The art of a new paint job... How to?

I have a few questions for giving one of my XBOXes a new paint job.

Firstly, does the case require sanding?

What type of paint to use?

 

People will say that you don't need to sand. People will also say to use Krylon Fusion and don't use primer. Ignore them.

I haven't painted an Xbox in years, but Krylon was never that good in my opinion. The last thing I painted was a Ghostbusters Proton Pack, which came out marvelously. I always sand it nicely. Then I primer. Then I sand. Then I primer another time or two and sand. Then once I deem it to be smooth, then I start to paint. I use automotive style paints, in extremely, extremely light coats. It takes longer, but you end up with a smooth surface, not something that is obviously painted and all orange-peely.

 

Basically what Borman just said. Pretty much everything on the planet needs sanding and priming if you want it to look good, the paint needs a good surface to stick to. Plastic is no exception

 

Allow me to be devil's advocate...

When I paint xboxes, and I've done a few, I take the shell completely apart. Then I wash the shells, let them air dry completely then spray them with several very light coats of bright white krylon fusion. After that dries completely I do several very light coats of the colors I want. I think the technique matters more than the paint. If a person does several light coats with a rattle can it will look better than somebody airbrushing automotive paint on so heavily that it starts to run. Below is one of my xboxes. I'm happy with the result. It's hard to tell with my cellphone camera, but the finish is smooth and not textured or orange-peely.

I know the flaws with my approach, but I'm happy with the results. To each their own.

 

I have painted consoles and guitars and gs37 is correct,it's all about technique.

Last thing I painted was a pickguard on one of my guitars,I first sanded then added primer,then wet sanded then added another coat of primer then used krylon gloss black,did one coat then wet sanded then repeated then lastly finished it off with a nice coat of polyurethane,came out not to shabby.
Some pics


And on console's vinyl spray paint does wonders.

 

OK, about the whole sanding issue. If you are painting a console that will just sit there then you DON'T need to sand as my Silver and Black Dreamcast paint mod will prove perfectly. However, sanding will give the pain a better surface to stick to. This is especially important if you are painting something that needs to be man handled. Another important point as pointed out is cleaning the item in question very well. You may or may not need a primer / undercoat depending on what colour you are using and the surface colour of the item to be painted but in most cases primer / undercoat is a must.

I've painted many consoles in my time. Some with undercoats, some with sanding, some with out. Some with gloss paint, some with matt, some with metallic and so on. I've had plenty of experience and can honestly say it all depends upon what you are painting to what method you use. Bottom line is, if you are going to man handle the item and want it to look fantastic then sand it with very fine grade paper and use an undercoat and no matter what you are painting, take it apart and clean it very well. Apply at least 3 coats and spray in fairly quick even strokes about 20cm up from the item.

The below Mega Drive was sanded with fine grade sand paper and had an undercoat from what I remember. My Dreamcast mod though wasn't sanded at all and has no undercoat. Can you see a difference in quality? Probably not because there isn't any. I do use special paint designed for plastics mind you.

crappy mobile phone pictures, sorry.





Yakumo

 

Thanks for the responses guys! It sounds to me it's rather simple then. However, what type of paint should I use? I thought of RC paint but not sure how well that would stick to the plastic. Also what's the easiest way to clean the XBOX Jewel?

 

Well, if are lucky enough to have access to a steam cleaner then that would be fantastic to blast away the crap or even a powerful jet hosepipe but be very careful not to use too much steam/heat or power because you may distort the shape.

For my Mega Drive I took all the parts and soaked them in a nice hot bowl of quality soapy water for an hour. Then used a toothbrush to get all of the crap out of the grooves and vents. Finally rinse with warm water and leave to dry. DON'T dry the item with a towel. You'll just end up putting bits of dust and cloth back on to the surface.

As for the paint, well the range of paints I use come in over 100 colours so there's something for everyone. They are made by Asahi Pen and it's part of their Creative Colour series. Here is their English page - http://www.asahipen.com/english/index.html Click on "Product Information" to see their paints or just click on this link for a direct look at the Creative Colour series http://www.asahipen.com/english/merchandise/hp/spray03.html It says there are 90 colours but their Japanese store sign says over 100. Hmm. Anyway, it also points out that two coats is enough but I feel 3 is what you need. The pain is Acrylic Resin Paint.

