The NEW Guide To Spray Painting Your Gamecube Controller

[Fizzi]

Painted a new controller using advice found on http://www.youtube.com/user/mycustomxbox / http://www.mycustomcontroller.com/ .

Here is the full album:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150449894476304.361330.688776303&type=1&l=70a93e5db2

 

[GameStation aka C4?!]

Painted a new controller using advice found on http://www.youtube.com/user/mycustomxbox / http://www.mycustomcontroller.com/ .

Here is the full album:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150449894476304.361330.688776303&type=1&l=70a93e5db2

Awesome work!

 

[Fizzi]

Awesome work!

Thanks , but it has nothing on your Project M/Apex 2012 controllers. You should post those on FB so I can like them lol, they're too sick. Does making an Apex 2012 controller mean you're going to Apex? I'll try to find you and say hi.

 

[GameStation aka C4?!]

Oh yeah I'll be going, I'm also in the middle of making 3 other controllers one is dented bronze, one is all drawn on, and one is all blue

 

[Shök]

Needs more controllers. >:D

 

[escro]

a question... i'll be painting my controller in a week or so when it arrives.
after applying the coats of paint im planning on drawing on designs on top of the paint, and then applying clear coat. what kind of pens work on the spary paint, such as markers, felt tips, or even textas? or will i have to scratch away the paint before drawing on the designs?

also, is there a way to "paste" or "print" an image onto the controller without freehand drawing it on?
the picture is quite intricate so i dunno if printing out a stencil then spraying over it will work out well.

thanks

 

[escro]

so i went ahead and painted my controller. it went pretty well.
i painted 3 but the other two were for a friend and had a more plain design so i only took photos of this one.

http://tinypic.com/r/16862iv/5
http://tinypic.com/r/34eax52/5

 

[Gatlin]

Really, really nice escro, I like it. You did a good job.

 

[escro]

my controller feels a bit sticky...
after assembling it i havent used it yet, trying to hold off until my upcoming tourney, but it definitely feels a bit sticky in my hands.
im wondering if this will wear off over time and use, or if it will become a problem, ie if i did something wrong

 

[CloudChaser071]

Did you use clear coat? Did you let it dry long enough?

Lots of things could make it sticky :/

 

[escro]

yea, i used a lot of clear coat and i let it sit for about 2 days after i applied the last coat. then i let it sit for another day before i assembled it.
so basically its not meant to be sticky after drying the clear coat?
=/

 

[GameStation aka C4?!]

yea, i used a lot of clear coat and i let it sit for about 2 days after i applied the last coat. then i let it sit for another day before i assembled it.
so basically its not meant to be sticky after drying the clear coat?
=/

take the controller apart and let in lay in the sun for 5 hours or more. According the mycustomxbox.com that should fix the sticky problem.

 

[escro]

the sun?
=O
i heard from somewhere that it's not too good to expose the paint or clear coat to too much heat...
it gets sticky whenever i hold it in my hands, afterall.

 

[Keitaro]

The mycustomxbox.com guy is really good at what he does. Id suggest giving his advice a shot.

 

[Fizzi]

It probably depends on what clear coat you use.

mycustomxbox recommends dupli-color acrylic lacquer if I recall correctly. Is this what you used?

EDIT:
I had let my controller out for a week and at first it didn't feel that sticky per se but when I played with it, my hands would get really sweaty and it would seem kinda sticky. After a while though this problem is gone. The controller is not sticky and still looks great after about 3 months - with pretty frequent play. I'll keep posting updates with the status of it.

 

[escro]

Im not sure what type of clear coat it was, but i used the same brand as the paint i used - dulex, an australian brand.
I think i might have used a bit too muxh clear coat so atm im just buffing out the sticky residue and hoping itll calm down a bit.
Ill try out the sun exposure thing when i get back from my tourney today.
Ill keep you posted on how everything goes

 

[Grey Belnades]

Hello, is there currently anyone who takes commissions?

 

[MonkUnit]

Keitaro and C4?! might. I had a commission from Keitaro and Standardtoaster had a commission from C4?!.

 

[Grey Belnades]

Thanks! I'll ask them then.

 

[Keitaro]

I'm actually retired from painting controllers. I just paint plugs now cause it is very simple to do and the paint lasts longer on it since the plug is touched a lot less than the controller.

I have had too many random complications from painting controllers with some who absolutely love it and others who end up wanting a normal controller again. C4 did the Apex controllers recently so he may be willing to paint one for you for some money.

 

[Grey Belnades]

Oh, I see. Well thanks for the update. Really, I just want something similiar to that blue/pink controller you did. Does anyone have pics of the four controllers C4 did for Apex?

 

[Keitaro]

Those blue and pink controllers I made were my favs ^_^ Sadly that teal paint I used wasn't made for plastic so it got sticky after using it for a bit and the analog would sometimes get stuck in a position cause it would be touching the edge of the controller :/

Here are some of C4's controllers.

and I still have this one but I'm gonna the case with a new design.

Update

 

[Grey Belnades]

Sweet, thanks Keitaro.

 

[SupaSairentoZ7℠]

Once my new Game Cube controller gets here I will be looking more into this.

 

[Jeffbelittle]

If anyone wants to do this for me (along with any other mods for a controller they can come up with), i'd pay for 3 controllers :3

 

[Keitaro]

Anybody know if this series of fake Gamecube Controllers can have their cases replaced with normal Gamecube controllers: http://baytter.com/wired-controller-gamecube-ngc-wii_g916.html

I love the color red they have and would consider buying the controller if I can use that case on one of my other controllers.

