I think the tornado is a great phone. If not for its A2DP performance, I wouldn't imagine replacing it with anything. I like candybar format smartphones. Even the Experia X1 is bigger and heaver and maybe harder to charge on a cradle, not to mention that it will be twice as expensive. And the sliding panel UI on WM6...perfect on the tornado.
But if you have had one from when they were first released and you use it every day then it is pretty thrashed. Every corner of mine showed white plastic worn or scratched through the silver. And every lettering on the black part of the phone was partially worn.
Most of the places advertising housings for under $50 do not have any stock. And then my usb connector de-solders itself, so buying an expensive fascia for a phone that I can't flash while I have to charge its batteries on an external charger does not seem wise. I have to buy a new phone and a Qtek is the first tornado I find on eBay in the states.
So one evening I picked up some 600 grit wet dry sandpaper and plastic paint to see what it would have looked like in black and I think it would have looked good.
A few notes if anyone else tries this: You will sand off all the extruded buttons marks and icons removing all the silver but usability is fine. If you sand the black parts they will be flat black so ideally use flat paint on the silver\white parts if you want them to match. Use clear paint on top when you are done to protect it. Don't think you can remove the rubber antenna cover more than a couple of times without wrecking it. I couldn't get the mirror and camera assembly out so I just sanded it flush as it was already chipped. But if I were using this phone I would have either completely blackened the mirror or figured out a cover\protector for it. I am not sure what to do about the joystick once it is worn down to the white. That is one piece that really would have benefited from vinyl dye.
ive been thinking on doing this on my cingular 2125 for a long time since it has like 1000 scratches not to mention the screens plexi glass looks like crap ><,after seeing your post il definitely do it
NIIICE,
No use fretting over bumps dents scratches your method is great plz specify as to what kind of paint would stay all plastic paints aval in mkt are not of industrial standard and get worn off in pocket.
bukhariwaheed111 said:
all plastic paints aval in mkt are not of industrial standard and get worn off in pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won't know much about industrial paint. And since the painted model has no miniUSB port I am not going to be carrying it around in my pocket so I won't know how it would wear.
Frankly I am surprised that the color isn't in the plastic. I had read this before http://case-mods.linear1.org/im-high-on-vinyl-dye/
but I kind of did this on a whim and I wasn't going to spend more time looking for dye than actually painting the stuff.
http://www.parasolinc.com/products.asp?ProductID=Varibond is the paint I would have tried if I were using the phone a lot. An aerosol can is $20 USD.
If I could still find a supplier for the cases I would buy a bunch and test it out. They used to be $20 USD and it made sense to buy five because the shipping and wire fees dealing with China, but at $50 I will pass.
Related
Anyone tried one of these yet?
Got on on order so ill let people know once i get it!
EXIM ones are pretty good - well my experience of them have been fab. Used either those or Martin Fields for all my past phones and cameras etc. Going to try the official HTC ones this time but if they're no good will definitely be going back to EXIMs.
I have used loads of them with my old phones just had the is spot if bother when they haven't fitted when just new on the always been given a new one that does fit eventually. Just wanted to know if anyone had tried one for size?
love exim, had one on my treo 750, ndslite lasts forever and nearly scratch proof. so for those who prefers to spend $1 and buy 10... trust me, exim is way better. i buy cheap ones for camera, gps etc. got one of those $1 for my g1 and after i applied, i gave it a wipe with the cleaning cloth and it scratched it already. pathetic plastic.
yup i ordered a spoc by accident then ordered a spuc - as i was about to apply it i got a call and screwed me up.... tones of dust. washed it then reapplied and spent the next 20mins with scotch tape - lifting the protector and taping the dust off =/ got most of it off... few specs. still got the spoc so will use that after 2 yrs or so.
i applied an exim 8.9" protector on my netbook perfectly NOT ONE spec of dust.. curse the ex gf for ringing - she must have known i was doing something delicate, then has the balls to accuse me of ignoring/hanging up on her... women
edit: oh and the fit... its not cut exactly. it's perfect width edge to edge - took me 3 goes to line it up. the top fits perfectly but the bottom is short about 1mm... only cos the corners aren't rounded as the screen is so i had to lift it higher so 2 corners didnt stick out. got it from pda-now or eximstyle (same ebay shops under 2 names).
