Showing posts with label Paint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paint. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

I'm Awesome!


Who has two thumbs and the best Art Department in the District? This Guy! That’s right. Not ONLY did I start full time yesterday, but then I discovered the news presented in the previous statement. This made my day sooo much better. What was even better about it is that I was informed in front of someone who has been trying to hold me back into a part time mindless drone position. This will help catapult me into my new department, which is the almighty Crafts department. This has been a great week for me.

In other news, I am expecting the package which will give me the kick in the ass needed to work on this computer. I ordered the 75 feet of 1/8” white cable sleeving; along with 5 feet of 1/8” UV green heat shrink tubing; and a few UV green connectors to finish off the look. This is phase one because the power supply will be finished off and ready to go! Then I will just need to work on the next part, which will include finishing the exterior of the case. I will need a little more coarse grit sandpaper to smooth out all the rough patches with the fiberglass. This will make the case ready for primer. Once the primer is ready to be painted, I will be disassembling the case and getting the individual parts hung and ready to be sprayed. I’m using a different tactic this time with spraying. I’m getting some wire and hanging the parts in the garage and spraying that way. I want to do this because I always have issues with the parts sticking to the crate. So I’m trying to minimize this and it will allow me to spray the entire part at once… no waiting to dry the flipping. I am going to color or wet sand this time around. I did with the power supply case and it looks amazing. Once the case is put back together, I will be spraying the clear coat then. This will allow me to let it set for about a week until I get it ready to assemble the interior. This will allow me to get a good coat on it and still allow me to assemble the case with the parts being able to fit together. Goodness.

In other other news, I’m awesome. That is all.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Mac Is Back.

The Mac Is Back! Wooooo! I have officially disassembled, painted, and successfully reassembled my Power Mac G5. The paint has a few small nicks and scratches from when I was working on the assembly. The computer was a pain in the ass to take apart and put back together. It is a well crafted and well engineered piece of machinery. Everything fits together in a certain way and only in one way. I like it though. It was a challenge. I do not consider the Mac to be finished. I will be buying some new fans to use that have some nice bright LEDs in them. I will also be using my remaining two PCI Expnasion slots for two fan controllers. I'm looking forward to getting everything going again and using this powerful machine. I will be working on a screenshot tour of my Mac, and how I have it set up. I will be working on customizing the desktop like I have my Windows one set up.

I have a question: Why do guys treat their girlfriends like shit? I don't understand. They have this beautiful, smart, wonderful girl, and they treat her like shit. Why? Do they have make her feel bad to make themselves feel better? Even after all the shit they go through for you? Like moving across the country to be with you? I don't understand the need to make your girlfriend, the girl you supposidly love, feel like shit. I do hope and pray that she smartens up and leaves your ass and finds a guy who will treat her like she deserves. I do the little things for a girl and she thinks I'm the nicest guy in the world. Why doesn't every guy do those little things for girls? I know that we are not in the age of Knights and the damsel in distress. But why be an asshole? There is no need for it. And what else pisses me off is that the girls aren't fucking smart enough to get the fuck out of there. WHy be with a guy who treats you like shit? Don't give me the "But I love him" bullshit. You are just afraid to take charge and find someone better. And there is someone better out there for you. Sometimes the guy is right in front of you. Sometimes it is your best friend who is secretly in love with you but decides to keep it secret because he knows that you won't leave the asshole. Or he is with you time and time again as your parade through a bunch idiots who don't know how to treat a girl. I just don't know what to think about this whole romance and dating thing anymore. It seems that I see everyone pairing off and finding someone. But it seems to elude me. I fully subscribe to the theory that some people are destined to be alone forever. It is just math. But I'm finished with that now.

I'm ready for Friday. Day off. Relaxing. I'm excited. Maybe something good will come out of it.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Chicago Cubs Headgear: Pro Style!

I started my new job today. It is a pretty laid back place and I think I am going to enjoy working there. I am hoping that the next couple days go by quickly and I'm looking forward to this next week. I am nearing the finishing of the Mac Pro case. I have one more main structural part to spray with color. I have most of the plastic pieces to paint still, but those only require the color...no real prep work. Then I can start the reassembly of the computer. I will be sure to take a lot of photos once all the color is there and maybe some video. Hopefully the assembly goes smoothly. I kept everything and let's just hope I remember how everything goes back togather. I am hoping that is goes a little easier than the tear down. I will need to purchase some double sided tape or some super glue to hold a couple pieces back in their place, but it may be unnecessary. I am hoping to shoot the color tomorrow morning, and it will be dry by the time I get ready to leave for work. And I just remembered that I need to mask off and shoot the blue on the exterior of the side panel and inner shell. Oh well. That will be done tomorrow. I am thinking of painting all the plastic pieces tomorrow morning and let it dry for the day. Then I will be painting the reverse sides when it dries enough. I think that maybe sunday I will be able to assemble it all together and get it up and running. But anyway, here is a photo of my new hat! It is hard to find a Cubs hat in Columbus. But until next time!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Trekkin' with the Ladies

