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"Come see my sexy blue gamecube"

Today i invalidated my warranty and cast caution to the wind as i ripped apart my gamecube and re-sprayed the outside.

The pics aren't very good, only one really shows the actual colour with any kind of accuracy.
Still, here's the link:

http://huw41.tripod.com/blue/cube.html


The process:
1. carefully, remembering where everything went, open the cube and take it all apart. (The way it's pieced together you'll need to seperate quite a lot of the innards to be able to remove the case).

2. respray everything apropriate. For me, this was all the purple parts (including buttons). Give it a couple of coats if required.
Also, and i figure with the handling, this is quite important, when dry add a spray top-coat to protect the paintwork and keep it from rubbing off on stuff.

3. When dry, reassemble everything.

I also chose to cover the labels (such as the ATi one, the one under the lid and the one underneath) with masking tape, to be removed after painting, to keep them visible. I covered the rubber feet on the front too, as i'd have needed some other tools to remove them.

Now, this isn't exactly a basic job, you'll need to be able to handle a screwdriver and keep all the pieces organised well, and you'll certainly need a good range of phillips (cross) head screwdrivers to cope with all the screws in there, and as well as forefitting your warranty, you risk it not working when it goes back together (i was nervous as i fired it up after re-assembly :^) ).
You'll also need a specially shaped head to get into the 4 main screws in the case (available from lik-sang) and a long barrelled socketed screwdriver (any diy or nerdy electronics store).

However, it looks the nuts. Much nicer than purple (well, i prefer it :^) ), and because of the way the cube is assembled, it should look very professional when done. Mine now looks, for the most part, like it was born blue :^)


Problems? Well, as one of the pictures shows, the ATi sticker took a bit of paint at the bottom, a shame as the other two made it out pretty much perfectly). Instead of spraying over it completely though, i prefer to look on it as a cool battle scar.
Also, the open button is a little less smooth than it once was, but not seriously.

Other than that, it's all worked out as well as i could have hoped.


While i was at it, i sprayed my 4gamers memory card in the same colour. The card itself is very unreliable, and i don't use it any more, but it's nice to have a matching one there.

Doing the card itself was incredibly simple. If opening up your whole console intimidates you, this could be a better option - 2 screws, 2 bits a plastic, a circuit board and a bit of mettle. Simple stuff.
Keep in mind thouh that official cards have tricky screws needing a special screwdriver head which i for one haven't come across anywhere. My 2 third party memory cards have phillips (cross) head screws, i expect most third party cards will be the same.


So, a few hours work, a tenner on paint (although i've not used much from either can), and i had to buy screwdrivers, you can probably borrow suitable ones though. Oh, and around a fiver for the special screwdriver head.

And now my gamecube is unique and frankly downright beautiful :^)

I'd say it was worth it.


*Disclaimer - if you want to try and do this, it's nothing to do with me, you're on your own. I accept no responsobility whatsoever if you balls it up. The whole post only describes what i chose to do to my cube. If you want to do something similar, you chose to, and take the risks yourself.
Nothing to do with me :^P

MiCRoCHiþS wrote:
> I want to paint mine silver. Shiny! :D
>
> What type of paint did you use? I'm guessing a non-oil based primer,
> as others would make the plastic melt, I believe.


There was a highly reflective silver spray available, but i wasn't sure exactly how well it'd turn out, so i decided not to chance it. May warrant further investigation though.

The paint was a general purpose spray one, the sealer an acrylic-based top coat.
I'd go for a diy store one rather than an art shop one though. Just make sure it's something that's intended for the surface you're using.


The thought of selling did occur to me too. The only thing holding me back would be the labels - i could go over the ATi one completely, maybe try to remove it - not sure about that.
But at the moment, while i like the battle scar, a potential buyer probably wouldn't. It's only a little thing, but people can be funny about it...

If you aske me Y risk spraying into a very important (to me) item and then watxhing it go wrong. But you like to risk so go ahead

well dur you dont have to sell it on the internet. and thats just my one of my stupid little ideas to turn a profit and they dont mean anything to anyone especialy me.

morbo wrote:
> you could sell it and make a load, if you say there is only 50 in the
> world (a compleate lie) but would get alot of money.

yeah, and the Authorities and Ebay, erm, 'Police' onto you for selling an Item that isn't what you say it is.

Duh!

that dont look half bad when i went to it was thinking that it would look quite... well you know messed up. but that looks pretty smart. it probly took you a fecking long time to disasemble and reasemble the cube, as one mistake and you would have a pretty little blue box with electronic parts in it.

i would say well done on a good job.

you could sell it and make a load, if you say there is only 50 in the world (a compleate lie) but would get alot of money.

Starlight wrote:
> Coooooo bluuueeeee
>
> Like the way you describe it, "Battle Scar" heh heh heh.
>
> Battle Scar Blue :)

Sounds like you use Warhammer Citadel spray paint..

Very nice Ducky! :D

I want to paint mine silver. Shiny! :D

What type of paint did you use? I'm guessing a non-oil based primer, as others would make the plastic melt, I believe.

Coooooo bluuueeeee

Like the way you describe it, "Battle Scar" heh heh heh.

Battle Scar Blue :)

I got them from lik-sang (only because i was getting my opening tool and 251 memory card at the same time, so it wouldn't add much to the postage).

You might be able to get them on ebay too though, if you're lucky.
I've seen them there before, but not often.

Nice job you did there :) Haven't got the balls to do it myself though :D
Could you tell me where you get those little feet for the bottom of your Cube from please. They look cool and I wanna get me some :D