[time-nuts] OT: Hewlett Packard paint codes

Jack Hudler jack at hudler.org
Tue Dec 25 21:24:42 UTC 2007


Way off topic:

 

I know we have a few Ex-HP employee's here, so this is a long shot.

But I would like to know the what paint was used by HP and there color
values or codes. I know they vary slightly from one lot/day/month/year to
the next.

The reason I ask is, I'm completely redoing a couple pieces of my HP gear. 

Managed to get a great match on the background, sort of an off white
greenish tint (light puke pea green my wife calls it), but the darker one
are eluding me and I suck at color matching. 

 

I'm replacing the panels by scanning in an image and then creating a whole
new one in Photoshop.

I then paint a Hard-Temper Aluminum Foil .003" (McMaster Carr 9012K27) with
the background color (2 part urethane automotive paint).

Then I color sand (err remove all the imperfections) and cover the painted
surface with inkAID (Clear Gloss Precoat II see www.inkaid.com).

Put it in my inkjet printer and viola! A new front panel!

I then cover the panel with a 2 part urethane clear (baked in the oven)
which is then epoxied onto the old damaged one.

All that remains is to cut out the holes with sharp X-Acto knife and
reassemble.

 

However, the whole process of matching colors from scanner to screen to
inkjet (overlaid on a tinted background) really is total guess work without
a calibrated color source and colorimeter to verify the results. This is the
reason for my request.

 

All in all it's a pretty easy process! You don't have to use the two part
urethane stuff, any oil based acrylic will do nicely. 

Like the two part stuff because it very very hard and durable! Cures fast in
an oven! Not to mention you can lay on quite a few coats and then flat sand
and polish to a mirror surface.

(Note: The two part urethanes need a respirator and a good spray booth)

The results are better than new. I even enlarge the text and numbers
slightly for my aging eyes!

 

 

Jack

 

Links: inkAID:  http://www.inkaid1.com/Products/Gloss%20II.html

           Foil: http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?pagetype=fasttrk
<http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?pagetype=fasttrk&search=9012K27&resul
tsContext=ITMLOOKUP&resultsQueryStr=searchstring%3D9012k27%26tab%3Dfind%26Fa
stTrack%3DTrue%26ftctlgpg%3D%26FlCntxt%3Dfindtab>
&search=9012K27&resultsContext=ITMLOOKUP&resultsQueryStr=searchstring%3D9012
k27%26tab%3Dfind%26FastTrack%3DTrue%26ftctlgpg%3D%26FlCntxt%3Dfindtab

 




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