Joe's ps3 case mod(W.I.P)((Updated periododicly))

[joeb0032]

Okay hello everyone, I'm very new to acid mods and modding in general.  I finally manned up and decided to do a case mod.  For this mod I'm running a usb port into the ps3 its self running at ~5 volts.  The picture above shows that im running it all into a bread board.

I've already cut out the ps3 logo on the slim body itself and i put leds facing down hangin of the inside of the case.
I had to repaint the case because i had accidentally left a lamp on it about a year ago,long story short the middle of the case was a deeper black.  I painted the whole thing one solid black and its currently drying.  I'll post pics once its dryed.

If anyone has any suggestions to add on to my modd please feel free to post.

[Rodent]

Good job on stepping up and taking the chance, on your first mod, it may have took time and effort and you had to paint it twice so what....lol not everything happens right the first time. 

Great job , I havent had a slim PS3 apart yet, so I cant really think of ideas at this time other then maybe some L.E.D.s

I am sure you will think of something to add .

[joeb0032]

IMO it looks bad. but whatever i'll fix it gradually over time.
anyone, i need suggestions on what to paint my front of my ps3 case. 

[Sammy]

Red!! and it doesint look to bad.

[nEoVaLoR]

Use some thinner wires and you'll be good. And that cutout is jagged.. sand, sand, sand lol, unless that was the look you were going for.

[joeb0032]

Yeah by fix it gradually, i was reffering to filing down that. hahaha yeah and where can i find like the thinist wiring possiable

[Rodent]

Yeah by fix it gradually, i was reffering to filing down that. hahaha yeah and where can i find like the thinist wiring possiable

Radio shack has 30awg wire will work great

[i7vSa7vi7y]

Try using some smd leds like 0805 leds. There real small and will not bleed through

[joeb0032]

Try using some smd leds like 0805 leds. There real small and will not bleed through

I don't understand.  Bleed through what? sorry im slow to catch up.  Hahaha

Radio shack has 30awg wire will work great

okay thanks, I'll for sure pick some up.

and today im just going to just work on sanding it becuase i have no paint as of right now.  Also, does anyone know how much volts the fan power gives off? becuase i was thinking i would steel some power from their.  <-- good idea or no?

[nEoVaLoR]

Try using some smd leds like 0805 leds. There real small and will not bleed through

Huh? The housing is black, it's not possible for any sort of light to bleed through.

For your question of wire, those wires look like you stole them from a controller lol, find a spare usb cord you have, stip it down, and it will have four wires that are relatively thin (i don't know the size.)  You can make these fit even better by taking the flat part of needle nose pliars, and clamping the whole wire, the insulation will turn flat, and it makes the wire much thinner.

[joeb0032]

^ wait do all this and re use that wire.  Is that what you mean?

And im getting some seriose sanding in right now.  I'll post picks up when done 

[joeb0032]

I tried sanding it for about an hour with little to no prevail. 

I gave up and also relized that i couldn't stand seeing the black electrical tape showing through the ps3 symbol, so i decided to glue a smoked plastic on the inside so the color shines through the ps3 symbol but nothing shows from the inside of the system.

Here_you can see the plastic better because of the flash of the camera


Here is the final result, I'm just going to end up painting it white with some actual paint and a paint brush(good or bad?) (It's a video, click it!)

Tell me what you think.
Thanks,
Joe

[crazy-modder]

Decent work for a first mod. PLEASE do not use paint and a paint brush......it will look like poopy!! Go to home depot or lowes and buy some krylon fusion. Its only like $5 a can and it will look 100000000000000000000000000000 times better than paint and a brush.

[joeb0032]

Decent work for a first mod. PLEASE do not use paint and a paint brush......it will look like poopy!! Go to home depot or lowes and buy some krylon fusion. Its only like $5 a can and it will look 100000000000000000000000000000 times better than paint and a brush.

Okay thanks and will do for sure. Would white primer spray paint cover up scratches?
 

[nEoVaLoR]

dood you can't paint that with a paintbrush D:

any paint would, depending on the thickness of the coat. i had tons of scratches on my ipod, once i painted that, they all disappear lol..

