Seeing Red...
Well Ive talked about it for a few days now and here it is: The Red Death.
Ill get right to the nitty gritty of what it took to get this thing colored up.
Heres what I used to color the controller:
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller
Precision Screw Driver Set (everyone should own this)
TORX Head T-8 (you need a long narrow one, the head that fits universal screw drivers wont work)
Vinyl Dye (several brands out there, I used Duplicolor)
Painters tape, sponge + soapy water, microfiber cloth
I wont go into too many details on how to take apart the controller or the painting. You can find most of that information explained very good at this site (much props to Alcaron for the inspiration).
Heres a few pointers though that I found very helpful:
-Dont worry about using a security TORX driver. Just use the 5/64th screw driver from the precision kit to snap off the security pins. Just stick it into the middle and twist. The pin pops right out. The use the normal TORX size T-8 to get the screws out.
-Unplugging the rumble motors makes getting the triggers off much easier. However the connector for the rumble motors is very loosly sodered on. Use great care to get the wire out of the connector.
-Getting the triggers off can be VERY tricky. Its a 2 step process. First you must remove the analog sensor arm. The trigger is mounted inside a black "frame" and attached to an arm which is in turn connected to the analog sensor. It takes A LOT of pulling and pushing to get the pin of the arm out of the trigger. Push the trigger as hard as you dare in one direction and pull the arm in the other direction. The pin from the arm should pop out with a fair amount of force.
-Second is actually getting the triggers off. Hold the circuit board as if you were using the controller. You will see two "stop pins" on the controller that restrict its movement. You have to get these past the "stop guards" of the black frame. I used my pointer fingers to pull the black guards apart while using my thumbs to push up on the trigger. Once you figure this technique out this part is VERY easy. The trigger should pop right out be sure not to lose the spring which is under the trigger.
-When spraying the controller be sure to spray the bigger, flatter surfaces first. This allows the overspray to hit the sides and greatly reduces overspray defects. I did 2 coats on the faces, then 2 coats on the sides and alternated. Be sure to try and get dye into the creases along the side and into the screw holes. Allow a part you just sprayed about 2 minutes between coats (seems short but its not).
-Allow at least 4 hours of drying time before reassembling. Then allow 24 hours for the reassembled controller to cure.
-Before screwing down the controller make sure you D-pad is centered. The d-pad slides around before the controller is tightened down and you can adjust the position. Make sure its in the middle so it doesnt hit the ring.
Well if you want any more tips hit me up because Im tired of typing. Heres some more pictures of the final product. In the picture of the top of the controller you can see above the left and right bumper where I didnt spray enough and some white is still showing through. Note that all the impressions in the controller are still perfectly visible.
posted by Gordon @ 7:34 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Wow, that almost makes me want to try it myself. Nice work man!
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