It's Sunday. I didn't really sleep last night. Yesterday was a long day at work. Underdstaffed, a busy Saturday, and a different manager. It's like we're playing a game show and every week we have a different manager closing and coming to help us out. Usually on a Saturday night at closing, we set the sale ad signs for the next week's sale. Kelly, the manager stepping in, informed us that at her store, they tear down all the old ad signs, and then they set the new ads on Monday morning, when everyone is fresh and not tired as hell from a day of running around and dealing with bitchy customers. So Home Accents was completely set, along with Scrapbooking and part of Floral. Then Kelly made the decision that we are going to tear down all the old signs, and then we were heading home. Nothing we were going to argue. But here is what pissed me off about yesterday: When I arrived at work, I was informed that I needed to make sure I did a good job cleaning the restrooms because they haven't been cleaned in a few days. I don't mind cleaning the restrooms. I get upset when someone doesn't do their job correctly and then I have to cover their ass. And to make it worse, we didn't have all supplies needed. I understand that there are only two people that do the closing duties of the stock room. But the "solution" is to have him come in at 8 AM and "clean" the restrooms and get the trash, etc. But he doesn't. There is no possible way that he can with the amount of trash in the trash cans, and how many rolls of toilet paper I needed to replace. If there is only to be two people that clean the restrooms, and I'm only doing so once a week, then why is the schedule set so no one cleans them for a few days? Doesn't make any sense to me.

Today I did something that I don't normally do: I went to the mall. Namely, I needed to go shopping for a pair fo Steel Toe work boots and I needed to get some black shirts. I ended up finding both at Sears and JCPenny, respectively. After finding what I needed, I eneded up buying a Cubs hat and getting a hair cut. But I noticed something while I was talking around. It seemed that all at girls that were younger (by younger I mean either there with a parent, dropped off, or just old enough to drive) girls were wearing the same type of outfits: All were wearing either spaghetti strap tanks or strap-less tops with short, tight jean shorts. And it seems that each one was wearing a push up bra to try and show off their boobs. Now a few things came into my mind: A-How are parents letting their daughters leave the house like this? and B-What started this fashion trend? And it was just the under-18 crowd. The "older" females were wearing bermuda shorts, jeans, skirts, and a nice top with it. And moms dress like moms. One thing that might be causing this is that this is the time of a young person's life were it is becoming increasingly more and more popular to have a boyfriend. And yes, statistically, teen pregnancy is on the decline. But it seems that girls are trying really hard to be "sexy" at a young age. When I was that age, all the girls I knew wore jeans, or longer shorts when outside of school. Granted, I went to a Catholic School where we, as students, could actually get in trouble and punished by the school administration if we were to wear inappropriate clothing outside of school, but at a school related event. But in the 5 years since my high school graduation, it appears that fashion for girls that age has taken a drastic turn, which in my opinion, is a turn for the worse. I think about it this way: kids these days are discoving their sexuality earlier and earlier in life. I know that high school children having sex is nothing new. There were kids having sex when I went to high school. I wasn't one of the them. I lost my virginity when I was 20. I'm not ashamed to say that. I'm not ashamed to say that I've only had sex with 2 people. I'm not ashamed of anything in my past when it comes to girls and sex. Like anyone else, I do have a regret or two. And those people involved know what they are. While I do regret one of them more than others, I did what no one else thought I would do: I kept my word and my promise that I made to her at the very beginning. Some may call me stupid. At times, I do feel like I made the wrong decision. But at the same time, I know that she is better off. I need to move on from that. I've been trying. But some convention wisdom suggests that we can not be completely over a former love until we begin a relationship with a new person. I know that I've covered the tradgey that is my dating history. I'm still looking for that girl. The one who can fix me and remove me from my past. I have told every ex girlfriend (that I still have communication with) that I am happy for them when they find themselves someone who makes them happy. I told the same thing to a girl who I was talking to and then just changed her mind about me and started dating another guy. I told her that I'm glad that she is happy and that is what matters to me. She seemed...shocked. But I meant it. I'm happy when my friends are happy. I'm happy when girls I like are happy, whether it involves me or not. I will never tell a girl to choose me. I will tell her to choose what makes her happy. This may be a bad thing, considering I may have lost a couple potentional girlfriends to this. I will be the first to admit that it is my fault for my current relationship situation. But I think that I take a different approach with girls than most guys. When I ask a girl out, there are a few factors/facts that I feel are worth noting:
1: I won't ask a girl out unless I am sure that I like her and that she may like me.
2: I'm not asking for a full on relationship when I ask a girl out; I'm just asking for a chance.
3: I'm old fashioned when it comes to dating. I like to pick up the girl, and drive her and pay for everything.
4: I will do the best in my ability to treat you like a queen.
I feel like the way that many guys approach dating and girls that it is something that most girls don't think about with me. I'm not going to try and get you in bed. I WILL call/text/talk to you the next day. If I can tell that you had a good time and are willing, I will ask you out again. If not, I will continue to talk to you and let you cut your losses and move on. I can't be mad at a girl if she gives me a chance and we find out that we just won't work out. I can't be upset about that. I can and will be upset when I get stood up and/or forgotten. I've had that happen to me before. The worst if when "something came up" and she is forced to cancel on me. I know that you just don't wanna go with me. If you didn't want to in the first place, why not just tell me? I had a girl in high school lead me on for the second half of my senior year and the following summer. It was a constant hell because she was like hot and cold, but one of her best friends was trying to help me out and she would give me some advice. And when I would take her advice and apply it, the girl was cold. When I was about to give up on her, she was hot again. It was like trying to sleep when you're sick; you get cold so you cover up, then you get hot and start sweating so you kick off the covers. Imagine that, except it is your emotions getting the shit end of it all. I can take a lot of bullshit, and I have taken a lot of bullshit for girls while in relationships. That is nothing new for me. I'm working on building back up my self esteem. I am working on recognizing said bullshit and trying to remove it from my life. I don't need any other distractions in my life. I have enough without someone trying to destroy me from the inside-out. I am hoping to stumble across the right girl for me that will not feed me any bullshit and help keep me on the path that I am currently on. Maybe she can help me forget my past and help me look towards the future. I am hoping that this is someone that I come across soon. I feel like I am at about 95% ready for a girlfriend. Almost there.

