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Phantom Skinz Full Body Set

Recently received the Phantom Skinz Full Body set and have gone through installation.
Here's the breakdown:
The Pros:
- The Screen Skin looks good and feels good. The extra drag vs. the stock glass is slight and the overall clarity is very good (doesn't have any noticeable detraction from the crisp, contrasty screen).
- The main screen skin and front overlays were fairly easy to apply and once dried have a very nice unobtrusive look
- Comes with 2 sets of skins
The Cons:
- included directions are WAY OFF from the install video on their site. Soaking times, how long to let it sit and dry, etc...
- Edge bubbling on every corner for the back overlays. Directions say to "cup the corner with palms and hold 30 seconds", but I've done it over and over again and they keep popping off after a short while
- A WHOLE LOT of wet work involved in applying these skins. Application involves soaking the skin in water first, then (as instructed) with your fingers fully wet, take the wet skin and put it wet onto the phone and then use the included credit card shaped "squeegy" to push out the extra water. Not so much a big deal for the screen skin, but getting that much water around and near the audio/mic/power and such ports while putting on the body skins is asking for trouble.
Final Thoughts
I imagine in some small (heck, maybe in large) part, the corner bubbling issue is due to me not applying the skin properly. But I'm not some clueless granny that doesn't know the difference between a mouse and a blackberry and the included instructions are vague in important places and almost completely different than the video instructions shown at their website (for example; The included instructions say to use warm water WITH SOAP)
Bottom line: Stick with just the screen skin, skip the full body.

The online video instructions say to use soap as well. IIRC, she said that at their facility, they use one drop of Johnson's baby shampoo per 32 oz of water.

I would avoid Phantom Skinz altogether. Here's the review I posted about my experience with one of them on my Moto Droid in the skins topic.
Phantom Skinz
I got a PS for my Moto Droid because I didn't want something as grippy as the Zagg. PS had great reviews and came with 2 full sets for the price of 1 zagg with 33% off on top of that ($16.50 in the end). The first installation of the screen got some dust and fuzz under it since I was OCD about getting it perfect, so I emailed them and they sent me a replacement for free no questions asked. I know it did come with two sets of protectors but I wanted to keep one as a backup still. Second installation was perfect. No dirt, dust, fuzz or finger prints. Screen was perfectly smooth (no orange peel) and the touch felt almost the same as the glass. Put the rest of the body on without a problem as well with just a few bubbles in some of the tougher spots. I was very impressed, but now a month later I am not so much. After daily use taking my phone in and out of my pocket (sometimes shared with keys) the skin is filled with knicks and wrinkles. While the film may not technically scratch, it is vulnerable to indentations and air bubbles forming which do not "self heal". Instead of scratching, it seems like the skin stretches in place, resulting in a wrinkle/groove with little marks that look like air bubbles underneath. Not only does it make the screen look dirty, but you feel them while using the touch screen. As I write this, I just dug my finger nail into the screen and tried to scratch it, leaving another permanent groove. Needless to say, I will be taking off the PS and throwing it in the trash. The rest of the body has surprisingly stayed pretty clean of wrinkles, so it may have something to do with its application on glass. I will put some pictures up when I get the chance this evening. Overall, I would not recommend PhantomSkinz. It looked and felt great for a couple weeks, but now every day I am finding more and more knicks and wrinkles and that is just unacceptable compared to others. This skin is NOT scratch proof like other comparable skins on the market! However, I will commend their customer service for being very helpful and quick to reply.
And here a pictures of what it looks like:
h ttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5415251&postcount=44
(remove the space after the h, I can't post links yet)
Bottom line here as that they are smoother than other brands but scratch pretty easily. You should check back in on this topic in a month or two and see if your opinion has changed.

