Circuit Board Wall Design

This Instructable is how to create a circuit board design on your wall. These walls are part of our new makerspace and is part of the renovation process. The building that our makerspace resides has been run down for over 7 years and with the help of volunteers, we have been able to transform it into an effective work space for makers!

Here's what you need:

MATERIALS:

QTY DESCRIPTION

A/R White paint

A/R Grey Paint

1 Can of chrome spray paint

A/R Painter's Tape

A/R Cardboard

A/R Spackling Compound if Needed

TOOLS:

QTY DESCRIPTION

1 Large Paint Roller

1 Small Paint Roller

1 Paint Brush

1 Mixing stick

1 Spackling Trough and Scraper if Needed

The makerspace walls required a lot of repairs before we could even try to paint. There was a lot of water damage so first we had to patch the leaks in the roof and then we had to patch the holes on the ceiling with sheet rock and spackling compound.

Once the repairs were done and we had somewhat of a smooth wall, we cleaned the walls with soapy water and a mop, and began painting.

First, we used rollers to roll the white paint on the walls and did a few coats.

Second, we rolled the white paint on the ceiling with a few coats and touched up any spots with a brush. We found that using the small roller helps with painting the edges and corners quickly.

Third, we used rollers and brushes to put grey paint on the trim with a few coats. The small roller can help with this process too.

Once the walls, ceiling and trim were complete, we were then ready to add the circuit board design to the wall.

The effect of the circuit board design is to give the illusion that the circuit traces are coming out of the trim.

First, place masking tape on the wall against the trim at a 45º angle with a small horizontal piece at the end. Make sure the width of the masking area is the same as the trim. In our case, the width was 3.5 inches.

Second, put a few coats of grey paint within the masking tape boundary. I found that a small roller helps to evenly paint the area and then touch up with a brush if needed.

Third, when the paint dries, pull the masking tape off. Cut a hole in a large piece of cardboard to create the solder joint stencil and catch any overspray from the chrome spray paint. Hold the stencil to the end of the trace and spray the chrome paint through the stencil.

Fourth, mask the part of the trim above the solder joint to look like there is a gap in the trace and paint that area with a few coats of white paint.

Fifth, when the paint dries, mask the area around the end of the trace to prevent overspray and use the stencil to spray another chrome circle at the end of the trace. I also masked a small portion underneath the solder joint part of the trim to spray chrome and cover up the white and grey boundary.

Sixth, use masking tape and a brush to clean up any overspray or crooked lines with the white or grey paint to finish the circuit board wall design.

Add more circuit traces along the wall as needed.

Congratulations you did it!