[Q]How to remove engraving? - Nexus One Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

Related

Has anyone tried removing the engraving?

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMAO I love this!

[Q] Removing the AT&T logo

Hi guys,
Has anyone tried to remove the silver AT&T logo from behind the glass? Thinking about giving it a go but thought I would check to see if anyone else had given it a shot and had any pointers.
Thanks,
Krisbo
Electrical tape
mcord11758 said:
Electrical tape
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, that would look awful! I was thinking I would fully disassemble it and use spray paint.
Wow that its dedication to the cause. Yea honestly I got nothing
Krisbo said:
Lol, that would look awful! I was thinking I would fully disassemble it and use spray paint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i take no responsibilty for this, but I used paint thinner(gun wash actually seeing as I work at a paint shop lol) and rubbed it off my old phone, quite easily actually.
I personally would try that before spray paint...
Get a cover that covers it
U can't see the logo this way, and u r still covered by warranty just in case.
Be careful with 'paint thinner', there is more than one kind. I'd start with rubbing alcohol, then acetone, progress to mineral spirits, then if that doesn't work try some MEK(methyl ethyl ketone). You can quickly melt away any plastics or finishes if you use too strong a product first time out.

Need help with a first world's problem...

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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

How to get rid of small scratches on the metal bezel???

As the tittle implies I'm trying to figure out what "kind" of metal it has so I could try some ways to get rid of the scratches and basically look new again...it is possible, anyone know if it's aluminum? Metal. ..chrome plated?
"fighting as one hand one heart, one soul. We will shatter their dreams and haunt their nightmares"
It's aluminum.
I had the idea to use a nail buffer on it. Being a girl, I have used them on my nails a lot and have had a lot of success buffing metal to a chrome-like shine with them too. I'm gonna try it tonight on the big scratch I have on my bezel. I'll report back with the results.
kabuk1 said:
It's aluminum.
I had the idea to use a nail buffer on it. Being a girl, I have used them on my nails a lot and have had a lot of success buffing metal to a chrome-like shine with them too. I'm gonna try it tonight on the big scratch I have on my bezel. I'll report back with the results.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok...thanks for the advice let me know how it went! I was thinking about vegetable oil.
"fighting as one hand one heart, one soul. We will shatter their dreams and haunt their nightmares"
Ok, so I did it and... it worked.
I can still see some evidence of the scratch but it looks MUCH better, I have to hunt for the scratches now and I think if I spent more time on it and used a brand new buffer, it would be unnoticeable.
what nail buffer did you use? And would you please tell us how you did it? Thank you
Smh
This is the one I used, but I'd recommend getting one with a grey buffing surface cause they're a bit smoother & they create a shinier surface IMO. You can get these at any drugstore in the beauty section. I wish I could have taken before & after pics, but unfortunately my phone is my only camera.
What I did was use the second smoothest grit(the purple part) to buff out the scratch first, then I used the pink part to shine it up. You can still see the little metallic lines on it from the buffing process.
I would honestly advise just using a case to cover up the scratches, but this does work to remove them. USE EXTREME CAUTION IF YOU DO THIS. It is not my fault if you mess up or do more damage! I would tape up the surrounding surfaces by where you'll be buffing just so you don't accidentally nick anything. Take your time & go slow, and keep in mind that its probably not going to look completely factory-perfect, it will just take out the scratches and make it shiny again.
kabuk1 said:
This is the one I used, but I'd recommend getting one with a grey buffing surface cause they're a bit smoother & they create a shinier surface IMO. You can get these at any drugstore in the beauty section. I wish I could have taken before & after pics, but unfortunately my phone is my only camera.
What I did was use the second smoothest grit(the purple part) to buff out the scratch first, then I used the pink part to shine it up. You can still see the little metallic lines on it from the buffing process.
I would honestly advise just using a case to cover up the scratches, but this does work to remove them. USE EXTREME CAUTION IF YOU DO THIS. It is not my fault if you mess up or do more damage! I would tape up the surrounding surfaces by where you'll be buffing just so you don't accidentally nick anything. Take your time & go slow, and keep in mind that its probably not going to look completely factory-perfect, it will just take out the scratches and make it shiny again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to try sandpaper
:angel:
shook187 said:
Smh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol
btort1 said:
I'm going to try sandpaper
:angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oof ... well its your phone 0.0
kabuk1 said:
Oof ... well its your phone 0.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This worked pretty well. I took an alternate route though, I decided to use the slightly coarser edge first and brush it, then buff and polish it with the other sides. If done slowly and properly, you can give the phone a brushed aluminum look which I like a bit better than the polished look. This way also, scratches don't stand out at all.
chrisjm00 said:
This worked pretty well. I took an alternate route though, I decided to use the slightly coarser edge first and brush it, then buff and polish it with the other sides. If done slowly and properly, you can give the phone a brushed aluminum look which I like a bit better than the polished look. This way also, scratches don't stand out at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear
I actually thought about doing the brushed aluminum look too, I did that on my HD2 back in the day and it looked pretty cool.
kabuk1 said:
Good to hear
I actually thought about doing the brushed aluminum look too, I did that on my HD2 back in the day and it looked pretty cool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow... The HD2... That was my first girlfriend... Girlfriend that was dressed with WP7 & Android... That was the love of my life... After that the HD7... Then the HTC Sensation, Samsung Infuse, Note 1, 2, 3, 4... And now the Note Edge... (left a bunch of Nokia Lumia's plus a few Samsung's and HTC's in the way) Sorry... You mentioned the HD2 and I was suddenly dreaming... Off topic, sorry.
TEKHD said:
Wow... The HD2... That was my first girlfriend... Girlfriend that was dressed with WP7 & Android... That was the love of my life... After that the HD7... Then the HTC Sensation, Samsung Infuse, Note 1, 2, 3, 4... And now the Note Edge... (left a bunch of Nokia Lumia's plus a few Samsung's and HTC's in the way) Sorry... You mentioned the HD2 and I was suddenly dreaming... Off topic, sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved my HD2 so much and used it for years. I still have it and occasionally use it as a backuo phone too. One of the best phones HTC has ever made, IMO, development for that little beast was off the charts.
Anyway, back on topic, lol.
Never Dull
This stuff is magical. No Joke.
Never Dull. It's on Amazon. I would link it, but I don't have ability. My dad showed me this stuff when I was a kid and it works incredibly well for dealing with hairline scratches and tarnish.

