Painting My Grados

[iPatcH]

Figured this might be a better place to ask than just the Grado mod thread...

Since I sold my red lettered SR100 I have gone back to my trusty ol' 225's. I really miss the look of the red lettering and I'm considering doing some cosmetic mods and either rubbing off the faded silver or painting over the silver with a nice red paint. Not being the arts and crafts type, is there a particular type of paint I should be looking for that will look nice and glossy, and will stay (relatively) put from skin contact? And I'm assuming I'd need a really fine paint brush too?

edit: and now that I think about it, I really want to reterminate to a 1/8 plug. Would my best option be to perhaps chop off the end and solder on a new one? I've never reterminated before so would I need a bunch of extra materials to make it look, well, not hideous?

Thanks!

[iPatcH]

Someone mentioned to me about a "paint pen?" Would that be something relatively permanent that I could use to detail the lettering? And are there any brands that would work well on the plastic?

[synaesthetic]

Painting metal usually requires scuffing the surface, applying primer, then paint, then a clear coat or some protective clear polymer to keep it from chipping. It's not a really simple process.

[iPatcH]

I don't think I'm painting any metal, just the plastic lettering...

[joneeboi]

Originally Posted by iPatcH

edit: and now that I think about it, I really want to reterminate to a 1/8 plug. Would my best option be to perhaps chop off the end and solder on a new one? I've never reterminated before so would I need a bunch of extra materials to make it look, well, not hideous?

Thanks!

You don't need much more than a mini plug and perhaps some heatshrink if you want to get fancy. "Not hideous" has so many iterations, so you're going to have to be a bit more specific. Forum favourites range from Neutrik NYS231 to the Canare F12 (both and more are available at Markertek.com), but either way you decide, the limit's the sky. DIY Cable Gallery!! can be a big help.

[iPatcH]

Definitely checking out the gallery for just a basic idea of how it should look. I'm not replacing the cable, so a plug and heatshrink would be perfect. I noticed on the site it seems there are different diameters to choose from. Which would work best with a Grado cable and one of those Neutrik plugs? Also, would a hairdryer be hot enough for the "shrinkage?"

[Punnisher]

Some hairdryers won't cut it, others might.

You can get a heat gun for less than 30 bucks.

[iPatcH]

If that's the case then I will just have to see how hot my dryer can get. I don't want to end up paying $30 to reterminate something that costs me less than $10, but I could see the use in future projects, so...

[iPatcH]

Just a quick double painting to say I've gotten the reterminating details down (I think) so now I just want to fix up some of the paint job on my Grados, the red lettering and such. Would it require not only a red paint, but a clear coat of some sort? And I might want to make the grill on it black instead of the standard silver--like synaesthetic said, would I be better off buying black mesh wire than trying to paint over the silver?

[Uncle Erik]

For raised lettering, a sponge or foam rubber works better than a brush. Get a piece that's dense and has small cells. Cut a little square off and glue one side to a piece of cardboard so it stays flat during painting. Put a light coat of paint on the sponge and carefully dab it on the letters. If it's too light or doesn't cover everything, give it time to dry (10-15 minutes) and repeat until you get it where you want it. Multiple coats are better than a thick one that runs down the side of the letters.

You don't need a heat gun for heatshrink. A Bic lighter works fine. Keep the heatshrink ABOVE the flame - not in it. It'll work fine, I've done that hundreds of times.

[iPatcH]

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know. =)

Is a clear coat necessary or just overkill for those little letters? Will any paint of choice do, or are there some brands that I should consider?

[strangedaze39]

Take a paper flat paper plate, spread the paint across it evenly and make sure it's shallow, I would use a paint that can wipe easily off the ring, or if you get any on the cup. Should be easy, good luck.

Edit:
I would use oil paint. Or plastic bonding paint, which comes in a can and can be sprayed on the the plate. Although the thicker consistency of the oil paint should be easy to work with. If you use oil paint remember to let it dry for a couple days.

-Cody