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Hi to all who have dust between the touch screen digitizer and LCD.
I send my device 3 times to the authorised HTC service center because of this problem, they cleaned it (not perfectly) and the dust was back again after few days of use. This was really ennoying for me...
After several disassemblies, cleaning, research where dust comes in, then assembles I found the flaw.
The dust doesn’t come in via sealing foam between the touch screen digitizer and LCD.
There is a bump defect of phone housing around the volume keys. Inside of the plastic housing is a metal frame, where the touch screen digitizer is stacked on - that frame is a little bended and the touch screen doesn’t stick properly on it (around the volume keys only). When you look close on the phone you can see also a little wider gap between the touch screen top glass and silver plastic housing edge. (See picture)
WARNING
The following directions WILL VOID
your warranty - you are performing
this repair at your own risk.
So, now, what you have to do:
For those, who have already dust in, just simply disassembly your device (if you are brave enough, have all tools and precise hands - maybe some experience ) and remove PROPERLY all dirt with brush, compressed air and antistatic cloth, then assemble it back or send the device to the service center to clean it (wont void the warranty). Before sealing your TD2 (keep it in plastic bag away from dust) prepare a sharp wooden toothpick, neutral transparent or black silicone (you can purchase it from any building material shop) and cotton cloth.
Now you have to clean the gap between whole plastic silver housing frame and touch screen top glass with soft brush. Then use sharp wooden toothpick to impress the silicone into the gap (all gaps you can see, just in case) (silicone does not damage phone housing and TSCR surface and it’s easy to clean), then just gently and properly wipe off all the rest of silicone from phone surface. (be careful not to get silicone to the keys or phone receiver slot)
Leave the phone for several hours to get silicone dry.
Then you can use your TD2 in dusty environment and your display stays absolutely clean and dusty free. (TESTED on mine, for me perfect phone now and I am very happy with it...)
For those who have a little dust in and want to stop come more in and those who are planning to buy TD2 (dont wanna play the lottery faulty or not ), do the same procedure (silicone impress only) after unwrapping your device from plastic package.
GOOD LUCK!!! ENJOY YOUR ABSOLUTELY DUSTY FREE DEVICE!!!
Sorry for my English
I don't know about you guys, but I'm not crazy enough to void the warranty of my phone because of a minor thing like that. When mine gets dirty, I send it back and that's it.
If it gets dirty again, I send it back again...
But, it's a good tutorial for the "brave ones" anyway Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
HastaSSSS
I sent mine back over a week ago due to this dust problem (in fact I delivered it in person to HTC repair center in Milton Keynes) hoping for a quick turnaround.
I'm still waiting for it to come back and missing it terribly. I'm back to using my old Nokia E71 which is a great phone but I like my new one and want it back so I may go down the route of the OP just so I don't have to repeat the return each time I get a dust issue.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=519463
i dont want to hijack this thread. if i am then i am sorry
but hopefully you can input your expertise into this thread or help form an opinion for a new thread
I just got a topaz and want to keep dust from getting in but I'm confused about the sillicon. Could you describe more clearly what it is and maybe post a picture so I have some idea what it should look like.
from the picture, for the second gap, apply the protective foil that comes with the phone. Should solve a bit the problem. Ber in mind that after apply, the touchscreen will not have the same sensitivity. You'll have to tap a little bit harder ...
i think you meant screen protector no?
anyway thx for the info,
if anyone knows how to disassemble this device pls help
yes, screen protector. Better not use the screwdriver ... remember warranty ...
I thought these dust under the screen issues had been fixed long ago, but now it seems the problem that affected my old c600 has come back to ruin my topaz after just 1 week.
Not impressed.
georgeono said:
from the picture, for the second gap, apply the protective foil that comes with the phone. Should solve a bit the problem. Ber in mind that after apply, the touchscreen will not have the same sensitivity. You'll have to tap a little bit harder ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already use a screen protector. I'm more concerned about the first gap. I really don't want dust to happen since I bought my phone second hand and it doesn't have a warrenty.
you can always use a can of pressurized air to get the dust out. (same you use with PCs)
Wouldn't you need two holes that are connected if your blowing air into the device? One for the air to go in and one for the dust to go out? I don't have any dust under my screen currently and would like it to remain that way. The silicon method doesn't seem to difficult or dangerous which is why I'm interested in what silicon to use.
from what I understood (from the pictures in the 1st post), it's not actually a hole, but a free space = gap.
I opened the D2 (only the two upper screws - for lifting the inner part a bit) and did have a look for "gaps" somewhere around the volume controls - i did not really see a gap
But for getting out the dust: dont blow air into the D2 but get the air out - i actually used a vacuum-cleaner. If you remove the two screws it is possible to lift the LCD below the volume sliders *A LITTLE BIT* (=about 0,5 mm only!!!!!) with a small screw driver to create a gap. It worked quite well. (be aware of high air flow and possible static electricity)
But i really would like to know, where exactly to apply some supplementary sealing to get rid of the dust-problem. Any detailed pic would be appreciated.
axantas said:
But i really would like to know, where exactly to apply some supplementary sealing to get rid of the dust-problem. Any detailed pic would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah Me too!