[Q] Jeans stain!

Heya.
I've had my nexus 6 for a week, totally loving it. But I recently noticed a mark, or stain on the back cover. I tried cleaning it away with some alcohol but it didn't fade. From the position of the mark I've figured out it's the jeans! I'll be washing those. However I don't know how to remove the stain, I heard chloride solutions might do the trick, but I'm afraid that'll bleach the cover. Fyi, I have the midnight blue version.
Does anyone have any advice? :s
I cannot see how jeans colour could run enough to stain a phone yet be persistent enough to withstand alcohol :/
rootSU said:
I cannot see how jeans colour could run enough to stain a phone yet be persistent enough to withstand alcohol :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well now, I assure you it's happended :s, sadly. The stain isn't too noticedable though thanks to the already blue color of my cover, but the stain is darker. When most noticable is when holding the phone in an angle so the light reflects on it.
Wiggy boy said:
Well now, I assure you it's happended :s, sadly. The stain isn't too noticedable though thanks to the already blue color of my cover, but the stain is darker. When most noticable is when holding the phone in an angle so the light reflects on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I meant was perhaps the stain is from something else.
rootSU said:
What I meant was perhaps the stain is from something else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha, Well I don't know if it's a jeans stain, but from the evidence, that's my conclusion. The phone is abit big for my pocket, so a bit of it sticks out. The stain looks like a line, which fits perfect to the edge of my pocket.
Hmm. That could even be a "polish" where its rubbed it and buffed it up a bit.
rootSU said:
Hmm. That could even be a "polish" where its rubbed it and buffed it up a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Friction ain't science-fiction
So?, any ideas or clues on what could remove it? or is it suck forever?
If it's rubbed away from friction/rubbing, you might be stuck with it. If you're really worried about it, I believe replacement backs are cheap on eBay. However, for now, you can probably invest in a Slickwraps or dbrand skin and hope that the vinyl can withstand the the issue causing the markings on your phone.
Stop wasting your time, here you go. The are many more sellers that sell this back cover, they are all OEM.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Doo...794?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cedb2ad92
Here is also a video how to do the installation, enjoy.
https://youtu.be/NaTkQ0JPyS8
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app
Just get one of these! Stylish, easy, awesome! BAM! done.
https://slickwraps.com/devices/phones/android/google-nexus-6.html
Diocat said:
If it's rubbed away from friction/rubbing, you might be stuck with it. If you're really worried about it, I believe replacement backs are cheap on eBay. However, for now, you can probably invest in a Slickwraps or dbrand skin and hope that the vinyl can withstand the the issue causing the markings on your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can also buy a $10 skin for the back. Pretty nice options: https://dbrand.com/shop/nexus-6
That's what I'm headed for.

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