Sony ZS-H10CP - Red doesn't work for me!

[Pointdexter1906]

Hi everyone. Okay, so thinking of treating myself to a not-hard-to find Sony ZS-H10CP CD boombox (the one they tout as being rugged enough for a construction site. But I CANNOT love with the red finish. Does anyone know how to refinish boomboxes to make them a different color? (I'd personally go for either ALL BLACK or OLDE GOLD with black accents but red simply isn't working for me!)

Here's a link to a photo, for reference:

http://www.mobilewhack.com/images/ZS-H10P.jpg

 

[Fatdog]

We have a few members here who love to restore and customize boomboxes. Two of them that come to mind are hemiguy2006 and mellymelsr. Maybe they'll pop in and give some pointers.

 

[mellymelsr]

I have had success painting and customizing several boxes with a custom factory look. Trust me when I say it is very involved. I f you want a factory look you have to strip the entire box of all knobs, wires and speakers. The surface to be painted then has to be sanded with a minimum 1000 grit sandpaper until it is smooth to the touch. Then you must clean the surface of all dust, grease, and fingerprints. Next you must decide whether to use a metallic based paint or a paint designed to adhere to plastic. For my projects I usually apply 3-4 coats of paint, heat drying in between each coat, and 3 coats of clear. It takes a very steady hand and LOTS of patience but for me it has produced wonderful results. Here are some pics of some of my past projects...

 

[Pointdexter1906]

@ mellymelsr -

Thanks for the excellent tips. Great looking pieces. Given the masking tape, am I correct in assuming you are using spray paint?

Also, please elaborate on the heat dry process...

 

[mellymelsr]

I do use canned spray paint. I only use cans with a wide angle tip for smoother paint distribution. The prep work is the most important and most time consuming part of a professional look. I spray on thin individual coats and dry each coat with heat lamps and a hair dryer for about 10-15 minutes between coats. This is repeated for each coat of paint and clear. I have come by this process through trial and error and it will give you a hard as nails coat every time. If you try and apply the coats too thick the paint will never dry and will be very gummy .By drying each coat it reduces "orange peel" and gives you a glass smooth finish. Good luck with your project and if you have any additional questions I am happy to offer any help I can. I look forward to seeing how your project turns out.

 

[ViennaSound]

Love those colorful boxes!