Who has USED DYE to turn Nintendo controllers black for 7800?

[+wood_jl]

The idea is to mod them for 7800, and not have it wear off or peel off, like paint.

 

Has anybody done this? Does it really "stain" the plastic and change its color, rather than coat it? If it's going to look bad shortly, I'd rather just leave it Nintendo color.

 

If you have done this - or know of it being done (friend had good results, etc.), then can you say what dye product it is that was used? I'm wondering if this is something that can be purchased at an auto parts store, or if it should be mail-ordered. There's a Hobby Lobby in these parts, and they're good for model paint (i.e. close match for Atari XE/ST color) but I didn't see dye there.

 

Thanks in advance for any tips!

[fiddlepaddle]

Armchair layman here, but I think dye only works (well) with materials that absorb, or mix with, the color, which plastic would only do in its liquid (eg. prior to being squirted into a mold) state. You can certainly buy paint designed to adhere to plastic, or even fuse with the plastic, for endurance reasons.

[+Trebor]

You can certainly buy paint designed to adhere to plastic, or even fuse with the plastic, for endurance reasons.

 

Indeed...Make it black (Adhere)... http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-211338-Paint-Plastic-12-Ounce/dp/B0002YPHFC/

 

Or/And silver (Fuse)...http://www.amazon.com/Krylon-K02338000-Plastic-Metallic-12-Ounce/dp/B000C028BW/

[yell0w_lantern]

I know that RIT dye is used for a lot of DIY plastic dying jobs on Legos and other bits. Jeri Elsworth has a video where she dyed pinball flippers with RIT. It's worth a try.

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=plastric+dye

[Bakasama]

You can dye light colored plastics by dipping it in a mixture of acetone, water, and fabric dye. The process takes about 15-30 mins.

 

Those prototype white carts that Albert posted? They can be dyed with this process to get black, red, blue, green, orange and a few other colors.

 

A few drawbacks, you can't dye "white" because there's no such dye. You can't dye from a dark color to a lighter color. Also, you have to be careful about doing this because it's possible to warp the plastic to point being usable.

[7800]

Yup, there are high quality spray paints that cure to a durable shell. Give your NES controller a few rub downs with fine grit sand paper, then give it a few coats of the good stuff. let it cure for a few days.

 

http://www.plastikote.com/products/General%20Purpose/Premium-Enamel-Paint.html

[+RevEng]

Here's a relevant thread.

 

The correct solution mentioned in-thread is to use spray on vinyl dye. Its a thin plastic material that will bond with the controller, and won't chip like paint does. Since it doesn't add significant thickness, it can even be used separately on mating parts.

 

I've used it in the past with various items, including handheld cameras, and it worked very well. I prefer it quite a lot over paint.

 

The only prep required is cleaning the surface. no sanding. If you happen to overspray, the blob actually flattens over the course of a few days. Great stuff.