Hi everyone,
I'm currently looking to buy a Nexus One, possibly a used one, and I recently saw one pretty cheaply but with the back engraved.
Now, I don't really mind that it is engraved seeing as the back would be covered with my hand most of the time and I wouldn't really see it.
However, I was wondering if anyone had tried to remove the engraving off a Nexus one. I read somewhere that it can be taken off with some cleaning kits. If not that, I may be able to get an engraving shop to engrave over it.
Has anyone had any experience with this, is it possible, or am I just crazy for thinking about it?
Thanks.
Put a sticker on it, or get a rubber/gel case to cover it.
you might be able to scratch off the top layer without any toolds but i doubt you can remove it completely without some type of kit maybe. the engraving i got is partially faded from normal wear and tear so the engraving isnt as defined but its still visible and readable.
I'd try taking a wash cloth and some toothpaste to it.
Toothpaste is a mild abrasive, but it might be enough to remove it?
If not, at least the back of your phone will have a fresh minty smell to it.
let me know what you do....I have an engraving on mine as well, I paid $220for an iphone 3g back in november or so, and traded the iphone for the n1 with engraving on it. I unlocked and jailbroke the iphone for a local carrier but only had 2g network....traded for n1...3g service is pretty solid! loving the n1, engraving on isnt bad just dont care for it
You'll need something a bit more powerful than toothpaste to get rid of laser etching. Basically, you'd have to drill out the surrounding material so that it's just a big blank spot on the back of the phone. This is probably a lot more work, and would require a lot more skill with machinery, than you're willing to put in.
My recommendations:
1) A Case
2) Legally change your name to whatever one is on the phone. If it's a girl's name, optional sex change operation.
ATnTdude said:
2) Legally change your name to whatever one is on the phone. If it's a girl's name, optional sex change operation.
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This is clearly the right answer.
I'm not sure how's the engraving material is like. But I have seen some people try to remove the "T-Mobile" or "Sprint" engraving on the front with sugar cane. Look on youtube and see for yourself. It leaves no scratch for the phone obviously.
I've been trying to find out if there's such a thing as touch-up paint for the N1's unibody. If it exists, or you can find something similar, you could always paint over it? The "engraving" is laser-etched, so it's only a few hundredths of a millimeter thick...meaning it would be covered completely with any layer of paint, which are easily measurable in tenths of millimeters.
Thanks for the answers. I actually found another Nexus one being sold for cheaper which didn't have engraving.
No need for a name/sex change now as that was the only feasible option
I recently bought my N1 on eBay, and it came with engraving. It's not a must-remove since it's just "Simmetry Wireless" instead of a person's name or worse.
Any good stickers for covering it up? Android/Google related?
lets just say i tried paint thinner/remover, didnt help one bit
EdwardUong said:
I'm not sure how's the engraving material is like. But I have seen some people try to remove the "T-Mobile" or "Sprint" engraving on the front with sugar cane. Look on youtube and see for yourself. It leaves no scratch for the phone obviously.
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That's silk-screened paint, not an engraving. If you want to remove the Google and HTC markings from the back, it will probably work.
e4604 said:
lets just say i tried paint thinner/remover, didnt help one bit
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I don't think the metal band, where the engraving is located, is painted. I'm pretty sure it's just "naked" anodized aluminum. As such, paint thinner (either enamel or lacquer) won't work. Oven cleaner probably would deoxidize it, which would remove the etching. It would also remove the entire outer layer of the metal body and melt just about anything else (plastic, electronics, YOU) leaving a clean (as in soda can silver) aluminum frame. You could also get exotic with stuff like nitric acid, but I really don't recommend any of this unless you've done it before. And if you've done it before, you probably wouldn't be asking about it here.
As another FYI, there's several types of paint acrylic (rarely used in electronics), enamel, and lacquer (most common). A thinner for one (e.g. rubbing alcohol will dissolve acrylic, but do nothing to enamel or lacquer) will not work on the others. Lacquer is the "hottest," meaning that it and (especially) it's thinning/stripping agents have a decent chance of eating into whatever surface you're applying it to. So if you really have to strip the paint off your phone, take the damn thing apart before you try.
