I purchased a Sir Lancelot Armor tempered glass screen protector for my nexus 4.
Generally, I like this product. Perfect cutout, white cover makes my nexus 4 special, and also the glass feeling is much better than the plastic screen protectors or matts.
Only one big problem is that after applied on, the newton rings shown up. For those whose don't know about newton rings, you can search from wiki. Simply, newton rings is a natural physics phenomenon, one pattern of Thin-film interference. The root cause is that there is a very small gap between your phone screen and the glass protector. This small gap is about a light wavelength (0.005 mm).
Solutioins:
Some solutions online instructs to put thin layer of baby powder between the glass and phone screen. I tried that and it "works". This is because the baby powder increase the gap to be larger than 0.005 mm. However, the thin layer of baby powder makes the screen blurry and unclear. It will look just like a thick finger prints ALWAYS ON. (This is also the solution i got from Sir Lancelot Armor.)
My Solution:
1. Use "Gasket Remover" or "Acetone" to remover the originally adhesive on the glass. Make the glass completely clear without any sticky "glue"/"jel" left on.
2. Apply Scotch Double Sided Tapes ( I use 3M) on the boundary of the glass. ( it serves as the bond between your glass and phone screen).
After that, you will notice that there isn't any newton rings showing up. The reason is that the Scotch tapes is about 0.1 mm thick. This gap will not cause and interference of the light; then no Newton Rings.
This 0.1 mm gap is big compared to the 0.005 mm. But it would not cause any loss of sensitivity of your screen control.
Downside: the newton rings would not show up because of the 0.1 mm gap. However, if you press down the glass/screen hard, a small newton ring will show up at your finger tip. Once you unpressed, the newton Ring would be gone.
I can live with this other than the before situation (Pictures are shown for before FIXED).
Thanks~
Thanks for the info, I do notice some in the middle of mine on my first install. However, I found out there are gaps in the adhesive which doesn't stick well. So I used my heat gun to heat the corner of the tempered glass when applying it to help it seal better so I don't see it now I think.
But good info to know, especially using acetone to clean the adhesive.
eksasol said:
Thanks for the info, I do notice some in the middle of mine on my first install. However, I found out there are gaps in the adhesive which doesn't stick well. So I used my heat gun to heat the corner of the tempered glass when applying it to help it seal better so I don't see it now I think.
But good info to know, especially using acetone to clean the adhesive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which tempered glass you are using? Sir Lancelot Armor?
I think your method is even better. But generically, I think my glass is a defective one. Its flatness is not well control. When I clear of all the original adhesive, i press the glass on the phone screen and still saw the newton rings. So I think my glass comes with a little "bowed" in the middle.
Anyway, maybe most people get good conforming glass because i can't find many threads about this issues.
I'm using iloome.
Base on the cgi, it looks like the side bezel for the Sir Lancelot version might be a little thin, it might contribute to it.
can i buy this--------------------- http://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-Nexus-4-...eplacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item3cd5b9f150--- and use the scotch tape method for a glass screen protector it covers the curved edges
Newton rings
Thank you , I kinda knew that it was because some sort of pressure to the screen but I thought the cover was responsible of that, but it didn't stop appearing when I removed so I supposed it was a problem with the screen itself.
If I didn't remove the screen protector will the screen be harmed ?
*OP 3T*
I got one, the MobilePioneer with beveled edges. My main concern was how to fight the dust getting between the protector glass and the screen. I tried my best to clean the tablet's surface, as instructed. Nevertheless, when I put the protector screen down at some places i saw dust. It's presence results in a small circle where the glass is not attached to the surface and you can't get rid of it by rubbing the area. So I carefully removed the protector and cleaned the tablets surface again. But it did not help. Actually with each reinstall attempt the problem got worse. Then I realized that the dust particles are not on the tablets surface but they got sick to the sticky stuff on the glass. To make things worse i attempted to remove the dust particles from the sticky glue.
The solution came in the form of a four inch wide scotch tape. I turned the glass sticky side up and applied the scotch tape to the areas where I saw dust. After I peeled the tape off I quickly reinstalled the glass. It worked. The new surface feels awesome, smooth, no fingerprints.
I'm ordering one today, and thought this review on amazon was pretty helpful. I've tried the plastic protectors and have the same problem of dust adhering to the protector as soon as I peel of the plastic layer. I will have to try this method.
