I wrote this response to a private message and I figured I'd share it with anybody else who'd might like to take the plunge. The following is a basic outline of what's involved to paint your iBook right:
You'll need some special tools - torx #8 and 10 I believe. I bought a toolkit from " The Source" (RadioShack) - 30 Piece Electro Screwdriver Set - it has all the pieces you need ($14)
Instructions for disassemble I got here - easy to follow walkthrough:
http://www.pbfixit.com/Guide/50.0.0.html
I did not remove the LCD from the base because I didn't want to fiddle with the wires or hinges.
For painting instructions I took hints from this site:
http://www.macmerc.com/articles/Road..._Wednesday/143
Basically what you need is 2 or 3 bottles of Isopropanol 99% Isopropyl Alchohol (Shoppers $4 each), a hard toothbrush (I bought a new one), steel wool, paper towels, clean rags and a pan that will fit the covers and have a .5 to 1 inch lip. Oh, and bring your muscles because this is not a quick job, expect 2-3 hours of scrubbing to get the white paint off for each panel. It takes time but it you do it right you won't be disappointed with the results.
After you get the LCD cover off or the base cover or both you start with this ... lay the cover in the pan and cover in alchohol - not a lot - just enough to cover the paint and let it soak in for at least 20 minutes, adding more alcohol as needed as it will evaporate more or less depending on the temperature. Scratch the paint with your finger nail if it's soft it ready to scrub - so scrub away with your toothbrush. And scrub you will - occasionally refreshing the alchohol to remove the scrubbed paint. If the paint is hard repeat step one and wait. Each panel should take a couple of hours or more to do right. I found the corners and latch areas are the hardest to get clean. Once you think most or all the paint is off, then using your clean rag scrub with alchohol to make sure all traces of paint are gone.
If you leave any white paint it will show when you paint it the new colour. In tough places I actually used steel wool to help in the scrubbing - I don't recommend this method because if you are not painting with an opaque paint the steel wool will leave very visable marks on the plastic.
To paint you need to know two things - one is not to rush the job and two is to paint it right.
First, using blue painters masking tape - mask everything that will not be painted (remember you are painting on the inside). Take your time and do the masks properly including all outside surfaces and plug all screw holes so paint doesn't drip through to the outside surfaces.
For paint, ask for a paint that will adhere well to plastic surfaces - stay away from oil-based paints. If you are going to paint with an opaque paint then add a "tooth" to the plastic by using the steel wool - these marks will be hidden by the paint but will help the paint adhere to the plastic better. I used Crown Speckle Stone and the special sealer spray to get the colour that I was looking for. Paint in layers not in one thick coat. I painted the covers with 4-5 coats each allowing for an hour minimum drying time between each thin coat.
Once you are happy with the results, remove the masks and reassemble your iBook. The only thing that I haven't done yet and I do plan to, it to polish the plastic with ice-creame to remove the scratches and wear marks of years of use.
Remember, take your time and don't rush this. I spent about 15 hours over 4 days doing this, this project is not an afternoon or even a weekend project to do right.
Anyways, after reading what is really involved and you still want to do it - go for it - you won't be disappointed in the results.
Linear Mode
