My customized 8910

[Zellarman]

Here it is, probably exactly the perfect product for what we want, only too pricey http://www.parasolinc.com/Products.asp? ... D=VARIKOTE

Where's your ambition, man ???

Maybe jimdunn can volunteer to purchase and distribute the four colors

[jimdunn]

Well, with my painting skills, I'd probably go the $20 aerosol route. (250 ml)

But that's still $80 - and the green and blue stock colours look a bit dull.

It does look like the "right stuff" though, doesn't it ?

[ElizabethD]

Does the colour look "washed out" at all this way, or does the rubber accept a pretty solid coat of marker ink ?

Define "washed out".
It looks transparent. It does not make the buttons opaque. Just gives them enough color that, if you are really looking at the remote and not doing it by feel, you can tell read from blue, green or orange or brown. Perhaps it is washed out.
You can experiment, since plain alcohol cleans the marker off. Scotch or wine not allowed

[jimdunn]

Does the colour look "washed out" at all this way, or does the rubber accept a pretty solid coat of marker ink ?

Define "washed out".

You defined it pretty well

That's what I expected - a sort of translucent effect. But that may well be enough to serve the purpose. I don't actually have an 8910 to experiment with, because the lack of coloured buttons has been one of the factors which has stopped me going that way. I've pretty much stuck with the various versions of 7560/7562. It's probably time I bit the bullet and just got hold of a couple of 8910s, though.

Thanks for the info, and the very clear description of the effect

[underquark]

Experimented today with readily-available office supplies on plastic, resin and leather (i.e. an old shoe).Thinly-applied correction fluid combined with coloured dry-wipe marker built up layer by layer looks promising. Couldn't find a decent yellow marker today but am wondering if one of those day-glo highlighters might work.

[beverlyhoward]

my 2 cents...

Pick up some "paint pens" from a hardware, hobby shop or hardware store and use them.

The paints will not remain on the rubber/sillycone keytops, so, a better approach is the op's coloring location adjacent to the keys using the pens to generate a spot. A knife tip can be used to rough up the plastic so it will remain longer.

Color code the device keys and put a piece of the same color tape on each device to create an association between the device keys and each controlled device.

One of the best things I did was to generate a remote key layout template, dupe it for each color, fill in the keys and bind it into a small reference booklet which lives near the remote... see

http://bevhoward.com/stuff/Cinema6.htm

The booklet will get a lot of use just after you program the remote, but it still get's used years later to find seldom used keys.

and... there is an 8910 template at the bottom of that page which I am using now.

Beverly Howard

[andyross]

Has anyone tried replacing the LED's with different colors? Not necessarily all of them, but making different sections of the remote different colors? I don't know how they are powered (all in series, or a common supply), so I don't know what issues there would be with different voltage drops.

[jimdunn]

Has anyone tried replacing the LED's with different colors? Not necessarily all of them, but making different sections of the remote different colors?

Take a look at This thread !!

[underquark]

Experimented today with readily-available office supplies on plastic, resin and leather (i.e. an old shoe).Thinly-applied correction fluid combined with coloured dry-wipe marker built up layer by layer looks promising. Couldn't find a decent yellow marker today but am wondering if one of those day-glo highlighters might work.

Experiment failed:

1]Directly applied white correction fluid to buttons of 8910. Fluid runs on the (presumably silicone) buttons, eventually sets but flakes off easily.

2]Applied "permanent" marker to buttons first. Not dense enough to gove a good colour but allowed smooth application of correction fluid. Once this had dried I was able to colour the buttons very nicely indeed. Trouble was that the whole just slid off the buttons after a few presses.

Some sort of bonding under coat obviously required. I'm aware that there will be a paint product somewhere that will work perfectly out of the box but wish to be as cheapskate as possible.

[jimdunn]

Experiment failed:

Bummer

It sounded like a plan to me...

When you look at a disassembled 7562, the colour on the coloured buttons seems to so obviously have been applied by spray it's just so disappointing we can't emulate that "on the cheap".

Would you believe that my latest google on this led me down the trail of people who mould silicone puppets, then paint them. ???

Sadly, although I gained much amusement from that diversion, all I really learned was:

[a] It's hard to paint pre moulded silicon rubber
You're better off dyeing the silicon before you mould it (which helps us not at all)
[c] Lime green is a really bad colour to paint over (you had to be there...)
[d] You need some sort of a bonding undercoat
[e] There are a million opinions on what to use for [d]
[f] None of them seem to work particularly well
[g] I'm never going to mould silicon rubber puppets

I left this chain of research once ovens and acid became involved.


Since underquark already worked out [d] - I guess none of this really helps, but I just thought I'd share

[underquark]

I can add my experience to e). Superglue (cyanoacrylate) then correction fluid then marker pen gives a very nice colour but the stuff subsequently wrinkles and flakes off. Glue then marker gives a very dark colour and it still flakes off. Remember, I'm restricting myself to cheap office supplies here.

[jimdunn]

Remember, I'm restricting myself to cheap office supplies here.

And quite rightly so...

Remember the mantra of the uninitiated:

"You may never spend more on anything you add to your JP1 remote than the 5 shekels it cost you to purchase the remote - to do so would be to deny its cheapness, and is blasphemy in the face of the lord"

[jimdunn]

Superglue (cyanoacrylate) then correction fluid then marker pen gives a very nice colour but the stuff subsequently wrinkles and flakes off.

That was brave: I've had horrible experiences with cyanoacrylate and plastics.

Often it's great - instant bonding with a very small amount - but I've also found on a couple of occasions that it eats away at some plastics, actually dissolving them over a period of time.

[Zellarman]

THE 'RIGHT' STUFF

http://www.parasolinc.com/Products.asp? ... BACRUKOLOR

I've got this stuff on the way, and have already removed the L1, 2, 3, 4 from the buttons using 220 grit sandpaper. If this works out I'll be sure to post pictures.

I'm thinking if people are interested, that I can send out a small vial of each of the 4 colors for about $5 anywhere in cont. US. depending on how much the vials ending up costing me.

Let me know if you might be interested.

[jimdunn]

I'm thinking if people are interested, that I can send out a small vial of each of the 4 colors for about $5 anywhere in cont. US. depending on how much the vials ending up costing me.

Let me know if you might be interested.

Absolutely...

I'll place the first order, but you'll need to let me know postage to Australia.

If it works then $5 + even, say $10 postage would still be a bargain for me - I've just ordered 3 x URC-8910, so presumably a vial of each colo(u)r would still be enough to do all 3.

Bravo Mr Zellarman -

[applause] clap, clap [/applause]