NES Legend of Zelda Cart Restoring

[StephPlusPlus]

(Hopefully, I didn't overlook some sort of rule that I had to introduce myself somewhere... or something.)

Hello, all! I recently bought my first non-portable console, an NES. I bought some games, which included Legend of Zelda, since I had it from the Classic NES Series on GBA and loved it. Something about it bothered me, though. There was so much wear in the paint!

This seems like a common occurrence with gold-painted carts, and I really wanted to have a nice, fresh looking gold cart. After some research, this is what I decided to do...

Since the label is damaged anyway, I'm going to strip everything off the cart with Goo Gone. (Good stuff, let me tell you!) This should remove the paint and the sticker residue.

For the next part, I'll need to paint the cart. I was thinking to use vinyl dye, since regular paint will chip. However, if I can find a good product that will stay on, I may give it a go. A problem with the vinyl dye idea is, I can't find any real metallic colors.
(For those that don't know, vinyl dye is used to color plastics. It actually bonds with the plastic. Not to be confused with a coating.)

The final part is the label. I already have 4" * 3.3" labels. To make the gloss, I am planning to get extra wide (3") clear packing tape to cover the label and carefully cut it out. Perhaps I could reinforce the label using a very thin layer of super glue, but I'll have to see. (Especially for where the label bends for the end label part.)

So, my little hang-ups are...
- What type of paint/dye do I use for this project? Any personal experiences?
- Will my label idea work? Anyone who has made repros, what do you do for your labels?
- Does anyone have any pointers or warnings for me? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks.

[CFFJR]

Welcome to the forums!

The vinyl dye idea is a good one, but as you said, I've never seen metallic colors for that.

The general recommendation is to get yourself some Krylon Fusion. Its a spray paint made for plastics, and it makes for a paintjob that's very true to the original if you do it well. I've found it at Wal-Mart before, so its easy to get.

As for the label, I believe Ziggy587 (a member here) has tried something like what you're describing before, though I don't recall if he was pleased with the result or not. Either way, I point you to him. His labels look and feel just like the real deal, so whatever his process is, its the best.

Good luck with your project, and be sure to post some pictures for us when you're finished.

[deathsled]

this exact thread is already floating around somewhere with tons of good advice

[CRTGAMER]

Welcome, I found the a recent post with information using the Search function.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 81#p419081

[StephPlusPlus]

Welcome, I found the a recent post with information using the Search function.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 81#p419081

Derp. I remember seeing that about 2 weeks ago. Forgot it was here! Thanks.

So, judging by the above posted thread, and suggestions here, for the paint job, I have a few options:
- Get Krylon Fusion
- Primer for plastic, then gold spray paint, and possibly a clear coat on top for protection
- Gold automobile paint, with a clear coat on top
and then there's this, but I don't quite understand it.

I know a little (very little) about this thanks to also being a fan of vintage Transformers toys, which often lose the silver and gold chromed finish from various parts. Take the shell apart and strip all the paint off like people have said...

...but gold paint you can buy in a store *won't* cut it. You need to look for a fabrication shop can vacuum plate the two halves of the plastic shell with a chrome finish (it won't be very cheap). Then use a glossy transparent yellow paint (not gold!) on top of the chrome. That should give the effect you are looking for.

I guess what I would be most careful with is the label. Not sure how best to handle that part.

Since I already made this thread, I suppose I'll keep this one up, and I can give updates/pictures of my progress.

And I'll be on the hunt for tips on getting the right label, too!

[flamepanther]

Regarding my post:

Using spray-on paints may give a gold finish you are happy with. If so, it's not worth worrying about what I posted. However, you may notice that it will be slightly dull, grainy, or frosted in comparison to the original gold finish of the cartridge. If that bothers you, then I'll try again to explain.

Plastic objects can be "vacuum metallized" with a thin chrome coating to give a perfect mirror-like finish. If you've ever seen plastic objects that look like real metal, this is what was done to them. This is usually done by specialty shops that make reproduction parts for older cars, as it requires large, very expensive machinery. Many of these shops will let you pay to metallize any plastic object you might want, but you will need to search locally.

Vacuum plating will restore the original mirror-like shine, but it will be silver. To turn it gold, you need to coat the silver finish with transparent yellow paint. I hope this makes more sense now.

[CFFJR]

And I'll be on the hunt for tips on getting the right label, too!

Like I said, find Ziggy and ask him. He did a lot of experimenting with that and knows what he's doing.

[mjmjr25]

Keep in mind, gold NES zelda carts are extremely common and not too expensive, maybe $5 tops, which is on the high end. You'll probably spend more on the paint and label than what a good condition cart would cost.

It's good experience to mess around and all - but if the ultimate goal is a real nice looking cart, you should easily be able to find an original.

In regard to painted anything - keep in mind, almost ALWAYS they look awesome in pictures, but not as nice in the flesh - imo anyways, and i've used krylon fusion, high end car paints and other stuff. A number of things can go wrong - if the plastic isn't made to grab the paint (ie, sanded lightly) it will chip off easily. Too few coats results in bare spots, too many coats results in "buildup" preventing the buttons to depress, or in this case, the cart scraping the cart-bay, fingerprints, etc and etc.

[StephPlusPlus]

Keep in mind, gold NES zelda carts are extremely common and not too expensive, maybe $5 tops, which is on the high end. You'll probably spend more on the paint and label than what a good condition cart would cost.

It's good experience to mess around and all - but if the ultimate goal is a real nice looking cart, you should easily be able to find an original.

In regard to painted anything - keep in mind, almost ALWAYS they look awesome in pictures, but not as nice in the flesh - imo anyways, and i've used krylon fusion, high end car paints and other stuff. A number of things can go wrong - if the plastic isn't made to grab the paint (ie, sanded lightly) it will chip off easily. Too few coats results in bare spots, too many coats results in "buildup" preventing the buttons to depress, or in this case, the cart scraping the cart-bay, fingerprints, etc and etc.

Yes, I do realize this. I do have another Zelda cart in good condition. I'm mostly doing it because, admittedly, I think it would be fun to do. If I mess it up, so what? I would have a good time with the whole thing! (And having a cautionary tale for other like-minded people.)

And, I will keep that in mind. With the coating problem, however, that shouldn't be a problem with vinyl dye. (Though I won't get that, because I can't find any of the metallic sort.) I don't really think Krylon Fusion is a true vinyl dye, and is rather a very good coating for plastics. Tangent on that below.

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According to the Krylon website, the paint becomes "chip resistant after 7 days". I don't think true vinyl dye will ever chip, since it really does become part of the plastic. The "bonding" Krylon claims could just be the product sticking very well. If I'm wrong, someone please educate me on the matter.

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Painting is not as easy as it seems, which is a good reason why I will do my best take my time to make it look good. I've only ever used non-spray paint, so I'll see how such an application would work for me. But thanks for reminding me of what can go wrong, though.

Oh, and updates later, after I get some plastic primer and spray paint.

[mjmjr25]

Oh - and yes, you should introduce yourself HERE

You'll want to say things like what games you like and how often "the steph" gets updated, ie, when the 3.0 is available and the like.