Ever paint a console? Thinking of painting Xbox 1.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Has anyone ever painted any of their consoles? I've never really considered it since I like the way most of my consoles look to begin with, but I'm thinking of painting my uber Xbox now that I put in a 720GB IDE harddrive.

I'd like to use a paint that won't scratch easily, won't flake off, and will coat evenly. I'm a total beginner here, so if anyone can help or link me to some help it would be much appreciated.

[YoshiEgg25]

Just don't be budsmoka.

[noiseredux]

"I can't believe you ruined it again!"

[s1mplehumar]

Classic.

[harper]

This guy paints stuff:

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 22&t=35801

My personal opinion, I wouldn't want my paint job to be so shiny. But anyway, he seems to know what he's doing.

[Ziggy]

If you want a more simple approach, there's nothing any one can recommend over KRYLON FUSION !

http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion_for_plastic/


I've used Krylon Fusion for a number of things in the past, and it's an amazing spray paint to use on plastics. I'll link some examples below...

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 11#p520411

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =2&t=11594

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/download ... hp?id=3873

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g295/ ... G_5565.jpg

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Thanks Ziggy587! So is that a special kind of spray paint that won't require me to brush it on or worry about uneven coating? Like I said, I'm worried that I'll screw up by adding uneven amounts of paint, or that it'll just flake off or scratch easily.

So assuming I do go with Krylon Fusion, how many cans would I need to paint an Xbox? As trite as the Xbox is huge jokes are, it does sort of matter here since I want to coat everything but the base.

The other obvious questions are how much are cans and where do I buy them? I'm in Canada.

[Flodder450]

Just don't be budsmoka.

Is that "S" supposed to be the Schutzstaffel "S" or the KISS "S"?

[Ziggy]

Thanks Ziggy587! So is that a special kind of spray paint that won't require me to brush it on or worry about uneven coating?

Well you don't brush on spray paint... ever. You'll still have to worry about uneven coating, there's no way around that no matter what method you use to paint something.

Like I said, I'm worried that I'll screw up by adding uneven amounts of paint, or that it'll just flake off or scratch easily.

That is why I highly recommend Krylon Fusion. It's specially formulated to bond to plastic. In that regard, it is a special kind of spray paint.

You just have to make sure you do it right. Follow these tips:

When you're painting anything, you have to make sure the surface is completely clean. You can't expect to paint a dirty surface and then not have it flake away. Thoroughly clean the entire surface to be painted. Try to use something that wont leave any residue behind. I've used Windex (window cleaner) before, but most of the time I'll just use rubbing alcohol. Just be careful if you're trying to preserve logos. For example, the logos on a Genesis can easily be wiped away from something like Windex or alcohol. Krylon Fusion advertises that you don't have to sand the surface. From my experience with the product, you don't. Just make sure it's absolutely clean.

As for actually spraying it... Usually I'll hold the can about foot away from what I'm spraying. I'll move the can in a long horizontal oval, so a sort of cloud falls on it, helping to coat it more evenly. For some things, I'll end up holding the can a little closer and spraying in short, straight horizontal lines.

The most important things is to not hold the can to close, and do NOT hold the can in one spot for too long. This is what will cause uneven coats. You'll see when you're spraying, if you hold the can too close and don't move it around, the paint will pool up on the surface and probably drip. If this happens, immediately wipe the excess paint away (trying not to disturb the rest of the surface too much) and respray it.

It's really not a hard thing to do. I would recommend practicing on something. Perhaps a plastic tote you have lying around, or even a big flat piece of cardboard. Practice your method, you'll be able to see how you're doing while the paint is going on. If you're putting it on too thick, it will pool, and you'll be able to see it. If you're gonna practice on something, which I recommend doing, don't think you'll get away with a cheap can of spray paint just because it's for practice. Cheaper paints will go on much differently. For example, the 99 cent cans of spray paint at Wal Mart are really watery and don't cover at all. You wont get much practice with it, it's just horrible paint. I recommend just getting a can of Krylon and practicing with that, they're not expensive.

The biggest thing with painting is patience. The Xbox is black, so you might not be able to cover it all with just one coat. Don't try to, that's the classic rookie mistake. If you try to cover it with one coat, it'll get all blotchy. Do ONE thin coat, wait the recommended amount of time, then do a second thin coat. Repeat until desired.

Every can of spray paint will have their own directions right on the can for best results. So again, patience. Don't do a second coat until the recommended time has passed. Don't do a second coat after the recommended time either. Don't handle it until the recommended time has past (to avoid chipping and whatnot). Krylon Fusion takes a week to fully cure. Some times I'll leave it longer than that to be sure. But from my experience with it, once it's fully cured, it's very strong. You don't have to worry much about it chipping. As long as the surfaced was properly cleaned, it bonds really strong.

So assuming I do go with Krylon Fusion, how many cans would I need to paint an Xbox?

Probably just one can would do. That pretty much goes for any decent can of spray paint, as they're all roughly the same size. Cheaper paints probably wont cover as well, requiring more coats, thus requiring more paints. But from my experience with Krylon Fusion, one can would probably do the job for the Xbox, even with multiple coats.

The other obvious questions are how much are cans and where do I buy them? I'm in Canada.

I would assume that they are available in Canada. Here in the USA, you can get them in most hardware stores, places like Home Depot and Loew's Home Improvement. Wal Mart even carries Krylon. I would just call up local hardware stores or the big chains in your area and ask if they stock the Krylon brand. They're something like $5-10/can depending where you go, and depending on the finish. Flat colors are cheaper, metallic finishes will be a few more dollars. I usually recommend getting satin and not gloss or high gloss. The glossy stuff usually looks pretty bad on plastic, unless you're really going for that look (like the N64 controller linked above, but that's an entire process). Fusion also has some cool metallic finishes now, like the SNES mini I linked above.



General painting questions seemed to get asked often. I think I'll write up a guide some time, consider this on my list of guides to write.

[mjmjr25]

Zoki is the King of painted consoles and peripherals. Hands down and no one is close.

Others might look nice in pics, but there are drips, runs, etc when up close. Paint chips down the road, paint feels sticky, etc. I've done a few myself, and bought quite a few that looked "great" in pics, but were not.

I've done some and not a fan of Krylon Fusion unless you have access to a professional spray painting area w/zero wind and debris. Takes longer to dry than car paint and doesn't bond w/all plastic textures, which requires more coats than should be necessary - leading to build-up in button holes and sticker areas. Seems to sand unevenly as well.

Any premium car paint and sealer is going to give the best looking and longest lasting appearance imo.