Possible to debrand housing? - Palm Treo 750

Has anyone successfully removed the carrier logo form their Treo 750's casing? If so, what products/methods did you use? I was thinking maybe nail polish remover for the faceplate, would this be too strong? Not even sure where to begin though on the battery cover -- I'm afraid to mess up the rubber-like finish on it.
I bought my 750 on eBay non-working and fixed it up (water damage be damned!) but the OEM Cingular casing is pretty beat up. I ordered what was supposed to be a new unbranded housing from an eBay seller in Hong Kong (yeah, I shoulda known better). Surprise, it gets here today and not only is it obviously used (scratches all over the back), it has big freakin' AT&T logos on it! It's not worth the shipping cost to send it back, so if anyone has any tips on how to debrand it, I'd certainly appreciate it.

try to rub the logo off with a sugar cube, sounds weird but try it.

you gonna create damage if you try to debrand cause there is a thick clear coat overlay on the logo, its gonna look odd.

Well I've been rocking the AT&T housing for a while now and I think I'm just going to leave it as-is. The front logo is pretty discrete, it is much less obtrusive than the Cingular one with the little orange man. I'm just going to keep an eye on eBay and see if a genuine unbranded one pops up.
I'll give the sugar cube a shot on the old Cingular housing though and it it works ok on that maybe I'll take a crack at this new faceplate.
Thanks!

BAMF said:
Has anyone successfully removed the carrier logo form their Treo 750's casing? If so, what products/methods did you use? I was thinking maybe nail polish remover for the faceplate, would this be too strong? Not even sure where to begin though on the battery cover -- I'm afraid to mess up the rubber-like finish on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nail polish remover will remove it but it can also melt the plastic. As well as bubble the rubbery coating on the rear.
I too bought a used 750 on eBay. Got it yesterday. It's got some light scratches on the case but the screen is scratch-free. I'm going to take the front bezel off and prep/paint it.
Use buildable primer (Krylon works adequately) and your choice of finish color then a couple coats of clear. Make sure you don't fill in the gaps where the ear piece is otherwise you won't hear much.
Your choice on painting the hot keys.

Good idea, I hadn't given any thought to painting the faceplate. If you get a chance, I'd like to see pics of yours once you're finished.
Good luck!

i just bougt a couple of Cingular dummies and dissablem use as parts. The dummy uses real parts. paid like $10 shipped.

BAMF said:
If you get a chance, I'd like to see pics of yours once you're finished.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully I'll get some time this weekend to do it. I'd be more than happy to post some before and after shots.

I found some time this afternoon to start painting. There are a few videos on YouTube regarding disassembly. I did a search for "Treo Take Apart" and found what I needed.
I masked off the "rubbery" coating with blue painters tape, there's probably better stuff to use but that's what I had available. Two light coats of primer, two top coats (I chose white) and then a decent coat of clear.
I'm waiting for it to dry at the moment. I wish I took some in-progress shots but I didn't have the camera handy.
Photos to come soon.

Pimp my Treo
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I still have to take my razor blade and finish cleaning up the groove around the bezel.
I decided to make the sides match. The black IR plate came out (unsnapped) from the housing rather easily. Also removed the side buttons. Your choice on painting them, they are hardened plastic so paint should stick to them. I opted to leave them alone to add a little contrast.
I used Krylon white primer, white gloss top coat and a flexible urethane acrylic clear. All rattle can.
I've used Krylon Fusion (for bonding to plastic) spray paint but I didn't have any handy. If you use Fusion, you don't need to use primer. But in this case I had to since Fusion wasn't available. Might save you some thickness from multiple coats of primer/top coat but in my case it turned out okay.
Remember to keep the coats light - not just for runs but eventually the spray dots all come together and you'll have a nice uniform finish. Be careful not to fill in the small gap around the ear piece. I found that while not spraying it on thick this helped me to prevent such a catastrophe. I made a test phone call and I was able to hear just fine.
Note: I did take a flat jewelers screw driver and raked it across the Cingular logo to bring it down a bit closer to the plastic bezel. After the painting was finished I can't even tell there even was a logo. Prior scratches on the bezel were filled in by the paint and and aren't even noticable.
Also - your choice on painting the memory door cover. I took it off to paint the phone. I think prying it on and off might make the paint chip a little, but I'm letting it cure 24 hours before I put it back on so it doesn't happen on the phone side.
Some bloggers talk about losing cell phone reception. I usually have about one bar in my shop, during my test call after painting I had two. While I don't believe painting helped my reception, I was happy that it didn't attenuate my signal either. So for the record, Krylon White didn't hinder my reception.
Make sure you mask off ANYTHING you don't want to get paint on. From a little experience using a rattle can on various projects, overspray gets reflected from the surface you're spraying on, trickles down in the air, gets everywhere. Mask underneath, the sides, anywhere you don't want your new color to get into.
Regards,
-IanCT
(my first online writeup)