Just to let you hys know i have had the same problem, good screen protector but doesnt match the bottom profile of the screen, i have let PDANOW know with pics so hopefully they will sort this problem out. it is doing the job atm tho.
hello, i have a couple of scrtaches on my nexus one body. is there any product that can remove them?
your help is appreciated
thanks
hnijhar said:
hello, i have a couple of scrtaches on my nexus one body. is there any product that can remove them?
your help is appreciated
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best bet go in to a car shop which have loads of paint, ask the guy what he thinks the best match would be, buy smallest bottle and spray sum in a tiny plastic cup, get an earbud, add a very small amount of paint on the bud from the cup, den dab on a clean area of the cup to remove 90% of paint from ear bud, so there's a extremely tiny amount on it then rub on smoothly on discolored areas.
Tip. Buy smallest bottle as very little is required.
/ Go 0.5 shade lighter/ use mixing compound once dried to blend paint very cheap 2$ can get from any car/paint shop rub on with lint free towel./do this only on front metal bit of phone as this will look stupid on plastic, ps. you can buy a plastic battery back cover from eBay for $7 from china
hit the thanks button... thanks
kuljit55 said:
Best bet go in to a car shop which have loads of paint, ask the guy what he think the best match would be, buy smallest bottle and spray sum in a tiny plastic cup, get an earbud add a very small amount of paint on the bud, from the cup den dab on a clean area of a cup to remove 90& of paint from ear bud, so there's a extremely tiny amount on it then rub on smoothly on discolored areas.
Tip. Buy smallest bottle as very little is required.
/ Go 0.5 shade lighter/ use mixing compound once dried to blend paint very cheap 2$ can get from any car/paint shop rub on with lint free towel./do this only on front metal bit of phone as this will look stupid on plastic, ps. you can buy a plastic battery back cover from eBay for $7 from china
i kindly spent 10mins of my time writing this so please hit the thanks button...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you done this? Does it end up looking OK? Do you happen to have any before or after pictures?
Thanks for the detailed instructions!
i have tried this on a slight chip of paint. it worked very well, i can show an after photo but i did not take any before. but i would only do this if you can find a very simular shade like a could. make sure u test the shade first on somthing metal to see final colour. show the shop keeper your phone and say i need this colour. s/he should have expertese on best colour available
Why don't you just change the housing is like 40 bucks My Nexus One ended up looking new. I already polish the old housing I just need cream to make it shine and I'm gonna paint the back door white and the bottom too maybe this weekend. this is the cheapest housing on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/Housing-battery...796?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a659866e4 32.00 bucks.
I'm actually way too much of a wuss to consider changing the housing...at least for now.
Way back when I had a Moto Razr vx3 or something and I attempted to change the housing and messed up on putting it back on and a corner of it was always loose.
Anyway, my Nexus One only has two tiny scratches just below the search hard key...not really worth it to change the entire housing. Though perhaps I could pick up a spare housing set in case something were to happen in the future.
Unfortunately, since our N1s have a kinda brushed look to them, there isn't a way to get rid of the scratches without it being more noticeable than the scratch itself.
There was someone who ended up completely polishing his N1 until it was a mirrored finish... I saw the pictures on here a few months ago.
bassmadrigal said:
Unfortunately, since our N1s have a kinda brushed look to them, there isn't a way to get rid of the scratches without it being more noticeable than the scratch itself.
There was someone who ended up completely polishing his N1 until it was a mirrored finish... I saw the pictures on here a few months ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah that is what made me polish the housing but I been so busy to even finish, He did a incredible job too
Like most of us that keep no cover on our phone, my battery plate was all scratched to heck. I saw the other "mirror polish" mod and it looked great, but also looked like a lot of work and would get scratched again. I bought a can of rubberized spray (see pic) and wound up with a great result (see pic.) The only color Home Depot had was black, and I think a gray might have looked better, but I still like the results and the phone is less slippery now than with the metal cover. This took 3 coats (30 minutes drying time between coats) then I let it dry for 18 hours before using it. Turned out pretty good, but long-term results are TBD...
I like did u just spray the back part? Any trouble with fitting it afterwards as it must add a layer of bulk?
Desire Z Glite 2.0.1
Shambolicuk said:
I like did u just spray the back part? Any trouble with fitting it afterwards as it must add a layer of bulk?
Desire Z Glite 2.0.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It added less bulk than I thought it would, it's really not much at all and it fits just fine afterwards. Actually, before, it would slide like a little when locked in place (just enough to notice - probably like .1 mm or so.) Now it is snug and has no jiggle at all.