To help others out, with getting the results that I did, I will share how I put this on. (1st) Go to your bathroom and wipe down an area to use for the installation. (I cleaned around my sink, and placed a laptop, lap pad across the sink to create a table to work on. If you have a table to work on in your bathroom all the better. (2nd) Close the door to your bathroom, and run the shower on hot water for 10-15 minutes. The steam will adhere to all of the dust floating around in the room and zero out the static electricity of that room, essentially making a clean room for you. (3rd) With the door shut allow the steam to settle in your bathroom for 10 minutes or so.(longer does not hurt, **You want to make sure enough steam has cleared and it has cooled down enough, so as it does not make condensation form on your screen**) Do-not run the bathroom vent fan, they almost always place dust in the air. (4th) Place your tablet on your work area, and wipe down the tablet, with the included alcohol wipe. Wiping with the alcohol wipe first, and then drying with the included microfiber cloth. I did this several times across the tablet. (5th) Now that your tablet is completely clean and free from any smudges and such, use the included sticker that comes with the kit(small white rectangular sticker that says: "Cleaning Paste" on it . And go across the entire tablet several times. This will pick up any lint or dust from the microfiber. I held one end of the sticker in each hand, and pushed the middle of the sticker onto the screen, and then pulled it off the screen, repeating until there was no dust or lint on the screen. (6th) Look at your tablet from different angles, and make sure there is ZERO dust or lint on it. If there is any, use the sticker to remove it. (7th) Now that your tab is perfectly clean(No smudges, ZERO LINT). Peel the protective layer off of the tempered glass. Do this away from the tablet, so no dust or lent, falls onto the tablet screen. Be very very careful, not to touch the sticky side with your fingers. ***Some people stick a couple pieces of tape on the non sticky glass side, allowing the tape to hang over the edge of the glass. This will essentially give you some tabs to hold onto, when trying to lower the glass down in place.*** I did not do this(I've put on many protectors in my day), I just held the glass by the sides, between both hands, without touching the sticky side. But the tape tabs may be helpful to some(look it up online), its all up to you. (8th) Now the hard part, carefully align the glass with the home button, or the camera lens. When you are confident that you have a good alignment, let go of the glass. Simply push once on the center of the glass, and it will adhere across the entire tablet. If there are any bubbles, you can push them towards the outside of the protector. Do not worry about small bubbles, they will go away on there own, in a couple of hours to a day. My bubbles were gone in 4 hours or less
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i always wearing something on my head... like a cap or something... dandruff sometimes hindering with the perfect installation... =_=
Peter234 said:
I got one, the MobilePioneer with beveled edges. My main concern was how to fight the dust getting between the protector glass and the screen. I tried my best to clean the tablet's surface, as instructed. Nevertheless, when I put the protector screen down at some places i saw dust. It's presence results in a small circle where the glass is not attached to the surface and you can't get rid of it by rubbing the area. So I carefully removed the protector and cleaned the tablets surface again. But it did not help. Actually with each reinstall attempt the problem got worse. Then I realized that the dust particles are not on the tablets surface but they got sick to the sticky stuff on the glass. To make things worse i attempted to remove the dust particles from the sticky glue.
The solution came in the form of a four inch wide scotch tape. I turned the glass sticky side up and applied the scotch tape to the areas where I saw dust. After I peeled the tape off I quickly reinstalled the glass. It worked. The new surface feels awesome, smooth, no fingerprints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could also use the tape to secure the edge of the protector, making it like a hinge so it would be easier to install once everything is lined up. Regarding the dust issue. What I do for several years now. I install them inside the washroom. I opened the hot shower until the room is steamy. This way. Any floating dust particles will get caught in the steam.
Or. If you're in a sealed. Airconditioned office with a humidifier. It works the same. I installed my tempered glass in the office. No dust at all
Will give it a try
ThE_SoUrCe said:
You could also use the tape to secure the edge of the protector, making it like a hinge so it would be easier to install once everything is lined up. Regarding the dust issue. What I do for several years now. I install them inside the washroom. I opened the hot shower until the room is steamy. This way. Any floating dust particles will get caught in the steam.