Nice! Thanks for posting up the pics + info! The white faceplate looks good next to the white 0-9 keys, and I like the contrast of the side panels.
Did you do any sanding/scuffing before you put down the primer?

No, I usually don't unless there's a gloss product used for a finish coat.
I was worried I might take down some ridges on the side grip or make a flat spot on the bezel (even though I'm pretty careful)
I agree, I like the white contrasting the blue/black body better than I thought I would.
Thanks for your comments!

Related

SGP Ultra Slider - Case

Check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXMqxAgKnA4&feature=youtu.be&a
i like
but cant find any of these SGP cases or protectors from UK sellers yet?
not good, it's a plastic hard case
it will blow up apart at the first drop, i've had cases like that for other phones, not good for protection.
okay for fashion
OMG !!!!
where i can buy it ?
Pretty good, although I want a case that removes the current backpanel that utilizes those hinges and saves some space. Having a case on top of a removal and useless backpanel seems a waste to me.
but will it scratch the chrome bezel badly when keep slide in and out?
hihihehe said:
but will it scratch the chrome bezel badly when keep slide in and out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Likely, but we don't know till someone gets it.
this looks pretty useless to me. Just like an above poster said, the case is made of a plastic that will shatter and crack upon impact and will not be a very good protector for the SGS.
Another thing i'm wondering is, what's the point of this sliding mechanism? I mean, if the case is meant to be on the phone all the time, is the sliding feature only good for removing the phone? If so, i don't see the point for an extra feature like that when we can just remove the phone the conventional way like with most hardcover back cases.
If the case is only for storage, like when you put it in your pocket, and that you will remove it when using it, wouldnt a leather case pouch be more practical and offer better protection?
Just my 2 cents.
i actually tried one of those in the stores yesterday, and i didn't like it the plastic is really too hard, it will not offer impact (drop) protection
the mesh type cases found on the other Case topic offers more protection that this
however of all the 3 type of cases i've tried, the Silicon type is the best, it kinda sucks in looks (there are a few colour and types that does looks good), and it offers the most protection for accidental drops
AllGamer said:
the best, it kinda sucks in looks (there are a few colour and types that does looks good), and it offers the most protection for accidental drops
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, is this case like the incase slider for the iPhone?
b/c if it is Ima get it. That's what I had on my iPhone and it worked great
plus it didn't look like
yes it is really good, see pic
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
i got the red one, is very sharp, everybody loves it
however the new orange one is even better
scrizz said:
ok, is this case like the incase slider for the iPhone?
b/c if it is Ima get it. That's what I had on my iPhone and it worked great
plus it didn't look like
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact that it shatters when it hits the floor shouldn't be a bad thing in terms of protecting the phone, other than having to buy a new case.
A phone hitting a floor is all about dissipation of energy - if the energy goes into cracking and breaking a case apart, then a lot of the impact energy will be absorbed by the case breaking. That's why crash helmets commonly break on impact.
A rubbery/solid case might seem a better idea if you accidentally drop your phone, but in reality the shock will be transferred through the rubber (although somewhat dampened) and into the phone structure - and is so in a way more likely to crack the screen/phone chassis.
Of course it depends on the surface, angle of impact and height of the drop, but in general, if your phone falls and the back cover/case/battery fly out, it's better that the impact energy is distributed into these pieces than being absorbed straight into the phone/screen.
This case caught my interest, my only concern is that when we slide in the galaxy S.. would it scratch the chrome bezel ?
warping up plastic in more plastic..
Ordered mine in dante red (10 days shipping )
But will do a video review on my youtube channel when it arrives
(link here if u wna subscribe so u know when it comes out)
www.youtube.com/tech0stickyasglue
AllGamer said:
however the new orange one is even better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought this in black, its pretty nice.
For the SGP Ultra Slider, how would you attach a phone strap??
mhwgo said:
For the SGP Ultra Slider, how would you attach a phone strap??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my sentiment. Most likely you can't
A rubbery/solid case might seem a better idea if you accidentally drop your phone, but in reality the shock will be transferred through the rubber (although somewhat dampened) and into the phone structure - and is so in a way more likely to crack the screen/phone chassis.
The deal with rubbery case is that it is elastic, it's able to deform and hence reduce the impact/impulse, the same way car bumpers are designed for
Back to topic: I like the slider, maybe too slippery for me =(
SquidgyB said:
The fact that it shatters when it hits the floor shouldn't be a bad thing in terms of protecting the phone, other than having to buy a new case.
A phone hitting a floor is all about dissipation of energy - if the energy goes into cracking and breaking a case apart, then a lot of the impact energy will be absorbed by the case breaking. That's why crash helmets commonly break on impact.
A rubbery/solid case might seem a better idea if you accidentally drop your phone, but in reality the shock will be transferred through the rubber (although somewhat dampened) and into the phone structure - and is so in a way more likely to crack the screen/phone chassis.
Of course it depends on the surface, angle of impact and height of the drop, but in general, if your phone falls and the back cover/case/battery fly out, it's better that the impact energy is distributed into these pieces than being absorbed straight into the phone/screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally some case common sense. I for one am going to order a SGP. I have owned nothing but hard cases like the above, the slider and innocaseII and they have all been through hell and back.

