FAMOUS
03-21-2006, 12:05 AM
I want to see some shots of the n64 painted if anyone has got some? The reason is cause im gonna make my g-friend a special hot rod red n64 for her b-day, plus im gonna gloss black my whole 64 ,controller included. So i was just seeing what it looks like, cause i might do my DC too..
InsaneDavid
03-21-2006, 12:10 AM
Haven't painted one myself (lots of DC's though) but the thing you're going to need to worry most about is the grill.
FAMOUS
03-21-2006, 12:14 AM
Im most likely gonna take one apart and see if its easier that way, if not im just gonna mask it off "ports,plug inputs" About the grill that was the main reason for taking it apart ,wouldnt want to mess with the internals! Is the DC easy to take apart and put back together without wires getting tangle? same ? with n64.
FAMOUS
03-21-2006, 12:28 AM
Ok i just ran into my first problem, i flip the 64 over to see the screws and i was shocked that there not screws!! There some sort of rivet? is there a tool that i need or do i have a problem?
Neo Rasa
03-21-2006, 12:34 AM
Regardless, might want to use acrylic/vinyl dye instead of paint for maximum quality:
http://case-mods.linear1.org/im-high-on-vinyl-dye/
keiblerfan69
03-21-2006, 12:42 AM
Ok i just ran into my first problem, i flip the 64 over to see the screws and i was shocked that there not screws!! There some sort of rivet? is there a tool that i need or do i have a problem?
Yeah that would be the nintendo bolt. Its been on systems since the SNES. I am sure someone knows where you can get one.
FAMOUS
03-21-2006, 12:44 AM
nevermind about the tool i found one at http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/default.htm and ordered it already! Plus this site has some good stuff.. Thanks, but still looking for some nice pics of some 64's
InsaneDavid
03-21-2006, 12:45 AM
Im most likely gonna take one apart and see if its easier that way, if not im just gonna mask it off "ports,plug inputs" About the grill that was the main reason for taking it apart ,wouldnt want to mess with the internals! Is the DC easy to take apart and put back together without wires getting tangle? same ? with n64.
Of course you'll want to disassemble it, what I was saying is the way the grill is stamped out it's going to be difficult to coat properly unless you've painted consoles before, which runs into your next question...
Ok i just ran into my first problem, i flip the 64 over to see the screws and i was shocked that there not screws!! There some sort of rivet? is there a tool that i need or do i have a problem?
This question comes up a lot, I just posted the answer to the most recent concerning these screws so I've just copied it below, same type...
How do I go about opening a SNES cart?
You need to use a special bit to remove them, look around on eBay for a multitool kit similar to this one...
http://cyclictedium.blogspot.com/2004/03/review-ultimate-game-tools.html
That's a review I wrote of the toolkit I mainly use, make sure that it includes the bits to open what you need. Oh yeah, I've since found a use for the "tuning fork" bits, they open NES power adapters.
*continues reading in the other tab*
nevermind about the tool i found one at http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/default.htm and ordered it already! Plus this site has some good stuff.. Thanks, but still looking for some nice pics of some 64's
Should have waited 10 minutes for my post, could have gotten the tools to open pretty much everything you'll ever come across for around the same price.
FAMOUS
03-21-2006, 11:35 PM
Nobody has painted a 64 or any other console just for the hell of it? nobody??
I've never painted a console before, I tend to like the stock colors, but I'm weird. I am, however an art student (specializing in painting) and a former miniature/model painter so I think I might be able to offer some advice.
First, clean the plastic parts you're going to paint with warm soapy water, on new plastic this gets rid of the mold release agent that lets the manufacturer get the item out of the mold, this agent resists paint, on old plastic, it, well cleans the plastic, it's always good to start with a clean surface.