Seriously, just get a case, a new phone, or do the whole sex change thing I mentioned before.
ATnTdude said:
Seriously, just get a case, a new phone, or do the whole sex change thing I mentioned before.
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LMAO I love this!
Related
I don't know if this is the right place to post this question (I assume so, since it IS a question) but does anybody have a solution to buffing out scratches on the plastic part of the phone? Like, where to find paint to repaint it, or a way to get rid of the "wear" that happens to the captivate? My friend's captivate has the same problem, and I take pretty good care of my phone. I don't want to use a case on it, so does anybody else have this problem? Or a solution? Thanks in advance.
+1
I need this info too.
i also would like to know this!
If it's a total repaint for the plastic parts of the phone housing i would remove the guts and sand it/rough it up with a very, very fine grit sand paper then repaint. They make several different types of spraypaint that bond to plastic, you may not even have to sand it first. If you do have to sand though i would definitely remove EVERYTHING from the inside of the phone and make sure there are NO specks of plastic particles anywhere inside the housing before re-assembling.
If it's touch up's pretty much the same thing just check with a hobby shop for plastic paint and try and get a match. If it has gouges out of the plastic, i'm not sure but they probably make a compound to fill with before painting. There are so many hobby shops and different types of paint now i'm sure it can be done fairly easy. A friend of mine put scallops/stripes down the sides of his old phone, looked really nice..
Only other option if it gets to bad is to replace the housing, i looked on ebay but didn't see any "full housings" for sale. I'm sure there will be some eventually though..
thank you for the info, that is certainly an option. I'm not a very good painter, but the housing idea seems valid. maybe with some extensive searching I can find a housing for my cappy. :C That is, assuming I get my headphone problem fixed first.
sounds a little hardcore for some scratches...does anyone have a something they put on top of it like a wax/polish or something?
hey, i was wondering if any one was successful in removing their engravings off the back of the nexus one..... i bought mine cheap second hand, but i can't seem to get the engravings off... thanks!
Maybe if you look up in the dictionary of what "engrave" means you'll find your answer. Then again is it possible to un-grave something? Put a cute little sticker over it or something.
Die grinder.
plastic filler
superfine sandpaper
paint
cover engravings with the filler
let it dry
sand down the filler until it's flush with the rest of the phone
wipe off with a wet rag (let dry after)
paint
depending on your painting skills you can make it look halfway decent. You won't make it like new though. The only way to make it not like terrible would be to paint the entire part of the phone where it is engraved. Since the engravings are on the chrome, looks like a whole body job to me.
Good Luck
Update:
Also, seriously you can't google? You do own their phone...
http://www.ehow.com/how_7774043_remove-engraving-nexus-one.html
I'd do this instead.
Toothpaste or Chocolate to wear it down.
Deekayy said:
Maybe if you look up in the dictionary of what "engrave" means you'll find your answer. Then again is it possible to un-grave something? Put a cute little sticker over it or something.
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sorry, engrave may not be the correct word to use. this is probably laser etching. i'm talking about the etching that google did for people who wanted to customize their phones.
XSafire said:
plastic filler
superfine sandpaper
paint
cover engravings with the filler
let it dry
sand down the filler until it's flush with the rest of the phone
wipe off with a wet rag (let dry after)
paint
depending on your painting skills you can make it look halfway decent. You won't make it like new though. The only way to make it not like terrible would be to paint the entire part of the phone where it is engraved. Since the engravings are on the chrome, looks like a whole body job to me.
Good Luck
Update:
Also, seriously you can't google? You do own their phone...
http://www.ehow.com/how_7774043_remove-engraving-nexus-one.html
I'd do this instead.
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i did google and i tried that already. didn't even scratch the surface. and the surface is not chrome, its anodized aluminum. which is a pain in the butt to work with...
Jyveafk said:
Toothpaste or Chocolate to wear it down.
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i tried the sugar cubes, but i believe thats only for silkscreened logos. i doubt either of these will be able to get the laser etched letterings. thanks though.
anyone else who was able to remove the personalized lettering on the back of the N1?
19.95$ back cover on ebay (real one)
The engraving isn't on the back cover, it's on the metal chassis.
Can you not buy a replacement chassis?