Rubber Battery Doors?

So after having my G2 for a few months now, my one small problem is the battery door. Honestly, it's very nice, at first, but now mine is all scratched up and ugly
So I'm wondering if there's any battery doors that's not a cover, as in you put over your original one, but has a soft texture like the rest of the G2.
Something like this
Like this
I've been looking, but it doesn't look like there's anything of that sort :/
would be nice if it also matched with the G2, I wonder why no one has made something like this.
One of the things I tried out was buying a small piece of carbon fiber sample off of eBay for a few bucks. Goes on like a sticker and you can cut it to shape with a x-acto knife. Also comes off clean which is nice. I also noticed a small increase in grip on the back of the phone. Defiantly a "Under 5 bucks" beautiful mod.
Try using something like the Zagg Invisible Shield, Body Guardz, etc. The film is clear and offers a slight rubber texture.
ZAGG
DeoreDX said:
Try using something like the Zagg Invisible Shield, Body Guardz, etc. The film is clear and offers a slight rubber texture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for ZAGG, the skin works a treat on my Z, even if a little tricky to fit
I wrapped mine with carbon fiber vinyl. I bought a huge roll of the stuff for like $15 bucks and have been wrapping everything from the back of my iPad to parts on my motorcycle and I still have a crazy amount left. I'll have to take a picture of it on the back of my phone with another camera. Or maybe just go find a mirror somewhere...
edit: Well, you get the idea. There is really ****ty light in the bathroom in this office. Better than the scratched up aluminum piece that was there before. I liked how it looked, but I got a couple scratches in it that I didn't appreciate, so covering it seemed like a good idea.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
maybe you can try using 3m Di-noc film, it's used a lot on vehicle trims and the come a variety of textures and colors
ocdetails said:
I wrapped mine with carbon fiber vinyl. I bought a huge roll of the stuff for like $15 bucks and have been wrapping everything from the back of my iPad to parts on my motorcycle and I still have a crazy amount left. I'll have to take a picture of it on the back of my phone with another camera. Or maybe just go find a mirror somewhere...
edit: Well, you get the idea. There is really ****ty light in the bathroom in this office. Better than the scratched up aluminum piece that was there before. I liked how it looked, but I got a couple scratches in it that I didn't appreciate, so covering it seemed like a good idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i was JUST gonna ask for pics before scrolling down. that, my friend, is one nice looking mod. kudos for the idea. *off to ebay
You can also think to spray rubber
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/paint/...bber-coating-performix-brand-spray-98266.html
ocdetails
dude off topic you look just like egon from ghost busters i couldnt help it ....
Just completed the 3M carbon vinyl mod:
Would definitely recommend others to do something similar, better grip and no scratching on the cover.
Or... you could just get the whole carbon fiber skin and not have to cut anything yourself.