OK, people, just put some neutral silicone between (in the gap) silver plastic frame and touch screen (there is just 0,2 -0,5 mm gap, almost invisible) and you wont get any dust under the touch screen. This is the best solution, you could do it from inside, but its much more complicated...
pedroo said:
OK, people, just put some neutral silicone between (in the gap) silver plastic frame and touch screen (there is just 0,2 -0,5 mm gap, almost invisible) and you wont get any dust under the touch screen. This is the best solution, you could do it from inside, but its much more complicated...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly is neutral silicone? Do you have a picture of it so I know what to buy?
I'm about to buy the TD2,
is it so big problem this dust under the screen?
Does it happen often?
luca T said:
I'm about to buy the TD2,
is it so big problem this dust under the screen?
Does it happen often?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had it for about a week and the user I bought it from had it supposedly for about 3 weeks and so far no dust. I'm still terrified its going to happen though.
pedroo said:
OK, people, just put some neutral silicone between (in the gap) silver plastic frame and touch screen (there is just 0,2 -0,5 mm gap, almost invisible) and you wont get any dust under the touch screen. This is the best solution, you could do it from inside, but its much more complicated...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the pic, pedroo - so they simply should have glued the digitizer surface a bit more careful to the housing...
...thinking a bit about applying the radical solution - not sure yet
anyone want to try to polish the nexus one ?.. make a video guide please
welcome to XDA...you try it first!
Polish what? It's plastic, not metal.
Except for the metal frame, you mean..?
he doesn't even know he has a Aluminium frame phone And is probably one of those who defend Al against plastic.. hehe kidding yeah I troll
I will seriously think about doing this. I just paid for one that looks really beat up.
I think it will involve stripping everything out of the metal frame, wetsanding until it's smooth, then polishing.
GnatGoSplat said:
I will seriously think about doing this. I just paid for one that looks really beat up.
I think it will involve stripping everything out of the metal frame, wetsanding until it's smooth, then polishing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wetsanding cast aluminum??... no way, don't even try that unless you want to really mess it up... you're gonna need a buffer (Harbor Freight, bench-mount model about $60) a couple of very soft cotton/flannel buffing disks and some red/green/brown jeweler's rouge... it will come out perfect...
wetsanding with up to 3000 grit paper is good for clear plastic and painted surfaces (like clearcoat) to remove imperfections like 'orange peel' or to remove yellowing and scratches from headlight lenses... wetsanding will destroy aluminum unless you know exactly what you're doing, and you'll end up polishing out your sand scratches with compound anyway, and it still won't come out right... you need something with a higher grit than 3000 (which is usually the highest grit paper they sell at a store) and that is jeweler's rouge... trust me on this one...
What's your experience with polishing aluminum?
I just wonder, because lots of people on the car forum I'm on have wet-sanded aluminum to polish what were previously painted wheels.
I don't think you can go straight to polish on the N1 because the finish is textured. Also, the photos of the phone I bought look like the thing has deep scratches and concrete rash which will need to be smoothed significantly and sanding is the only way I can think of to fix that.
The phone is really beat looking, so if I mess it up or it doesn't look good, I'll just replace the housing. I had already factored the cost of a new housing into the price I offered and paid anyway.
I have 2 n-1's... one of them in pieces, and I too, was seriously thinking ofdoing this for the luls. basically, sand off paint, then clearcoat it, since aluminum does oxidize.
I would remove everything first...
Sinister Footwear said:
wetsanding cast aluminum??... no way, don't even try that unless you want to really mess it up... you're gonna need a buffer (Harbor Freight, bench-mount model about $60) a couple of very soft cotton/flannel buffing disks and some red/green/brown jeweler's rouge... it will come out perfect...
wetsanding with up to 3000 grit paper is good for clear plastic and painted surfaces (like clearcoat) to remove imperfections like 'orange peel' or to remove yellowing and scratches from headlight lenses... wetsanding will destroy aluminum unless you know exactly what you're doing, and you'll end up polishing out your sand scratches with compound anyway, and it still won't come out right... you need something with a higher grit than 3000 (which is usually the highest grit paper they sell at a store) and that is jeweler's rouge... trust me on this one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cast aluminum sands then polishes just fine. I'd use 1000 ish to remove the paint , then 2000-3000 until it hazes. After that some rubbing compound , glaze, swirl mark remover and she'll look like a mirror. Zoop seal it and you're done.