I forgot to mention the hard part (prepping it...) Removing the original clear plastic coating was the hardest part - a combination of a dremel with the little wire wheel tool and my fingernail took about an hour, then I just hit it with some 220 grit sandpaper and cleaned it with mineral spirits.
I use the same stuff on my car (mid level 2009 Lancer but use the Plasti-dip to black out the front to make it look like an Evo [car guys will understand =p]) Very durable though I have not used it on my DZ yet. You beat me to the punch! I want to do the HTC part in red and the rest in black, will post when I have the time to do it.
Looks sharp though, contrast is nice
Doh! After only 1 day, I caught something on the curved edge and it started lifting the plastic coating... not very durable for this use - I might try again later though and see if I can come up with a better method.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
I like it! A little bit rougher texture, but you might try Duplicolor spray on bedliner.
I thought about taking my phone apart and using some white plastidip to change it white...
Durability is alright...on thinkpad forums, a couple of people mixed it with some black enamel paint which made it much more durable.
mralexsays said:
It added less bulk than I thought it would, it's really not much at all and it fits just fine afterwards. Actually, before, it would slide like a little when locked in place (just enough to notice - probably like .1 mm or so.) Now it is snug and has no jiggle at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I was the only one who noticed the battery door wiggle room! No one ever mentions it. I really hope you find some way of preventing it from peeling. I'm practically drooling over those pictures you took. It looks extremely professional compared to most mods I've seen. You could easily set up a service where people send you their doors, some cash, and a self address envelope if you wanted to make some extra bucks.
kierren said:
I thought I was the only one who noticed the battery door wiggle room! No one ever mentions it. I really hope you find some way of preventing it from peeling. I'm practically drooling over those pictures you took. It looks extremely professional compared to most mods I've seen. You could easily set up a service where people send you their doors, some cash, and a self address envelope if you wanted to make some extra bucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been meaning to update this. I tried again - this time I sanded with 220 grit, used a "self-etching primer" on the cover, then the rubberized paint. This time it lasted 3 days before starting to peel off... I'm also able to scratch off the primer with my fingernails, so the primer didn't really help. I'm not sure what else to try to make this coating stick at this point.
mralexsays said:
I've been meaning to update this. I tried again - this time I sanded with 220 grit, used a "self-etching primer" on the cover, then the rubberized paint. This time it lasted 3 days before starting to peel off... I'm also able to scratch off the primer with my fingernails, so the primer didn't really help. I'm not sure what else to try to make this coating stick at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suggest powdercoating the back cover.
primeral said:
I suggest powdercoating the back cover.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Powder coating would be nice, but I don't have the equipment for that (and don't want to invest in it just for this.) Also, this cover has plastic tabs that I'd be worried about melting or detaching from the battery cover during the curing process.
As with basically all my other cellphones I convinced myself that I would not drop my Desire S on the road or other killer surfaces, so now that this has happened like 3 times at least, I am left with a few pretty nasty scratches on the aluminium body at the back. Besides dents and scratches not looking all too nice on their own, in this phone's case it looks even worse because it reveals the silver aluminium colour under the paint.
So does anybody know of a way to somehow kinda cover up these aluminium rends ?
meteish said:
As with basically all my other cellphones I convinced myself that I would not drop my Desire S on the road or other killer surfaces, so now that this has happened like 3 times at least, I am left with a few pretty nasty scratches on the aluminium body at the back. Besides dents and scratches not looking all too nice on their own, in this phone's case it looks even worse because it reveals the silver aluminium colour under the paint.
So does anybody know of a way to somehow kinda cover up these aluminium rends ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
put in a case, hide it in your pocket or go for the other extreme and scratch all the remaining paint off!
black edding. it works
TatoValverde said:
black edding. it works
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean the Edding paint marker?
I have a grey Desire S which I dropped on a tile floor (ouch), left side first. Now it has two 1mm white dots where the metal paint chipped off, so I was looking for a silver permanent marker to maybe cover the white dots.
Have you tried the Edding marker? Does it wear off by taking the phone in and out of the pocket all the time?
If you've used this marker I'm looking forward to your feedback.
Thanks!
I have some lovely scratches and dents on mine. Somehow managed to take off a 1cm patch on the back under the logo; it's not too pretty. Even one of the dents is painful to touch as it is so sharp.
I'm afraid permanent marker will only make worse the current situation of my handset! In the case it goes and stays until it's needed!
Just put it in a case and convince yourself it never happened
Inginerul said:
Do you mean the Edding paint marker?
