the lid. Do you have any preference?

I use isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle. Its what I clean everything with. But it will accelerate the removal of the clear coat.

I just clear coated my girlfriend's z61t (no paint) and it looks pretty good, I'll post pictures with the two in a day or two.

Posted pictures over in the Pictures forum: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 98#p596498

Take a look and let me know what you think!

Pictures look great! Another black option if you want to keep experimenting is Eastwood Chassis Black. It works best on bare metal. There is a primer, but I don't use it. It's pretty durable. It comes in a gloss and a satin finish. Note that this paint is harder to remove if you don't like it, but not as bad as powder coating. The thing about home powder coating kits they don't tell you is that if you use the kitchen oven your SO will have you drawn and quartered. For any serious home powder coating, you need a dedicated oven. Used electric kitchen ovens can usually be had pretty cheap, but home powder coating is not something you set up for and use once.

I saw a CAR today with a satin black paint finish (Nissan GTR) that looked pretty amazing, but I imagine keeping it looking that way is tough. A real stealth paint scheme.

has anyone tried Plastidip on plastic?

I'm trying to paint my model m keyboards in a rubber black finish.

Compatibility info can probably be had on the website for Plastidip. I wouldn't try it, as there are pretty aromatic solvents involved which are probably bad for plastic. In thin layers exposed to wear, Plastidip will rub off or peel eventually, as the OP indicated.