Zmydust said:
Cast aluminum sands then polishes just fine. I'd use 1000 ish to remove the paint , then 2000-3000 until it hazes. After that some rubbing compound , glaze, swirl mark remover and she'll look like a mirror. Zoop seal it and you're done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
please post your project zmydust
I'm actually doing this right now. No video but it is easy. Just take your time.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App
Same as a gun slide.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App
GnatGoSplat said:
What's your experience with polishing aluminum?
I just wonder, because lots of people on the car forum I'm on have wet-sanded aluminum to polish what were previously painted wheels.
I don't think you can go straight to polish on the N1 because the finish is textured. Also, the photos of the phone I bought look like the thing has deep scratches and concrete rash which will need to be smoothed significantly and sanding is the only way I can think of to fix that.
The phone is really beat looking, so if I mess it up or it doesn't look good, I'll just replace the housing. I had already factored the cost of a new housing into the price I offered and paid anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have lots of experience polishing different types of metals, plastics, you name it... while the methods you and others are describing, 'could' work out for you (or someone who hasn't actually done this before, as I'm assuming you haven't), the method I told you will get you the best results in the shortest amount of time, with the least amount of effort... I've been through this a lot... restored cars, jewelry, internal lock pieces from old church doors, weapons, etc, etc... $60 for a decent buffer, $10 for some buffing discs, and $10 for some jeweler's rouge, about 20 minutes, and you're set... once you get the hang of it, you can polish that glass up too... jeweler's rouge works wonders... if you take your time and are careful to buff with the texture of the grain and at the right speed and pressure, you'll maintain the textured surface on the N1 as well... good luck to you, however you end up deciding to tackle it...
Seriously, why sand when you can just use a strong paint remover?
Because it's anodized and not painted?
Most paint removers won't strip anodizing, are expensive, won't reduce scratches and scuffs, won't smooth the texture, and most importantly, I already have 3000-grit sandpaper.
I just got my beat up N1 on Saturday. It's really rough and should be a good candidate for experimentation. I'm currently using it, so experimentation will wait until the parts I ordered to repair my other N1 arrive.
This thread is a fail.
Sanding the phone down gently will not cause any damage to it. As long as you don't sand it down past the metal there will be no problem. The hard part isn't sanding, it's putting on a new surface.
I have sanded down an Xperia X1 before (black and silver model) and re-finished it. I did this because there were scratches on the body that were annoying me. It was very simple and held up very nicely.
For those who want the rubberized texture, use plasti-dip paint. Works like a charm.
parm104 said:
For those who want the rubberized texture, use plasti-dip paint. Works like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How thick is the PlastiDip paint? Did you use the spray? Is the spray a lot thinner than the dip for tool handles?
GnatGoSplat said:
How thick is the PlastiDip paint? Did you use the spray? Is the spray a lot thinner than the dip for tool handles?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
There are a few different applications made by Plasti Dip. The spray that you are talking about would indeed be too thick for the styling of our phones. They have a paint on version and another spray version that can be controller more when applying so that you get the perfect amount.
There are also 3rd-party companies that sell the same style of products with different application types at your local hardware store.
post some pics if someone will try )
Well it's me again.
This time, i had some spare time and thought of making something i wanted to do for some time ago. It's my first time doing this (although i'm familiar with the process since i use it for PCB making) but i thought i should give it a try. And in great recognition of what the XDA community enabled us - the users - to do with our phones, i wanted to brand my phone's battery cover with the XDA logo next to the andoid logo, the thing (os) that xda developers made possible to us. Ah and in the xda spirit, i thought it would be kind of cool to handcraft the design of that battery cover.
Here's the story of today's afternoon for me
...and possibly a guide for you, daring folks around there who just happen to have a spare scratched and ugly looking battery cover like i did
So.. i had this hd2 battery cover, from a dead HD2 that i have (poor fellow died during testing of the cpu bga problems and my tries to find a fix for them). The battery cover was in really bad shape, scratched, the finish was torn out.. looked like... crap.
I saw a topic around here about how to make your battery cover to a chrome-like finish by using some sandpaper and stuff like that. I think the idea is good, but the result is well... too shiny for my taste...and i want a "custom made one". I also wanted to have the xda and android logos onto the battery cover but i could not afford some laser etching on it, i can't even find one shop to do this here were i live in Romania. So here's how i did it.
1. I opted for a brushed metal design. A clear look design is just to shiny for my taste and... well, i guess it scratches more easily. So, using sandpaper, i've begun clearing away the original paint on the battery cover. When i was done with that, i begun sanding in only one direction and in straight line, in order to have a more symmetrical brushed metal look.
After some time sanding and after changing the sandpaper roughness to more finer ones, here's how it looked. Note that this is not the final design.
2. Next i needed some sort of logo - the stuff i'll be putting on the battery cover. I googled around, and got the xda text and android logo. I've edited them to a black&white design (you'll see later why..) and it looked like this.