 

Great, yep I have a steam cleaner. With the paint you mentioned, is it expensive and would I be able to import that?

 

It's not expensive to buy in Japan but I think exporting it to another country may be a problem. But seeing as they have an English and Chinese site they may actually sell their paints outside of Japan. The cans have English on them anyway so exporting them for sale in an English speaking country would only require an English instructions label on the back. Check out your local DIY place to see if they can order the paints or if they have a local equivalent. If you can get the Asahi Pen Creative Colour paints I'd defiantly buy them. They’re really nice and easy to use.

 

One thing worth noting: If you do decide to sand, use a very fine sandpaper and only sand with water (wet sand). If you dry sand without water, or press too hard, or use too coarse a sandpaper, you could do more harm than good to your plastic surface.

 

Good advice from gs37. I thought it would be obvious to use water but that's because I learn at school 20 odd years ago. Also, you could go for super fine glass paper. Actually, I think wet glass paper would give far better results. I've not tried it myself mind you but thinking about it, it does seem like a good option. Glass paper is normally black while sand paper is yellow or red.

 

Does that sand paper go by the name of "wet to dry"?

 

There may be a wet and dry type of sand paper but I've not actually seen sand paper called only Wet and Dry. I have been in Japan though forthe last 15 years so it could be different now.

 

yeah there is wet and dry sandpaper probably most likely to find it in auto repair /body repair stores

 

So if I just walk into a DIY/ Auto repair store and ask for wet and dry sand paper, they'd know what I mean?

 

i've never had to actually ask for the stuff but yeah assuming the staff are in any way competant(thats asking alot these days)

 

Let's hope I can find it. I generally don't bother asking staff in stores like that, they never really show you where stuff is, or give you advice. Anyhow, hopefully I go alright with it.

 

Anyone know where I could get Krylon paints (or a good alternative) in Australia?

 

Most every paper that you'll find in an auto parts store will be wet/dry. Typically, wet/dry papers will be gray in color, not tan, purple, red, or whatever like you see in the home improvement stores.

Absolutely do NOT need to sand plastics or use traditional primers about 99% of the time (I would however suggest a light colored primer when going from a dark color to a lighter color).

Plastics need to be well cleaned/prepped, just like any surface that one would paint, and then all you need is an adhesion promoter. If you're going rattlecan, then you can't beat Bulldog.



The only time I would ever scuff a plastic surface prior to paint is if it were extremely high gloss, like the PS3 phat.

I use a dishwasher. Top rack, lowest heat setting. Hasn't failed me yet.

As far as paint, most anything will work well if the surface has been properly prepped. The first and most common mistake that people make when painting is NOT properly prepping/cleaning and spraying in a dusty and/or open location.

Do:

• Spray indoors, like a garage, with the door closed
• If painting in the garage, spray the floor down with water so that you don't kick up dust when you walk around
• Heat and dry air are your friends (>70°F)

Do NOT:

• Spray outdoors on your grass or driveway
• Spray in any location where there's likely to be a breeze that could carry dust/debris
• Paint at low temps or high humidity (<70°F)

I use both automotive paints and rattlecan. The big boy stuff is great, but requires a TON of prep and then cleanup. I only use it for larger projects. If you want a really nice high gloss finish and aren't able to spray using a proper auto setup, then I would suggest Upol Clear. I've had great success with it. It's not cheap, but when painting stuff as small as game systems and controllers, a single can will go a long way



For base coat, I really do like Krylon a lot, and it's freakin' dirt cheap! It comes in TONS of colors and the best part about the crap is that it sets up REALLY quickly. I don't ever use it in single stage processes though. It's too crummy for that. It really needs a topcoat. I also like the little Duplicolor automotive touch-up cans. If you want a metallic finish, then it's hard to beat the bang for the buck that it gives, plus they do have a good selection of flat colors too. Again, a top coat is recommended. Valspar makes a good rattlecan paint as well. I don't use it as often because it's not as common where I live, but it's good stuff if you can find it.