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Wii-mote Modding
I managed to get my hands on a second Wii-mote today, but after getting it I realized that it's essentially impossible to tell the different between it and the original one I got. So in order to make them more obviously different, I decided it would be cool to come up with a cool design and paint it onto one of them.
I'm planning to just use a black paint, since this will mostly be an learning experience if I want to try it again. Plus I figured just black and white would give it a cool enough look.
Where I am right now is that I've come up with the basic design I'm going to do thanks to Photoshop. I've got painter's tape, and black primer paint for plastics.
But there is one thing that worries me that I figured I'd ask here and see if anyone had any thoughts about it. Basically the top face of the Wii-mote is a glossy plastic, and I'm concerned that if I try to paint it as is it won't adhere. The only solution I can come up with would be to sand it, but I'd like to keep the shine there if possible.
To give a point of reference the glossy plastic is a lot like the case of the DS lite.
I'm planning to just use a black paint, since this will mostly be an learning experience if I want to try it again. Plus I figured just black and white would give it a cool enough look.
Where I am right now is that I've come up with the basic design I'm going to do thanks to Photoshop. I've got painter's tape, and black primer paint for plastics.
But there is one thing that worries me that I figured I'd ask here and see if anyone had any thoughts about it. Basically the top face of the Wii-mote is a glossy plastic, and I'm concerned that if I try to paint it as is it won't adhere. The only solution I can come up with would be to sand it, but I'd like to keep the shine there if possible.
To give a point of reference the glossy plastic is a lot like the case of the DS lite.
Comments
There's also normal hand engraving or acid engraving but both of those methods require mad skillz and knowhow.
If you really want to paint it you're probably going to have to keep the design small and out of the way to reduce the sanded area and wear on the paint and/or find a sealant of some sort. Probably a two part plastic mix of some description would work well. You'd have to learn how to mix and apply properly though.
I expect someone who knows more about all these materials will come along any minute now.
And there isn't really any out of the way places on the Wii-mote. I'm planning on a design to cover the whole thing. I post some pictures later of the possible designs. I'll probably also take pictures to document the whole thing too.
Anyway I'll post the design mock ups I did in photoshop. I found a good image of the controller from different sides and used that as a template basically.
As you can see, if you've played Twilight Princess, the design is based on that. Since I'm only using black paint it seemed to make sense to do that. It's sorta a combination of some things from wolf Link and from Midna's bodies.
I then did some rethinking about placement and whatnot and added a few more things, which I think works out a lot better. I was also thinking of having the designs that run down the side of Midna run down one of the sides (probably the left,) but it seems like it would be a pain in the ass since its rather thin lines and intricate.
The only issue with taking it apart is it seems it needs a tiny screwdriver... which I likely don't have.
Correction I find a glasses screwdriver and got 3 of the 4 screws out and then it snapped...
[9 minutes after I posted the above] Adding another snag, seems that the original screwdriver I used was perfect but these new ones have a smaller head then the original did. So I guess I'll put everything on hold until tomorrow I guess. I'll go out to Home Depot or something and try and get a better screwdriver. And I guess also get some sandpaper to solve the paint adhering problem.
As far as the painting over the gloss, you could try Sharpie marker, but I don't know how well it will take. You might actually have to take a fine grain sand-paper, sand the surface, and then coat it with a primer in order to paint onto the Wiimote.
Tricky business indeed.
You might also consider the liquid mask suggestion combined with dye or ink. Dying the wiimote might look alright / work. You'd have to test it out, and I don't think the colour would be consistent. More like...foggy?
I think if I was going to try painting something that's what I would do...use tape to cover the white bits and then get a sponge and dab concentrated dye over the cover. Let it set in a bit, wipe with moist cloth, repeat until color sinks in well.
Of course, that's just a theory. Based on the fact that a tiny bit of ask has stained a streak of my iBook cover gray even with repeated cleaning attempts.
You shoud do eeeet.