Or. If you're in a sealed. Airconditioned office with a humidifier. It works the same. I installed my tempered glass in the office. No dust at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you but only add two comments. For the dust particles that still appear have several strips of scotch tape ready. Slide the tape sticky side up under the screen protector and the let the dust adhere to the tape then pull the tape out. The other comment is to search on Youtube for a video of a guy using this method (tape on edges) applying a protector to an iPad. The video helped me get it right especially when I also included several strips of tape ready to remove those stubborn lint/dust particles.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
Peter234 said:
I got one, the MobilePioneer with beveled edges. My main concern was how to fight the dust getting between the protector glass and the screen. I tried my best to clean the tablet's surface, as instructed. Nevertheless, when I put the protector screen down at some places i saw dust. It's presence results in a small circle where the glass is not attached to the surface and you can't get rid of it by rubbing the area. So I carefully removed the protector and cleaned the tablets surface again. But it did not help. Actually with each reinstall attempt the problem got worse. Then I realized that the dust particles are not on the tablets surface but they got sick to the sticky stuff on the glass. To make things worse i attempted to remove the dust particles from the sticky glue.
The solution came in the form of a four inch wide scotch tape. I turned the glass sticky side up and applied the scotch tape to the areas where I saw dust. After I peeled the tape off I quickly reinstalled the glass. It worked. The new surface feels awesome, smooth, no fingerprints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you install it, let us know how I turned out. I want to buy one for me as well, just don't know which one is the best.
For installation, what I did when installing in other tablets was, turn the hot water on in your bathroom, close the door and let it get humid. Clean screen well and apply screen protector. The humidity in the air won't allow dust to get set on the screen. Works every time for me.
With many practices you will get better at it, with a tab it's much harder than a phone due to the size of the display, sometimes it only takes me one try and I get a perfect dust free fit, and sometimes it takes me like over 20 times to get it done.
I love my V30, but I've been agonizing over the best way to protect the screen. Flat glass protectors leave the edges exposed and tend to separate from the corners, while all the curved ones only had adhesive around the edges, so adhesion was weak while touch sensitivity suffered. I'd seen the Whitestone Dome glass, but it wasn't full-coverage. I ended up ordering the InvisShield True fit kit from SGFreshIdea for quite a bit more than the advertised price of $23.37. The cost of the UV light and shipping brought the total $44.09, which was a bit steep and the shipping took almost two weeks. It ended up being a decent kit, but there were a couple things I didn't like. First, the LOCA (Liquid Optically Clear Adhesive) came in two clear vials. Considering the fact that this stuff sets when exposed to UV light (such as daylight), this seemed like a really bad idea. Second, the glass had a large cut-out at the top for the earpiece and front camera. I preferred something with more coverage. Long story short, I realized that this was something I could do using cheaper and, in some cases, better components.
First, I ordered a full-coverage glass from a company called dooqi (seriously) off Ebay. It was $8.79 with free shipping and arrived in less than a week. Be sure to order the clear glass, since the black edged one won't allow the LOCA glue to cure. Then I ordered the XFactor Sticky-Icky1000 LOCA glue for $11.99 with free shipping and arrived in two days (gotta love Amazon Prime). There's a LOT of LOCA glue on Amazon, but you need to order the lowest viscosity possible, since the "normal" glue is too thick to work with easily. The InvisShield glue was VERY thin, almost like water, while the XFactor is more like vegetable oil. The thinner glue spread more easily, but I actually preferred the XFactor since small bubbles seemed to push out with less effort. The main difference is that the InvisShield glue requires no pressure during installation (they tell you NOT to press on the glass), while the XFactor has to be pushed to the edges and corners with a squeegee.
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For the UV lamp, I ended up using the one that I purchased with the InvisShield kit. I also tested a UV flashlight I had in the garage for detecting coolant leaks, and it worked great. You can order small UV flashlights on Ebay for around $5 (free shipping) that should work well too, or you can simply let the glue cure by setting it in sunlight. The thing you need to keep in mind is that when the glue sets, it's still sticky. It isn't like epoxy. It cures to a clear, sticky adhesive that's perfect for phone screens. In fact, the LOCA glue is supposed to help fill in and hide cracks in the screen too when sandwiched between the phone and a glass screen protector. I haven't tested it, but it's something to consider if you have a cracked screen.