3. I mirrored the logo, using irfan view and selecting horizontal flip from the image dropdown menu. You'll also see why. Then I've printed the logo onto a glossy a4 paper sheet, like the ones used for foto printing. I've used a laser printer, this is really necessary, inkjet ones won't work for what i'm about to do. You'll also see why
4. I draw some guiding lines for helping me center the image once i place the battery cover over it. Here's how i did.
5. I now placed the battery cover over the sheet of paper, using the lines i already drawn as a template to help me center it. As the image is mirrored, as you may guess, i will be transferring the logo from the paper to the metal surface and once there, it will look normal (not mirrored). More on that later. I also secured the paper to the battery cover with some electrical tape. Don't get upset, you'll also see why.
6. Well, i did use some fair amount of electrical tape to secure that piece of paper to the metallic surface. It needs to be as stretched as possible, not able to move around.
7. I used a smoothing iron (i don't know the exact word in english, aah, that thing you use to smooth out clothes) to heat up and press the piece of paper to the metallic surface. I pressed the iron and move it around the logo zone for about 15 minutes, at maximum temperature. Because the battery cover is not exactly flat, i was careful to follow the contour in order to leave no metal part unheated.
8. I then placed the heated battery cover with the paper on it, under a jet of cold water. I left it under the water for 15 minutes. This is important. The water must be cold, never use hot water.
9. I carefully begun peeling of the paper from the metallic part.
10. I peeled of almost all the paper, one thin layer still remained over the logo area. Don't rush things, place it under a water jet for yet another 5 minutes.
11. Ahh, there it is, the thing starts to look like something, ain't it
12. In the photo above, you can see that the toner from the paper was transferred to the metallic piece. That's why you need a laser printer, because of this property of it's toner. And also that's why you needed to heat it up with the iron. In fact, you're simulating what the laser printer does every time when you print something. Well, you done it on a curved metal piece.
In this last picture you'll also see that the logo isn't exactly 100% black, there are some grey or white spots on it. That's residual paper left over it. If you carefully rub it with your finger or a fine brush, you can actually remove it if you insist. You'll get a pure black logo (or other color if you wish and if you have a color laser printer available). At this stage you could also stop, if you like a black/color logo. You could then apply some lacquer, the spray-able variety to preserve the surface from scratches. I chose another design so i will go on with some other steps from here.
13. If you want something different, you may skip rubbing the logo to remove all the paper. If the logo looks as in the above picture, you're good to go for the next step. Remove the metallic piece from the jet of water and let it dry. If while it's wet you see that the black toner has gone away from some points, you'll need to use a little bit of paint to cover them out (you'll also see why). So if you see points where the toner is gone (after you removed the paper at the 9-10 steps) try to memorize where the areas affected are, then let the piece of metal to dry out for some half hour. After it's dry, you'll probably see that it turned kind of gray or even white-ish. It's no problem, it's normal, but it will be harder now to see those affected areas i was talking about before. That's why you memorized them. Now use a paint marker (one that has real paint in it, not the ones used to write on cd's or similar to those) or if you can't get one, you may also use some fingernail polish. Make some small dots over the affected areas. After you complete this, let the paint/fingernail polish to dry out. Be careful not to spoil the logo YOU WILL HAVE TO START OVER FROM STEP 1 IF YOU GET IT WRONG HERE... and that sucks )
14. After the paint has dried out, place the metallic piece under a water jet again. Cold water. Remove it after 1 minute, recheck for afected areas, if you still find them, you'll have to let the thing dry out again, and cover those parts with paint dots, again.
Here's mine.
and here's once i've done with the painting
After you're done, leave the whole thing to dry out for about 1 hour.
15. Get yourself some ferric chloride. You can get it from electronic components store, radioshack etc. It's used in electronics by hobbyists who want to etch their own pcb's. You'll need this stuff also. About 300ml will do.. The stuff is toxic, you don't want to touch it or spill it over clothes or other things, it will leave out some nasty spots that you can't remove. Use some gloves while handling this stuff. Now pour the ferric chloride into a plastic recipient big enough to fit the battery cover into.
Well i ignored the safety tip, but i'm being careful, i know the stuff, have been working with it for some good years.
16. Now you want to drop the battery cover...into the black stuff . Drop it with the logo side up. NOT DOWN. I really mean it. UP. Carefully swing the plastic recipient, just enough to move the liquid around. Try not to expose the metallic part, you must keep it submerged all the time. If you want to check the progress, be quick, lean the plastic recipient to one side just to expose the metallic piece, look at it, but then quickly lean the recipient back and keep the metallic piece submerged. Prolonged exposure to air in this stage can ruin your progress.
Here's how mine looks after 5 minutes into the ferric chloride. You'll be wanting to keep the metallic plate there for about 15-20 minutes. If you let it longer it will turn to a more darker color. If you let it just for 10 minutes you'll get a light gray. However you can't get an uniform black (or something as dark as an original battery cover) because if you let it this much you risk that the ferric chloride attacks the toner and paint surface, making holes in it or braking it apart.