http://phantomskinz.com/htcdesirezchromatics.aspx
It's a bit pricey at $30, but much easier and it'll fit the whole phone, not just the battery door.
What if I don't want to cover the entire phone? Or I happen to have some vinyl lying around? And its fun to DIY
The application that skin can still be messed up by the average user unless you want to risk shipping to them and be without the phone for god knows how long.
slapshot30 said:
Or... you could just get the whole carbon fiber skin and not have to cut anything yourself.
http://phantomskinz.com/htcdesirezchromatics.aspx
It's a bit pricey at $30, but much easier and it'll fit the whole phone, not just the battery door.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
anyone use one of these before?? i like having a "black" phone.. even thou my g2 is sexy.. im diggin the full carbon fiber.
Meh... When my clear coat started to come off I went to the store and bought some 800 and 1000 grit sand paper. Rubbed away with the 800 using hot water and took all of the clear coating off, then moved to 1000 grit where rubbed some more then added a bit of hand soap and kept rubbing. The battery cover has a nice shiny brushed looking finish now.
desirez_pete said:
What if I don't want to cover the entire phone? Or I happen to have some vinyl lying around? And its fun to DIY
The application that skin can still be messed up by the average user unless you want to risk shipping to them and be without the phone for god knows how long.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, but not all like DIY things. I could see skins like this getting big, a lot easier to just ship and apply some skins than have to buy vinyl, cut, fit, etc.
thatruth132 said:
ocdetails
dude off topic you look just like egon from ghost busters i couldnt help it ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, you're so right!
Anyways, I might try and snag a Zagg for my Z, considering I work at best buy and get them dirt cheap. I just don't want to put any more money into this phone when I'm most likely getting a Sensation.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA Premium App
-RotorDemon- said:
Meh... When my clear coat started to come off I went to the store and bought some 800 and 1000 grit sand paper. Rubbed away with the 800 using hot water and took all of the clear coating off, then moved to 1000 grit where rubbed some more then added a bit of hand soap and kept rubbing. The battery cover has a nice shiny brushed looking finish now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have any pics? I would love to see what that looks like.
Another good thing about applying the vinyl to just the cover is that it raises the thickness slightly to match the silver camera surround so that when you put the phone on a flat surface its less likely to scratch the surround bit.
Plasti-dip SPRAY.
http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip
slapshot30 said:
True, but not all like DIY things. I could see skins like this getting big, a lot easier to just ship and apply some skins than have to buy vinyl, cut, fit, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This reminds me of the time when faceplates for cell phones were popular 10 years ago. If I could make my G2 more like the G1 in feel, I would.

