EDIT: Temperamental picture links, so if you need them PM me and I'll sort you out with 'em.
I have lots of free time
.
Though it may appear complex, spray painting a DreamCast is actually a very easy thing to do. Unlike other consoles, there?s nothing stopping you from opening it up and spraying, and in fact disassembly is incredibly simple. You don?t need any special types of screwdrivers, and all parts can come off very easily.
Firstly though, I have to say that if you decide to spray paint your Dreamcast it is entirely at your own risk. Though it isn?t likely that anything will go wrong, something could happen and I will not be held responsible.
The following guide is to help those of you who, like me, want to add a little design flair to an otherwise rather dull console. To start with, there are a number of things you need. They are as follows:
It?s hard to actually measure the screwdrivers, but the one on the left is about 3mm wide, and the one on the right is about 5mm. They?re just your standard, ordinary, basic screwdrivers that everybody has. These are used for unscrewing screws (duh), of which there are two different types used in the Dreamcast (big and little). The middle screwdriver has a thin, flat blade at the end, and is used for prying things off (such as the Dreamcast logo on the top of the machine).
As well as these tools, you will need a Dreamcast (
) and spray paint.
The spray paint you use should be specifically for plastics - the two tins shown in the picture above were bought at B&Q, and were the only brand they stocked. They worked fine for me. You should use two colours - get a big can for the main shell, and a smaller can (of a different colour) for the other bits, such as the open and close buttons. I recommend metallic colours, because ordinary paint can look quite garish.
So first, you need to take the Dreamcast apart. This is fairly simple. To begin with, turn the Dreamcast upside down. Take out the modem (by pushing down on the tab and pulling it out). The picture below shows the 4 screws you need to undo.
Unscrew then, turn the DreamCast back up the right way. Lift the top off, and you?ll be faced with the Dreamcast?s innards
Ignore these for now, though, and instead turn your attention to the part you just pulled off
The picture shows the inside of the top of the Dreamcast case. Firstly, unscrew all the screws circled in red in the picture above. Then, remove all the separate parts. The part circled in pink just comes out once the screws are undone. The part circled in blue will need to be wiggled a bit, but comes out fairly easily. The part circled in green will also need a little bit of wiggling to pull it out. There is also a spring attached to it. The part circled in yellow has got a small spring on it - unhook the spring before unscrewing the screw, otherwise it will be awkward getting at it. The part just lifts off once the screws are undone. There is also a black foamy piece which should be removed. Also, squeeze the prongs of the Power and Open buttons and pop them out. You should now be left with:
The parts from the lid
The top part of the case, devoid of parts
As well as the DreamCast lid
Use the flat-headed screwdriver to prise off the Dreamcast logo and the Triangle-shaped piece of plastic at the bottom. It should look like this:
Now we go back to the Dreamcast itself.
First, we will remove the Power Supply
The picture above shows the screws that need to be removed. The cable on the top right of the picture, circled in red, needs to be removed, which is simple, before the screw can be taken out. Once the other three screws are undone, pull the board out. There is a little tab half way down the right hand side which needs to be pulled out of the way before the board will come out. You may need to tug quite hard to get it out, because there is a large connection between the motherboard and power supply. It does come out easily though. Once the board is out, remove the cable, and plastic shield too. The picture shows the things that have been removed:
Next, we remove the controller port. The picture below highlights what needs to be removed:
The parts circled in red are screws that need to be removed. The part circled in blue is a connector between the controller port and motherboard. Simple grip the sides and pull it out. It should unplug from both the motherboard and the controller port. Once the screws have been removed, the controller port and fan can be taken out.
Next, unscrew the screws circled in yellow. You can then just pull the GD-rom unit out (shown below).
Finally, we remove the motherboard and controller port guard. Unscrew the screws circled below:
The motherboard can then just be lifted out. It might put up a little bit of resistance because of the plugs on the back of the console, but won?t be too hard. The controller port guard will also come out.
You will then be left with the following empty shell:
Also, you?ll want to take the bits of the modem off.