I applied the full body skin about a week ago. There's definitely a lot of water involved but most of the danger can be avoided with some caution. I used Q-tips to do a lot of the credit card work around the edges so that it soaked up the water it pushed out.
A good trick for the corners is to use some sealant/piping tape to hold them down. This is a lot better than using your hand for 30 seconds, and you can leave it there for as long as you want (I left the tape on mine for 2 days since I wasn't going anywhere that I needed to show off my phone, I figured why not? Now my corners are perfect).
So far I like PhantomSkinz because it wraps the corners a little better than the other skins. Bodyguardz is a little better in clarity and material. InvisibleShield has too much of the orange peel effect. Haven't had a chance to try BestSkinsEver.
As for detonation's review, it's too early for me to tell if I'll have the same problems, but I agree that the material doesn't seem on par with InvisibleShield or BodyGuardz. But since I still used the carrying case and treat my phone with much care even with the skin on, I don't think it'll be too much of a problem.

I recently got the phantom skinz full body set, after I read the instructions I thought that there was no way I was applying wet/soapy film to my N1, it just doesn't make any sense. Water/soap plus electronics? Its a recipe for disaster, besides the fact that I suck at arts and crafts type stuff just like this. I would imagine I would get water somewhere inside the device, and knowing me it would reach the many water detectors in the phone. It doesn't seem worth it, so I applied just the screen part sans water/soap, and needless to say it sucked big time, even when I got all the bubbles out.. it had a terrible gray haze on parts of the screen it was bad (maybe due to not using the water/soap method). Can any one suggest just a simple screen protector that doesn't' require to dunk your device in water?

boxmander said:
I recently got the phantom skinz full body set, after I read the instructions I thought that there was no way I was applying wet/soapy film to my N1, it just doesn't make any sense. Water/soap plus electronics? Its a recipe for disaster, besides the fact that I suck at arts and crafts type stuff just like this. I would imagine I would get water somewhere inside the device, and knowing me it would reach the many water detectors in the phone. It doesn't seem worth it, so I applied just the screen part sans water/soap, and needless to say it sucked big time, even when I got all the bubbles out.. it had a terrible gray haze on parts of the screen it was bad (maybe due to not using the water/soap method). Can any one suggest just a simple screen protector that doesn't' require to dunk your device in water?
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Dude... you BARELY have to use any water to get the screen to turn out right. Sorry you wasted your PS... but ask them for a replacement, and mail it to me! I do this **** with my eyes closed. It's really not rocket science, and you don't have to "dunk" your phone in water.

boxmander said:
I recently got the phantom skinz full body set, after I read the instructions I thought that there was no way I was applying wet/soapy film to my N1, it just doesn't make any sense. Water/soap plus electronics? Its a recipe for disaster, besides the fact that I suck at arts and crafts type stuff just like this. I would imagine I would get water somewhere inside the device, and knowing me it would reach the many water detectors in the phone. It doesn't seem worth it, so I applied just the screen part sans water/soap, and needless to say it sucked big time, even when I got all the bubbles out.. it had a terrible gray haze on parts of the screen it was bad (maybe due to not using the water/soap method). Can any one suggest just a simple screen protector that doesn't' require to dunk your device in water?
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you didnt follow the instructions and it didnt work well for you? gtfo

boxmander said:
I recently got the phantom skinz full body set, after I read the instructions I thought that there was no way I was applying wet/soapy film to my N1, it just doesn't make any sense. Water/soap plus electronics? Its a recipe for disaster, besides the fact that I suck at arts and crafts type stuff just like this. I would imagine I would get water somewhere inside the device, and knowing me it would reach the many water detectors in the phone. It doesn't seem worth it, so I applied just the screen part sans water/soap, and needless to say it sucked big time, even when I got all the bubbles out.. it had a terrible gray haze on parts of the screen it was bad (maybe due to not using the water/soap method). Can any one suggest just a simple screen protector that doesn't' require to dunk your device in water?
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Try clairivue or martin fields. Just do a google search since I can't post links yet.

typ_ex said:
you didnt follow the instructions and it didnt work well for you? gtfo
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LOL! i agree. i have had no issues at all with my phantomskinz- both on the magic and now my nexus- i'll admit i do suck at installing them but what i do is get a bowl o water, put a few drops of baby shampoo in swich it around a bit, then dunk the piece in there- hold it over bowl until excess is removed then you can put it on device- the soap/water allows you to move it into position easily and helps squeegee the bubbles....
i wouldnt blame a product because you didnt follow their instructions how to install it...

