How to paint your XBox360 controller!

Step 1 Supplies!

To start off, you will need a few items.

ý XBOX 360 Controller
ýTorx T-8 Security Screwdriver (you can get a regular T-8 and break the security pieces with a small
flat-head screwdriver though)
ý Small phillip's screwdriver
ý Painter's tape
ý Exact-o-knife or razor blade
ýSpray paint (Krylon fusion for plastic is preferred)
ý Clear finish
ý Sandpaper

Comments

[S.Gipson]

Do you have to disassemble the x-box controller?

[MooseSourberry]

Yes! You don't want to paint the buttons and analogs.

[jrg3ni0us]

Couldn't you just cover the sticks and buttons with painters tape, while being careful to cover the joints and openings

[S.Gipson]

Okay THANKS!!

[tzymbra]

The grainy feeling is a side effect of painting down onto the plastic; when you angle your spray paint like that it tends to spray more propellant rather than actual paint.

You can try to avoid this by spraying in short bursts and if you notice what is coming out of the can is almost entirely white; turn the can back upright and spray for a second into the air and it will usually start spraying color again.

Also making sure the paint is mixed by shaking the can regularly while painting can help with this problem.

The alternative to painting down onto a flat surface is to hang the item and spray it while its hanging in the air, but if you do this you have to be very careful as paint tends to run more painting like that; quick short coats.

[VaGxMagnumz]

i used krylon fusion for plastic as my paint and clear coat but my controller feels almost grainy not glossy

[MooseSourberry]

Hmm.. I don't know to tell you.. It may have been because weather conditions and that the controller wasn't entirely clean when you painted it...

[the vengeful aug]

Do you have to take it apart?

[MooseSourberry]

MOST DEFINITELY! You can't paint it with all the buttons and parts inside! Not unless you only wanted it for decoration. Because it will not work if you paint it before disassembling it. 8}

[johnsonz25]

Thanks alot, I sprayed this one with "hammered Steel" and it turned out pretty cool, works fine too.

[O_Kodama]

Sick dude! I love it!

[juneapaluna]

That looks awesome :)

[MooseSourberry]

Wow that is really cool lookin. I know it would have been weird for a little while maybe, but if you had painted the a,b,x, and y buttons as well it would have looked really sweet. lol But nice job.

[king kolton9]

can i do this with a ps2 controller (side note if anybody knows of a mod to make a xbox 360 controller work in a ps2 that would be great thx)

[MooseSourberry]

Oh for sure, you could do this with anything really, your actual console casing, hell a N64. A ps2 controller might be a little more or less complicated but I just dont' really know the specifics Wow I have no idea, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult considering the ps2 controller is smaller, but I am definitely not the person to figure something like that out, lol. Great idea.

[king kolton9]

thx but what kind of paint do i use to make it look glossy like yours, CaseBoy's second one, and mmcpherson4's (not like johnsonz25's, caseboy's first one and KhronosDiavolos's) thx (ps great job)

[MooseSourberry]

I have listed even the type of paint to use in my supplies. Any paint will do as long as it is a "glossy" paint, not flat or matte or satin. Glossy is what you want, but really you could go with flat as long as your clear coat is a glossy since that is the top layer it will do the shining. :] Do show photos if you paint your 'troller.

[king kolton9]

like put the innards in the xbox 360 controller

[mmcpherson4]

hey, i thought yours looked awesome so i went with your design.. :P
thanks dude

[CaseBoy]

 not sure if it just the pic the joysticks seam to be bubbled or rounded. how did you do that

[mmcpherson4]

There ps2 thumb-sticks.. I seem to play better with them.. :P

[MooseSourberry]

That looks frickin sweet! :D Nice job.

[hellstudios]

and I thought I did a good job at mine.... holy damn dude. nice.

[MooseSourberry]

Well thank ya sir. Yours is pretty spiffy. Too bad you don't play 360 though ;D

[CaseBoy]

where can you buy Krylon fusion???

[MooseSourberry]

All of the supplies I bought are from Wal-Mart. Any hardware store has Krylon Fusion though. Also, most craft stores carry it too(although the price is jacked way up there.) I would suggest Wal-Mart though, their prices are the lowest!

[CaseBoy]

 oh i spray painted another check it out!!!

[KhronosDiavolos]

hey man, awesome tutorial! i did something similar, without painters tape. i gave it a rough texture under the gloss, and a stone look.

[MooseSourberry]

That is wicked looking! Though, the white start and back buttons look out of place, too bad you didn't make them a gray or maybe even black.

[Audi0slave]

Why do you need to sand it?

[MooseSourberry]

To make it smooth and so that the paint will adhere to the plastic better.

[CaseBoy]

 here is a pic of my controller

[MooseSourberry]

Well that is lookin awesome!

[hjk10hjk]

wow thanks for your help, this is my first time doing anything "broken warranty" and it turned out great. thanks again for the tips and detailed steps. bty your controller is freaking amazing

[MooseSourberry]

Well thanks for your kind words, I really hope you'll comment back with some sweet pictures of your newly awesomer controller paint job!

[stina_wo]

Nice. I can finally paint my boring, white 360 controller. The only problem I'm facing now is what I want to design. Goodness.

Thanks for these steps and that video is mighty helpful too.

[MooseSourberry]

If you can, show some pictures when you're done, that's always fun!

[stina_wo]

Yes, I certainly will.

[CaseBoy]

 very cool I spray painted my controllers but not nearly as good as yours.  ¦ Þ

[MooseSourberry]

Cool. Thanks, and I hope you had fun!