[Edit: Here are the pics. Sorry for taking my sweet a$$ time.
]Note: the speckles in the pic are from my abused digital camera when I was in the desert (Egypt), the face of the GBA is silky smooth, no spots.
SP Frontlight for playing in the dark:
It has been sprayed Metallic Blue (with light sparkles) and extra glossy coats.
I realise now that the blue is identical to Sonic the Hedgehogs (this was unintentional but probably there on a subconsious level).
Sorry, I'm rambling again. What I wanted to do was talk about the painting method. And my now utter love of "Wetsanding".
I've painted lots of things and only ever been 75% happy. This was because like most people I would cut corners. With this latest paint job method I would say I got it 98% right and I extremely happy with it.
Quite a few people have commented that the GBA looks like I bought it from Nintendo that way.
Please note: I do not consider myself even close to a painting pro, also I assume you already know how to paint. But it can't hurt for us to go over the steps again!
Enough rambling, here's the items and steps I used:
1 x Can of Tamiya Model Paint (designed specifically for small pieces of plastic)
1 x Can of Mr. Glossy (competitor brand to Tamiya, I couldn't find Tamiya Gloss that was not Flat Clear. I choose Extra glossy).
1 x Square of 800 grit sandpaper
1 x Square of 1200 grit sandpaper
Some flowing water
A rubbing block that you wrap the sandpaper around
Shiny shopping catalogs like from Walmart or Kmart to put under your work. Do not use newspaper as it will stick to your work.
On to the actual steps!
Unfortunately you can't beat the time-frames given here, even if you think you are superman. This was the biggest killer for me, I can't wait 48 minutes let alone hours.
This method is the shortest possible time to a finished masterpiece.
This method is used world-wide, and quite commonly by Xbox 360 modders.
They swear by it, I swear by it, so hopefully it works for you!
The reason I am so anal with the steps is because we are spray painting Handheld consoles. Handhelds cop a lot more of a beating than a home console like an Xbox, and are a lot more susceptible to scratches, gashes and paint chipping when you are bashing the buttons in Streetfighter II.
One of the most important steps is to not get over excited and apply your Gloss too early. If your paint is anything less than 2 hours dry and you apply the gloss, there is a high chance the gloss will ripple or bubble or react with the paint and you are screwed. You will have to sand it down to the bone and start all over again. So don't blow your gloss load too early, k?
IN SUMMARY:
1. 800 grit very light wetsanding under flowing water - 15 minutes
2. Natural drying - 20 minutes (Towels of any kind are BANNED)
3. 1st Spray Coat - You are meant to be able to see the original colour through this first coat, in fact it is quite common that you can barely see any of the colour of the paint, but the light surface is now there, ready for the awesome 2nd coat.
(Important Tip: Never spray any closer than 20cm, hell 30cm works fine. Also, never stop in the middle of your plastic. Spray atleast 5cm past the edge of your work. This stops paint gathering on the edges, this keeps it even and beautiful, just like painting real cars.)
4. Drying inbetween coats - 20 minutes (more than likely this won't even be touch dry, so no touching!)
5. 2nd Spray Coat - Now the colour will be coming through and covering up the old colour, if the colour isn't being deep enough, then wait for a 3rd coat, don't apply it on thick, EVER.
6. Drying inbetween coats - 20 minutes
7. Allow to cure overnight - 15 hours < UNAVOIDABLE, you cannot beat the laws of chemistry!
8. Is there uneveness to the paint job? YES/NO (If it is pristine, go straight to the Gloss phase)
9. If there are minor bumps, paint gathering in certain sections (this is quite common)
1200 grit wetsanding (very lightly!) - 20 minutes - You are not trying to remove the paint, just smooth it out. This sand is wayyyy lighter than your first. Some minor places may be missing paint after this sanding - These are the bits you are trying to even out.
10. Natural drying - 20 minutes
11. 3rd and final Spray Coat - Anything more than 3 may be getting too thick and may ruin the appearance and definition of your plastic.
12. Allow atleast 4 hours for curing < THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. If you can, wait 15 to 24 hours before Glossing, you will get the ultimate smooth finish).
13. 1st Glossy Coat
14. Drying - 20 minutes
15. 2nd Glossy Coat
16. Cure overnight (24 hours) < UNAVOIDABLE and you know it.
FINISHED!
Connect it all back up and see your masterpiece!
Depending on how long you waited before the Gloss coat, it would have taken about 48 hours.
Also, only an absolute idiot touches their work to see if it is "touch dry". The amount of work you have to go through to fix a fingerprint will make you learn how to wait those extra few minutes to ensure you know that it's dry.
Let me know how you go? I love painting consoles and I am trying to get better and better with each one.
I have screwed MANY masterpieces due to impatience. If you are willing to spend months soldering something, why not wait the correct time and get the perfect paintjob?
Everyone sees your paint and case buddy, not your soldering inside it.
MORE ABOUT THE JOYS OF WETSANDING.
Step 1.
Either rinse or lightly soak your plastic cases in room temperature water. Please note, room temp water is warmer than your typical cold water from the tap so turn on a little of the hot (just a little).
Now, you are going to use a crapload of water so I apologise to the environmentalists out there.
Keep your water running the hole time, but at a very slow pace. And the whole time keep your plastic under the running water.
Using the 800 grit sandpaper, lightly rub your case all over and keep it even, no chunks out of anywhere, you're just taking an extremely tiny surface off. This will take about 10 - 15 minutes. In fact, you are barely taking anything off at all. The case will still look entirely the same, but when you run your fingers over it you should feel that it is smooth (the grain has now gone).
This smoothness will do wonders for the adhesion of your paint.
Step 2.
Rinse your cases under heavy running water to get rid of ALL of the tiny grains and dust etc. (These leftover grit are your ENEMY, and will ruin your paint job). Do not use anything like paper towel or a hand towel to dry the surface, as you will kill your paint job. Allow the cases to dry naturally (20 mins atleast)
Do not let your cases be damp anywhere when you paint as the paint will discolour. And no using a hand towel cheater!
Once again, make sure the plastic is extremely dry before paining, as the plastic is most likely porous and absorbs water.