Sure you can, but they're not cheap, and I suspect it's a fair bit of work to swap the parts over.
First, it is important to note that the "engraving" is NOT actually engraved in, as some people here seem to believe.
It is merely silk-screened on.
As for removing it, I would suggest a mild abrasive, like tooth paste, and rubbing it with a cotton cloth... it will probably take a lot of elbow grease, but it should work!*
*Note: not responsible if you damage your phone or kill your loved ones with this method.
ngy said:
i did google and i tried that already. didn't even scratch the surface. and the surface is not chrome, its anodized aluminum. which is a pain in the butt to work with...
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my bad. If you scratch it with your fingernail, can you feel a groove?
GldRush98 said:
First, it is important to note that the "engraving" is NOT actually engraved in, as some people here seem to believe.
It is merely silk-screened on.
As for removing it, I would suggest a mild abrasive, like tooth paste, and rubbing it with a cotton cloth... it will probably take a lot of elbow grease, but it should work!*
*Note: not responsible if you damage your phone or kill your loved ones with this method.
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can't say its silkscreen for sure. i took a look under the microscope and its retains the same texture as the rest of the aluminum... silkscreened letterings SHOULD have a different, smooth texture.
XSafire said:
my bad. If you scratch it with your fingernail, can you feel a groove?
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yeah i do feel a slight bump. so i'm led to think its silkscreen or laser etched, leaning more towards laser etching... which means im stuck.
Rusty! said:
Sure you can, but they're not cheap, and I suspect it's a fair bit of work to swap the parts over.
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i think i may actually do this in the end. i was suggested to use "contact cleaner" as it deoxides materials... but thats precisely what anodized aluminum is... a thicker layer of colored aluminum oxide. it may just strip it all down to the bare aluminum... argh thinking out loud.
I have heard from someone who have tried the same thing known as Contact Cleaner. Haven't tried personally so can't say for certain but hey, what's the harm in trying it out? I don't have any personalization otherwise would have tried it out.
creativedevil said:
I have heard from someone who have tried the same thing known as Contact Cleaner. Haven't tried personally so can't say for certain but hey, what's the harm in trying it out? I don't have any personalization otherwise would have tried it out.
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really. contact cleaner can really get the thing off? i should try and get my hands on some then, rather than spending $60+ for a new housing. was thinking of sand blasting the whole thing too... and painting it all back. lol. all black nexus.......
ngy said:
really. contact cleaner can really get the thing off? i should try and get my hands on some then, rather than spending $60+ for a new housing. was thinking of sand blasting the whole thing too... and painting it all back. lol. all black nexus.......
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Please don't do this.
just sand down the aluminum until it is flush with the rest of it, then use different grades of paper until it is smooth
I don't exactly know how close to perfect you can make it, but it's better then sandblasting it.
ngy said:
can't say its silkscreen for sure. i took a look under the microscope and its retains the same texture as the rest of the aluminum... silkscreened letterings SHOULD have a different, smooth texture.
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I am 99% sure it is silk-screened on, in a similar manner to the Google and HTC logos on the back.
GldRush98 said:
I am 99% sure it is silk-screened on, in a similar manner to the Google and HTC logos on the back.
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i sure hope so. i think im gonna try the contact cleaner stuff thats been mentioned. while i have my doubts.... i guess i'll just give it a shot. anyone know what removes silk screening?
I think you would damage the surface of you phone.
Put a sticker over it instead.
Okay, I'm gonna start with this that I have OCD. Now that you know, Let's get on with business.
This happened to my beloved tablet:
Don't ask why or how, it's a long story and frankly it doesn't matter now, it's done.
my purpose for this thread, was that how can I fix it?
I've tried ceramic paint, it was okay, but it had some serious flaws.
1. Hard to paint it with that. huge PITA with brush, better with a sponge but still really hard.
2. It's very stable, and can't be removed easily, but, it cracks and falls off after a while.
3. only one coat is not enough. it needs at least 3 coats to completely cover it, and with that many coats it is creates a big bulge which is a huge eye sore.
Now, I've came to this conclusion that paint is no good. I thought I going for a complete re-paint (as I really like black for these stuff, I thought that may be a good idea), but when I opened the back cover of the tablet, I changed my mind. Now, I need some suggestions.