I actually prefer the bowl of soapy water to the sprays that come with other skins. Submerging it ensures the entire skin is lubed up, and the small amounts of drips on the device is harmless. Just let it dry out overnight before turning it on.

I think Martins is completely over priced. I tried BSE and Phantom and all works great. Once dried it is practically invisible with only the slightest orange peel effect. I'm pretty OCD and it is minimal enough that it doesn't bother me. What does bother is that both of the screen protectors are slightly shorter than the screen.
As for applying the phantom and drowning in water as people are saying I don't do that. I've put on enough of these to know you only need a slight amount. I use a spray and just mist the backing so that it is enough to be able to adjust when putting on but not dripping with water. I use a cloth to absorb the water on the edges as I push the bubbles/excess water out. Fairly easy process. It just takes a slow hand and patience.

pongalong said:
A good trick for the corners is to use some sealant/piping tape to hold them down. This is a lot better than using your hand for 30 seconds, and you can leave it there for as long as you want (I left the tape on mine for 2 days since I wasn't going anywhere that I needed to show off my phone, I figured why not? Now my corners are perfect).
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Ok I have to ask: what is sealant / piping tape? And where do you buy that? Home Depot? Bed, Bath and Beyond?

Paul22000 said:
Ok I have to ask: what is sealant / piping tape? And where do you buy that? Home Depot? Bed, Bath and Beyond?
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Some might know it as teflon tape, thread seal tape or plumbers tape. It's a thin white non-adhesive tape that you use on pipes/hoses to make connections water tight. Home Depot would have it or any hardware store - it's pretty common. Just cut a few good length pieces and wrap your phone up like a mummy on the difficult spots. It works well because it's stretchy, conforms to shape and naturally adheres to the phone skin.

pongalong said:
Some might know it as teflon tape, thread seal tape or plumbers tape. It's a thin white non-adhesive tape that you use on pipes/hoses to make connections water tight. Home Depot would have it or any hardware store - it's pretty common. Just cut a few good length pieces and wrap your phone up like a mummy on the difficult spots. It works well because it's stretchy, conforms to shape and naturally adheres to the phone skin.
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...and it's non-stick!

typ_ex said:
you didnt follow the instructions and it didnt work well for you? gtfo
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Like I mentioned before, my application didn't work well cause I didn't follow the instructions. And I wasn't hating on PS, get a grip. Besides after some people posted about this topic I might give it another go, PS gave me two for one so I can redo it. Why are you here? Perhaps you should try posting things that are more constructive.

pongalong said:
Some might know it as teflon tape, thread seal tape or plumbers tape. It's a thin white non-adhesive tape that you use on pipes/hoses to make connections water tight. Home Depot would have it or any hardware store - it's pretty common. Just cut a few good length pieces and wrap your phone up like a mummy on the difficult spots. It works well because it's stretchy, conforms to shape and naturally adheres to the phone skin.
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Interesting. I'll definitely get some. Thanks for the tip.
Hmm... I'm going to go to Home Depot to buy some kind of special tape I've never heard of to wrap up my phone like a mummy in order to prevent the corners from lifting on my phone's skin protector. Phone enthusiast or what?