In unrelated news, I start my new job tomorrow. I go in for orientation at 1. I'm excited but nervous. From what I was told, the first few weeks will be training, safety video watching, and certification. I really can't wait.

I'm getting the Mac painted a little more each day. I'm also working on ripping the CD collection onto the HTPC so we can enjoy some music while playing games or working in the kitchen. The CD collection is a decent size, then I will be adding to it any and all downloaded audio that we have saved up on my desktop and Jayme's iMac. This will give us a wide variety and hopefully set up streaming to a laptop in the garage while playing cards or having a drink and cigar. I'm really excited to finish this project as it is one that I can mark off my list. Tomorrow I will be stopping by Home Depot to pick up some more paint. I need at least two cans of blue, and one can of clear, maybe two just to feel safe. I also need to pick up a couple 1/4" metal screw on pipe clamps. I will be using these while converting my night stand into a charging station. I will be mounting the surge protector to the inside of the cabinet. A hole will be drilled to allow the plug to reach outside to the wall. My cell phone charger will be plugged in, with a hole just large enough for the plug to pass through near the top of the cabinet, near the top. THe pipe clamp will be installed to help ensure that the cable stays in place for when I go to charge it at night. I think that using a couple of my zip tie anchors to keep the cable organized inside the cabinet. This is a simple project that will help keep cables organized and keep wires off the ground and out of the reach of the cute puppies.

Star Trek is awesome. I started watching The Original Series. Sci-Fi is all it's 1966 glory. This is obviously a remastered HD version, but still sandboxed in the 4:3 aspect ratio. It is still a pretty damn good show and I'm glad that I am given the opportunity to experience this classic piece of Sci-Fi television.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Blue!

BLUE! After three coats. It is metallic, which can't be seen here.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Teaser Photos. [Update]

The first color has hit the Mac. I am liking the orange that I chose. It isn't too bright, but it isn't too dark at the same time. I feel that with the proper interior lighting, it will be a great looking case. Which is why I am rethinking the interior lighting. I am considering changing to a grouping of these Antec fans that are currently on sale. They have no LEDs in them. They are clear, tri-speed fans. The downside to the fans is that the 3 speed switch is located on the fans themselves. Which sucks. But I am also thinking of just keeping the stock Mac fans in the copmuter due to the fact that they are connected to the Logic Board which helps control the fans and the fan speed. Another reason for this is because there is little room in the case to run a clean wiring system. But another reason to go with the Antec fans is that they will offer better cooling. I can set a couple of the fans on the low setting, and the ones that blow the cold air over the CPU cooler to keep the CPUs cool on a medium and a high setting. I am also thinking of using the case's design to change the cooling patterns. The case provides three seperate chambers. I can use the seperate chambers to change the airflow in the lower or main compartment that houses the CPU. I can bring the cool air from the back of the case and direct it through the front of the case. But the fans that in the upper chambers I can change the air flow from front to back to bring the cool air over the GPU and HDDs. I think that this may be my plan of action.

As for the lighting, I am considering 4" Blue Cold Cathode Lights. I can use them to light up the interior. Maybe use some 12" lights if I can find a place to secure them. The advantage of the Blue LEDs is that they are bright and will light up the case better than the UV colored fans I was thinking of using. Also, I'm thinking about my costs to implement this plan. I am thinking of painting the fans to match the rest of the plastic pieces in the case. The plastic pieces will be painted Black with a special black plastic paint. This fits in better than the cold grey of the original color. Tomorrow will mark the beginning of the blue paint. I have decided to paint the outer shell with the metallic blue, inside and out. The part of the outer shell that resides on the inside of the case is covered with the Logic Board and and everything else inside. So this saves me the time and effort needed to find the areas that I need to mask off and paint orange vs. the areas that need to painted blue. But I'm looking forward to the blue and how it will contrast against the orange. I'm deciding if I should paint a few of the interior pieces blue as an accent color.

So for the very few readers out there, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think would be the better way to go.

Teaser Photos.