About to start modding.

Right, I am about to embark upon my MPC mod.

I will be using a rit dye for my pads .... intending to use a standard black/gold spray paint for my knobs n buttons. Will finish those off with a laquer after.

First question from those that are used to pulling thier MPC apart, is it easy to snap or break the buttons, jog wheel or other dials when pulling them off of the unit ? I know that this sounds like a real stupid question, but I can be quite heavy-handed and would appreciate a heads up on teh best way to proceed ( don't wanna end up having to order a whole new set of whatever becuase the shish shannped all over the place on me ... what a false economy that would be ).

Any useful tips would be greatly appreciated ? I will also post up the final result once done.

The MPC is real easy to take apart. The key is to take your time and pay attention how things come apart. They buttons are kind of fragile but not a ton of money. Also when your putting the MPC back together its easier to pop a few screws on loose so you can get it all lined back up then tighten. Other than that you should be ok.

Cheers, Poundaproblem.

I hear you about the parts, although by the time you add in shipping to the UK, even a few little cheap buttons becomes quite expensive ( shipping from the US is over $20 before product ). Here in the Uk, would you still believe that we don't have any Akai spare parts suppliers ... crappy, I know.

This is why I want to be extra careful with all those lil buttons, U know. I have watched Nym's helpful vid on YouTube ... all seems fairly easy, so fingers crossed. Will start the works at the weekend. Planning on black and gold ( although the 'gold' is subject to certain change if I'm not feeling it after a small tester ! ).

Will post a shot or two of the completed article on here shortly after it's done.

Pray for me ....

Sorry, one quick question : How long did you alolow the paint to dry first and then, secondly, the clear coat laquer afterwards ?? Sometimes the instructions on the tin aren't always spot on, especially when your using the dyes/paints not necessarily intended by the manufacturer ....

When I did mine I used the sun as a baking lamp. I left it rougly 15 minutes between coats. I also coated real light to avoid it getting ugly. You can also use something like a hair dryer to speed it up. If you put super thick coats its going to take longer to dry and adding coats to that would only make it worse. And remember prep prep prep is the key to making the paint stick. Use sanding sponges to get the surface nice and scuffed without gouging the plastic

i cant wait to see how it comes out!! good luck..

Do not top spray paint with laquer. It will most definitly lift the prior coats. But a regular clear spray paint will work just fine. And a few light but solid coats is the way to go. Also remember that you have a window for recoating. If you wait too long it will lift the prior coats. Start early in the day and don't build coats too fast. If you apply it too heavy it will surface dry but stay soft under and never cure fully. Good luck and post picks when your done.

Right, just bought my materials.

First up, I could only find a Dylon Dye ... no Rit dyes where I am. I take it that there are pretty much the same thing ? The Dylon instructs that you have to add a teaspoon of salt to the dye and mix with hot water ... then leave your bits to soak for upto 1 hr .... does this sound about right ?


Second, I got my sprays. They are effectively car paint sprays, right ? I bought a plastic primer, black and gold sprays ( my colours of choice ) and lastly a clear laquer to finish the bits of with .... Oh, and fine sandpaper for roughinh up the surfaces.

Does all of this sound about right .... anything that I am missing before I commence ?

laquer will cook regular spray paint right off of your parts. you need regular clear spray paint

Yeh, Lunatic, that is what I asked the guy in the store for ( Clear paint spray to finish off with ). he stated that the only time he'd heard of was the clear finishing laquer. I spoke with his manager and some other dude that was there to buy his owmn stuff, and they both stated the same. I had trieda another DIY place near to me and they said they don't stock any such a ting as a clear finishing spray, just clear finishing laquer.

Damn, I hope I didn't just got and waste nearly 11$ on that shish ....

Most likely you're cool, You're not supposed to mix bases though, Like Acrylic/Poly/Polyacrylic etc...

Rule of thumb, Buy the clear coat from the same company/product line as the paint you used.

The fact that they are calling it "Laquor" most likely has to do with uneducated staff at the hardware shop....I think...I also see your from "Across the Pond" so it might be a language thing as well.

Hi Mek ... Well, all the paints, Prima and clear laq are from the same company. I was advised to use the plastic undercoat prima as it helps the top coat spray paint adhere to the plastic well. I think you might have a point with the language thing re the 'laquer' ... ?

Bottom line is, I have just spent about £30 on this stuff ( about $58 US ). I want to make sure that I do it the right way first time, U know.

You might want to do a test on a similar bit of plastic first.
Do a run through with the primer / paint / lacquer, leave to dry off and the see how it turns out?
Worth a shot?

If you have clear lacquer in a spray can you are probably fine, i use that stuff all the time as clear coat for spray paint and automotive paint.

If you are unsure exactly what you are doing, just try it out on something else as a test piece.

Did any of you guys use a plastic prima undercoat first before you started spraying, or did you just sadnpaper the parts and then begin spraying straight off ?