[joeb0032]

Okay sounds great.  I'll update when i get it painted.  Planning on doing a white primer.  That way to later i can add on a random logo.  I was thinking of somehow doing an acidmods logo

[nEoVaLoR]

Okay sounds great.  I'll update when i get it painted.  Planning on doing a white primer.  That way to later i can add on a random logo.  I was thinking of somehow doing an acidmods logo

Painting isn't too hard, the problem I had with paint was waiting for the coats to dry, i would only wait about an hour, it looked good til the end, I wound up with a sticky mess.... Wait a LONG time before each coat, and make sure you sand. There are some experts on here with paint lol, im sure they'd be glad to help

[joeb0032]

okay guys, i got the paint job done.  Their was some major scratches on the cover.  and even after sanding it down, the scratches still show the throught the paint.  The regular paint job looks nice, but the one corner looks like .  So i think i might cut out the corner and add a clear window for the heck of it.  and if anyone has any idea how i could get a stencil of some sort for the mw2 character ghost, that would be great.  I'll get pics up tonight

[Rodent]

Maybe if you resand it and use some coats of primer you can make them scratches go away sand with some 320 grit between primer coats and you should see the scratches will fill in and go away then repaint it with the color you want or maybe even clear coat it a few times and sand between coats, might even help. just make sure you use something fine 600 grit to 1200 grit if you clear coat it

[joeb0032]

some pics with flash on and off.  I've decided to put in a small fan where you see the scratches and the corner i took a separate photo of. 
^ note im still in the making of applying more coats of paint.  i thought i'd just make in epic bump for this thread.

[joeb0032]

Okay im basicly done with painting.  So quick qustion, does anyone no where i can keep a cheap quite fan to intall in the ps3 case.  and also where can i draw the dower for the fan?

[crazy-modder]

I hate to sound like an   A HOLE but i think you should just repaint it black lol....

[Rodent]

 

[nEoVaLoR]

you need to restart.. and fix those logo letters, they are really jagged.

[Crumbz]

yeah man i didn't want to be the first to say anything so i waited till someone else did it for me but... Seriously dude the paint job looks like you didnt really put any effort into it. and i know sanding can be a pain but the end results are worth it! 

So yeah like Neo said you should restart. paint the case black again and sand, sand, sand that PS3 logo!

[Rodent]

you need to restart.. and fix those logo letters, they are really jagged.

AGREED.

it started out really nice, and now looks like you just gave up and threw some paint on it... you could do better

[joeb0032]

  it.  i guess i will.  i don't have a dremal so im buying one soon.  I will use that when i get it to make the letters not as jagged.  also the paint is being completly impossible to work with.  I can get a straight line from any of the stripes.  so im repainting the whole thing blue.

also whenever i sand out like any weird looking scratches on the face of the ps3, it just scratches it more! how do i avoid this>?

[Rodent]

it.  i guess i will.  i don't have a dremal so im buying one soon.  I will use that when i get it to make the letters not as jagged.  also the paint is being completly impossible to work with.  I can get a straight line from any of the stripes.  so im repainting the whole thing blue.

If you want to keep the blue stripes, then I suggest you use a fine line tape will not leave such ajagged edge, as for the part about cleaning up the PS3 logo, try using some jewlers files or regular files, this will give you more control on the parts you want to smooth out, just take your time and really look at your work.

Like I said It started out good, I just think that you got in a hurry it happens to all of us. You get working on something and then you spend so much time you get to the point you just want it done.

Perfection takes time and patients. take time to think about what you want and how you want it to look, It will be perfect when you do.

[joeb0032]

okay i restarted as you said and taking my time. did a completly different look and im putting white base with gold stripes. (((((IM TAKING MY TIME))))))
Here you can see the gold base color drying(clear coat)

next is time to put in the white
Thats my freind putting up the random sign.  He's painting an xbox 360 controller side by side with my ps3

[crazy-modder]

Cool, just a reminder....THIN coats is the key!

[Rodent]

You will be much happier now  AWSOME!!!!

[Crumbz]

lookin good man keep it up. 

[joeb0032]

Cool, just a reminder....THIN coats is the key!

Okay, i've been going by just trying to cover everything with paint.  I'll go by this from now on

EDIT: I'm also waiting for myself to pick up a dremel this week.  if someone can direct me to a tip for the dremel which would fit for the job of straightening out my jaged ps3 cutout will get +5 man points

[hyper999]

Okay, i've been going by just trying to cover everything with paint.  I'll go by this from now on

EDIT: I'm also waiting for myself to pick up a dremel this week.  if someone can direct me to a tip for the dremel which would fit for the job of straightening out my jaged ps3 cutout will get +5 man points

it will be very difficult to do that with a dremel a set of small files will give you more control and a better finish

[Rodent]

it will be very difficult to do that with a dremel a set of small files will give you more control and a better finish

AGREED!!! think I said that here ...lol

 

If you want to keep the blue stripes, then I suggest you use a fine line tape will not leave such ajagged edge, as for the part about cleaning up the PS3 logo, try using some jewlers files or regular files, this will give you more control on the parts you want to smooth out, just take your time and really look at your work.

