DIY Black XBox 360 Controller Guide
Things you will need:
* Xbox 360 controller (wired or wireless).
* Screwdriver (phillips head for the a wired controller, security torx (torx with a hole in the center) for the wireless controller).
* Plastikote or Plasti-color vinyl dye.
* Latex gloves.
Plastikote or plasti-color (diferent manufacturers, same general product) can be found at most auto parts stores. I went to AutoZone looking for Plastikote which they didn't have, but found plasti-color which described itself as being used for the same things "vinyl seats, dashboards, door panels, etc.".
It costs about $5 a can after tax and comes in a sadly limited array of colors, they had black, red (fairly bright red), slate blue and a champagne type color. Apparently it also comes in yellow (which might be kind of cool) but they were out of it.
The Steps
There are numerous REALLY well done controller dissections out there so I wont reinvent the wheel here, a good example is this one. The only thing they don't cover is how to get the trigger off, which is fairly simple, just use a flat blade screwdriver to pop the little black arms off of the connector on the trigger, then just put pressure on the trigger (pushing it the opposite way you would if you were playing a game) and use the flat blade to pry the sides of the piece its mounted to away from the controller, do it for each side and it should go through nicely. Once thats done take the spring out and put it somewhere safe, then just slide the trigger piece to the side and twist slightly and it should come right off, its really very easy.
Once thats done take the shoulder buttons off the piece they are attached to (this just makes it easier to spray properly).
The PCB should come right off and the rumble motors with it, set this aside.
Now take all the pieces and rinse them in warm water, use soap if you want but only a little, you don't want any of it to remain once you are done rinsing.
Dry the parts thoroughly with a paper towel or let them air dry for awhile.
Once dried simply take the individual part and, in a well ventilated area/outdoors (the fumes from this stuff are even worse than spray paint IMHO) hold the part at arms length, with the spray can close to your body (about 1.5 ft. between nozzle and part) and start lightly making passes over the surface.
!!!WARNING!!!
Make quick passes, do NOT try to get it solid black in one coat. Unlike spray paint this stuff actually causes a chemical reaction with the plastic, causing the color to be absorbed into the plastic itself (which is why I chose this over regular paint which fades and rubs off fairly easily).
This means two things.
1. If you overspray it will be nearly impossible to correct your mistake properly, as there is no layer of paint to sand down, you will be sanding almost directly onto the original surface.
2. The parts will be vulnerable to damage until they cure. You can literally take your fingernail and scoop soft plastic right off the surface just after you spray them. So BE CAREFUL!
That being said, make a LIGHT pass, hold the piece for about 30 seconds, set it down, do the next piece, hold it for 30 seconds, set it down, rinse/repeat until all the parts have been VERY lightly coated. You should still see plenty of white, this is fine.
Now, start with the first piece again, give it another very light coat. Very light, keep the nozzle about a foot and a half away from the part.
If you smell heavy fumes please, STOP, this stuff will make you very sick, worse than spray paint. Get a dust mask or move to a better ventilated area if need be, don't mess with this stuff.
Once you go through a second coat on all the parts...go for another one. After the third coat you should be down to touch-ups. Make sure you spray along the seams, there are gaps between the parts and if you don't get the seams properly you will be able to see white when you look at it.
Also pay attention to the inner neck of the joysticks, you have to intentionally spray in there (CAREFULLY!), they won't pick up enough dye just from you spraying the surface.
Once you have your third coat and touch-ups done, let it dry/cure for about 20 minutes, then find a well lit area and go over the parts, make sure you coated them properly, make sure no white shows through.
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