XD Yeah, but if I screw it up my bf will kill me..He traded in some of his gaming systems to get it for me for my birthday. Can you imagine..."By the way, I loved your present so much I went and killed it with paint. It doesn't work now!"
...Maybe after I've had a chance to play it for a few months. Right now it's too new for me to risk screwing it up. Plus...waiting for Pokemon. @_@
I got some new spray paint that promises better adherence to plastic so I'm going to give it a try today. I also went in search of triwing screwdrivers but found none. Apparently you can only get them online it seems so I'll probably order one later today. So generally the modding will be on hold until I can get myself a triwing screwdriver.
This has to be one of the coolest topics currently on the board props to your creativity. I'm gonna need a simpler step by step guide cause I'm not sure at all where the heck you are in this process!
1. Got idea! 2. Got black spray paint for plastic 3. Found Wii remote image and used it to come up with designs in Photoshop 4. Tested spray paint on a section of the glossy plastic part of the remote (initial tests seemed to say it was ok... later tests proved it was not.) 5. Attempted to take apart remote with eye glass repair screwdriver (3 of 4 screws successfully removed until screwdriver broke.) 6. Bought 3 eye glass repair kits, all screwdrivers fail to remove last screw, but none break. 7. Got another black spray paint for plastic promising no need to sand or prime (initial tests proved inconclusive, further testing proved it doesn't really work.)
That's pretty much where I am right now. Currently it looks like I'm going to have to order a Triwing screwdriver from teh interweb in order to get that last screw out. I'll also likely end up going out and getting some sandpaper and maybe a little paint thinner in order to improve the adherence of the paint to the glossy.
If I can come up with a good idea of how to do a design for the nunchuk to to go along with it I guess I might. But I won't really worry about that until I get this first one done.
I got a triwing screwdriver online, and it should arrive in 5-10 days. So until then I'll probably experiment with the paint to get it to finally adhere to the glossy plastic. I guess I should test the matte plastic too, just in case.
I was going back over your design for painting on the Wiimote, and I wanted to make note that depending on the paint you settle on, make sure not to cover the mic up. Also, take into account that people with greasy hands, and probably sweaty hands after some play time, will be using this thing, so you might want to do some more paint testing. Just some thoughts.
I think I'm going to try to do some stuff on my battery cover, since I don't have to do anything that might hurt my Wiimote. Good luck!
If I can find a Wiimote I will take it apart and do it up nice.
Are you doing any sanding to help the paint adhere to the plastic? These things are made to repel dirt and be easy to clean, that will also cause you problems with painting them.
Use a very lite (220) sandpaper and switch to an even lighter (240) between coats. This will give your paint something to bond to.
One of the first things I figured out was how to paint over the speaker without ruining it. Toothpicks in the holes. Easy enough really.
I do plan to do a lot more paint testing on the glossy and matte plastic. The spray paint cans recommend for new plastic to wipe it lightly with paint thinner before spraying for better adherence. So I'm going to try that and see how it goes. And then I plan to just get a really fine sandpaper and use that for testing if the paint thinner fails.
I'd make DOUBLE sure the paint you are using won't corrode any kind of plastic, otherwise your Wiimote will end up looking like a squashed, ripe banana.
I'd make DOUBLE sure the paint you are using won't corrode any kind of plastic, otherwise your Wiimote will end up looking like a squashed, ripe banana.
I'd make DOUBLE sure the paint you are using won't corrode any kind of plastic, otherwise your Wiimote will end up looking like a squashed, ripe banana.
I thought that was just Styrofoam.
True with styrofoam, AND with plastics. Once at summer camp, one kid sprayed aerosol bug spray on another kid's radio as a gag. Radio = melted.
The same is true with aerosol paints and some plastics. Like I said, BE SURE.
Plastic-safe spray-paint and some liquid-mask or rubber-cement to cover areas you want to leave unpainted would probably be the best way to go. That way you could apply the mask, spray, and rub the mask off with relative ease.
I haven't worked on it in the past well 5 days it seems, been writing mostly. I decided to wait until the triwing screw driver arrives until I start experimenting with the paints again. In case the inside of the top one is also glossy. Then I can go to town on that and not worry about ruining the part I see.
Oh, and you might want to hold off doing it until you see if I totally screw up or not.
Nope the screwdriver has still yet to arrive... should be tomorrow or sometime this week. It said 5 to 10 business days and that was like Nov. 30th it shipped.
I'm still waiting on the screwdriver to arrive so I can open the damn thing, but it seems like it might be a good thing that it's late. I just found this interesting article on Joystiq about a kid that painted his 360 controller all black, but he did it using a vinyl dye, which doesn't coat the plastic like spray paint but rather actually chemically alters the color of the plastic. Hence not chipping or wearing. I think I might try and get some and use that instead.