Like i've said, here's the thing after 5 minutes. I want to let it for another 10-15 minutes.
17.
Once you left it for enough time, lean back the plastic recipient and look at the metallic piece once more. Take note that the color you see now will get a bit lighter once the whole process is finished. If you're satisfied, prepare a big water boll and quickly remove the metallic piece from the ferric chloride and drop it in the water. Be as quick as possible, while being careful not to drop the ferric chloride. Use gloves when doing this. Once the metallic piece is in the water, steer up the water with your hand.
Here's how mine looks now.
Your plate could be lighter or darker at this stage, depending on how much you left it in the ferric chloride. Don't worry if the color is not uniform. Instead, while the plate is still under water, get yourself a kitchen sponge, the one with one abrasive side and with the metallic plate still under water start rubbing it on the direction of the original brushed metal design you made in the start. Rub in only one direction, with the sponge and the plate always under water and continue to do so until the color becomes more uniform. Then use some isopropyl alcohol (also from radioshack - or the place you got the ferric chloride from.. they should also have this) and remove the metallic board from under the water. Now while the thing is still wet (don't let it dry!!!), get another sponge (clean dry one) and pour some isopropyl alcohol on the abrasive part and start rubbing the metallic piece once more, on the same and only direction (not back and forth). Rub in a parallel direction with the original scratches that makes your "brushed" design. The isopropyl alcohol should begin to disolve the toner and the paint. It should also help you to remove residual oxides left since you placed the metallic piece into the ferric chloride.
Here's my progress.
toner is starting to break down
18. aaaand... in the end, if you did it right, you should have something like this :
19. once the surface is of uniform color, wash the whole thing under a jet of hot water with some soap to remove any residues left by the chemical processes.
20. You're done! Now you have your custom made-hand crafted-geeky-logo. The logo itself won't peel off and the surrounding stuff is actually chemically embedded into the metal by a process similar to industrial aluminum anodizing (the same process used to cure aluminum used in unibody designs). Although it is scratch resistant to some degree, you may want to use some spray lacquer to protect your work.
I haven't got any lacquer yet but i'll use some if i can get some quality stuff. Here are some more photos with the thing so far.
(please excuse the photo quality, my camera and it's flash produces a weird looking effect, it seems that the metallic thing is kind of made from small dots, not brushed metal.. damned thing.. guess i'll be needing a new one)
...and a small video (with the same crappy camera)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtuRn02lPgY
Well, all in all, i like the thing. It's my first try at this, although i've done dozens of toner transfers to copper pcb's. I cannot be perfect at first try, probably neither you guys but is a good DIY afternoon fun.
I would also like to thank the xda community for giving me such a good times with my hd2's along with my other htc phones in the past. XDA has become such a successful community because of it's dedicated developers and users. I'm proud to wear the xda letters next to my phone.
PS: i promise i will also add a website link in the next version, if i get a new and more powerful iron, i was afraid this one won't be hot enough to heat the thing properly and transfer smaller text or details
amazing stuff dude!!!
i had lots of fun reading it and seeing the progress along the way and you've explained all the steps really well...the result speaks for itself!
++respect!
you my friend always surprise me, first with thermal solution and than THIS awesome " discovery ", thanks again .
Just like the user above said!
+respect Sir Facdemol!
awweeeeeeeeeeeeesome!!!!!
awesome....but tedious !
Its pretty cool but alot of work
Sent from the land were pigs fly
fantastic. really nicely done!
Love the mod.
thanks for the feedback
the mod took me about 3-4 hours to make. More complex designs are possible, ore similar designs on a mirror like finish. If the HD2 had an aluminum case.. hahah, that would have been fun...
I would vote for you for King of the HD2 hardware!
Very well done. I very well may have to try this. My battery cover is starting to look very bad.
OMG this is amazing! I may need to buy a metal backing for my phone just so I can do this.
this really looks sooo amazing. gread work!
That's bloody impressive! Might have to do this to my HD2
Damn that's awesome
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
Holy crabcakes. That's rad
. . NS4G . . MIUI . .
Is it for sale? (jk)
Really really nice, I like it!
+1 on everything was said!
Amazing. Well done!
Awesome!
Very very cool!
WOW! "applause"
So i did this with 3m 1080 scotchprint carbon series and with nail scissors cutting it from 10x20cm took a while, about 2 hours to get it look nice i also cut a piece for the home button which took awhile too to get it fit perfectly!
to make this thread not so useless, recommend or post pictures of your customized gs2
anyway, what do you think ?
Looks excellent mate, would love a tutorial wouldn't mind that look myself.
Very nice...
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App
Nice, I have a Samsung mesh case on mine which would cover that off
Does it say 0.8 MP?