[joeb0032]

i actually have many small filers.  Thats what i was using in the first place and even after an hour of trying it seemed not to work at all!!!! and also i went outside to paint on the stripes and the white base coat seemed perfect. no cracks or bumbs. then as soon as i pait on the gold, cracks started appearing? anyone know what the cause it
I'm not sure if temp matters but its almost 60 outside?
But it did drop to 40 last night with the cans outside

[1TONpete]

These paints have recoat times read the directions on can for recoat window. Has to be done right away or way later.

[joeb0032]

^ thanks, that makes sence. I'll check that now

[Rodent]

Different types of  paint will cause them to lift , bubble and do funny things

[joeb0032]

well i think i took care of it.. I'll post pics tonight if i can get the stripes on

[joeb0032]

i had way to many coats of paint.  it litterly wouldn't dry at all.  it was like jelly when supposed to be dry.  im belt sanding it down to original coat.  if anyone knows where i can buy a replacement case i will be very happy.

[Rodent]

i had way to many coats of paint.  it litterly wouldn't dry at all.  it was like jelly when supposed to be dry.  im belt sanding it down to original coat.  if anyone knows where i can buy a replacement case i will be very happy.

I would let it dry for a couple of days ,

1st it will be easier to sand then and you wont have to sand it back to the orignial,

2nd after you do sand it you will have to wash it really good with something that wont eat the plastic maybe some mineral spirits  you can by it at home depot... then maybe wash with mild soap or ask  make sure that you wash the mineral spirits off really good, ,will tend to feel oily on your hands i would get some rubber gloves. paint thinner or laquor thinner might eat the plastic, maybe even try the mineral spirits on something else to make sure it dont eat the plastic.

[nEoVaLoR]

i had way to many coats of paint.  it litterly wouldn't dry at all.  it was like jelly when supposed to be dry.  im belt sanding it down to original coat.  if anyone knows where i can buy a replacement case i will be very happy.

it does dry... you might have to wait a couple of days but it will dry. your coats are too thick, and you aren't waiting long enough.. thin coats.. and there are plenty of places where you can buy replacement housing, but why give up?

[1TONpete]

Theres just so much going wrong here its not funny. I should have stepped in a while ago , and thats my fault, I've been a lil selfish lately.
First Do not use a belt sander on you xbox. Belt sander are good for floors not complex curves.
Listen to rodent about stripping the paint. Be very careful because most solvents eat plastic.
Let it dry for a couple days. Be patient. Don't give up.
Start back at square one. Clean your case up. Then work on cleaning up the edges of your logo. Get your self some 200 grit and some 400 grit and roll it up into a tube. Start with the 200 and knock the rough edges down on that logo. Take your time. The smooth your scratches and imperfections from stripping the paint with the 400 grit. (because my experience when stripping is it never comes off smooth.) If you stripped it down good enough there shouldn't be that much sanding.
Next, which I should start a whole thread on this, is proper painting and prepping. 80 % of painting is prep. You should keep rubber cloves on at all times while handling what ever you are painting. Clean every thing real good in the sink with dish soap . Let dry if you can get a hair dryer or compressed air of some sort, blow it out if you can. Make sure you get into all the lil nooks. get some rubbing alcohol and wipe every thing down with a micro fiber cloth.
set it up where ever your going to paint.
Actually painting. Always start with mist coats. don't worry if it looks a lil rough. it will flatten out.
Wait in between coats. letting each layer dry enough so the the next layer doesn't seal in the wet coat under neath . On the 2nd or third coat you can actually start laying down a lil paint. But again not to heavy. You want this coat to just look wet. First couple coats i call dust coats later coats i call wet coats.
A lil note on paint. try to keep the same brand of paints so you don't get bad reactions.
Good wet sand-able primer. For primer or color coat the process is the same as listed above. Primer usually dries fast so you can wet sand in between coats. Always check recoat times before adding a new layer of paint. Most of the time you can color right after primer.
wet sand your color coat.
Clear coat. If and when you are ready for this just PM me cause I could go on for days about this.

[joeb0032]

will do. thanks for taking the time to write that^.  its going to take me a week to sand all of the paint off the case.  I'll update when ready to start preparing to paint

[1TONpete]

Also If your still having problems with sanding let me know I can give a couple pointers on getting rid of scratches.

[Rodent]

Joe this will take time, painting isnt a easy thing, like denali said it can take alot of time to and patients to get it right but in the end WOW the results will be rewarding, if you have any questions feel free to PM me also. I am glad to help also

Thanks denali. you explained that well, thats one thing I am not really good at talking the teaching part out, I could show things faster then explaining them...lol

[crashmasher]

Hey, if your still looking for a small fan that is quiet their are a few on ebay that i have used for earlier mods that work great. For low noise i would recommend running them on 5v (they still push alot of air)

For the price they are very hard to beat

Example: http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-55mm-VGA-Card-Heatsinks-Cooler-Cooling-Fan-2-Pin-/270601695954?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f011e32d2