REVIEW: BodyGuardz "Full body" Skin

So I decided to purchase a full-body skin for my G2 after deciding I disliked all of the cases I'd tried for it. Didn't even fancy the Otterbox. I was going to get the StealthGuard one considering its price (or lack thereof), but apparently they're no longer available... so I went hunting on Amazon.
I'm not anal about the aesthetics of my phone, I'm more concerned about its proper function, so between this skin and the sleeve I put my phone in when it's in my pocket (the old G1 case, it fits the G2 perfectly if any of you guys have your old G1 accessories lying around anywhere), I don't think anything physically will be breaking on the phone anytime soon.
The selling point for me was that it came with 2 full skins. Knowing me, I was going to screw up at least one piece (and that I did!), so I didn't want to deal with contacting BodyGuardz and having them ship me replacement.
Here's what you get.
-2 "full-body" (quotes because it isn't really full-body - I will explain)
-little microfiber cloth
-good sized bottle of application solution.
-squeegee, which was basically a credit-card-thickness rectangular piece of plastic. I didn't even use it because I have something better (the hard rubber squeegee ZAGG gives you - much better)
Instructions are slim, you basically have to just know what to do.. not like it's very complicated, though. The provided diagram proved useful in a couple of instances. I was liberal with the application solution and worked from front to back. All of the pieces are relatively accurate to the phone's shape, and the only two corners that are fully exposed are the bottom left and right corners (if you are holding the phone portrait-style, screen facing you).
I also just gave up on the top-front portion that is applied just above the speaker grill. It is too small to be able to bend and stick (at least for me it was). I'm sure if you had a way of clamping it in place until the adhesive set, it would be fine, but I was too impatient.
The back was annoying because there are only two pieces: the battery cover piece, and then another single piece for the entire rest of the back (everything surrounding the battery cover). It was extremely difficult to get this lined up properly as one giant piece. I almost gave up and cut it into separate pieces, but I got it close enough and decided it was fine as-is. If I ever have to re-apply one of these, I will definitely cut it into separate pieces. I would recommend if you buy this skin, you do the same. Save yourself the frustration.
All in all, I'm happy with it. It does what I need it to do and I don't have to deal with additional bulk, which always gets on my nerves when you are using a case. Been two days since I installed it and bubbles are starting to go away and it's becoming more "natural" looking.
Pros:
-2 for 1, if you screw up, you dont have to wait for a replacement
-material gives you some added grip when you're holding the phone
-pieces fit well, despite the fact that it's not a 100% full cover it feels capable of protecting your phone from bumps and bruises with the exception of the two corners mentioned
-retains the sweet G2 stock look
-no bulk! doesn't affect z hinge function.
Cons:
-install of surrounding back piece and front top pieces are pull-your-hair-out frustrating.
-material is VERY prone to collecting smudges and fingerprints, especially if you have perpetual clammyhands like me.
-"glossy" look may be a turn-off for some people
-despite claims, it's not full-body protection
-~$30 shipped... but since it's 2 for 1, it's not that bad a deal if you ask me.
All in all, I give this product the thumbs up. I've tried numerous cases and finally decided this was a better route, and I feel like I made the right choice. The combination of this skin and my G1 sleeve makes for adequate protection with very little added bulk, just what I needed!
Pics of installed skin on post 3
Waiting for the pics. I might pick one up
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
pics below. disregard any bubbles, they're still disappearing as time passes.. I imagine in a day or two it will be pretty clean looking:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
pmcqueen said:
-squeegee, which was basically a credit-card-thickness rectangular piece of plastic. I didn't even use it because I have something better (the hard rubber squeegee ZAGG gives you - much better)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good thing you didn't use the included "squeegee". I have the Bodyguardz dry type screen protector (screen only, not full protection). I applied it per the instructions using the included squeegee, and got 2 long scratches on the protector. Pretty sure the squeegee had some sharp protrusions on it that caused the scratches. They aren't too bad, and I can live with them. But next time I will use something else, or cover the squeegee with the microfiber cloth as i press the screen protector on (which I have read another user on these forums recommend).
Aside from that, I am overall satisfied with the Bodyguardz screen protector. The surface felt a bit tacky or sticky when sliding my fingers over it. But that seems to have mostly gone away after a couple weeks. As the OP mentioned, they are a bit prone to showing fingerprints, but not as bad a cheaper screen protectors. It adheres well with no air bubbles after careful application.
Good review, BTW. Thanks for taking the time to write it and post the pics.