Phantom does have the best skins by far...
The trick to installation to make it perfect:
Use the Johnson's/water mix as they advised.
Ignore all of their other directions.
Peel off the piece you want to apply. Dryly.
Dip your fingers in the water and apply it to the skin using your fingers.
Once both sides of the skin are wet, use your fingers as a squeegee to pull off any excess water.
Apply the skin to your phone. Keep the skin sitting on your phone in it's original shape.
Use your fingers, not the applicator card, to squeegee out the air bubbles. You don't need to apply very much pressure at all. The bubbles move around extremely easily.
Now, let the skin dry for about 2 minutes. Once you notice the skin starting to cling to the phone a little harder, grab the ends that you need to wrap around the phone and stretch them into place. This is the key step. Stretching it makes it stick so much better, the corners align perfectly with the phone when you do this, and all the gaps left between the skin pieces when you don't stretch it are gone. The skin has to be stretched to fit the phone, otherwise the pieces will all be a little to small and the corners will blow.
Repeat with the other pieces.
Enjoy your sexily phantom skinned N1.

anyone with pics of this case ?

I just wanted to comment about Phantom Skinz because I have had a really good experience with them and I am going to get another set from them as soon as they release it for the HD2!
I got Phantom Skinz for a Nano about a year ago and it has been awesome! I bought the PS retail (they have a location in my area) so I only got one set, but I did it myself with no problems. I had to take it off for a warranty replacement on the Nano and I put the same skin back on the new Nano and it looks just as good as it did on the first application. It's awesome that it can be taken off and put back on again using only water.
I got GA for my G1, but it is the worst product ever. I had it professionally installed at a Ghost Armor location because I wanted it to be perfect for my baby. But it didn't even last a month before it started peeling! GA can only be applied once with a special solution (thats what the GA salespeople told me) and it can't be fixed with water like Phantom Skinz. Phantom Skinz has never actually peeled like the GA did, but at least I could fix PS with water if I needed to!
I literally had the full body GA skin replaced 4 times in the course of a year because it peeled so bad and I am not just talking the corners! I did everything they told me to; keep the phone in a case so it doesnt rub in your pocket, keep any liquid of the phone (durr), don't leave the skin in prolonged sunlight, blah bla blah.
It was $35 for the original GA skin and installation and then they charged me $10 labor for the "free warranty replacement" every time I had the skin redone. Oh, and they changed the GA product for my phone 3 times out of the 4 I got it replaced and the changes never fixed any of the problems I had with the skin. GA also yellowed really bad and actually got progressively worse over the course of their " improved product revisions". The last time I had the G1 wrapped the skin was a pretty moderate yellow in about a week...
The salespeople sucked me in every time with leading me to believe the GA skin for the G1 was revised and the problems were fixed. I spent way too much money on their crappy ass product!
Ghost Armor is an awful product! Please just stay the hell away from them!

There is no need to submerge anything in any fluid. I have installed clear skins on many devices by using soapy water. I dont spray it on the phone, I spray a small mist on the protector before applying. Trust me there is not enough water to damage anything because as i push out the bubble I wipe the water.
If you are concerned about it then remove the battery and wait a day like the other people have suggested. once the process is complete the skin will need to settle for a few days before it looks good.
I used some spray that came with a skin before and I did not like it compared to the soapy water MIST.
I also do not use the skin on touch screens because my finger drags on it compared to other screen protectors that are designed to protect the screen.

remove scratches/drop marks from nexus one body

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
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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...
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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.
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yeah that is what made me polish the housing but I been so busy to even finish, He did a incredible job too

Color swap possible?

Hey guys ive been looking for a different housing for my infuse, i love the white galaxy s 2 but i dont think ill fit on my phone even though they look the same the speaker grill is on the right side. Any suggestions?

52 views and no replies omg lol. Ive seen the stock housing but i want the white one so i can rock the phone without a case.

antrax360 said:
52 views and no replies omg lol. Ive seen the stock housing but i want the white one so i can rock the phone without a case.
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Lol well how bout I change that-
Try this: http://www.colorware.com/default.aspx
It's not free and you would have to send you phone in, but I know they can paint (i'm not even sure its paint, it might be some type of dye or film) iphones and blackberrys.
That or you could go ghetto and buy sand paper and a rattle can of white and go to town!

lmao 250 no way lol. thats a new phone right there

antrax360 said:
lmao 250 no way lol. thats a new phone right there
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Never said it would be cheap, get a white case...

xIC-MACIx said:
Never said it would be cheap, get a white case...
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yeah that would be my best option.

