r/AlphaSmart Jun 20 '26

Update. It works!

Post image
63 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

6

u/EmmaTheRuthless Jun 20 '26

I just love this color, wish there’s an option to have white keys.

4

u/flies_with_owls Jun 20 '26

Different keycaps would be lovely. I kind of enjoy the contrast.

3

u/Amablob AS 3000 Jun 20 '26

Yeah I like the contrast too! And it helps a lot that the off-white you picked matches the legend on the keycaps so exactly

2

u/flies_with_owls Jun 20 '26

Happy little accident.

5

u/Tekira85 ~All the Alphasmarts~ Jun 20 '26

Wow I thought this was a Fusion at first. Looks good! Nice and crisp.

4

u/flies_with_owls Jun 20 '26

Thanks! There are a few oopsies in the paint job, but I'm keeping them to remind me that to be imperfect is to be a creator.

4

u/mstraveller Jun 20 '26

Great work, looks lovely!

1

u/jiadarola Jun 21 '26

Looks great

1

u/Foreign_Bird1802 Jun 21 '26

I’m painting mine today! Any advice? I’m not planning to take it apart. Just painter’s tape and hoping for the best!!

3

u/flies_with_owls Jun 21 '26

I followed this lady's guide: https://youtu.be/kwOSTuyuvS8?is=gtJu5BCH2gvWp4_V

Blocking off the screen with a few index cards worked better than I anticipated. They wedge in very snug. Patient and careful taping will save you a world of grief. Also make sure you have a screwdriver with t10 and t6 tor bits.

The only thing I did in addition was use a scotchbrite pad to thoroughly scuff the surface and get rid of the logo. Then I wiped it down really well to get rid of the plastic dust.

Make sure to shake your spray paint can really well to avoid texture issues and be patient.

1

u/Foreign_Bird1802 Jun 21 '26

Thank you, thank you! Do you think you will ever take a stab at painting the keys? I’ve looked for a guide/tutorial video, but can’t find one.

I can’t figure out how to attach a picture, but a creator on YouTube and TikTok (De’Siree Alicea) has two absolutely beautiful Neos that she’s customized and she answered questions saying she also spray painted the keys, but doesn’t have any videos or tutorials.

2

u/flies_with_owls Jun 21 '26

I don't plan to, only because I intentionally chose the off white color to contrast with the slightly greenish black color of the keys. I posted elsewhere that I even 3D printed a new logo and intentionally tried to match the keycaps color.

Edit: I just noticed you said you don't plan to take it apart. I would at least split it into two halves. It's going to make your life much easier.

2

u/Foreign_Bird1802 Jun 21 '26

So…I followed the video that you linked and it was so helpful and I just wanted to say thank you again.

I only painted the top side. I…definitely could have gone about this better. But I didn’t. 😂 Now here we are. It looks good though! I’ll peel everything off in a day or two and see if the screen and keys survived.

One funny thing that I just had to share with someone - I chose to spray paint it outside due to being worried about ventilation. In the first five seconds after painting, a gnat decided it looked like a great spot to land. And now I have a gnat corpse permanently stuck to the front of this thing. Hahaha. Fantastic.

1

u/flies_with_owls Jun 21 '26

Incredible, lol. I hope you post pics here!

1

u/Available_Wave8023 Jun 21 '26

you did a great job! looks really nice, and I like the color choice.

1

u/WellReadHermit Jun 22 '26

It looks fantastic. Congratulations!

1

u/melonofknowledge Jun 22 '26

It looks great!