Unscrew the two screws in this picture, and pull all the parts out. This will just leave the plastic to be sprayed.
Now we get to the fun part. Find a big space where you can do the spraying - a garage would be a good idea, or anywhere outside. Lay down some newspaper on a big flat area, a number of sheets thick. Then place all the parts to be sprayed on the newspaper, like so:
(note that this picture was taken after the spraying had taken place)
If your Dreamcast is dirty or scratched, you may want to wash or wipe away any marks, or use fine sand paper to work the surface smoother. It?s up to you - I sprayed directly onto the surface of my DC, without any primer or anything, and the result was smooth and nice looking.
Now, for these parts, we take the big can of spray paint. Hold the can about a foot above the parts. Spray in short bursts, and use an even sweeping movement as if you were washing a window. Make sure you don?t hold the can too close, and that you don?t spray too much in one place. It?s much better to have numerous thin coats than one thick one. Even if you can see a lot of the writing and stuff beneath the paint, let it dry for ten minutes or so, and spray again. Once the paint look like it?s thick enough (after about 5 thin coats), and everything is covered, leave it to dry. Don?t touch the paint, whatever you do. Wait for at least two nights, and don?t touch it! After this length of time, press down hard on a part that won?t be seen (ie. the bit on the lid where the sticker is going to go). If it makes even the slightest finger print, or feels sticky, leave it to dry. If it?s a sunny day, take the parts outside (holding the bottom of them only). They dry a lot faster in the sun (but if it?s a really hot day the plastic might warp, so be careful)
Make sure to spray everything that will be seen, not just one fact. Ie. get paint on the side of the parts too, and for the lid, on the underside as well.
Note: Always follow directions on the can of paint. If what I say here contradicts the instructions on the can, then go by what the can says. I'm going by what was said on the can of paint I used, but it may differ for different brands.
Next, we need to spray the smaller parts. If you?re doing a controller as well (very easy to take apart), my advice would be to make a small loop of masking tape for each piece, and stick them down on something like a box. The reason for this is that often the power of the spray paint can knock small parts over (like the face buttons on the controller), and also because it is very difficult to move the small parts outside into the sun without touching the paint. Sticking them all to a box makes it a simple task.
A word of advice, too - if you?re spraying in a dusty garage, make sure to take the parts outside almost immediately. The spray paint often raises dust, and if the dust settles on the wet paint it creates a horrible uneven surface. It can be removed with very fine sandpaper (and leave almost no mark), but it?s all around better to just let things dry in the sun.
This is a picture of the parts I sprayed, in my garage, on a table covered with newspaper.
Finally, after everything is dry, it is time to put everything back together. If you feel the shell needs more paint, then spray it some more and leave it to dry again. And I can?t warn you enough - make sure it is 100% definitely dry before you put it back together. Even the faintest mark can ruin a wonderful paint job. Use the instructions for disassembly above, in reverse, to put everything back together. Stick the logo?s back on, put the buttons back in, screw the screws back on and you?re done! Test it to make sure it still works - if not, you might have missed something like the connector cable between the controller port and the motherboard.
What to do if it goes wrong.
If something bad happens, like if a leaf falls onto the wet paint and leaves a horrible mark, don?t panic. Don?t try to rectify the damage by spraying paint thickly over a mark. Leave the paint to dry and see if it?s really as bad as it seems. You can usually sand marks down or away. Once you?ve done that, re-spray over the mark and it should be fine. If, however, a large area has been messed up, you can remove the paint using white spirits (shown in the picture right at the top). Using an old rag and small swirling motions, wipe away the paint. Do not try to wash the paint away with water, because it won?t work. White spirits is the best option. When I sprayed my DreamCast, I messed up and had to remove the paint with white spirits. Look at the pictures below - absolutely no hint of a screw-up.
And finally, I leave you with some pictures of my DreamCast, sprayed and looking nice, and Smegaman?s, also looking extremely lovely. Post your pics of your sprayed DC, or any questions you might have. Also, you can PM me with questions too.
My dreamcast:
What a beaut.