Cases are so cheap that I would just go with that as well

phone is really rather easy to take apart just 8-9 screws and then a guitar pick to pop the screen out...Is there an aftermarket replacement full housing or just cases

also fell in love with the white S II. gonna try a white vinyl skin and will post results.

eghoti1 said:
also fell in love with the white S II. gonna try a white vinyl skin and will post results.
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would really love to see the turn out!!!

look up hydrographic dips, I have done a few guns and some other things. Works very well.

Ok so here is what I ended up doing. I basically did only a white front skin. Since I didn't want to cover the back battery cover white, I purchased a frosted TPU case to kind of keep everything light colored. The back still showed too much black to make it convincing, but overall it turned out really nice IMO with a white case. I highly recommend doing this if you're craving a white SGS variant without the $500+ pricetag. The skin is good quality and I laid it on top of a new screen protector, and then put on the case. The skin has a back bottom piece & back battery cover piece that I didn't use. Overall, this makes the front of the Infuse look like a White SGS II clone (minus different soft key layout). See pics and purchase info below:
White Infuse Skin:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300567071501?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Clear/Frosted Tint TPU Case (light frost, the front looks more clear than frost):
http://www.amazon.com/TINTED-Design..._20?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1320885240&sr=1-20
Black/Smoke TPU Case (this is the case I had before I went white, I highly recommend it):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330626579027?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

That looks amazing and will be the road I take, just curious if the back texture would make the vinyl bubble over time?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda premium

the texture of the vinyl or the battery back cover? The vinyl is relatively thick and sturdy. The front was flimsy only because the sides aren't supported with an inside until you apply it, but the skin material itself is pretty durable. I took it off and reapplied 3 times. There are a couple of very small bubbles that are only visible in certain light. I applied this overtop my screen protector so the results may vary with a direct application.
I chose not to apply any skin on the back of the phone. It still showed too much black IMO and didnt cover enough area around the sides to look like a full white phone from the back. So I do not know if a vinyl applied to the back battery cover will bubble. I actually like the OEM back design so I was going to leave it anyway. I opted for that frosted case which I think blends nicely with the front skin. For $13 total, I think it's worth the mod.

im actually in the process of figuring out how to pop this baby open. last night i had thsi wild dream where i spray painted it white!
now if the housing is just plastic, then i could easily unscrew the back. spray paint white with a glossy finish. then get the white screen sking you got there. its looks beast in white by the way. i was thinking going with all black. but the white just did it for me.
im gonna head over to walmart in a bit to check these things out. ill report on what i find.
---------- Post added at 04:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 PM ----------
okay so i got back from walmart.
so this i believe is going to be my set up.
for the back. im going to spray paint it white then apply a glossy finish to it.
and for the front a white skin.
im down to do it. then im not down to do. lol.

I am not confident enough to try and spray paint the back white, but if you are then that would be ideal I think. I wish the back was white, then the effect would be more permenant but I am pretty thrilled with the way the front skin came out looking so convincing. I'm think that the only way to make it look convincing on the back to to really color the entire housing. I would be curious to see how yours comes out if you get the courage. Unfortunately, the phone's curved sides cause any skin to leave too much black space that makes it look tacky on the back.