Second, and I cannot stress this enough, Prime the surfaces to be painted, buy some Krylon Spray Primer, they make it in a number of colors, though I find white works best (it's difficult to get bright colors to come out over a darker primer), Primer gives the paint something to adhere to, otherwise your beautiful paint job will eventually wear off, possibly with unsightly chipping, cracking, and flaking (sans primer the unsightly chipping may occur almost immediately once the paint dries), also masking if you prime the surface beforehand any areas you mask won't be peeled up when you remove the tape. Don't think you can cheap out and just buy some dollar store white spray paint, this is NOT primer, and it will give most unsightly results (and if you mask an area, you'll find your paint peeling up with the masking tape).
Third, I recommend, that other than spray primer and spray paint, you not use enamel or oil based paint on your console, if you need to clean an area off, paint thinner will likely eat away at the plastic of the shell as well as taking the paint off, also you need to use enamels and other spirit or oil based paints in a well ventilated area, and that's just a pain in the ass, and oil paints take forever to dry (many enamels do too), spray paint takes between 15 minutes and an hour to dry, and acrylic, is generally dry within an hour or two, though given the non-absorbent nature of your substrate (plastic) it may take longer. Which leads me directly to reccommending acrylic for any actual paint job (or spray paint, you can do much with spray paint, with often beautiful results), don't buy cheap wal mart craft paint, it doesn't last, and it has other problems (like having too high a water to pigment ratio) which means you're basically just buying colored water with some binders in it. If you use cheap paint you will only get cheap results, however, not everyone wants to spend 10 dollars for a four ounce jar of artist's acrylic (tho if you do get golden acrylics, the company was founded by the inventor of acrylic paint)
So what kinds of acrylic would I reccommend? I've heard that testors makes a fairly decent line of model acrylics (they also do model enamels) and they also make a really cheap airbrush that might be helpful in such a situation as painting a console system. I know that Games Workshop/Citadel paints are of fairly decent quality, however they are quite expensive, especially when you consider that they are just watered down versions of Winsor and Newton Galleria (student grade) artist's acrylic paint, which is actually the paint I might suggest for this kinda project (cheap, but not horrible). Reaper Miniatures also has a good line of acrylics (for models and metal miniatures). And if you want a nice fluid paint, you might just try interior latex housepaint, unfortunately even the smallest cans will run about 4 bucks each, and leave you with lots of paint left over.
Fourth, Brushes. If you're not going to just use spray paint or an airbrush you will need some brushes, here, you can go buy cheap walmart brushes and it won't hurt you too much, since you will likely not want to betray the nature of the painted surface (ie: you don't want brush marks to show), you might want to use foam sponge -like brushes, these should, leave very few if any marks in the paint. You might also want a teeny tiny brush if you're going to do any detailing (flames, racing stripes, naked ladies like on the side of WW2 era fighter planes, etc).
Fifth, painting. You should have a clear idea of what you're going to do before you start, it'll make the whole process easier. If you mask any areas, use painter's masking tape, or even better Artists' tape (it's like masking tape but it is less likely to peel your paint up with it when you get rid of it). It's way easier to paint straight lines by masking an area off and painting the edges of the tape, be careful, your paint may bleed a lot through the tape if you use a lot of it, there are tricks but they require spending more money on gel medium or clear paint to coat the tape to prevent the bleed.
Finally, finishing. When you're all done, and you marvel at the cromulence of your work and you say "Wow, that looks awesome, I want it to last forever", well now it's time to ensure that your work will be around to embiggen even the smallest man for ages to come. Get some clear coat spray, either Permanent fixative (krylon makes a good one) which is what artists use to ensure that chalk drawings dont shed dust forever or some clear coat spray from a hobby shop or the paint aisle of your local box home improvement store. they come in either matte or gloss, I have always preffered a matte spray to gloss, but you might have some other aesthetic, so the choice is up to you, matte spray may have to be re-applied if your consoles get excessive handling (as in you touch it with your hands a lot, not just powering it up, like...fondling it, which I am doubtful that anyone fondles their consoles, but whatt do I know). Also note that if you just used spray paint, the top clear coat will be largely unneccesary, unless you just want to matte or gloss the paint job some more when you're done, also note, the gloss coat will lose it's luster and become more of a matte if you...handle the console excessively (again, it's a console fondling issue).