I strongly recommend watching the InvisShield installation video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCaOeqCH-2o ). It covers the basics well, but there's one thing that they don't mention that is critical. TAPE OVER ALL OF THE OPENINGS ON THE PHONE! When I first installed the InvisShield, a small amount of the glue ran into the hole for the earpiece. I cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol, and thought everything was fine. After the installation, I powered up the phone and discovered that I could barely hear anything, even at the max volume. I just about puked. After a LOT of stress, I managed to clear the excess glue out of the speaker screen with rubbing alcohol, a tiny brush for cleaning electric razors and some compressed air. I can't emphasize this enough... you NEED to be VERY careful about preventing the glue from getting into any of the openings on the phone. If you screw up your device, PLEASE don't complain to me since I feel I've made it abundantly clear that you need to be careful with this stuff. It runs everywhere, and can make a mess even with proper precautions. I used the glass protector as a template to cut a piece of clear packing tape, so I could be sure that the hole was covered without extending under the close-fitting glass.
The dooqi glass has a thin adhesive strip around the outer edge that can be easily pulled off. Just be sure to remove any adhesive residue with something like Goof-Off Professional-Grade. By the way, this stuff also works great for cleaning up cured LOCA. Next, clean the screen and glass with the alcohol wipes included with the dooqi glass. Unlike the InvisShield method of putting a large pool of glue on the bottom and using gravity and capillary action to spread the glue, I applied a heavy strip of glue down the center of the phone. It's better to use more glue than not enough, since removing the glass to add more glue isn't an option.
When doing so, look VERY carefully for even tiny bubbles. If you see one, use something clean (like the corner of the small plastic card in the dooqi kit) to dab out the bubble. Then just line up the glass and lower it gently onto the phone. Don't worry if it's crooked... you'll have plenty of time to straighten it. Let it sit for a couple minutes while the glue spreads. Then take a squeegee ( I used and old gift card) to push the glue to the edges and corners. Work slowly and carefully, wiping the excess glue away with an alcohol soaked cloth. I used to install vehicle wraps, so I learned a long time ago that rushing the job leads to disaster. If you notice air bubble sucking in at the corners, make sure that the glass is perfectly centered on the phone. I noticed that a few bubble kept sucking in from the top, right corner. So, I pushed them back out, and applied a dab of glue on the edge where the glass meets the phone. This way, glue was pulled into the tiny gap instead of air. Also, don't freak out if glue is running off the sides of your phone. Just make sure that you're working on a clean drop-cloth, and have plenty of alcohol soaked cloth wipes for cleaning the excess glue as you work.
Once it's evenly applied, carefully clean up any excess glue and wait a minute or two to be sure that no bubbles suck in from the edge. If glue is covering the front camera hole, don't worry. It will clean off easily once the glue is cured. Then use you lamp, flashlight or sunlight to cure the LOCA glue. I found that about 10 minutes of moving the UV flashlight back and forth around the screen seemed to be sufficient. The InvisShield video warns about over-curing, but I know that my phone will be used frequently in daylight I don't think this is an issue. In fact, I'd feel safer curing it more than not enough, since the last thing you want is for the glass to shift.
Finally, remove the tape and wipe the whole thing down with an isopropyl alcohol moistened cloth. You might have to scrub a bit to get some of the cured LOCA off the edges, but it should clean up pretty easily. And that's it! Mine ended up looking perfect. I'll probably clean around the edges in a couple day to remove any dirt that sticks to the excess glue. Also, check for any gaps that form near the corners. If they appear, use a small dab of glue to fill them and hit it with more UV light. Let me know if you have any questions and I hope that is helpful!
dooqi glass: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dooqi-Full...var=541441961034&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
XFactor glue: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GY4LL3G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
UV flashlight: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-LED-U...035402?hash=item5d7a6eb9ca:g:ZHoAAOSwKXdaconH
Thanks. Very nice write up. At 25.77 total, a much better option than the InvisShield True fit kit. I was going to try the Verizon screen protector, but it cost more than this and has terrible reviews. How long did the whole procedure take?
bilbo60 said:
Thanks. Very nice write up. At 25.77 total, a much better option than the InvisShield True fit kit. I was going to try the Verizon screen protector, but it cost more than this and has terrible reviews. How long did the whole procedure take?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was stopping to take pictures so that added to the time, but I'd estimate that it took me about 30 minutes from start to finish. I'm also really picky and used a magnifier to check for even the tiniest bubbles.
Whitestone Dome Glass has international patent for LOCA(Liquid Optically Clear Adhesive) technology. Different from others, why bother with halo, rainbow and bubbles? Whitestone Dome Glass makes it different. Thanks to LOCA liquid adhesive method and curing process, adhesive is on all areas even on the edges of the screen. Hope you try our Dome Glass next time! For your reference please check to see images on our Twitter or Facebook of LG V30 Whitestone Dome Glass
When Whitestone comes out with glass that's actually curved (in spite of what your Amazon ad incorrectly claims), I'll consider it. Until then, I'll stick with the method I've posted here which costs half as much and exhibits none of the issues you mention. Thanks...
