GBA Cart Paint

JohnnyPhantom

Hey everyone,

I'm working on making my own Mother 3 reproduction game.

I've loaded the rom ont a cart like this...



I've also tried the mini version of that card that fits into a dslite.



each time I use this card, I try to dremel or even mill out a original GBA shell to fit the board into (since on this flash carts, the chips are populated on both sides of the PCB, so they dont fit well into a original GBA shell. after a few attempts and failures and even damaging the flash PCB, I've given up attempting to get the cart to fit into a GBA shell.



so what I'm gonna do, is just use the original housing from the flash cart, but I'd like to paint it red, so at least it looks good. (I'm also gonna fill in the "E-Z Flash" stamp on the shell and and it so its just smooth and not there at all.



My question is, what paint should I use? I'm worried with the insert and eject of the game that normal paint would rub off, also I'm worried that if the paints to thick it would be too snug when inserting it into the GBA. 



Thanks in Advance!

~John

Clyde The Jackal

 I'm worried with the insert and eject of the game that normal paint would rub off, also I'm worried that if the paints to thick it would be too snug when inserting it into the GBA. 

 

This. I've tried to paint GBA carts and it just never works right. I say if you reeeeealy want a colored shell, get one by buying one of the many many Pokemon bootlegs found on ebay.

JohnnyPhantom

Originally posted by: Clyde The Jackal

 I'm worried with the insert and eject of the game that normal paint would rub off, also I'm worried that if the paints to thick it would be too snug when inserting it into the GBA. 

 

This. I've tried to paint GBA carts and it just never works right. I say if you reeeeealy want a colored shell, get one by buying one of the many many Pokemon bootlegs found on ebay.

 

yea, but if I did that, I'm stuck with the issue of needing to shave out the cart to make the pcb from the flash cart fit which is what I'm trying to avoid

Tanooki

I don't think you'll find a paint that will work. I remember that CIB Mother 3 setup from a couple years back done on NA and the carts from going in and out of the slot on all styles of GBA were shaving the paint off it. The slots are snug, look at the rub you get on the back plate of the plain plastic gray cart shell, and then add a layer of paint over it and it will get all the more worse.

JohnnyPhantom

That makes a good amount of sense, guess painting is a no go.. i'll just keep shaving away till it fits



thanks!

Max Vador

You could hit the cart with an 80 grit sandpaper and take a few micrometers off the plastic before painting it. you'll have to do a lot of sanding but you should be able to compensate for the thickness of the paint

skinny503

dye the cart with plastic or vinyl dye

plc268

Vinyl dye is the way to go. I've vinyl dyed gba carts and they look still good.The dye soaks into the plastic, and you'll still retain the same plastic texture of the cart.



Here's my Mother 3 cart that vinyl dyed silver: 

JohnnyPhantom

Tgat looks awesome!

Any brand inparticular I should use?

Thanks!!

plc268

This is the stuff I used: http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-248922-Automotive-11-Ounce-Fabric/dp/B003CT4AT8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398318300&sr=8-2&keywords=rustoleum+vinyl



If you want to buy it locally, check auto parts stores, theres a good chance they might have it.