Hope this helps, and isn't excessively long winded or off-topic. Also note the last paragraph has two simpsons references (from the same episode) see if you can find them. :)
And before I forget, clean up notes: Oil based paint is cleaned with mineral spirits or paint thinner, either of which also usually melt plastic. Acrylic paint while wet can be cleaned with water (may require warm water), after it dries you need to use acetone (which will likely melt plastic), or since that is not usually readily available, nail polish remover (which again, may melt plastic), isopropyl alcohol of 91% or higher (the same that you clean cartridges with) also takes acrylic paint off of non-porous surfaces (and doesnt as far as I know, melt plastic) with a little elbow grease. Spray paint can be taken off your skin with some mineral spirits (tho that is not a great idea) you might be able to take it off your skin with soap that contains lava dust or sand. Spray paint does not come off most other surfaces with spirits, you need denatured alcohol (which I have no idea if it will melt plastic). Furthermore, note that clothing, especially denim is more akin to canvas than most other surfaces, and thus takes readily to paint stains, you should paint in crappy clothes, or use a smock or apron, if you get some paint on a treasured item of clothing, it will likely never come off (you can try with soap and water immediately, but, it's prolly there forever)
InsaneDavid
03-22-2006, 02:43 AM
Primer gives the paint something to adhere to, otherwise your beautiful paint job will eventually wear off, possibly with unsightly chipping, cracking, and flaking (sans primer the unsightly chipping may occur almost immediately once the paint dries), also masking if you prime the surface beforehand any areas you mask won't be peeled up when you remove the tape.
Krylon Fusion paints for plastic pretty much did away with this step for console mods.
Get some clear coat spray, either Permanent fixative (krylon makes a good one) which is what artists use to ensure that chalk drawings dont shed dust forever or some clear coat spray from a hobby shop or the paint aisle of your local box home improvement store.
Krylon Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze (gloss) is indispensable for console mods, especially concerning controllers (where most of the previous advice goes out the window due to heavy handling and paint stress). PRACTICE with the hardcoat, it's realy easy to get overzealous and botch your whole paint mod during this LAST step. With the Fusion paints this is less of an issue since they chemically bond with the plastic, but I'd still hardcoat any peripherals.
Although this leaves out the MOST IMPORTANT PART concerning spray paints, wear a spray-chemical-filter ventilator mask - drop the $20 on one, don't use a cheap fiber coverup mask. You don't want to breathe in the contents of a can of spray paint, no matter how much ventilation you have, you need to wear a mask.
Here are some of my paint mods, haven't done one in a long time though...
http://www.startoursinfo.com/junk/PaintModdedConsoles01.jpg
Hmm, I never even considered painting the controllers, so yeah, I guess you do heavily fondle at least part of a console. Wish that Krylon Fusion paint had been around when I was still into models...and I never even thought of a breath mask, I always use spray paint outside, or directly underneath a ventilation hood. But you're totally right, you do not want to inhale the propellant in spray paint (which I believe is composed partially of butane), I mean, come on, that stuff is known to the state of california to contain a chemical that causes cancer (what makes cali so special that only they know it causes cancer I've always wondered). And I guess it goes without saying (but humans have been known to do stupid things), don't smoke while using spray paint, it's flammable (and explosive).
Oh and you might want to wear gloves with spray paint, you will almost certainly get spray paint on your hands, no matter what you do. Medical exam gloves work better than dishwashing gloves, cause you can feel thru the gloves. And maybe a set of safety glasses, in case you have a really bad accident (like not realizing which way the nozzle is pointed, which I havent done...yet). Also, turn spray cans upside down and spray for a second before you spray your surface, this will eject any paint that is clogging the tip (otherwise that first spray may be "lumpy") and do it again when you're done to maintain a clean nozzle. Also you can buy specialized nozzles for spray cans that change the shape of the spray which might aid doing some kinda crazy design.