That looks really nice, shame your not selling them
Its 0.8 because is on mirror ( 0.8 | 8.0 )
cost of this project was about 10-20 bucks. really, its not that difficult to make, just needs patience and good light. that is the first one i've ever made!
@itehappy most definitely hope its not a 0.8mp unit anyway nice to see people here from i8910 community!
Thanks for the prompt... Just ordered a sheet of 1200 x 300 for under $AUS 10 .
What did you cut it with? Just a normal sharp knife/razor blade? Any tips on cutting the corners, makig the holes, putting the sides and corners on etc???
I know it doesn't require a huge 20 page instruction book but if you could provide some tips or suggestions I think that would be great... Unless you plan on selling them then I suggest not to give the tips
Edit: Just realised you only did the back cover and not the edges... Maybe I will report back when I finally get my sheet and start cutting.
Nice! Tutorial would be appreciated!
When I read the thread title I imagined it would look tacky, but it actually looks really good
Nice. If you want to make some to sell I will buy.
I have a Silver one and you buy them online... o.o
looks great dude, what's the texture of the tape like though? The phone is slippy enough with the stock cover, with smooth tape it must be worse!
i want this too! Looks very nice!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
+1 for you making them and selling them. (I don't have the patience)
viva.fidel said:
looks great dude, what's the texture of the tape like though? The phone is slippy enough with the stock cover, with smooth tape it must be worse!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's actually textured, the "weave" is bumpy, raised a few cm, provides a bit of a rough, oil free surface without being uncomfortable. And you can do a fun DJ scratching imitation if you run your fingernail over it quickly.
I've been using it (they call it 3M Dynoc in North America) on the back of my SGS1 for over a year now, and on the back of my Tab 7" for nearly as long.
I couldn't be arsed to cut my own, so I bought mine pre-cut from PhantomSkinz (Skinomi also sells a very similar "skin"). The phone kit costs ~$25 before coupon, and it covers the entire back, the sides, and even comes with a wet-apply screen protector.
It's dead easy to apply, though the edges take a bit of practice...but if you screw up, just lift it up and try again.
It's durable as hell, the SGS1 has one minor, nearly invisible scratch in it after a year of abuse in my pocket, in my motorcycle jacket or tank bag, dirty tables, etc. They look far more "high tech" than the funky designs Samsung used on the back of those devices, especially the Tab.
Occasionally, I'd catch the bottom edge of the tape on the SGS with my fingernail when removing the battery cover and it'll lift a bit. Apply some heat and it goes right back into shape.
Little trick with the rough feel on the edges...heat it (desk lamp or hair dryer both work well) and run your fingernail over the edge...this thins it, making it much smoother.
I just placed an order with Skinomi for both a SGS2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 "carbon" kit. On the SGS2, I'm thinking about leaving the battery cover naked since it's cheap to replace and already textured, and just using the carbon on the chin and sides. The chin on mine is starting to show some friction wear along the edge closest to the battery cover, and the sides get slippery as a bar of soap.
pbrown77 said:
Thanks for the prompt... Just ordered a sheet of 1200 x 300 for under $AUS 10 .
What did you cut it with? Just a normal sharp knife/razor blade? Any tips on cutting the corners, makig the holes, putting the sides and corners on etc???
I know it doesn't require a huge 20 page instruction book but if you could provide some tips or suggestions I think that would be great... Unless you plan on selling them then I suggest not to give the tips
Edit: Just realised you only did the back cover and not the edges... Maybe I will report back when I finally get my sheet and start cutting.
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wait wait whaaat? 1200x300 for $10 dollars??!? is it 3M 1080 series or 3M Di-noc?
i cut all this with little scissors, about the length of a palm, maybe just a bit more. corners wont need any special stuff, just a hair dryer to get it a little more flexible. ONE THING, when i bought the carbon, I tought that i'll just bend anything which comes over the edge, to backside of the plate. well its not that easy. gs2 cover is so precisely cut that it doesnt allow any kind of extra stuff under the cover, so you just need to cut it little bit at a time, then try it, and cut a bit more and try, untill it fits properly. this will take most of the installation time. just be careful not to cut too much! same goes for the camera hole. very carefully and take the time it needs, even if there is 0.1mm too much, the camera wont fit properly. not difficult, but takes time. a hour atleast.
meh, im a nice guy, i'll give all the tips needed
@viva.fidel
the surface of the new 3M 1080 series has more rubbery feel than the Di-noc (what skinomi uses) and there is seriously good grip! Doesn't feel sticky, but still offers awesome grip believe me! maybe because of the carbon texture i dont know but has good grip for sure!
sorry if theres typos, wrote whole message with GS2 in PORTRAIT mode
Hi, If you were to sell any, I would buy one, It look really nice
ignore now!
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any unwanted damage you may cause to your device, this is to be a sharing of an idea which happened to work for me and a sort of framework for how you may also accomplish this.