[Guide] Carbon fiber vinyl battery door, with lots of pics

After seeing a few posts (by ocdetails and desirez_pete) I wanted to try the mod myself. Thanks to their advice, I was able to do it pretty easily in one sitting. During the process I decided to take pictures just for the sake of having some kind of record, and since I didn't see any picture-filled guide on how to do this in our forum I thought I'd provide one to help those who might have been intimidated at the thought of this DIY. It's really quite easy!
I ordered a 1' x 6" sheet of "Black M500 3D Carbon Fiber Vinyl Stripe Wrap Sheet 6in" from an eBay seller named metrorestyling. It's basically a knock-off of 3M's DI-NOC carbon fiber vinyl. This sheet is enough material to do this mod for 6 battery doors.
I started by putting one edge of the battery door along one edge of a piece of paper, then outlining the rest. Next I taped the paper on the vinyl such that the straight edge of the paper was aligned with the carbon fiber weave.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
A razor will cut the vinyl very easily. I then took off the back side of the carbon fiber vinyl, laying it sticky side up. I aligned one edge of the battery door with one edge of the vinyl and applied it starting from that side (like applying a screen protector).
It was already on really smoothly but I used heat from a hair dryer set to medium to smoothen as much as possible. One quote I read online was, "If the heat is to [sic] hot for your hands, then it’s hot enough for the vinyl."
Now this is where I should have done something better. With the excess vinyl not stuck onto the back of the batter door I immediately started cutting. I first cut it while trying to stay parallel to the battery door plane, so I can cut off excess later if necessary. While cutting I noticed it was better to cut with inward strokes, e.g., in the picture below I would move the knife down and left to avoid pulling the vinyl away from the battery door edge.
What I should have done is wrap the excess around while applying heat, followed by immediate cooling to "set" the vinyl in place around the edges. This unset vinyl along the edges gave me a little trouble later
This is what it looked like after a very, very rough cut.
This is where I realized my mistake above. I had to constantly reheat the edges to get good adhesion to the battery door edge, followed by immediate cutting. And since the adhesive film was unset, it kept accumulating on my knife, making it dull every so often
Side view:
To cut more vinyl off along the edges, I cut at an angle.
Preliminary fit was too tight, and the battery door wasn't fully pressed down. Also, my cutting was VERY sloppy on the speakerphone hole
So, I cut more.
It fit much better along all edges
And that's all there is to it! I hope this helps those who want to do this mod.
Looks good! I suggest you re-apply it a few more times and you should be able to get it perfect.
And another thing I forgot to tell you was try to stretch the vinyl over the edges while heating it to get the best adhesion but don't stretch it so that it distorts the carbon pattern. My application is still fully stuck on after 2 months
very nice!
looks good man. I'm think about doing something like it!
Thanks for this. I just bought the same sheet you bought. Hopefully it will arrive this week.
looks good, I am going to give this a try!
I did this the other day using your guide. I screwed up a little bit on the flat side by cutting off too much, so some of the door is showing, but overall I'm happy with it.
BlawkHawk said:
I did this the other day using your guide. I screwed up a little bit on the flat side by cutting off too much, so some of the door is showing, but overall I'm happy with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've been told, the stuff comes right off when heated and residue can be removed with typical residue removal solution. If you bought the same sheet as me, you know how much more there is to use in case you want to retry it
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
You definitely want to try a few more applications to get it right
c00ller said:
From what I've been told, the stuff comes right off when heated and residue can be removed with typical residue removal solution. If you bought the same sheet as me, you know how much more there is to use in case you want to retry it
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh I had to waste one piece of it because I made it a little bit too small, so I think I'll just deal with it for now.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Thanks for the tut. I used it and it came out good. Though it looks a bit sloppy as i cut a bit too inwards and the speaker hole came out very sloppy. Im happy with it now i know what i did wrong. Thanks!
Sent from a message in a bottle
Just ordered my sheet of carbon fiber!
It looks nice man!
Nice work man!
Sent from my G2 using XDA
real ones are cheap
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3M-D...mdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6763QQitemZ370365342712
frankth3frizz said:
real ones are cheap
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3M-D...mdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6763QQitemZ370365342712
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That looks no different to what I bought (Unbranded)
I've done the same to mine and pretty much did it the same way as your guide, it looks great
Wow! Look Nice! Wanna try to my phone also To hide scratches all on the batery back.
spooke said:
That looks no different to what I bought (Unbranded)
I've done the same to mine and pretty much did it the same way as your guide, it looks great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you never know how long the adhesive will last
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk
Really nice work you have there. Does that carbon fiber give it a better feel? Or not make it so slick in your palm?
Actually after using the phone with the vinyl for 3 months I found it makes grip worse. I'm thinking of adding a layer of plastidip over it for better grip.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
I like it very much. First cut btw