My triwing screwdriver arrived today, I managed to disassemble the Wii-mote in about a minute or 2. Once you get the screws out it mostly comes apart, then you sorta have to force the top end apart since its rather well clamped together up there.
I've put everything that isn't apart of the casing into a bag so that I won't lose anything. Especially since some of the buttons are really small. I plan to work out how I'm going to map out the design the next couple days, 'cause of Xmas and all. I also need to get the vinyl dye and see how that works on the plastic.
I'm back with an update. I got some vinyl dye yesterday, so today I worked out the design on the tape and stuck it on the remote. And I've got pics of that. Got really wide tape so it would cover the whole remote face.
Using a pencil I drew on the design onto the tape. I decided to do this on the remote since it seemed the best way to plan things out.
Then took the tape off the remote, and flattened it out on my wood table/desk thing.
Then using the exacto knife I cut out the white areas, and then carefully placed them onto the remote. The larger areas were much easier to cut out, and put onto the remote then the smaller ones. Also most of the lines when cut out aren't completely curved. Next time I think I'll go with a more boxy design.
And then image of both sides taped up. I ended up not doing the side things for the top of the remote (you'll see them in the design and drawn on the tape) but after doing the pointy bit around the A button, I really just didn't want to have to bother with another small thing. I might add it later before I paint... maybe.
Comments
...Maybe after I've had a chance to play it for a few months. Right now it's too new for me to risk screwing it up. Plus...waiting for Pokemon. @_@
1. Got idea!
2. Got black spray paint for plastic
3. Found Wii remote image and used it to come up with designs in Photoshop
4. Tested spray paint on a section of the glossy plastic part of the remote (initial tests seemed to say it was ok... later tests proved it was not.)
5. Attempted to take apart remote with eye glass repair screwdriver (3 of 4 screws successfully removed until screwdriver broke.)
6. Bought 3 eye glass repair kits, all screwdrivers fail to remove last screw, but none break.
7. Got another black spray paint for plastic promising no need to sand or prime (initial tests proved inconclusive, further testing proved it doesn't really work.)
That's pretty much where I am right now. Currently it looks like I'm going to have to order a Triwing screwdriver from teh interweb in order to get that last screw out. I'll also likely end up going out and getting some sandpaper and maybe a little paint thinner in order to improve the adherence of the paint to the glossy.
At least you're getting there. All you can do is try, and if you mess the Wiimote up, it'll probably still work, it'll just look bad.
Also, do you plan to do this with your nunchuk too? A matching set would be teh awesome! Anyway, good luck! I'll check back in periodically.
I got a triwing screwdriver online, and it should arrive in 5-10 days. So until then I'll probably experiment with the paint to get it to finally adhere to the glossy plastic. I guess I should test the matte plastic too, just in case.
I think I'm going to try to do some stuff on my battery cover, since I don't have to do anything that might hurt my Wiimote. Good luck!
Are you doing any sanding to help the paint adhere to the plastic? These things are made to repel dirt and be easy to clean, that will also cause you problems with painting them.
Use a very lite (220) sandpaper and switch to an even lighter (240) between coats. This will give your paint something to bond to.
I do plan to do a lot more paint testing on the glossy and matte plastic. The spray paint cans recommend for new plastic to wipe it lightly with paint thinner before spraying for better adherence. So I'm going to try that and see how it goes. And then I plan to just get a really fine sandpaper and use that for testing if the paint thinner fails.
Spray-anything + certain plastics = melting!
I'd make DOUBLE sure the paint you are using won't corrode any kind of plastic, otherwise your Wiimote will end up looking like a squashed, ripe banana.
The same is true with aerosol paints and some plastics. Like I said, BE SURE.
Oh, and you might want to hold off doing it until you see if I totally screw up or not.
I also found this other website earlier in the week that sells decals you can skin your Wii console and remotes/nunchuks with. Seems pretty good, I might send in some designs to them.
I've put everything that isn't apart of the casing into a bag so that I won't lose anything. Especially since some of the buttons are really small. I plan to work out how I'm going to map out the design the next couple days, 'cause of Xmas and all. I also need to get the vinyl dye and see how that works on the plastic.
Got really wide tape so it would cover the whole remote face.
Using a pencil I drew on the design onto the tape. I decided to do this on the remote since it seemed the best way to plan things out.
Then took the tape off the remote, and flattened it out on my wood table/desk thing.
Then using the exacto knife I cut out the white areas, and then carefully placed them onto the remote. The larger areas were much easier to cut out, and put onto the remote then the smaller ones. Also most of the lines when cut out aren't completely curved. Next time I think I'll go with a more boxy design.
And then image of both sides taped up. I ended up not doing the side things for the top of the remote (you'll see them in the design and drawn on the tape) but after doing the pointy bit around the A button, I really just didn't want to have to bother with another small thing. I might add it later before I paint... maybe.