Bring New Life to Your Keyboard

In this tutorial I will show you how to paint your keyboard with a normal coat of paint and some detail word work (also how to disable your sleep button). This might take up to a week or weekend (did all of this over a weekend and a week because I lost one of the weekend days so painting was held up) so have another keyboard.

Cost: about $20 with tax (for paint and paint brush)



Also I'm not held accountable if anything happens to your keyboard such as your warranty voiding for the keyboard (which it will or I'm pretty sure it will)

Pictured:
-Any colour you want of Krylon Fusion paint for plastic (or any other bonding plastic paint Krylon's is just common and easy to find)
-Some sort of Clear coat (I picked Krylon Clear Glaze it allowed me every 1 coat it would be like 3)
-Detail work paint (I went with Delta`s white)
-Tape
-Pencil
-Paint brush (this one was too big so i went even smaller)
-Craft blade (and maybe an exacto knife if your craft knife is dull)
-Cutting Board (my mom's scrapbooking one did well :D)

Not Pictured:
-Word work paint brush
-Paper
-Decent sized cardboard to cover key holes
-possibly sandpaper (i used due to me messing up)
-Small Screwdriver

Draw a plan for your keyboard and try to put as much detail as possible also its a good idea to write where certain keys go such as scroll lock, prt screen, home, delete, pause break because they are different for almost every keyboard (or whole keyboard if you do not have another it use as a template)
Note:that i didn't have my keyboard here so i draw without reference but I knew my keyboard pretty well so I did my best.

Remove the keys with a screwdriver to start by pulling out one then pull out the rest in each section with your hands (safer). Also watch out for the keys with the metal bars under all longer keys have these to they stay level with the rest of the keyboard keep these bars and be careful not to break the connections under it (little plastic holds) its sometime hard to break them so don't worry. Also note that on some keyboards like mine have unremoveable keys. I put all the keys in a cup and put it somewhere safe.(Pictures 1&3)

Next flip it over and remove the screws with the screwdriver. My keyboard had 16 screws and two different sizes. I also Put these screws in a cup and into a safe place. (Pictures 2&3)

Flip it the right side up and remove the top (should come right of but be careful you may have missed a screw) (Picture 4)

Extra: Have a sleep key? want to disable that annoying thing? Just cut the little white board (or dark gray) piece that pushes down about half way down(were it gets smaller to bigger cut the smaller part off) with sissors. Make sure you pinpoint exactly where it is so you don't disable the wrong key. (Picture 4)

Mark were you are going to cut the cardboard to cover the keyholes. For each area do this. Make sure they are tight but not too tight . (I remade this after the first coat my cardboard cover was much better and without tape in the middle). Pizza boxes work very well tape pieces together if needed.

I'll keep it short and sweet
Cover your face and only spray outside, spray in quick little short squirts (same with clear), wait an hour in between coats with Krylon (except the clear wait 2 hours). I had up to 7 coats of red paint. and 6 coats of clear which i only sprayed 2. For detail paint slowly and if you mess up wipe off with an old damp towel, but I suggest practicing first. The first picture is after the second coat and the second picture is after the seventh coat. Third first coat of detail work. Fourth second clear coat

Put the frame back on, screw it in, pop the keys back in and you are finished your newly painted keyboard for about $20.