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What paint should I be using?

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:49 am
by siphoned
What type of paint is the best for a gamecube shell? Model paint? In the past I have used different types of paint and noticed that some of the paint jobs have faded or just don't look as good. I saw a painted gamecube on ebay today that was painted with 'auto' paint. So whats the best type, application, brand of paint? Any tips?

Re: What paint should I be using?

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:49 am
by KirovAir
Good question! I'm also wondering this.
Also, are there tips for painting cases in general? Like types of sandpaper, or using sand paper at all.. ?

Re: What paint should I be using?

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:59 am
by megalomaniac
to smooth the case, i recommend 350 or 400 grit wet sandpaper....
...wax on, wax off, small circle danielson
ive had good results with rustoleom sandable primer as a base
fill in the gashes with a light coat....then sand it out smooth
spray a bit more if required, and sand it out again....


automotive paint is good because it usually allows a bit of flex on polyurethane pieces like bumpers....
but then again....any paint applied will depend on the sanding and prep....
it really depends on the look you want to achieve

a small can of touch up automotive spray paint should be enough...
one light coat to build a color base....about 1.5ft spray distance...sweeping motion....
its only the first coat, so dont pack it on....and avoid drips....

second coat will bring out the color...
third coat should be the lightest application and only if required....

the most important part is to protect the paint....
use a clear coat high gloss, low gloss, or matte finish spray can...
typically, any paint will work, not just automotive....the clear coat is whats important to protect the paint...



but also, for the cost comparison of regular paint to automotive paint, might as well get automotive...

Re: What paint should I be using?

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:23 am
by wii_HD
Never tried it myself but you could try a vinyl dye which soaks into the plastic.

Re: What paint should I be using?

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 4:15 pm
by siphoned
Hey thanks for the reply. Looks like I need to prep a little better with sandpaper (as I wasn't sure if I should use it or not) and I'll try using a clear over coat when I'm done. That should help alot. Thanks!

What if I want a painted picture or graphic on the shell? Like if I want to freehand a picture of Mario or Link on the cube, would I use a brush with some hobby (testors) paint? or just stick with the spraypaint and use some stencils?

Re: What paint should I be using?

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:51 pm
by megalomaniac
Either way would work, spray or brush...
Just use the same kind of paint (water base vs lacquer base vs other)


About vinyl dye... it soaks into plastic
You can forget about the possibility of using a sandable primer to smooth the cube since the dye will not soak well into a primer.
Vinyl dye is better suited for a shell with no need for any prep work to fix gashes, fill holes, smooth out...
It would be more appropriate to use on a shell in absolute mint condition...

then again, why would you want to apply paint/dye to such a mint shell...

Re: What paint should I be using?

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:48 pm
by siphoned
Well I've had much better results now with my cube painting. The sandable primer is great. Rustoleum products (in general) seem to be much better than Krylon products. The 2X matte top coat by rustoleum only takes one coat and it protects the paint from chips/scratches around the memory/controller ports.

I also found CA Glue to be helpful. They sell it at hobby shops and it comes in an extra thick form. It hardens to basically plastic and doesn't burn the surface areas around it (like other glues). I found it helpful for filling in gaps around ports I've added to gamecube shells.

Much thanks megalomaniac and everyone!