I have a grey Desire S which I dropped on a tile floor (ouch), left side first. Now it has two 1mm white dots where the metal paint chipped off, so I was looking for a silver permanent marker to maybe cover the white dots.
Have you tried the Edding marker? Does it wear off by taking the phone in and out of the pocket all the time?
If you've used this marker I'm looking forward to your feedback.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I have a Black Desire S, and yeah, Edding marker works. Just try to find the smallest you can, since the marker on top of the original paint will be noticeable under sunlight. try to stick to the white dots, and good luck!
lol whats the chances of finding this thread, i've always kept mine in a rubber case to try an prevent chips etc, but i removed it the other day to flash another rom and noticed the dust/dirt that had got into the case had made a right mess on the back, so i htought what could i do to fix it,, i chose to just put it back in the case an forget about it but im defo gonna try the black paint pen,, thanks man
meteish said:
As with basically all my other cellphones I convinced myself that I would not drop my Desire S on the road or other killer surfaces, so now that this has happened like 3 times at least, I am left with a few pretty nasty scratches on the aluminium body at the back. Besides dents and scratches not looking all too nice on their own, in this phone's case it looks even worse because it reveals the silver aluminium colour under the paint.
So does anybody know of a way to somehow kinda cover up these aluminium rends ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps an oil based enamel paint... you may be able to get a small tin from a hobby shop.
Metal paint
Guys, please allow me to brag about how I fixed the two tiny paint chips on my Desire S. :laugh:
As suggested by TatoValverde, at first I wanted to buy a paint marker, but since I have the gray Desire S this became a bit complicated. It turns out paint markers are not really easy to find (in Romania at least), much less if they're silver/gray and it becomes almost impossible to find a gray paint marker with a 0,8 mm tip.
After searching for 2 weeks I gave up the paint marker idea, went to the closest DIY store and bought a 750ml paint can + one thin brush. DIY stores are great because you can find a lot of colors and different shades. And by the way, a paint can costs about as much as a thin paint marker.
Although I tried to pick the closest shade of gray, even the smallest paint dot is noticeable on the phone so I had to put just a tiny amount, let it dry for some minutes, then very gently wipe off some of the excess paint. Then apply again a tiny bit of paint and wipe the whole area, over and over again until I couldn't really notice with the naked eye where the initial chips were.
The good thing is this paint seems to be pretty durable (as I've noticed when trying to clean some stains.. ) and it's water and UV resistant.
The easy solution should be the back cover in plastic. But chinese makers are not making this. No idea why not. So we have to find solution our selves. Do you have a 3d printer? Or are you expert at doing craft projects? Can you make plastic back covers for those of us who want one?
Edit:
(anybody who wants to know - I made a cover with a plastic $1 folder. The plastic is soft but its tough stuff. Not easily punctured. Phone feels great on the hand and it feels slimmer. I still have to add some modifications to make it sturdier and make sure that it can withstand a fall without damaging the battery. No idea how to do that. I'll figure it out. The plastic works fine as a shock absorber but if something were to hit the battery area directly then that might transfer some force on the battery. So I'll have to find some way to make that area of the cover slightly more rigid. or place a shock absorbent material directly on top of the battery. Gotta find the right material that doesn't insulate the heat in.)
I'd buy a 3d printed plastic back cover if anyone made it available.
blueberry.sky said:
I'd buy a 3d printed plastic back cover if anyone made it available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
replacement glass backs are like 10$, its probably going to cost more to get something designed and printed if you dont have the skills yourself.
Dadud said:
replacement glass backs are like 10$, its probably going to cost more to get something designed and printed if you dont have the skills yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are $10. But we don't want the glass back. :S I can put a vinyl wrap on it and manage the slippery surface. But I also know how ridiculously fragile it is. It also shatters and you get glass particles everywhere. So its not usable. I have thought about reinforcing the glass back with some sort of specialized tape like gorilla tape or glass filament tape or tent repair tape. You could use it that way. The glass would still be fragile. It'll crack under the circumstances it would have cracked otherwise. Basically the glass is very low quality. Motorola is likely lying if they say its some sort gorilla glass or something.
e4noob said:
They are $10. But we don't want the glass back. :S I can put a vinyl wrap on it and manage the slippery surface. But I also know how ridiculously fragile it is. It also shatters and you get glass particles everywhere. So its not usable. I have thought about reinforcing the glass back with some sort of specialized tape like gorilla tape or glass filament tape or tent repair tape. You could use it that way. The glass would still be fragile. It'll crack under the circumstances it would have cracked otherwise. Basically the glass is very low quality. Motorola is likely lying if they say its some sort gorilla glass or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what you mean by "we" don't want the glass back. I like the glass back. I think it looks good and provides a good surface with which to grip the phone.