So basically, I despise how terribly fingerprints show on my G4's edge, that's a nit pick. My main complaint is that because it's a glossy plastic, it gets scratched very easily and shows that just as bad, not to mention it's obviously plastic masking as metal and not doing a good job, or more simply put, makes this flagship look cheap. I had a vision of a G4 with a flat black edge, I thought I'd grab a nail file from my bathroom -the giant popsicle stick ones- and use it to gently wear away at the shiny coating. My nail file had two sides, a fine side and a coarser side, I used the fine side exclusively with higher pressure strokes in the beginning to remove the shiny coating, using gentler and broader strokes to smooth, got one of those crazy nail file tools that have multiple sides and are made of two sides with softer layers of material in between, the two sides are also split into different functions, ones usually a buffer and the other is a super fine nail file, fine than the former one.....then I used this same tool to buff and clean up the edges and make sure all is smooth and nice, worked excellently, can also probably use super fine sandpaper and a cloth.
My back plate was off and battery removed, I used the popsicle nail file one side at a time starting with rougher strokes to get rid of the shiny coating -which will distinctly flake away as white little crumbs of plastic- it will take a few passes to completely strip the coating off the edge, you'll notice it lingers like a sort of residue as it contrasts quite distinctly against the revealed plastic, once the coating is nonexistent begin to smooth and finish the side until it is uniform in color and looks completely smooth, you want to keep the direction of the strokes consistent as it will impact the uniformity and smoothness, I went horizontally around the phone if it were laying flat and that gave me great results, give the corners some extra attention but its the same idea, and thanks to the battery back being off I was able to make the finish meet the edge of the battery door by angling the file accordingly, repeat these steps loosely and gently with either the multi-tool-file or extra fine grit sandpaper, use your judgment, buff and finish to your heart's desire. During the entire process be sure to regularly clean off the sandpaper, file and sides of the phone on a cloth of some sort between passes as you will notice the sandpaper glide and will be clogged with material, I was wearing some bumming pants so I just rubbed it off on those, worked wonderfully. Obviously you are removing incredibly small layers of material so guys be careful, you could probably remove quite a bit before anything happens but that can also effec look of things quite badly so try to make it even. I plugged important holes with bits of tissue, only the headphone jack really, the usb port is shallow enough where some air remove any particles.
The file helps especially because of its rigidity and shape, allowing me to have a lot of flexibility when dealing with such a small surface area.
You are putting files and sandpaper near your screen, be careful. I had a very good screen protecter but even then I didn't touch my screen once, you can get at a pretty steep angle like 45 degrees away from being parallel with the screen and still be fine, maybe less, just be wary, it's easy to slip and scratch, I don't think a soft brush would do much but a rough scratch could leave marks.
My IR blaster still works and it received the same treatment, I made no effort to avoid it.
I will post pictures soon, I wish I could use my phone to take a picture of my phone. I'll use someones phone tomorrow to do so.
Feel free to ask me anything if you have a question or I left some vital info out.
:laugh:
okay, waiting for the pics and a more detailed steps before jumping in.
superbonto said:
okay, waiting for the pics and a more detailed steps before jumping in.
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Click to collapse
So, I don't know how to post the pics cus as a new user I can't use links...
Also, you might consider adding a step of using progressively higher grits of sandpaper, and even going all the way to a rubbing compound to get super fine control over how much matte effect you desire. The matte of 300 grit sandpaper is different than the matte of say 450 grit etc.
KingFatty said:
Also, you might consider adding a step of using progressively higher grits of sandpaper, and even going all the way to a rubbing compound to get super fine control over how much matte effect you desire. The matte of 300 grit sandpaper is different than the matte of say 450 grit etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes absolutely, this is worth considering. I merely outlined how I did it to show that its not really necessary to get specific, I didn't go out of my way to get any of the tools I used and it came out satisfactory. I'll probably add it in once I get pics up and if people feel it's not as accessible as I thought.
mp2195 said:
So, I don't know how to post the pics cus as a new user I can't use links...
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Click to collapse
give us the link like www. linkhere.com/blah.img
mp2195 said:
So, I don't know how to post the pics cus as a new user I can't use links...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use https://imgur.com/ to upload the picture and then post the direct link here, I'd love to see some pictures of this.
mp2195 said:
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any unwanted damage you may cause to your device, this is to be a sharing of an idea which happened to work for me and a sort of framework for how you may also accomplish this.
So basically, I despise how terribly fingerprints show on my G4's edge, that's a nit pick. My main complaint is that because it's a glossy plastic, it gets scratched very easily and shows that just as bad, not to mention it's obviously plastic masking as metal and not doing a good job, or more simply put, makes this flagship look cheap. I had a vision of a G4 with a flat black edge, I thought I'd grab a nail file from my bathroom -the giant popsicle stick ones- and use it to gently wear away at the shiny coating. My nail file had two sides, a fine side and a coarser side, I used the fine side exclusively with higher pressure strokes in the beginning to remove the shiny coating, using gentler and broader strokes to smooth, got one of those crazy nail file tools that have multiple sides and are made of two sides with softer layers of material in between, the two sides are also split into different functions, ones usually a buffer and the other is a super fine nail file, fine than the former one.....then I used this same tool to buff and clean up the edges and make sure all is smooth and nice, worked excellently, can also probably use super fine sandpaper and a cloth.