Thank you.
Before you post something, remember, I have OCD.
so, replacing the back cover is out of the question.. Going be a tricky one to solve.
thats going to be a pain to fix but i still think paint is the way to go.
Use a high grit sand-paper and sand it down until its smooth.
Use a spay of black primer and put like 2 coats of primer on and allow time to dry between hands.
Then i would use a high gloss black spray paint. 2 to 3 light coats of that.
Then very lightly sand it down(more of roughing it up a bit, not actually sanding it down) with the highest grip sandpaper you can get your hands on.
Apply 2 coats of clearcoat.
finally use a buffing compound and lightly buff the surface, that will give you a mirror black finish.
Those are steps i have taken in the past to paint electronics and they lasted a while under normal use and i was happy with the results. You could probably find a better step by step guide online somewhere.
Oh, and make sure you mask the screen and the side panels with MORE then one layer of masking tape or you will scratch it.
m1l4droid said:
Thanks for the reply. You mean full body paint? But it's very sensitive, slightest mistake and you lost your USB or speakers... and it's very hard to cover the speakers, am I right?
And you mean to scratch the whole paint off? That's really hard, on this device which is quite big, and has markings on the back.
I was thinking maybe covering it with something like leather... I can design a pattern for it or something, no?
Sent from my Nexus S with CyanogenMod 9
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well, the back cover pops off and you can do anything youwant to it without affecting device functionality. Iknow from my a500. As for the scratching, I meant that you dont want to scratch by accident your screen and the sides of the tablet, where the Ports are located. the paint will be a pain to do but with patience you could pull it off. you need to understand that since you are not a paint pro there will be a trade-off between the quality of the work and the self satisfaction of doing it yourself.
As for covering it, go to an upholstery shop and look at different fabrics. Get a really good glue, an exacto knife and a heatgun and get on it. Keep in mint that once the glue touches the tablet, there is no going back.
THanks xda, please delete.
adriansantos said:
Hi guys, unfortunately I don't have a case and dropped my xz1 just 15mins ago. This is my first aluminum phone, My question is, is there any way I can repaint it? Maybe sand it down, then spray it with silver spray paint? I hope to hear from HTC One owners since that phone was famous and aluminum too.
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I think it really depends on how big / bad the dent is. It if isn't very big . noticible at all, I'd not bother with it. If it's something that' really annoys you, I would get a little bit of filler to fill up the dent (if it's big enough to warrant it), then sand it down nice and smooth and tape up anything that shouldn't be painted. I don't have this phone so I don't know what all parts have the same colors / could be negatively impacted by paint. Maybe use a small dot sticker to cover the headphone jack and use an auto-grade spray pain from an auto parts store to re-touch the surfaces that need it.. Then give it however long is recommended by the paint manufacturer to dry and remove the tape. If the port covers stick, very carefully use an razor blade to cut just the paint. (again, I don't have this phone so I don't know how dangerous this step might be) Be sure to avoid cutting any thing besides the paint that may be necessary for water proofing.
I assume no risk if you mess up your phone. It's kind of time and labor intensive, so if the dent isn't that bad, It may be best to just live with it.
Know there's a couple posts about people trying to paint the back of their phone but didn't find anything that specifically mentioned the Testors brand of model paint. Has anyone used model paint on the plastic backs of the phone? Wondering if model paint is good to use. Thinking it should be since it's made for plastic models. Been thinking about using some Testors paint to color the X on my phone. They also make some texture paint, but not sure if I want to even attempt that much of a paint job on the whole back. Thoughts on model paint?
http://www.testors.com/product-catalog/testors-brands/testors/enamel-paint/bottles
Sorry, I can't answer your question but seeing that ad brought back very fond memories of my childhood.
I always had more luck with their flat paint finishes than glossy for larger areas, with some notable exceptions. Not heard anything specific about using it on phones, but you might want to consider that our phones get lots of use over time, so I wonder if paint will more easily chip, scratch, etc. with continual handling. Even though that brand of enamel paint is known for being rather durable, it's still paint.
Honestly, I'd consider a vinyl wrap or similar before painting - good luck, however you choose to go.
- wader