White HTC Thunderbolt

Bought a broken thunderbolt on ebay one night * drunk bidding never turns out good * anyways, the phone arrived and actually turned on even though it was sold as not turning on. So I ordered a lcd and digitizer and while waiting on them to arrive I fixed a crack in the casing with epoxy and bondo, and repainted the case grey. I had the bright idea if painting it white. I'll throw up some pictures soon, the phone isnt all back together yet and I still need to finish polishing the kick stand, but I'll post progress pictures once they are done uploading..
---------- Post added at 06:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 PM ----------
Heres the crack after sanding down the case
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
and then the epoxy
lil bondo
and the grey paint
and now white
Also the extended battery back was all scratched up so I roughed it up filled it and sprayed it the grey color, I thought it would be too much white.
Nice job, mate. Hope it all works out for you.
Thanks man, all seems well. I just need to sand down so rough edges on the bottom, put another coat on it and let the paint fully set up for a few days before putting the phone back together. I hope it sets up well and holds up. I think it will be a good phone for someone, may require a wrap to protect the phone. I imagine it will sell for 300 or so
I briefly thought about remodeling mine in the same sort of way. Go all black though, dInc2 style. It's cool to have something unique. How did you polish the kickstand?
That actually looks cool!
Sent from my Thunderbolt running CyanogenMod 7 using the Tapatalk app.
The best way to go about the kick stand is either 800 grit sand paper, or red scotchbrite. Tape the phone down to a table and tape under and around the kick stand, close it and goto town.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Thats a cool idea and it turned out really nice. Although i wonder, "why white?" Looks kinda Iphoney? Hey wait i think i created a new word lol.
TDubKong said:
Thats a cool idea and it turned out really nice. Although i wonder, "why white?" Looks kinda Iphoney? Hey wait i think i created a new word lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Not a new word.
Idk, I've always liked white phones and it seems to be the standard choice for cell phones, white or black
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
i just did mine the other day
Somebody should make a step by step guide to doing this, and doing it properly. I'm sure many people, including myself, would love to do this, but lack the experience and knowledge to do so.
Yea thats pretty sick ive been thinking of doing stuff like this i have some carbon fiber vinly coming in im gonna atempt to wrap it myself. Lol. Did u guys use spray paint? Airbrush? Did u clear it ? Polish it ?
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
motorsports601 said:
Yea thats pretty sick ive been thinking of doing stuff like this i have some carbon fiber vinly coming in im gonna atempt to wrap it myself. Lol. Did u guys use spray paint? Airbrush? Did u clear it ? Polish it ?
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took mine apart and sanded it using 180 grit paper. It took awhile to get all the crevices scratched up then I cleaned it with contact cleaner. I sprayed it with KRYLON FUSION (4 light coats) I let each coat dry for about an hour, the last coat over night. Then 2 coats of KRYLON crystal clear gloss. Let that dry 2 days. Letting it dry is the most important part.
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
thats pretty sweet looking
I thought of buying another bezel and doing this with some nice plastic paint. clean bondo job. Most people fubar bondo!
I polished the kick stand. I actually just chipped all the clear coat off with my thumb nail for the most part then used a dremel with polish disk to make it really flashy
I have been getting a ton of emails about people wanting me to do this to their phones.
I just don't feel comfortable with people shipping me their 300 dollar phones and taking them apart.
That being said, I can give you all a few tips on how to do this yourself. First off I used a glue called doctor bond it, it was a two part glue. Overall it seemed to work good. I put the phone back together once and it was all good to go, but I took the phone back apart to fix the glass and putting it back together the crack re opened. I wouldn't suggest repairing the crack if you have one ( which a lot of thunderbolts seem to develop a crack at this exact spot. You can get a replacement housing for 24.99 on ebay.
if you want to repaint your case, I would suggest using dupilcolor's automotive spray paint. Krylon Fusion is just too soft imho. It is designed for parts that need to be able to flex a lot, which even with this being plastic, it doesn't really need to flex.
Masking this was also a PAIN, mainly the kick stand area... Take your time with a straight razor and green masking tape. Lightly scuff the housing with 800 grit sandpaper and wipe down with wax and grease remover or acetone to remove all oils. Make sure you're wearing latex gloves at this point to not re contaminate your substrate. I used dental floss and a coat hanger to hang the phone housing and paint it.
I would say at least 2 light coats with 30 mins flash time between them, then a final wet coat and let dry over night and through the next work day. Then shoot it with a few coats of clear. ( make sure you use the same brand of clear and paint from the same line ) After you've cleared the phone and let it dry over night again, you could take some fine cut rubbing compound and buff it by hand, but it shouldn't be necessary.
The important thing really is just knowing how to pace yourself and let the thing DRY. if you get a run in the paint don't freak out, just let it dry and take some 1200 grit and wet sand it out.
I couldn't get krylons fusion to not feel sticky, granted I didn't use their clear over the paint. Also with the fusion I could not get good coverage as I had a few different colors, the black, stock grey and bondo color. A primer would have been ideal but I don't believe krylon has a primer.

Categories

Resources