Btw - I did some research and found nothing to suggest that Whitestone has any patents on LOCA glue.
ED2O9 said:
When Whitestone comes out with glass that's actually curved (in spite of what your Amazon ad incorrectly claims), I'll consider it. Until then, I'll stick with the method I've posted here which costs half as much and exhibits none of the issues you mention. Thanks...
Btw - I did some research and found nothing to suggest that Whitestone has any patents on LOCA glue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you see any halo, rainbow and bubbles? I think Whitestone's LOCA patent claim is full of it. If so, there would not be InvisibleShield, which is similarly LOCA glued.
I was very careful to check for any bubbles, and I can assure you that there aren't any. As for the other stuff, I have no idea what Whitestone is talking about. It looks just like the unprotected screen, with absolutely no visual defects. It covers the sides of the screen to within 1/32", and is a little over 1/16" short of full coverage on the top and bottom. Also, touch sensitivity is unaffected.
The only thing that worries me - is what will happen when you try to remove it.
Dooqi doesn't ship to Canada... just like InvisShield.
Orof said:
The only thing that worries me - is what will happen when you try to remove it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It removes cleanly. Just slide a thin piece of plastic (like a credit card) under the edge and pop it off. A little bit of alcohol under the edge loosens it nicely. I didn't have any residue, but isopropyl alcohol would remove any if you did. The LOCA glue doesn't harden when it cure. It becomes a tacky adhesive.
I did this. Thanks for the tutorial and links! The only difference is i used the liquid adhesive and UV light that came with my whitestone done glass kit. This is a much cheaper solution for me than buying a replacement glass screen protector.
Thanks again!
p.s. make sure you peel off and get all the adhesive off of the dooqi screen protector and get the air bubbles out or you'll get some air bubbles.
ED2O9, thanks for the write up. I'm now in the process of accumulating the materials to do the full adhesive glass protector.
Just a caveat for anyone doing this. I spent 2 hours going through all of the V30 TG screen protectors on Amazon. All of the clear TG screen protectors without the black borders sold on Amazon ARE NOT FULL COVERAGE protectors, but instead are cut narrower in order to avoid fitting issues over the V30's curved edges. Props to ED209 for doing his homework and pointing the way to the appropriate screen protector that works for the full adhesive application which is the Dooqi TG protector sold on eBay.
However, one caveat: Dooqi offers 2 types of TG screen protectors on eBay. Read the item descriptions before buying. Links are embedded.
1. Dooqi Full Coverage 3D Curved Tempered Glass Screen Protector Saver for LG V30 - This is the one to buy. As mentioned by ED209, the cost is $8.79 for one screen protector. This one has curved edges and provides bezel to bezel screen coverage.
2. 3X Dooqi Premium Ultra Clear Tempered Glass Screen Protector Saver for LG V30 - Avoid this one. This one is cut narrow and covers only the flat surface of the screen, leaving the the curved edges uncovered and exposed. For the cheap price of $7.79 for a 3 pack, it's very easy to be tempted into clicking the Buy It Now button. Don't do it.
Interesting! I just put a whitestone dome on my son's V30+ - quite successfully I might add. He's using a Tech21 Evo Check case, so I knew the whitestone was compatible (see YouTube install video by the "naked" guy). Plus I didn't want to wait 2 weeks for the HongKong based alternative to get here. My son carries his phone in his pocket, and the edge adhesive option wouldn't stay in place for him.
Anyways, I have the extra tube of adhesive from the whitestone, so I might order a piece of glass and try it on mine!
Hey, thanks for the guide.
One thing I also did to help with the process - I used a hair dryer after I put the screen protector on the phone (before the LOCA was fully spread out on the phone).
This helped lower the viscosity and make it easier for the LOCA to move around. I used the hair dryer directly above the middle of the phone. (With the phone off of course).
Edit: Also, you can use the screen protectors with the black borders. Acetone (nail polish remover) does a great job at removing it. The adhesive comes off in one piece just by picking it off with your nails. If there's any residue left, acetone will get that too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075Y3BBJC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is the one with black borders that I used, and it worked great!