And Smegaman?s DreamCast:
Also very, very nice.
I have lots of free time
.Though it may appear complex, spray painting a DreamCast is actually a very easy thing to do. Unlike other consoles, there?s nothing stopping you from opening it up and spraying, and in fact disassembly is incredibly simple. You don?t need any special types of screwdrivers, and all parts can come off very easily.
Firstly though, I have to say that if you decide to spray paint your Dreamcast it is entirely at your own risk. Though it isn?t likely that anything will go wrong, something could happen and I will not be held responsible.
The following guide is to help those of you who, like me, want to add a little design flair to an otherwise rather dull console. To start with, there are a number of things you need. They are as follows:
It?s hard to actually measure the screwdrivers, but the one on the left is about 3mm wide, and the one on the right is about 5mm. They?re just your standard, ordinary, basic screwdrivers that everybody has. These are used for unscrewing screws (duh), of which there are two different types used in the Dreamcast (big and little). The middle screwdriver has a thin, flat blade at the end, and is used for prying things off (such as the Dreamcast logo on the top of the machine).
As well as these tools, you will need a Dreamcast (
) and spray paint.The spray paint you use should be specifically for plastics - the two tins shown in the picture above were bought at B&Q, and were the only brand they stocked. They worked fine for me. You should use two colours - get a big can for the main shell, and a smaller can (of a different colour) for the other bits, such as the open and close buttons. I recommend metallic colours, because ordinary paint can look quite garish.
So first, you need to take the Dreamcast apart. This is fairly simple. To begin with, turn the Dreamcast upside down. Take out the modem (by pushing down on the tab and pulling it out). The picture below shows the 4 screws you need to undo.
Unscrew then, turn the DreamCast back up the right way. Lift the top off, and you?ll be faced with the Dreamcast?s innards
Ignore these for now, though, and instead turn your attention to the part you just pulled off
The picture shows the inside of the top of the Dreamcast case. Firstly, unscrew all the screws circled in red in the picture above. Then, remove all the separate parts. The part circled in pink just comes out once the screws are undone. The part circled in blue will need to be wiggled a bit, but comes out fairly easily. The part circled in green will also need a little bit of wiggling to pull it out. There is also a spring attached to it. The part circled in yellow has got a small spring on it - unhook the spring before unscrewing the screw, otherwise it will be awkward getting at it. The part just lifts off once the screws are undone. There is also a black foamy piece which should be removed. Also, squeeze the prongs of the Power and Open buttons and pop them out. You should now be left with:
The parts from the lid
The top part of the case, devoid of parts
As well as the DreamCast lid
Use the flat-headed screwdriver to prise off the Dreamcast logo and the Triangle-shaped piece of plastic at the bottom. It should look like this:
Now we go back to the Dreamcast itself
.First, we will remove the Power Supply
The picture above shows the screws that need to be removed. The cable on the top right of the picture, circled in red, needs to be removed, which is simple, before the screw can be taken out. Once the other three screws are undone, pull the board out. There is a little tab half way down the right hand side which needs to be pulled out of the way before the board will come out. You may need to tug quite hard to get it out, because there is a large connection between the motherboard and power supply. It does come out easily though. Once the board is out, remove the cable, and plastic shield too. The picture shows the things that have been removed:
Next, we remove the controller port. The picture below highlights what needs to be removed:
The parts circled in red are screws that need to be removed. The part circled in blue is a connector between the controller port and motherboard. Simple grip the sides and pull it out. It should unplug from both the motherboard and the controller port. Once the screws have been removed, the controller port and fan can be taken out.
Next, unscrew the screws circled in yellow. You can then just pull the GD-rom unit out (shown below).
Finally, we remove the motherboard and controller port guard. Unscrew the screws circled below:
The motherboard can then just be lifted out. It might put up a little bit of resistance because of the plugs on the back of the console, but won?t be too hard. The controller port guard will also come out.
You will then be left with the following empty shell:
Also, you?ll want to take the bits of the modem off.
