
In [Part 2](/posts/rancilio-silvia-part-2) of this series, we went over the restoration steps on my 14 year old Silvia that was in dire need of repair. Now that it's up and running, I moved on to some visual updates to freshen up its looks!

A quick reminder of how the Silvia looked before the paintwork:

![Silvia before](/assets/blog/rancilio-silvia-part-3/silvia-before.jpeg)


## Paint, wrap or powder coat?

When it comes to applying a different texture or color to a surface, there are a few options to consider. Spray painting is probably the cheapest and easiest, but requires some level of experience with spraying and wet sanding. The paint is also quite soft and will get damaged or scratched by the occasional sharp object. Vinyl wraps would probably last longer, but will need more manual labor, especially around those tight corners and bends. The most durable but probably the most expensive option would be to send the parts off to a paint shop and get them powder coated - I've seen a few Silvia's with a black powder coat finish and I have to say they looked awesome!

## Painting stainless steel

For practicality and cost concerns, I chose to go with spray painting. Painting stainless steel is tricky - you need a special primer (called etch primer) to make sure paint sticks to the smooth steel surface properly. I used automotive grade [Hycote etch primer](https://www.amazon.co.uk/HYCOTE-XUK433-Hycote-Primer-400ml/dp/B004SNDADO) and [Hycote matt black spray paint](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003MI0JOY/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) for all stainless steel surfaces.

Process was simple: 
- 3 coats of primer
- Wet sand with 600 grit sandpaper
- 3 coats of paint
- Wet sand with 600 grit sandpaper
- 2 coats of paint
- Leave for 24 hours to harden


## Stage 1: Control panel & group cover

I approached the project in stages as I waited for the right weather conditions. To start off, I painted the control panel only - while everything was disassembled, I also replaced the chrome group cover (which was peeling badly) with the updated black plastic one:

![Silvia control panel](/assets/blog/rancilio-silvia-part-3/silvia-1.jpeg)


## Stage 2: Splash panel

Next, I painted the vertical splash panel, and replaced the two standard screws with black ones for a more stealth look:

![Silvia splash panel](/assets/blog/rancilio-silvia-part-3/silvia-2.jpeg)


## Stage 3: Rear and top covers

Finally, I painted all other stainless steel surfaces except for the drip tray cover. I also replaced the standard screws with black ones for a more stealth look:

![Silvia final 1](/assets/blog/rancilio-silvia-part-3/silvia-3.jpeg)

![Silvia final 2](/assets/blog/rancilio-silvia-part-3/silvia-4.jpeg)

I think it all came out nicely, and matches the Niche Zero really well!


## Next up in Part 4

Next up, we start to add some smarts to the Silvia - a Wemos D1 Mini Pro tucked away underneath the water tank. Stay tuned! 


yetkin.io

Rancilio Silvia Part 3: Project Black