Excellent post, thought it would be boring duh ?like. NOT! Very informative. I saw on the page for Dooqi Glass a feature is Anti-UV protection!? I assume this adds more cure time..? I thought 10mins was excessive, but using w cheap light could explain.
I actually bought a kickass (seriously bright) LED uv/black light strip on Amazon for about 20$. Has a USB power source, decent length cable, LOW&HIGHT, and assume a extension port.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075K6NM8F?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2
unimatrix725 said:
Excellent post, thought it would be boring duh like. NOT! Very informative. I saw on the page for Dooqi Glass a feature is Anti-UV protection!? I assume this adds more cure time..? I thought 10mins was excessive, but using w cheap light could explain.
I actually bought a kickass (seriously bright) LED uv/black light strip on Amazon for about 20$. Has a USB power source, decent length cable, LOW&HIGHT, and assume a extension port.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075K6NM8F?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used this one and it cured in about a minute. Did it extra to make sure it would stay though https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MJI8OCW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is it possible to apply your solution to this TGSP
Hi,
Thank you for this detailed procedure.
I'have already ordered a TGSP that cover the maximum of the black front face of the phone since I dont care about case-friendly aspect. But because it have the black edges, do you have a solution to apply the LOCA with this one?
The issue with the edged one is it because the extra glue will not be able to flow outward? Or just because the UV will not work on the edges? If it's because of the UV, is the original glue on the edges PLUS the LOCA glue on the screen should not be an alternative?
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07B2NRTXH/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
ED2O9 said:
I love my V30, but I've been agonizing over the best way to protect the screen. Flat glass protectors leave the edges exposed and tend to separate from the corners, while all the curved ones only had adhesive around the edges, so adhesion was weak while touch sensitivity suffered. I'd seen the Whitestone Dome glass, but it wasn't full-coverage. I ended up ordering the InvisShield True fit kit from SGFreshIdea for quite a bit more than the advertised price of $23.37. The cost of the UV light and shipping brought the total $44.09, which was a bit steep and the shipping took almost two weeks. It ended up being a decent kit, but there were a couple things I didn't like. First, the LOCA (Liquid Optically Clear Adhesive) came in two clear vials. Considering the fact that this stuff sets when exposed to UV light (such as daylight), this seemed like a really bad idea. Second, the glass had a large cut-out at the top for the earpiece and front camera. I preferred something with more coverage. Long story short, I realized that this was something I could do using cheaper and, in some cases, better components.
First, I ordered a full-coverage glass from a company called dooqi (seriously) off Ebay. It was $8.79 with free shipping and arrived in less than a week. Be sure to order the clear glass, since the black edged one won't allow the LOCA glue to cure. Then I ordered the XFactor Sticky-Icky1000 LOCA glue for $11.99 with free shipping and arrived in two days (gotta love Amazon Prime). There's a LOT of LOCA glue on Amazon, but you need to order the lowest viscosity possible, since the "normal" glue is too thick to work with easily. The InvisShield glue was VERY thin, almost like water, while the XFactor is more like vegetable oil. The thinner glue spread more easily, but I actually preferred the XFactor since small bubbles seemed to push out with less effort. The main difference is that the InvisShield glue requires no pressure during installation (they tell you NOT to press on the glass), while the XFactor has to be pushed to the edges and corners with a squeegee.
View attachment 4424608
View attachment 4424609
For the UV lamp, I ended up using the one that I purchased with the InvisShield kit. I also tested a UV flashlight I had in the garage for detecting coolant leaks, and it worked great. You can order small UV flashlights on Ebay for around $5 (free shipping) that should work well too, or you can simply let the glue cure by setting it in sunlight. The thing you need to keep in mind is that when the glue sets, it's still sticky. It isn't like epoxy. It cures to a clear, sticky adhesive that's perfect for phone screens. In fact, the LOCA glue is supposed to help fill in and hide cracks in the screen too when sandwiched between the phone and a glass screen protector. I haven't tested it, but it's something to consider if you have a cracked screen.
