red paint

I sanded the first coat of black paint with 600 grit sandpaper, wiped it down with a tack cloth, and put another coat on. Because I thought that the black paint was too thick, I thinned it with mineral spirits until it was about as thick as half and half.

And here's an important trick: if your masking tape has been on too long, heat it briefly with a heat gun or hair dryer before pulling it off so that it won't take the underlying paint with it.

Donkey Kong arcade cabinets came in baby blue and bright red. I won't bore you with the history. I decided to paint mine red because I like red.

The best way to get the right color red is to take your control panel to the paint store and have them match the red color. I didn't do that. I used Rustoleum bright red because I liked how smooth and shiny the black turned out. I thinned the paint with mineral spirits and applied it with a 1/4 inch nap roller. Sand and tack cloth between coats and you're on your way to a beautiful finish.