I'm thinking about vinyl-dying a stencil on the top of my Eee PC. Is there any reason to disassemble it, or should I be okay with simply covering everything that I don't want to paint? I have this (probably stupid) fear that the vinyl dye will seep through and ruin my LCD or something...
The main ingredient in vinyl dye is acetone. This is what allows the pigment to penetrate a petroleum-based plastic and change its color. It is not paint and is in fact significantly more toxic than anything that might otherwise come in a spray can. When you use vinyl dye you should do everything possible to minimize collateral damage to components and to dissipate vapor from the dyed surface for several hours afterwards. I would disassemble the case and dye only the part you intend to modify, in your place.
If you use a sponge brush, and do thin coats, you can probably get away without taking it apart. The EEEpc top is so easy to remove, so I would remove it anyway. Remember to do a test, as it may curdle the smooth surface.
^My #1 concern is that the dye would seep through and damage the LCD. If that's not a possibility then I could definitely get away with keeping the whole thing in one piece, I'd just mask the hell out of it. I'd really rather not take it apart, but I'm stubborn and have to paint everything that I own, so whatever has the possibility of doing the least damage is the path I'm going to take. That's already been done... I probably should go see a doctor sometime soon. I've been having frequent nosebleeds since December, although it is definitely not paint-related.. Thanks for the reminder though. I paint enough to warrant purchasing a decent mask.
Well, stop thinking dirty thoughts about your neighbor's teenage daughter. This has been a joke you won't get unless you watch a lot of anime. We now return to our regularly scheduled program.