I'm gonna do it! I think... shouldn't be hard just time consuming.
Sent from Optimus-Prime's Samsung Infuse 4G

Optimus-Prime said:
I'm gonna do it! I think... shouldn't be hard just time consuming.
Sent from Optimus-Prime's Samsung Infuse 4G
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Hey Optimus, I've actually done a lot of custom painting to various things on my truck exterior and interior, and my old iPhone, if you really wanted to paint your phone, you've got a couple options to make it turn out correctly:
Option 1, you could start by googling "plasti-dip", its basically a reversible rubber coating that you can apply without any prep work. Now I have a can in black from home depot but, I wanna say you can get it in white or other colors online, its like 6-8 bucks for a rattle can of it. EDIT: found a LINK This would be the easiest and way less time consuming. (On my truck forums, people have sprayed their rims and its apparently pretty durable)
Option 2, if you wanted to go the normal rattle can route, I would seriously advice on getting some 1500 or 2000 grit sand paper to prep sand the phone before you paint. It's a real fine grit and doesn't take much, really helps the paint stick. After a couple coats of white, I would spray some clear coat too. (Make sure you clean the housing before moving to painting)
Also another thing I had issues with on my truck interior was the textured plastic like the back plate on our phones. To do it correctly people had to sand the texture off till it was smooth, then paint. So IMO just leave the plate alone and keep the gray color and save your self from a headache of white paint chips after normal use lol (might be a nice contrast from the white anyways )
Hope this helps brah

i looked into the "plasti-dip" but i don't want it to peel, and for sure considering the fact that its going to be around the edges of the phone its gonna peel. so spary painting it is my other option. also i don't want to give the phone thickness just a make over. haha. i worried about the back plate being a *****... and i was right... lol. well i can always order a new one off amazon.but what im aiming at is this:
is it all fails completely. ill just spray paint it black. haha.

Optimus-Prime said:
i looked into the "plasti-dip" but i don't want it to peel, and for sure considering the fact that its going to be around the edges of the phone its gonna peel. so spary painting it is my other option. also i don't want to give the phone thickness just a make over. haha. i worried about the back plate being a *****... and i was right... lol. well i can always order a new one off amazon.but what im aiming at is this:
is it all fails completely. ill just spray paint it black. haha.
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Ya the corners would deff be the first thing to peel, but I "plasti-dipped" my iPhone a long time ago and it actually held up really well, the only reason it started peeling was because I dropped it on concrete. But honestly for 6 bucks, its worth a shot, if you don't like it you can peel it off like a stretchy sticker lol Actually, you could do this to the back plate and spray paint the actual housing white, just a thought.
And ya your best bet with the back plate is sanding it down till it's smooth and the painting it should be easy cheesy, the sanding part is the ***** lol Leaving it textured would be a mess...

Rubberized Battery Cover Mod

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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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I suggest powdercoating the back cover.

primeral said:
I suggest powdercoating the back cover.
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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.

Custom Paint Job on the Battery Cover - 8/10

was getting bored and tried a custom paint job the battery cover, Have already done one a GSM Galaxy Nexus.
This one did not come out as perfect. Did not sand properly and forgot to put masking tape on the inside.
Personally am a sucker for black red

Nice. Would like to see something more elaborate.

Nice!!! Have any shots of it on the phone...would like to see what it's like all together.

will try to get pictures on the phone once I get home, I did a custom paint job my gnex and that looked sick.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1820875
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1890515
In this case I screwed up as I forgot to tape the insides and also did not sand properly. will see if I have time to redo over the weekend as it takes around 4-5 hours for the whole effort.
Glad you guys like it.

The Black and Red GNex is wicked...I was thinking of painting my case (I drop my phone a lot, a case is a must)...I'll look into to doing this.

show us what you come up with bro ...

Will do

Nice work
Sent from my MB865 using xda app-developers app

did you use car paint sparay?

qwerfv said:
did you use car paint sparay?
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used duplicolor vinyl and fabric paint ...

devilhunter47 said:
Nice work
Sent from my MB865 using xda app-developers app
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Thanks bud ...

