To go about doing yourself would need prior knowledge in spray painting.
it's really easy, just may be tedious to some.
paint my not be in production in certain areas (it was a betch to find some vibrant colors, but finally the home depot started taking in plastic paints.)
to open it, you need a tri-wing screwdriver. order one here for 3.99:
http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-1e-49-en-15-tri-70-1fe.html
you can use a small flathead, but it's annoying to wedge it into one of the wings and actually screw it off.
when you open it, you risk frying the controller by touching the PCB (that green board you always see in electronics) by a static shock. so, believe me. DO NOT WEAR SOCKS.
once opened, the control stick is attached to the PCB so you'd have to swap out another controller practically. which defeats the purpose. so, you can't just swap a stick.
after opened, to paint the controller you need one or more cans of paint.
they can range in prices.
i found a store that sells krylon plastics for cheap! but let me give my review.
Krylon Plastic paint- Ranging from 4.49 - 10.99 -
this paint keeps the gloss the controller already has. regardless if you buy a flat paint to give it a stealthy/sandy/smooth look. it's slightly sticky, but over the days of a plastic being painted, the stickyness subsides and no longer feels noticeable. it takes about 3- 7 coats to fully paint a piece of plastic. 15 minutes between each coat. takes an hour to be touched, and a whole week to chip/scratch resistant. i haven't really tested the whole scratching and chip thing though.
pros: can be cheap, keeps gloss if wanted, chip/scratch resistant.
cons: takes a long time painting, keeps gloss if NOT wanted, slight stickyness.
Dupli-Color Vinyl and Fabric Dye- 6.49~ish.
this is a really really nice dye/paint. i've never ever had a problem with it. it's a tad bit expensive for one can, but worth it if you're going for a FLAT single color plastic. this is very similar to the krylon, takes about 15 minutes to dry, but only needs a good 3-5 coats to be painted. takes a week to be chip/scratch resistant as well. but rids of the gloss the controller already has. even if you get a glossy vinyl dye. it does cake on if you're applying more than one sort of paint, so that's a bit iffy. it has a nice smooth feel to it.
pros: very quick painting, flat colors, smooth feel, NO stickyness, chip/scratch free
cons: long time to fully dry, a bit expensive, flat if you desire glossy, and VERY LIMITED COLORS. I'd like to add if your palms, hands get sweaty this is NOT idea for you.
Rustoleum Plastic paint - 4.49-5.99
I've only tested this on plastic handles so go by this on your own. it's very sticky, ridiculously sticky.
though, it's not as watery as krylon, a peice of plastic can be painted in as little as 2 coats. it doesn't really cake on. colors are as vast as the krylon assortment. keeps gloss, and keeps flatness.
pros: good quality, vast colors, quick easy drying.
cons: i've not tested it to the max, sticky. but remember i haven't really tested this.
there are more paints that are industrial quality, but remember a controller isn't like titanium steel.
though, it probably surpasses the quality of the paints i lsited above.
i still recomend my services because i'll only charge a flat 10 bucks no matter what amount of colors
and i'm pretty experienced in painting.
woo, that was a lot to type.
NOW COMES THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
it has to be dry, cool and not humid to do this. if not, the paint will become mosturized and have a weird light colored film on the paint. looks really bad. other than that, you're all good to go.
paint on a porous surface. (paper towels, cardboard.) quick easy strokes from 6-8 inches away from the plastic. ALL IN ONE MOTION, no zig zags, or swirls. LEFT TO RIGHT OR UP TO DOWN.
offfffashdbanisjdasdasdas
mkay what else?
uh, yeah thats pretty much it. OH AND PAINT THE INSIDES. you may think it's ridiculous, but you could see the insides slightly fromn thge joystick.
ehhh, im done. lol.
FFFFFFFFFFFF>
