NeoGAF

So I finally got a DS lite with Tetris DS (ADDICTION TOTAL) and I love everything about it except the glossy outer casing which shows fingerprints so much. Then in general I prefer a nice textured feel in my hands like the inner casing over a slippery smooth plastic. So is there a good way to "texture" the outer casing a.k.a. scratch the hell out of it so lightly and evenly that it doesn't look like scratches?

sandpaper.

Sandpaper. Lots of it.

EDIT: Goddamit, beaten.

Lye

By being an OG

What grain sand paper would be best?

I demand that you take before and after pics.

A sandblaster.

Originally Posted by Dice

What grain sand paper would be best?

Start with coarse to get the gloss off, but afterwards use fine in order to get a smooth, comfortable finish.

Why would you want to unsexify your DS?

Originally Posted by acidviper

Why would you want to unsexify your DS?

I couldn't stand my DS Lite because it got so dirty so quickly. I only play my fat silver DS now, because it has a flat black underside that doesn't coax as much sweat out of my fingers. And that's exactly what this guy is after.

it'll get scratched up soon enough, fear not

If you must, do not start off with coarse sandpaper. It will most likely put deeper scratches in it first and wil be VERy hard to get out. Go with the medium, be gentle, go slightly harder gradually to see how it gets affected. In the end use the fine sandpaper to polish it off. Take a scrub pad (not brillo, the green ones) wet it and scrub it afterwards.

Krylon

Originally Posted by sonarrat

And that's exactly what this guy is after.

A regular DS.

i wish i even had a DS lite to defile...

I think I'm going to have to take the outer casing off first. Wouldn't want plastic bits getting in the ports.

p.s. Vs. mode level 5 = CHALLENGE AM TOTAL

Yes, please take before and after pics.

I can't wait to see how awesome this turns out.

Originally Posted by sonarrat

I couldn't stand my DS Lite because it got so dirty so quickly. I only play my fat silver DS now, because it has a flat black underside that doesn't coax as much sweat out of my fingers.

You might want to call a therapist and tell him this story.

Originally Posted by bjork

it'll get scratched up soon enough, fear not

Exactly my thoughts. Gloss only looks good in perfection, that will wear eventually so why not go all out?

Originally Posted by Ecrofirt

Yes, please take before and after pics.

I can't wait to see how awesome this turns out.

That's a fun idea.

I wonder if one of those vinyl skin things would work to mask the fingerprints. You might be able to find one in a design you like. Or there's some kind of Hori shell, I think.

for some reason this reminds me of that kid who wanted to make his GBA black by scorching it with a cigarette lighter. he then got upset because the GBA stopped working.

well... good luck with ruining your DS, one way or the other.

Originally Posted by sonarrat

I couldn't stand my DS Lite because it got so dirty so quickly. I only play my fat silver DS now, because it has a flat black underside that doesn't coax as much sweat out of my fingers. And that's exactly what this guy is after.

uh, so basically you're playing the bulky ds with a horrible screen because the ds lite leaves.. fingerprints and coaxes... sweat? allllrighty

At first I didn't like the shiny coating either. My obsessive-compulsiveness really shown through and I ended up buffing my black DSLite every time I played to make it shiney again. But now I'm not as bad about it. Still..I'm curious how this will turn out.

microwave. i win.

It shouldn't take much to dull the gloss. 320 grit , or maybe even finer if you've got it, should do it.

Originally Posted by Taishi

At first I didn't like the shiny coating either. My obsessive-compulsiveness really shown through and I ended up buffing my black DSLite every time I played to make it shiney again. But now I'm not as bad about it.

i was the same with GBA and GBASP and my PC monitor.... and everything. i would buff up anything with a glossy finish and screens had to be flawless. no finger print went unwiped and no speck of dust was missed.

then one day i realised how stupid it was and slapped myself in the face for being such a dork.

Black duct tape. Seriously. I use it on my PSP. In part to help keep it attached to the add-on grip I bought, but also to make it feel sturdier.

Man... I thought the people suggesting sandpaper were joking. But they weren't! And that makes me sad. Very sad. And I hope my DS lite never hears what you're doing to one of its own!

Here's a DS Fanboy entry about one of those Hori shell deals. Looks pretty minimal. I didn't search for it on the Hori site or Play-Asia or anything.

Kinda OT here, but whats the best way to clean your DS screen without scratching it?

