History:
Sixteen-bit's DC paint guide v0.6
Disclaimer:
You use this information at your own risk, sorry but I cannot be held responsible for any misuse of this information or any damage that occurs by following it. This is a short guide designed for anyone who wants to paint their dreamcast, but isn't too sure exactly how to go about it. If you know how to take apart a dreamcast and are fairly confident with using canned spray paint then you probably don't really need this guide. Before we start, I must say I am no expert with paints and this was my first attempt at console colouring. It is based on my experience when I was painting one of my Dreamcasts and I hope it will be of some use to someone who hasn't painted a console before. We have 4 main sections here:
- 1. Preparation
2. Disassembly
3. Painting
- 4. Re-Assembly
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1 Preparation
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You need:
- A Dreamcast (duh)Spray Paint (ask your model shop for the tinned type; I used Humbrol brand designed for plastic models)GlasspaperScrew Drivers
- Old newspapers
Take your dreamcast and remove any stickers that might be on the machine.
Clean the system using a cloth and (a little!) hot soapy water to remove any obvious signs of dirt. Dry it off and inspect the surface of the system. It is recommended you get some fine grain Glass paper (aka sandpaper) moisten the paper and lightly rub over the surface of the plastic to "rough it up". This should allow the paint to adhere to the plastic better. Dry the system. You now face the decision of whether or not to save the DC swirl badge or not. If you want to put it on top of your new paint job, use a fine knife to gently lever the logo off the lid of the dreamcast and save it for later.
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2 Disassembly
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Now to take the machine apart.
Flip it upside down and remove the modem.
Unscrew the 4 screws highlighted in blue.
The parts shown in blue will now need to be removed also.
To remove the lid, take out the three screws shown by the blue.
 
IMPORTANT:
If you are going to colour the lid of your dreamcast, it is recommended to remove the small cog shown in red. It acts as a brake to slow the opening of the lid, but if you get paint on the larger cog on the lid (like I did), the lid will open very slowly. Removing the small cog will help speed up the opening of the lid. Take off the two hinges, lift out the lid and put all small parts (such as the spring) in a safe place. More small parts need to be removed, like the buttons and the LED light 'tube'. 
You may proceed to paint the top half of your dreamcast at this point, if you want to get it done quickly. If you want to paint the bottom half of your machine then you will need to take the guts out of it.
Start by taking the 4 screws out of the controller board, remove the ribbon cable and fan power supply (gently, it breaks easily!)
Unscrew and unclip the power supply. Lift it and the plastic guard out (ensure to replace plastic insulating guard) Don't touch any of the metal bits on the power supply, as the capacitors could hold a dangerous charge for a length of time after the machine has been unplugged.
 Take out the GDROM unit by removing the screws shown. Please remember which screws hold down each piece inside your dreamcast-- this is very important!
You can now remove the fan, metal shielding, heat sinks and mainboard from the machine. Sorry, no pictures of this yet. You should now have an empty dreamcast shell, with a pile of bits and screws.
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3 Painting
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Find an airy space, such as an open garage, to paint your dreamcast. You will need to have fresh air flowing constantly as paint fumes are highly toxic and dangerous. If you get a headache when painting, go outside get fresh air and open a window to vent the fumes. Place lots of old newspaper six layers thick on a workbench or such, making sure to cover a very large area as spray paint has a tendency to go everywhere. If you are doing the painting in a garage, you can just lay the newspaper on the floor and paint the machine there. Place each component to be painted on the newspaper, follow the prep. instructions on your paint and get ready for some fun. Using a steady, sweeping action, not too close to the dreamcast, spray a thin layer of paint onto the plastic. Your paint should give specific instructions on what to do next, but you must either apply another coat when the paint is still wet or wait for it to dry. Don't worry if your first few layers of paint appear to be see-through or not dark enough, you will get better results applying many thin layers of paint than one big sticky thick layer.
After perhaps 4 or 5 fine coats of paint your dreamcast should look almost perfectly coated on one side. Leave the paint to dry and come back to do any bits you missed (such as the underneath of the case). Come back to the paint when it is dry and turn the parts of the case over to paint the underneath.
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4 Re-Assembly
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Put the shielding, mainboard and other parts in the bottom of the dreamcast first, and secure them with the screws you took out of there. Put the GDROM back in and screw it down. Make sure to line up the socket where GDROM meets mainboard.
Screw back in the controller sockets and power supply and plug back in all the cables. [yeah, it's pretty much the reverse of what you did to disassemble the machine] Put your DC sticker on the lid, if you saved it, and screw the lid back onto the top half of the case.
Put the case together and tighten all screws.
Your DC should look good now.
This was all done from memory; I painted a dreamcast many months ago, so apologies if it seems a little incomplete. Please, let me know of any mistakes/corrections or additions that should be sorted by either posting in the thread or forum-PM. Thanks
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