My back plate was off and battery removed, I used the popsicle nail file one side at a time starting with rougher strokes to get rid of the shiny coating -which will distinctly flake away as white little crumbs of plastic- it will take a few passes to completely strip the coating off the edge, you'll notice it lingers like a sort of residue as it contrasts quite distinctly against the revealed plastic, once the coating is nonexistent begin to smooth and finish the side until it is uniform in color and looks completely smooth, you want to keep the direction of the strokes consistent as it will impact the uniformity and smoothness, I went horizontally around the phone if it were laying flat and that gave me great results, give the corners some extra attention but its the same idea, and thanks to the battery back being off I was able to make the finish meet the edge of the battery door by angling the file accordingly, repeat these steps loosely and gently with either the multi-tool-file or extra fine grit sandpaper, use your judgment, buff and finish to your heart's desire. During the entire process be sure to regularly clean off the sandpaper, file and sides of the phone on a cloth of some sort between passes as you will notice the sandpaper glide and will be clogged with material, I was wearing some bumming pants so I just rubbed it off on those, worked wonderfully. Obviously you are removing incredibly small layers of material so guys be careful, you could probably remove quite a bit before anything happens but that can also effec look of things quite badly so try to make it even. I plugged important holes with bits of tissue, only the headphone jack really, the usb port is shallow enough where some air remove any particles.
The file helps especially because of its rigidity and shape, allowing me to have a lot of flexibility when dealing with such a small surface area.
You are putting files and sandpaper near your screen, be careful. I had a very good screen protecter but even then I didn't touch my screen once, you can get at a pretty steep angle like 45 degrees away from being parallel with the screen and still be fine, maybe less, just be wary, it's easy to slip and scratch, I don't think a soft brush would do much but a rough scratch could leave marks.
My IR blaster still works and it received the same treatment, I made no effort to avoid it.
I will post pictures soon, I wish I could use my phone to take a picture of my phone. I'll use someones phone tomorrow to do so.
Feel free to ask me anything if you have a question or I left some vital info out.
:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just came across this. I will be doing this tonight whn i get home from work. My otter box has scuffed mine pretty good. I like the nail file idea. Its work. Lol make u respect it a little more from the hard work.
make pressure on him so he shares the pics. :/
can the leathe from back cover be removed, am should be getting mine and it might be with leather.. i dont like it. just wondering if someone has taken the leather off the cover.. what it looks like. just plain molded plastic?
raptorddd said:
can the leathe from back cover be removed, am should be getting mine and it might be with leather.. i dont like it. just wondering if someone has taken the leather off the cover.. what it looks like. just plain molded plastic?
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Click to collapse
Dont do it! It will look horrendous! You better get a plastic back cover from eBay, I got one so I could use a Spigen Neo Hybid without damaging the leather back cover.
pakitos said:
Dont do it! It will look horrendous! You better get a plastic back cover from eBay, I got one so I could use a Spigen Neo Hybid without damaging the leather back cover.
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Click to collapse
i think leather looks GAY . no offense guys its just my opinion.. so it would be just a molded plastic right.? ill try see some stuff on amazon. what is the variant you have? is it from mexico..
raptorddd said:
i think leather looks GAY . no offense guys its just my opinion.. so it would be just a molded plastic right.? ill try see some stuff on amazon. what is the variant you have? is it from mexico..
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Click to collapse
Not molded plastic but lots of glue and sew points. Mine is from Telcel H815P
pakitos said:
Not molded plastic but lots of glue and sew points. Mine is from Telcel H815P
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Click to collapse
Unless glue cant be removed then itll look ugly... as foe the sewing points , thats a plu you get ventilation there.
this weather up north isnt very friendly... too bad you cant unlock bootloader.. whers the fun ?
Matte G4 Edge https://imgur.com/a/Bzspg
solventh said:
make pressure on him so he shares the pics. :/
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Click to collapse
Matte G4 Edge https://imgur.com/a/Bzspg
Thanks. Gold idea. Will try this when my broken test g4 arrives.
Can you pls seit the first post with the pics?
mp2195 said:
Matte G4 Edge https://imgur.com/a/Bzspg
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Click to collapse
thanks so much, man :]
Bullnados said:
Thanks. Gold idea. Will try this when my broken test g4 arrives.
Can you pls seit the first post with the pics?
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Click to collapse
For some stupid reason it won't let me edit my original post, weird. I'll try on my PC when I get a chance.
Perhaps to old?