[necorn]

hey guys, ive been lurking around for a while, but needed help on something so this is my first post =)
 
anyways, im just trying to make my ath m50 look better by colourinhg/filling the audio technica logo on either side of the cans, cuz i reckon it looked a bit plain with just one ring of brushed aluminium, but so far ive had no luck with that whatsoever.
 
first i tried cutting out the shape from a sheet of aluminum which was about half a millimetre thickness, but it was too hard to accurately cut out a piece that would fit nicely or look good in the end, so i tried using aluminum foil, but that didnt work either because it was again too hard to get accurate
 
after that i tried shoving bits of foil into the cavity but that just looked bad, 
 
and then i tried pouring wax into the cavity to make a sort of cast and mould but that didnt go anywhere... i was getting pretty desperate at that point =(
 
i looked around the forums and noone seems to have done this before, i dunno why because i reckon it'll look so much better if the logo was silver as well, like the larger ring.
 
unfortunately i dont have the tools or the skill to melt down alluminium (lol) and id rather use foil or sheeting rather than cheapoing out and painting it, because i tried that before and it didnt look very nice because i'm not to good with that sort of thing.
 
tl;dr im basically trying to fill in the audio technica logo on my ath m50 to make it look shiny and silver like the silver rings on the sides of the cans.
 
any suggestions?
 
thanks in advance.
=D

 

[TestSubject]

Made a post 2 days ago, im planning to do the same, what i will try doing is use masking tape to cover any unwanted parts and spray paint the inside of the logo and the circle in red.
 

 
Will keep you posted on how it goes.

 

[TestSubject]

Will be posting my updates here if anybody is interested,
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/561340/ath-m50-mod-thread

 

[nikongod]

 
Quote:

Made a post 2 days ago, im planning to do the same, what i will try doing is use masking tape to cover any unwanted parts and spray paint the inside of the logo and the circle in red.
 

 
Will keep you posted on how it goes.

Paint them by hand. 
 
Masking the whole thing off to spray will be a pain in the butt.

 

[zammykoo]

I believe using vaseline as a spray paint mask will work. Just apply a thin layer over the raise area, trying not to let any get into the recessed logo.
 
Try this on a test piece first though.
 
Refer to this for application.
http://projectlancer.net/index.php?showtopic=6317&view=findpost&p=96318

 

[necorn]

ok, i guess spray paint will look fine as well..
do i need to scuff up the surface with sandpaper before painting, and is some kind of finisher needed as well?
 
im not to familiar with the wholespray painting thing..

 

[zammykoo]

If you are not familiar with spray painting, you should definitely hold off until you get some practice. While it is not particularly hard to spray paint in general, keep in mind there are techniques to get the best results. For example, spray distance, angle, multiple light coats, and even sweeping motion all matter. Do some test painting and once you are comfortable then try it on the cans.

 

[necorn]

thanks for the tip.
but do i need to use a finisher and does the surface need to be buffed before hand?
 
im asking because ill need to go buy everything for the job, so i dont want to make multiple trips.
and also for the best results.

 

[zammykoo]

Quote:

thanks for the tip.
but do i need to use a finisher and does the surface need to be buffed before hand?
 
im asking because ill need to go buy everything for the job, so i dont want to make multiple trips.
and also for the best results.

You typically don't buff any surface before painting, you buff after. I think you mean sanding. But in this case it will be super hard to sand the recess/cavity of the logo. I honestly don't think you need to do any prep work to the surface (besides cleaning the area and masking off the unpainted areas). I wouldn't be too afraid of paint chipping since this is such a small application, and plus the cavity will be deep enough to protect the paint.
 
But if you want to be sure of maximum adhesion, find paints made for plastics. They normally have some kind of specially formulated primer mixed in.
 
I just thought of an alternative to spray painting, since you mentioned you have not experimented with it. With a steady hand, you can use colored nail polish with a fine tip brush.

 

[TestSubject]

Quote:

 

you can use colored nail polish with a fine tip brush.

 
Exactly what my grandmother suggested, scary...
 
Wait a minute Grandma on Head-fi?

 

[deadsea]

Aluminium foil and some pressure type adhesive should work. Look up metal foiling for models. You can even replicate the brushed metal look.

 

[zammykoo]

Quote:

 
Exactly what my grandmother suggested, scary...
 
Wait a minute Grandma on Head-fi?

LOL, I can assure you I am not a grandma.
 

 

[necorn]

 
Quote:

Aluminium foil and some pressure type adhesive should work. Look up metal foiling for models. You can even replicate the brushed metal look.

the foil and the pressure adhesive WOULD work, except in this case the logo is a recessed cavity which makes getting the foil into the cavity a whole lot harder, especially if you want one (or a few layers of) cutouts of the logo which you can paste down.
 
unless someone can provide another brilliant idea to do this job, ill probably end up spraypainting. ill be able to get my hands on a can in about a week.
 
ill upload pics when i get round to doing it haha..

 

[zammykoo]

@necorn
 
There is one last thing solution I can think of, which is probably not likely for the average modder. It is getting vinyl sticker cut into the shape of the logo, then just peel and stick. But this means you will need to locate a place that does this (normally any local t-shirt or graphics shop). And of course depending on the place/quality, prices generally will be cheap for small jobs.
 
Just thought I'd mention this.

 

[deadsea]

You could just lightly apply the pressure adhesive into the recessed area then press the foil into it with a rounded toothpick/q-tip etc. That assumes that you're using standard aluminium foil and not those speciality products that have the glue pre applied. You would then have to burnish any creases out and trim the edges accordingly with an exacto knife. Scrape off as and when you mess up.

Pain in the hands if you ask me though. I had originally thought the area around the logo was recessed. That would have been slightly easier. Go with the spray paint i guess. But do test it on a small patch first. Some paints will melt certain kinds of plastic. Not as likely for headphones but it never hurts to be careful.