Modifying SteelBooks

Feb 17, 2010
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Share how you modify your Steelbooks here.

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Hey @Wreck - quick question on Modifying Steels- I'm trying to spray paint a gloss finish on a steelbook, but try as I might- I can't get an even coat on a steelbook without there being some sort of "speckle" coming out of the spray paint can and looking like dust fell on the steelbook when it was drying. Any advice?
 
Hey @Wreck - quick question on Modifying Steels- I'm trying to spray paint a gloss finish on a steelbook, but try as I might- I can't get an even coat on a steelbook without there being some sort of "speckle" coming out of the spray paint can and looking like dust fell on the steelbook when it was drying. Any advice?

Couple rules. Never use a can with say less than 20% it’ll spray out in a spurt at some point and ruin what you are doing. Hold spray far away making waving like passes. If not looking good decrease distance. Keep getting closer as need be but smart to start far away.
 
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Hey @Wreck - quick question on Modifying Steels- I'm trying to spray paint a gloss finish on a steelbook, but try as I might- I can't get an even coat on a steelbook without there being some sort of "speckle" coming out of the spray paint can and looking like dust fell on the steelbook when it was drying. Any advice?

Remember not to spray paint during high humidity hence bubbles will be hard to avoid. I usually do it when it is 70 F outside and not too windy.
 
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Great info all, and lots of sweet customs!

I'm fairly new to customs, as I've only done one inlay custom. I'm looking to get printable magnets and customize front/back/spine magnets for my MCU Infinity Saga bonus discs (x4)

Which program should I use for outer template? GIMP or Photoshop elements? Tia for advice : )
 
Great info all, and lots of sweet customs!

I'm fairly new to customs, as I've only done one inlay custom. I'm looking to get printable magnets and customize front/back/spine magnets for my MCU Infinity Saga bonus discs (x4)

Which program should I use for outer template? GIMP or Photoshop elements? Tia for advice : )
Well if you want to spend the money I believe Photoshop can bought for $10 a month through Creative Cloud, it's much more powerful and feature rich than Gimp is. On the other hand if spending $10 a month is not your thing then Gimp will work just as well.
 
Well if you want to spend the money I believe Photoshop can bought for $10 a month through Creative Cloud, it's much more powerful and feature rich than Gimp is. On the other hand if spending $10 a month is not your thing then Gimp will work just as well.
Cool : ) Will try GIMP first, but thanks for the advice on photoshop monthly!
 
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I have been talking to a bunch of people who make their
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own steel book and say I should be using vinyl stickers for the outside as they are much better quality than using waterslide, I had just hit a snag though as you can see this weird marking happens when I put a clear enamel coat on it I was hoping someone knew what to do
 
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I made custom interior artwork for The Matrix and noticed this minor problem of the glue residue turning yellowish on the spine. Anyone have any recommendations on how to perfect custom interior artwork?

I am also having a very difficult time printing the artwork at the correct size using the templates in this thread and GIMP... Any tips would be appreciated.
 
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I made custom interior artwork for The Matrix and noticed this minor problem of the glue residue turning yellowish on the spine. Anyone have any recommendations on how to perfect custom interior artwork?

I am also having a very difficult time printing the artwork at the correct size using the templates in this thread and GIMP... Any tips would be appreciated.
When it's caused of an reaction of the glue with the plastic I would seal the plastic with nail polish or any clear lacquer. But there's no guarantee that this works.
 
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View attachment 468929View attachment 468930


I made custom interior artwork for The Matrix and noticed this minor problem of the glue residue turning yellowish on the spine. Anyone have any recommendations on how to perfect custom interior artwork?

I am also having a very difficult time printing the artwork at the correct size using the templates in this thread and GIMP... Any tips would be appreciated.
When I was doing mine I would use double sided permanent Scotch tape to place the spine back on with center artwork underneath it. It's completely clear and I had no discoloration at all and even today still no discoloration and I did mine years ago. Of course you have to remove that old glue first which can be a real PITA but can be done with heat. I used a heat gun on mine.
 
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When I was doing mine I would use double sided permanent Scotch tape to place the spine back on with center artwork underneath it. It's completely clear and I had no discoloration at all and even today still no discoloration and I did mine years ago. Of course you have to remove that old glue first which can be a real PITA but can be done with heat. I used a heat gun on mine.

I used a heat gun as well but I'm not sure if this residue is due to old glue or the "clear" glue I used is reacting to the old residue or something. Either way, this was my first attempt.

I still can't find a consistent way of printing the templates correct to size.
 
I used a heat gun as well but I'm not sure if this residue is due to old glue or the "clear" glue I used is reacting to the old residue or something. Either way, this was my first attempt.

I still can't find a consistent way of printing the templates correct to size.
Maybe it is the best to set all dimensions by your own to the vector graphic tool, so you don't need to find the correct ratio.
 
I used a heat gun as well but I'm not sure if this residue is due to old glue or the "clear" glue I used is reacting to the old residue or something. Either way, this was my first attempt.

I still can't find a consistent way of printing the templates correct to size.
You might try this template, it's the one I used when I was doing mine.

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