Originally Posted by BigO

Kinda OT here, but whats the best way to clean your DS screen without scratching it?

sandpaper. duh.

Originally Posted by Scrow

sandpaper. duh.

Be careful, though...sandpaper only works for the top screen. You need to use steel wool (along with hot, soapy water) on the touch screen.

I have invisible shield protectors on my DSL, and an added bonus of these is that you get a better, more "rubbery" grip and it doesn't pick up fingerprints and smudges as easily.

Spray it with a matte coat. Or wash your hands.

Originally Posted by Whimsical Phil

Be careful, though...sandpaper only works for the top screen. You need to use steel wool (along with hot, soapy water) on the touch screen.

QFT, i do the same with all my ps2 and x360 discs

Note: Sometimes my ISP drops file hosting temporarily, so be patient if the pictures aren't showing for you.

Here we go guys... I have begun the process.

First, let's look at the sexy, sleek, yet slippery DS before pictures.




Yes it is so perfectly clear that my camera can focus on the lamp in the reflection. One more for good measure...



Now for the torture devi--I mean, deglossing tools. I thought sandpaper was going to do more than degloss, so I got these nify nail file things.



The grain looks nasty here but it's so zoomed in. It actually hardly feels scratchy at all to the touch.



This is the buffering tool, it seems like a rubber of some sort. I figure if it's good for making nails smooth it'll be good for my DS. Yet this one has another aspect on the sides...



A middle process, it looks grainy like the other in this picture but it's even more fine grain and feels nearly as smooth as the rubber side. The nail file seems to leave a few tiny scratch marks still, this helps blur them before the smoothing out.

Now, what do these little nasties do to the casing?



Well at first it looks like this. It's a bit unsettling, as dust from clear plastic looks white, so I wondered if maybe the black was just a coat of paint over white plastic, but that doesn't seem to be the case.



See if you wife off the dust it doesn't look so bad, though the intense light from the lamp and macro picture is bringing out the scratches more than you see with your eyes.



Midway through the process you might be a bit worried because it looks pretty inconsistent and ugly. Some parts are getting scratched away, but some parts haven't gotten through enough gloss so they look darker and the whole effect is splotchy, scratch marks are also still pretty apparent. But have no fear, you just have to work through a little more of that gloss evenly over the whole surface. I took the stylus out because it seems to scuff worse than the system. Now for technique...



Eventually dust cakes on the file, leave it there. Making quick circular motions and the dust help to work away the gloss but evenly and with less noticeable scratches.




Now we're making good progress. The scratches are starting to become less visible, the texture is smooth and has good grip, fingerprints evaporate right off of it. You see the upper right area is just about where you want it, much lighter-looking than the gloss but evenly matches with the hinge/inner plastic of the system. Plus the lamp lighting is still making it look brighter than it really looks.

Ok well this is going to take a decent amount of time and my camera's batteries are low. So I'm going to continue working on this and let the batteries recharge and update you guys later. The lamp is screwing with things so I'll take some daylight/ambient pictures of the top of the system before deglossing that to get some good comparison shots when I'm done. And for the record when filing near ports I'm going to have the port facing down to help prevent dust from getting in there, and I may use a kneaded eraser to remove the bulk of it instead of wiping it off as a further precaution. I won't file directly over them because thats a bit too risky and I don't want to scratch off the paint signifying headset/volume.

This is really hard to watch ;(

Originally Posted by Great Rumbler

:lol :lol

Originally Posted by Great Rumbler

:lol My thoughts exactly...

Oh....god....oh no.

I think I'm going to have to call social services.

Make it stop, please! I can feel the pain :lol

You, sir, are a criminal. The U.N. won't take that lightly, and you'll be judged accordingly.

you're one crazy motherfcuker Dice.

but hey, if you're happy with how your DS lite is now, more power to ya.

holy ****ing crap what is wrong with you

I want to see the finished product. If it looks like mangled hell, I will cry.

You know, DS Lites are still hard to find in Japan. There are many japanese children crying as you destroy that piece of art.

it's pretty funny to see a DS Lite go down in a blaze of glory.

Man, you are going to look back on this day and wonder what in the world you were thinking.

So, fingerprints are bad, but sanding the crap out of it is better?

I wouldn't say "destroying", it looks like it from all the other screens but the last one doesn't look too bad