Hey munchy_cool,
Im gonna try spraying the white plastic outer shell of the otterbox commuter to black.
Just wanted to know a few things before i get into it..
1. Will a 400 grit sandpaper do ? Couldn't find the 800 one.
2. Also i got this quick drying lacquer spray ( acrylic epoxy) for automobiles, by Bosny, will it be fine.. ?
Couldnt find any adhesion promoter either.. Is it necessary for a lacquer spray ?
3. I found the duplicolor vinyl and fabric and adhesion promoter on ebay, but its way overpriced.. Around 30$ for each can, is it worth buying at that price ? Or will this bosny spray will do.. ?

anikadam said:
Hey munchy_cool,
Im gonna try spraying the white plastic outer shell of the otterbox commuter to black.
Just wanted to know a few things before i get into it..
1. Will a 400 grit sandpaper do ? Couldn't find the 800 one.
2. Also i got this quick drying lacquer spray ( acrylic epoxy) for automobiles, by Bosny, will it be fine.. ?
Couldnt find any adhesion promoter either.. Is it necessary for a lacquer spray ?
3. I found the duplicolor vinyl and fabric and adhesion promoter on ebay, but its way overpriced.. Around 30$ for each can, is it worth buying at that price ? Or will this bosny spray will do.. ?
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hey dude, considering you are in India just go to a paint ship in there and they'll do it for less than what it costs you .
Also, a 400 grit should do , just remove the previous layer of paint if any on the otterbox.
I read that the Bosny epoxy is a primer, do you have the color also in the bosny..if that be the case then you do not need Duplicolor.
Just try on a small piece of plastic first to see how it looks, coz it's one way traffic, if you screw up the otterbox will have to repainted.

munchy_cool said:
hey dude, considering you are in India just go to a paint ship in there and they'll do it for less than what it costs you .
Also, a 400 grit should do , just remove the previous layer of paint if any on the otterbox.
I read that the Bosny epoxy is a primer, do you have the color also in the bosny..if that be the case then you do not need Duplicolor.
Just try on a small piece of plastic first to see how it looks, coz it's one way traffic, if you screw up the otterbox will have to repainted.
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Otterbox doesnt seem to have any layer, just white molded plastic I guess.
Yup i got the flat black color. Didn't want anything glossy, was gonna try it on an old cover first.. Cause I just recently got this case, don't wanna spoil it.
So the steps are
-Wet sanding
-one layer of the paint
-Let it dry for 10mins
-how many layers should I add ?
Also should I sand the surface after the final layer has dried or is it just for cars ?
Will get on with it by the end of this week and let you know.. Thanks

anikadam said:
Otterbox doesnt seem to have any layer, just white molded plastic I guess.
Yup i got the flat black color. Didn't want anything glossy, was gonna try it on an old cover first.. Cause I just recently got this case, don't wanna spoil it.
So the steps are
-Wet sanding
-one layer of the paint
-Let it dry for 10mins
-how many layers should I add ?
Also should I sand the surface after the final layer has dried or is it just for cars ?
Will get on with it by the end of this week and let you know.. Thanks
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after wet sanding wash it with water and then let it dry in the sun.
clean with a nylon cloth so as to remove any dust particles etc just before the first layer.
2-3 layers should be good.
do not sand after the last layer, in case after each layer you see that you have paint bubbles at any place just sand that area so as to remove the bubbles ...
all the best and lemme know in case you need any more help

Ok, just tried the paint on a good quality plastic after wet sanding it, 2 layers.. it came out really good.. nice even matt black finish.. even experimented a bit by sanding it again.. still the color didnt go.. so all in all it was a successful expt..
The only thing stopping me from spraying it on my phone cover is that it has this strong chemical smell to it. The can says it is Lead free but i cant imagine using my phone with the cover smelling so pungent. Dropping the plan to paint the cover for now.. lets see if the smell goes away in the coming days..
Thanks for guiding munchy_cool, much appreciated :thumbup:

pictures or it did not happen

haha.. uploading photos now.. btw.. the smell has gone down drastically.. hardly any there actually.. so maybe by tonight or tommorow it'll go away completely
This is the original color, it was just a trial, so didnt really click pics for before and after..
This is after 2 layers and some sanding again on the sprayed paint

nice work there dude ...

how did you make your phone square shaped ?