Dadud said:
replacement glass backs are like 10$, its probably going to cost more to get something designed and printed if you dont have the skills yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I would expect custom 3d print to cost more than the mass produced Chinese replacements.
It's worth it. Glass backs are insane imo. It pushes design over function much too far. I don't need to show off with a my phone. Rather have a phone that isn't so fragile.
case? seems to keep mine in one piece lol
TheDevl said:
I don't know what you mean by "we" don't want the glass back. I like the glass back. I think it looks good and provides a good surface with which to grip the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know there are owners of this phone who don't like the glass back.
Also, there is a heat factor with the glass back. I removed the glass and using a poorly made plastic cover right now and heat dropped by like 10 degrees. lol. It charges with normal charger at below 30c. With turbo charger it goes up to around 35c. Phone running for hours streaming hulu or something at max may be 37c. What's the temp like with the glass back on? 45c+?
buschris said:
case? seems to keep mine in one piece lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. But don't use a case a lot of the times.
e4noob said:
You know there are owners of this phone who don't like the glass back.
Also, there is a heat factor with the glass back. I removed the glass and using a poorly made plastic cover right now and heat dropped by like 10 degrees. lol. It charges with normal charger at below 30c. With turbo charger it goes up to around 35c. Phone running for hours streaming hulu or something at max may be 37c. What's the temp like with the glass back on? 45c+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But one man does not an entire consumer base make.
As for the temperatures, right now I'm at 28c with glass back and a case. Temperatures have never quite been a worry for me.
TheDevl said:
But one man does not an entire consumer base make.
As for the temperatures, right now I'm at 28c with glass back and a case. Temperatures have never quite been a worry for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you are saying not enough people demand it so its not a category of product yet.
Temp would be around 5-10c less than glass back the way I have it set up. One of the beneficial aspect I have seen is phone cools down much quicker. It'll have an effect on longevity of the phone but its really not that big of an issue anyway with the higher temps on a glass back. I think the most important factor is the satisfaction of not having that dumb fragile glass back.
e4noob said:
I guess you are saying not enough people demand it so its not a category of product yet.
Temp would be around 5-10c less than glass back the way I have it set up. One of the beneficial aspect I have seen is phone cools down much quicker. It'll have an effect on longevity of the phone but its really not that big of an issue anyway with the higher temps on a glass back. I think the most important factor is the satisfaction of not having that dumb fragile glass back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each their own, apparently.
If you're treating your phone respectfully, then the glass back should not be an issue. It is, after all, gorilla-glass, not just ordinary window-glass. If you're treating your phone roughly, then get a case or buy a different non-glass phone.
Right now glass and ceramic is en vogue in phone design. (see the top-end S10+ with its custom ceramic backplate) Particularly because it enables wireless charging without a buildup of static electricity. In a year or two they'll probably be on to a new trend, maybe leather as foldable phones start to mature. I actually miss those leather-backed phones that were around about 5 odd years ago.
eoraptor said:
If you're treating your phone respectfully, then the glass back should not be an issue. It is, after all, gorilla-glass, not just ordinary window-glass. If you're treating your phone roughly, then get a case or buy a different non-glass phone.
Right now glass and ceramic is en vogue in phone design. (see the top-end S10+ with its custom ceramic backplate) Particularly because it enables wireless charging without a buildup of static electricity. In a year or two they'll probably be on to a new trend, maybe leather as foldable phones start to mature. I actually miss those leather-backed phones that were around about 5 odd years ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. But I'm not looking for top end glass back on my g6. :S TBH even on s10 I would probably want to switch out the glass back. It seems absurd to me that I'm carrying around something so fragile. I would predict if there is a new trend, it'll be some sort of durable material like plastic. When people hear plastic, they think its cheap and reduces the vibe of the device. But there are different types of plastic. Phone companies could do fancy and functional phone body and back covers easily. I have no idea why they don't. They could use tough rubbery material for the body too where you largely won't need a case. But they don't. Some aspects of design isn't evolving at all with phones.
Mine shattered after fall from stairs, but I won't expect any phone to survive this with no damage taken.
oposiasty said:
Mine shattered after fall from stairs, but I won't expect any phone to survive this with no damage taken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's true. But a back cover made of any other material wouldn't shatter.