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I strongly recommend watching the InvisShield installation video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCaOeqCH-2o ). It covers the basics well, but there's one thing that they don't mention that is critical. TAPE OVER ALL OF THE OPENINGS ON THE PHONE! When I first installed the InvisShield, a small amount of the glue ran into the hole for the earpiece. I cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol, and thought everything was fine. After the installation, I powered up the phone and discovered that I could barely hear anything, even at the max volume. I just about puked. After a LOT of stress, I managed to clear the excess glue out of the speaker screen with rubbing alcohol, a tiny brush for cleaning electric razors and some compressed air. I can't emphasize this enough... you NEED to be VERY careful about preventing the glue from getting into any of the openings on the phone. If you screw up your device, PLEASE don't complain to me since I feel I've made it abundantly clear that you need to be careful with this stuff. It runs everywhere, and can make a mess even with proper precautions. I used the glass protector as a template to cut a piece of clear packing tape, so I could be sure that the hole was covered without extending under the close-fitting glass.
The dooqi glass has a thin adhesive strip around the outer edge that can be easily pulled off. Just be sure to remove any adhesive residue with something like Goof-Off Professional-Grade. By the way, this stuff also works great for cleaning up cured LOCA. Next, clean the screen and glass with the alcohol wipes included with the dooqi glass. Unlike the InvisShield method of putting a large pool of glue on the bottom and using gravity and capillary action to spread the glue, I applied a heavy strip of glue down the center of the phone. It's better to use more glue than not enough, since removing the glass to add more glue isn't an option.
When doing so, look VERY carefully for even tiny bubbles. If you see one, use something clean (like the corner of the small plastic card in the dooqi kit) to dab out the bubble. Then just line up the glass and lower it gently onto the phone. Don't worry if it's crooked... you'll have plenty of time to straighten it. Let it sit for a couple minutes while the glue spreads. Then take a squeegee ( I used and old gift card) to push the glue to the edges and corners. Work slowly and carefully, wiping the excess glue away with an alcohol soaked cloth. I used to install vehicle wraps, so I learned a long time ago that rushing the job leads to disaster. If you notice air bubble sucking in at the corners, make sure that the glass is perfectly centered on the phone. I noticed that a few bubble kept sucking in from the top, right corner. So, I pushed them back out, and applied a dab of glue on the edge where the glass meets the phone. This way, glue was pulled into the tiny gap instead of air. Also, don't freak out if glue is running off the sides of your phone. Just make sure that you're working on a clean drop-cloth, and have plenty of alcohol soaked cloth wipes for cleaning the excess glue as you work.
Once it's evenly applied, carefully clean up any excess glue and wait a minute or two to be sure that no bubbles suck in from the edge. If glue is covering the front camera hole, don't worry. It will clean off easily once the glue is cured. Then use you lamp, flashlight or sunlight to cure the LOCA glue. I found that about 10 minutes of moving the UV flashlight back and forth around the screen seemed to be sufficient. The InvisShield video warns about over-curing, but I know that my phone will be used frequently in daylight I don't think this is an issue. In fact, I'd feel safer curing it more than not enough, since the last thing you want is for the glass to shift.
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Finally, remove the tape and wipe the whole thing down with an isopropyl alcohol moistened cloth. You might have to scrub a bit to get some of the cured LOCA off the edges, but it should clean up pretty easily. And that's it! Mine ended up looking perfect. I'll probably clean around the edges in a couple day to remove any dirt that sticks to the excess glue. Also, check for any gaps that form near the corners. If they appear, use a small dab of glue to fill them and hit it with more UV light. Let me know if you have any questions and I hope that is helpful!
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dooqi glass: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dooqi-Full...var=541441961034&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
XFactor glue: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GY4LL3G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
UV flashlight: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-LED-U...035402?hash=item5d7a6eb9ca:g:ZHoAAOSwKXdaconH
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Almost every curved glass I've seen has a black border. While I haven't tested it, I would think that the black paint would block the UV lamp and prevent proper curing. I've removed the black paint from the glass by using Goof-Off Pro Grade or a similar solvent like acetone. Just be careful around plastics, since these solvents can melt them.
Sticking just with original black band glue on the edges and LOCA on the screen is not a viable solution according to you?
ED2O9 said:
Almost every curved glass I've seen has a black border. While I haven't tested it, I would think that the black paint would block the UV lamp and prevent proper curing. I've removed the black paint from the glass by using Goof-Off Pro Grade or a similar solvent like acetone. Just be careful around plastics, since these solvents can melt them.
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oglaolga said:
Sticking just with original black band glue on the edges and LOCA on the screen is not a viable solution according to you?
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No... why would you do that? The LOCA glue would prevent the adhesive strip from sticking to the screen. Just peel the strip off and use LOCA for the whole screen.