Painting a Xbox 360

What's the dishwasher got to do with it? You can simply buy paint for plastics like in home depot. Clean the surface with alcohol and then apply primer. With the color you can use 1st coat yellow and second coat red, it will be much better and the color would be more vibrant than using the boring grey primer. Then finally clear coat for shiny finish and color protection.

Well you wana get any manufacturing oils off the plastic/metal. using dish water or like you said rubbing alcohol.
Thanks for feedback btw  
I plan on a Metallic navy blue.

Any idea on how to get this with spray paints i have no way of getting a airbrush job or want to spend the money on one.

Would this do it?
Grey primer/Silver (krylon fusion isnt made in metalics would this cause a problem?)/Navy blue fusion

Basicly im trying to get a pretty close car grade job with spray paint, primer and gloss coats.

Another question anyone know if the side pannels are metal or plastic, i was thinking maybe sanding it down to 2000 grit sand paper and then painting the pure steel. Thanks for any feedback on this idea. (i wont get the x360 till mid next week i ordered it online)

Well you can do this with the rattle can, but you need to do it carefully though. You can have great finish with the rattle can paint if you do it right. First like you mention sand the surface and wipe it clean with alcohol and using a lint free cloth. As for the paint, you need to use the same brand and type. Make sure you get the primer and paint for plastics. They adhere better to plastics and allow some bending and strecthing as the plastic would.

Spraying the rattle can takes some skills to do it with quality finish and patience is a big thing as well in doing this type of project. Before you do it on the XBox you should make a practice spray to see how the rattle can works. Find out how fast is the pressure, how thick is the spray, how wide and how distance of the paint. Spraying too close to the surface can make a smooth layer but it would not be uniform and sometimes can apply too much and run down. So it's best to lay the paint surface flat and level. Spraying too far will cause a thin and dull/flat finish. But applying thinnly is better than overdoing it and causes the paint to run and uneven thickness. The temperature of the room also a factor in spray painting as too cold will result in paint hardening as it's spray and causes the dull effect. Too hot will not be too bad and can cause a run in paint easily.

So make sure you have the right environment too work with and to also mention the lighting. Make sure you use the sunlight which is the best and or while fluorescent. Don't use the orage light bulb for it can change the color you are seeing and then changes to the original color in sunlight that might be not what you desired. So back to the painting, you should practice as I have said before, preferably to a the same plastic surface and that way when you are satisfied with your result then you can do the real spray painting.

As for the primer, make sure to let it fully dry like 24hours is the minimum for maximum adhesion. Primer should not be applied thick, for it can be easily scratch off. So a thin coat would be neede just enough to cover the surface.

So you want a metallic blue finish, then get yourself a metallic blue paint. But after the primer you can use different color to make the metallic blue more vibrant and adds some hue to it's color. I suggest you use single coat of purple in between the primer and metallic blue. Or you can get yellow or green in between. Like I said with the practice you can experiment with these different under-layer colors below the metallic blue. So do that and then decide which one is the best for you and then let the paint dried for 24hours and smooth out the surface with a smooth sand paper if you have to and then clean the surface and apply the desired layer of clear coat. That's like how high quality car paint finish are done except it uses thinner several coats. I know this for I have done a bit of it on cars and a lot on my pc cases and of my friends as well and sometimes get paid for it.

Continue on. The primer should be dried 24hours and each layer of paint should be applied 20 minutes appart in nice normal room temp. 70-80c is the ideal temp. Also make sure the place is clean and free of flying dusts and debris that might stick to the wet paint. Well I think that all from what I can remember. Safety wise, wear a clean and clear google and paint mask so you don't breath that stuff and have a metallic blue finish inside your nostrils and lungs. And oh, try practicing with your thumb instead of the weaker point finger, you get more control with your thumb and don't get easily tired or get cramp.

make sure the temperature part is under control. i'm sure you won't be stupid like me, but at my old house, i like did it outside in fall, and i was up north, kinda... the point is, it didn't turn out well. so do it like in your garage or basement. but make sure its ventillated, you don't want any nerve damage, i assume?  

Badass, thanks for all the feedback  

One more question.

When i apply the krylon primer, Then can i use normal krylon paints or do i need to stick with the plastic ones? Cause krylon does not make a metallic plastic specific paint like the 'fusion' stuff.

Oh another thing.

So I prime
Then use the purple or whatever i decide on.
Do i only make a thin coat or make it fairly thick and then do a light coat of metallic blue?
Maybe thats a stupid question, last coat would have to be light right so it shows the previous color.

Well it's better to use the same brand and type paint since it would adhere better. Kind of like compatibility. Using different types of paint base and or surface use will not be good for many thing can happen like decrease in adhesion, change in color, bubbling, or not adhering to each other at all.

So for you research some different brand of paints since some makes good particulay paint. Make sure you use paints that are good to adhering to plastics, and not just that. Make sure the paint have good qualities to work with plastics and don't get damage from bending, expanding and whatever plastics do.

So for you stick with plastic surface primers, paints and clear finish. Find a manufacturer that offers all of this and color qualities as well.

For the under-layer color. What ever you choose under the metallic blue wether it's purple, green or yellow, applying it has also many factors. It's really up to you since applying thin, thick or several coats of under-layer color can also produce different results in the final metallic blue color, vibrance and hue. Also the metallic blue (final color) can also be applied thin or thick or several and have different finish in relation to the under-layer color.

Sometimes if you do it just right, you'll get a chamelion effect as the color can change to different hue of metallic blue or purple (or the under-layer of your choice) or combination of both when looking it at different angles, lightings, shadows, reflections and types of lighting. It's really cool. But you can buy this kind of paints anyways, which are expensive as to compare to a regular paints. Also the clear coat can produce different results in different thickness or layer.

Like I said do a practice coat with a similar plastic of the Xbox 360 and then decide what best for you. And do it safe most importantly and don't breath that paint, it'll get you high and kill some of your brain cells.

Yes, it's the same brand I have used on my latest rig. Good quality which works on plastics, wood and metal and very popular here in our local Home Depot.

what were you smoking? You know that if the thing catches fire AFTER you've painted it and burns down everything you own, MS's lawyers will use your "modifications" as an excuse to raise doubt of their culpability. And their lawyers will be better than yours.

Just relax, take it easy maybe you should smoke.

Its my risk im taking besides ive built several computers i know what im doing pretty much when i mod somthing.. like soder and stuff but what i didnt know is how to get a good paint job with a rattle can. Besides after im done with it its going to run about 30c colder then any other stock xbox so it wont overheat anymore.

This is what i want to get it too, just better i wana change some stuff and impove apon that.

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=505987...

Oh btw thanks for responses. There really helpfull  

That's some nice mod on the 360.

How about this one.

http://watercooling.50webs.com/1/

Wow now thats custom, i like the idea of that block. But i dont have machine power tools to make a custom block like that. I only have sander, Dremel, Just basic stuff everyone has in there house.

Very impressive mod though, i was looking at somthing thats internal only though. Thats a major requirement of mine, no little boxes sitting outside.

I have to admit after reading the mod, the passive res'es look very cool. Im lov'in it for a external solution.

I will start a thread with a how-to guide on this once i get my x360 on wed/thru i gotta good deal on ebay.
X360 premium with manual missing new, for 320$

Don't forget to get lots of pictures man and post it everywhere.

I moved to this thread thanks for all the info and help, sense we are going a bit off topic.

Thanks again  

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/Xbox-360-Intern...

Krylon has spray panit that says it doesnt need primer or sanding that it bonds to plastic. would we be able to just spray this on?