 

[Shök]

Anybody know if this series of fake Gamecube Controllers can have their cases replaced with normal Gamecube controllers: http://baytter.com/wired-controller-gamecube-ngc-wii_g916.html

I love the color red they have and would consider buying the controller if I can use that case on one of my other controllers.

I feel the same way. I love the color red. It's my favorite color. Sadly, though, a natural red GCN controller is extremely rare, so, if we're being realistic, the only way to get a red one is to paint it.

The thing I don't like about the "fake" GCN controllers is their texture. I bought myself a white one while ago because I didn't know they existed. I thought it was an authentic GCN controller. I used the controller once and I hated it. The texture was very weird. It didn't have a glossy finish, like all the original GCN controllers; it had more of a "satin" feel to it. Plus, the all the buttons felt very weird.

However, around the same time, I managed to get my hands on the original white controller. The ones with the very long cord. I didn't like how the buttons felt because it still felt new (the R, L, X, Y buttons, etc), so I opened the authentic white GCN controller and put my used GCN controller insides in the authentic white GCN controller shell. Since I had an extra "inside" of a GCN controller, I opened the fake GCN controller and put the insides of the authentic white GCN controller there. It fit.

So, yes. From my experience, it worked for me. The only problem you might encounter is this:

Spoiler

As you can see, the covering over the L and R buttons is different. I believe the silver/purple controller have those and they require screws. I'm not sure if the "fake" shell has an area for screws.

Cheers.

 

[Keitaro]

Wow, this is just the information I needed to hear. Thanks!

I happen to have covers for the L/R buttons for both types of controllers so I should be good. I may take the dive and try to get a fake one. It is really cheap so I think I'm willing to try it out. If I do I will switch the fake controller case onto a real controller.

 

[GameStation aka C4?!]

The Z button on the fake controllers are an issue. They have no metal spring while all of the Nintendo controllers have them. They are really weird. (By spring I meant that little metal tab that sticks out of the Z button.)

 

[Shök]

The fake controller is just horrible. Lol. They're only good for extra buttons and the shell. Ha ha.

 

[escro]

Apart from the z button and the shoulder buttons, is everything else the same as the newer white long corded controllers?
I also wanted to try this out but was worried that the shoulder buttons wouldnt fit or the plastic shell might be of lesser quality and might break easily or something
The texture difference could be solved with a bit of sandpaper though

 

[Shök]

Here's my work from a while ago.

As you can tell, the shell is a "fake" one (there's no logo on it). You can also see the very long cord, so the inside of this controller is the inside of the authentic GCN controller. I had no problems putting it together.

As for the shell, go for it. The texture is different, but if you want to give it a go with some sandpaper, power to you.

 

[Keitaro]

I've used some horribly textured controllers in the past so imma give it a shot

Red controller here I come!

 

[Shök]

Ha ha. Good luck. Let us know how it went. ^^

 

[escro]

Does anyone know where to buy krylon spray paints online? Or in australia, thatd be even better.

Im going to try a few different brands to see if the result's any different, seeing as my last job didnt go as good as it hoped.

Btw, tried that sun exposure thing on my sticky controller, no difference on the stickyness, but now it has a stronger paint smell...
Weird... it probably has to do with the type of paint i used

Any other suggestions?

 

[GameStation aka C4?!]

In my personal experience, and I don't know about anybody else's method, but whenever I ran into that problem I never really found and real way around it. However I noticed that the cleaner I got my controller during prep, and after when I kept my shell clean from any and all debris, the smoother it was. With me, I would use Adhesive Promoter no matter what, even if I was using Spray Paint for plastic, still used it. And I still used the Acrylic Clear Coat even though it's not necessary when painting with plastic acrylic spray paint. It all cost me more, but the end result is always satisfying on my end. Stickiness or Non.

 

[escro]

I see.
I think it had to do with a few things, but i probably applied too much clear coat, and didnt give enough time between coats/ after last coat before using.
The conts i did for my friend dont have these problems, and i left them alone for literally a month after i had finished.
Oh well, better luck next time i guess.

 

[Keitaro]

I also painted a controller and didn't use it for over a month and it looks nearly perfect to this day. I still barely use it but it has been almost a year and it still looks like I just painted it yesteday.

 

[Jeffbelittle]

I also painted a controller and didn't use it for over a month and it looks nearly perfect to this day. I still barely use it but it has been almost a year and it still looks like I just painted it yesteday.

Post pics :3

 

[Fizzi]

I see.
I think it had to do with a few things, but i probably applied too much clear coat, and didnt give enough time between coats/ after last coat before using.
The conts i did for my friend dont have these problems, and i left them alone for literally a month after i had finished.
Oh well, better luck next time i guess.

http://www.youtube.com/user/mycustomxbox

Seriously follow this guy's advice if you can get your hands on the paint. It made my results much better and from what I can tell so far - much more durable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jIRLXqcZj0 : In this video he mentions duplicolor automotive paint. This is the paint I used with adhesion promoter and acrylic lacquer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHwpljb34RQ) to clear coat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLga6pXqDcs : In this video he discusses paint stickiness. He also discusses krylon paint. Personally when I used krylon I probably made mistakes but I ended up with a sticky controller where the paint did not last so I can't really recommend it.

Anyways... 4 months of heavy use and the paint still looks great. I do carry it around in like a pouch for marbles though to prevent transportation damage.