I was looking around Ace Hardware a few days ago, it's great for ideas, and found this stuff.
http://www.plastidip.com/
It's rubber in a can.
I thought it would be pretty cool if this stuff could coat an enclosure.
It does, and I like it.
(http://i.imgur.com/XrLjd.jpg)
The smooth part on the left is what you get by following the instructions and putting a thin and even coat on. The textured part on the right super easy to get. Just put way too much on at once.
If you don't like how it turns out, you can peel the coating off once it dries. There is no damage to the powder coat that I sprayed over.
(http://i.imgur.com/xjlsQ.jpg)
I put spray truck bed liner on one... super durable, but the lettering was difficult.
interesting, in your opinion, should you drill the enclosure before or after applying it?
I think drilling before sprayingon the rubber would be best.
The coating is thin enough so that you wouldn't have to change any hole sizes.
If you spray then drill, you might rip some of the coating up.
I'll coat a mysteriously extra base plate I have and give it a shot.
I did a bottom lid with Plastidip to give it some traction. One coat is pretty thin, but you can apply more coats. You just have to wait for it to fully dry before applying the next coat.
I was thinking yesterday that I'd like to do a rubber enclosure! Thanks for the heads up :)
What EVER you do.. Do NOT use that liquid electrical tape. That's the messiest crap ever tried to uses. I thought I could get a cool coating out of it.... Bad idea. :o
You can drill before or after the coating is put on.
WOrd of warning, WD40 will wreck the rubber coating.
I drilled the plate.
Applied the rubber coating.
Let it dry really good over a few days.
Drilled some new holes.
THe holes look fine before or after drilling. THe rubber coating doesn't get all ripped up or damaged in any way.
Then I sprayed the whole plate in WD-40, to help clean off all the metal shavings.
When I wiped the plate with a paper towel the rubber coating pretty much just melted away.