Pictures!

[dano12]

I use white gloss sticker paper.

What brand?

It is the Office Depot house brand. It is called something like "Gloss Inkjet Sticker Paper" and the base color is white. I looked on their site and couldn't find it listed, but I buy it all the time at their store.

[B Tremblay]

OK, thanks.  And what's your clear coat process?  Is that on your site?

[debutvm]

Do you simply put onthe sticker and paint some clear coats on?

[dano12]

I've tried every spray can clear coat I could find, they all sucked. Probably my technique. Messed around with decals and paint pens also. Poor results.

I'm also very impatient--if an enclosure takes more than a day, I get grumpy. All of these factors have led to the Beavis box-in-a-day formula:

Box painting
1. Paint with Rustoleum spray can. Couple of light coats
2. Straight into the oven, 150 F for 30 minutes
3. Let cool for about 10 minutes
4. Another final coat
5. Back in the oven 150 F for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool

Graphics and finishing
1. Print the graphic on white gloss sticker paper on an inkjet printer.
2. Let it dry for ten minutes. Stick it on the box.
3. Clear coat the entire box, label and all, with Minwax Clear Gloss Polyurethane out of a can using a 1" paintbrush.
4. Immediately throw it in the toaster oven at 150 F for 30 minutes
5. Take it out, see if it is still tacky. If so immediately bake for another 30 minutes.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 until you've got a nice thick glossy coat.
7. By now it is usually dry and ready to work.
8. Cover the enclosure with blue painters tape to protect the finish/label
9. Populate the the box.
10. Remove the blue tape.
11. Wipe down the box with slightly damp paper towels to remove grease and oils
12. 2-3 coats of Carnuba car wax, buff until you're happy

Note that the poly will slightly permeate the label using this process. White's will become slightly "aged" looking. Overall the effect is very nice.

The best part is that is simple, repeatable, and you can turn around a box in a single day.

Hope that helps.

[bdevlin]

DO you think you can apply the Minwax Polyurethane over labels that already have a bit of clear coat sprayed over them?  I am in the process of trying to clear coat and I don't like the progress.

[dano12]

DO you think you can apply the Minwax Polyurethane over labels that already have a bit of clear coat sprayed over them?  I am in the process of trying to clear coat and I don't like the progress.

I think that would be a good way to avoid leak-through of the brushed on poly. A coat or two of acrylic clear coat before brushing might do that.

Another tip: If the label you print is predominantly black ink, you can hide the white edge where you cut it with a simple trick: run the side of a black sharpie (permanent marker) along the edge and it completely covers up the white edge of the label.

[bdevlin]

Another tip: If the label you print is predominantly black ink, you can hide the white edge where you cut it with a simple trick: run the side of a black sharpie (permanent marker) along the edge and it completely covers up the white edge of the label.

I saying this while breaking my arm patting myself on the back....I am way ahead of you.  I just got back from Goodwill with my $5 toaster oven in hand

[dano12]

Another tip: If the label you print is predominantly black ink, you can hide the white edge where you cut it with a simple trick: run the side of a black sharpie (permanent marker) along the edge and it completely covers up the white edge of the label.

I saying this while breaking my arm patting myself on the back....I am way ahead of you.  I just got back from Goodwill with my $5 toaster oven in hand

Good job!

It's been said many times on this board (including by R.G. who by all accounts invented the pedal-baking toaster oven concept):

Do not use your wife's toaster oven or any other kitchen oven for cooking pedals. The fumes let off will bake on to the interior of the oven, thereby potentially resulting in toxic food.

[Barcode80]

I haven't tried it yet, but in theory I think if you clearcoated the label before applying, then apply it, mask it off with blue painter's tape, THEN paint, you could build up a sizeablearea around the label with successive paint coats so that the label is flush with the surface. this would require some meticulous masking, but it may be worth trying. i might do so...

[dano12]

I haven't tried it yet, but in theory I think if you clearcoated the label before applying, then apply it, mask it off with blue painter's tape, THEN paint, you could build up a sizeablearea around the label with successive paint coats so that the label is flush with the surface. this would require some meticulous masking, but it may be worth trying. i might do so...

You might be able to accomplish the same general effect with a large number of poly coats.

Regardless, that sounds like way too much work for me After all, my goal is to complete a box in a day or less.

[KaptenSpark]

It's a Big Muff!

[coffyrock]

It's a Big Muff!

really? 

[KaptenSpark]

really? 

Indeed it is! Doesn't it show? 

[mojotron]

I've tried every spray can clear coat I could find, they all sucked. Probably my technique. Messed around with decals and paint pens also. Poor results.
I'm also very impatient--if an enclosure takes more than a day, I get grumpy. All of these factors have led to the Beavis box-in-a-day formula:
...
Note that the poly will slightly permeate the label using this process. White's will become slightly "aged" looking. Overall the effect is very nice.
The best part is that is simple, repeatable, and you can turn around a box in a single day.
Hope that helps.

I used kind-of the same process (see page #2 of this thread) in some of my later experiments - I finally settled on minwax spray cans over just about anything underneath.

I had one observation doing this, if you bake slower at about 100 degrees you get less of an 'aged' look with the min-wax urethane. Now, that could be because of me using the spray can (vs. brush). The other thought I had was that if one had a gallon can of that stuff you could actually dip than hang it - but that's just a an option - I bet brushing (with baking) is just as good.

Is your final finish close to as durable as powder coating? My experience has been that the primer is everything, but the urethane is about the toughest thing I have tried - short of power.

[dano12]

Is your final finish close to as durable as powder coating? My experience has been that the primer is everything, but the urethane is about the toughest thing I have tried - short of power.

Three coats of brushed and baked poly is pretty durable. I haven't had any cracks or chips yet.

[jlullo]

i finished my first build!

Tonepad Tubescreamer

,

[sfr]

jlullo  - 
    That's a funky looking LED bezel - where'd you get that?  (Perhaps it's just the photography that's throwing me off)

[Barcode80]

it looks like the screw in metal bezels you can get at radioshack or pedalpartsplus

[jlullo]

sfr, that's the one from smallbear.  i bought a bag of the ones from radio shack, but they were a touch too small for the hole!

[markm]

The RS bezels are pretty good actually.
I've used them a bunch of times myself.