Unscrew the two screws in this picture, and pull all the parts out. This will just leave the plastic to be sprayed
.Now we get to the fun part
. Find a big space where you can do the spraying - a garage would be a good idea, or anywhere outside. Lay down some newspaper on a big flat area, a number of sheets thick. Then place all the parts to be sprayed on the newspaper, like so:(note that this picture was taken after the spraying had taken place)
If your Dreamcast is dirty or scratched, you may want to wash or wipe away any marks, or use fine sand paper to work the surface smoother. It?s up to you - I sprayed directly onto the surface of my DC, without any primer or anything, and the result was smooth and nice looking
.Now, for these parts, we take the big can of spray paint. Hold the can about a foot above the parts. Spray in short bursts, and use an even sweeping movement as if you were washing a window. Make sure you don?t hold the can too close, and that you don?t spray too much in one place. It?s much better to have numerous thin coats than one thick one. Even if you can see a lot of the writing and stuff beneath the paint, let it dry for ten minutes or so, and spray again. Once the paint look like it?s thick enough (after about 5 thin coats), and everything is covered, leave it to dry. Don?t touch the paint, whatever you do. Wait for at least two nights, and don?t touch it! After this length of time, press down hard on a part that won?t be seen (ie. the bit on the lid where the sticker is going to go). If it makes even the slightest finger print, or feels sticky, leave it to dry. If it?s a sunny day, take the parts outside (holding the bottom of them only). They dry a lot faster in the sun (but if it?s a really hot day the plastic might warp, so be careful)
Make sure to spray everything that will be seen, not just one fact. Ie. get paint on the side of the parts too, and for the lid, on the underside as well.
Note: Always follow directions on the can of paint. If what I say here contradicts the instructions on the can, then go by what the can says. I'm going by what was said on the can of paint I used, but it may differ for different brands.
Next, we need to spray the smaller parts. If you?re doing a controller as well (very easy to take apart), my advice would be to make a small loop of masking tape for each piece, and stick them down on something like a box. The reason for this is that often the power of the spray paint can knock small parts over (like the face buttons on the controller), and also because it is very difficult to move the small parts outside into the sun without touching the paint. Sticking them all to a box makes it a simple task.
A word of advice, too - if you?re spraying in a dusty garage, make sure to take the parts outside almost immediately. The spray paint often raises dust, and if the dust settles on the wet paint it creates a horrible uneven surface. It can be removed with very fine sandpaper (and leave almost no mark), but it?s all around better to just let things dry in the sun.
This is a picture of the parts I sprayed, in my garage, on a table covered with newspaper
.Finally, after everything is dry, it is time to put everything back together. If you feel the shell needs more paint, then spray it some more and leave it to dry again. And I can?t warn you enough - make sure it is 100% definitely dry before you put it back together. Even the faintest mark can ruin a wonderful paint job. Use the instructions for disassembly above, in reverse, to put everything back together. Stick the logo?s back on, put the buttons back in, screw the screws back on and you?re done! Test it to make sure it still works - if not, you might have missed something like the connector cable between the controller port and the motherboard.
What to do if it goes wrong.
If something bad happens, like if a leaf falls onto the wet paint and leaves a horrible mark, don?t panic. Don?t try to rectify the damage by spraying paint thickly over a mark. Leave the paint to dry and see if it?s really as bad as it seems. You can usually sand marks down or away. Once you?ve done that, re-spray over the mark and it should be fine. If, however, a large area has been messed up, you can remove the paint using white spirits (shown in the picture right at the top). Using an old rag and small swirling motions, wipe away the paint. Do not try to wash the paint away with water, because it won?t work. White spirits is the best option. When I sprayed my DreamCast, I messed up and had to remove the paint with white spirits. Look at the pictures below - absolutely no hint of a screw-up.
And finally, I leave you with some pictures of my DreamCast, sprayed and looking nice, and Smegaman?s, also looking extremely lovely. Post your pics of your sprayed DC, or any questions you might have. Also, you can PM me with questions too.
My dreamcast:
What a beaut
.And Smegaman?s DreamCast:
Also very, very nice
.
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