So,
I had a white Incipio case for my G2. I work in a machine shop and constantly have oily hands. My white case looked like crap, with brown staining from oily hands and oily pants pockets.
I went to the grocery store and bought a package of black, RIT fabric dye for $2.49. This dye is designed for dying fabric, including synthetic (plastic) fibers. I figured why wouldn't it dye my synthetic phone case?
I put the black dye powder in a disposable pan and poured in 2 cups of almost boiling water. This is a much stronger mix than the package recommends. I degreased and cleaned my case with isopropyl alcohol. Stirred it with a plastic spoon and dropped the back of the case in. In about 20 seconds the case was jet black. Took it out and rinsed it with cold water while wiping it with a clean sponge to get any dye off the surface. It worked great. RIT also comes in many other colors. If you want to try a different color than black I'd recommend a weaker mix, so you can control the color intensity better. I think most colors dyed at this strength would be so saturated they would look almost black if left in the dye for too long. Do a quick dip and rinse, if you want it bolder, dip and rinse again You can always add more color but cant take it off.
I think the soft touch coating absorbs color very easily, whether it's from your pocket or a pan of dye. I would think any phone with a soft touch surface would dye easily. A non soft surface would probably also take the dye, but would take longer to deepen in color, hotter water works better for plastic. The clear plastic spoon I used is now tinted, but not jet black. Good luck, Too bad I already decided on black. Now I want to try a fade. I think the black back with the gray silicone looks pretty stealthy. An olive drab green would look cool with the gray too. The case looks and feels the same as it did before. It's just black now. It worked amazingly well.
Niceee
Sent from my LG-D801 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Great job!
Thanks for the idea! I've been wanting a nice red case for my Verizon G2 and couldn't find anything.
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Gonna try this. I got the exact same case and after a whole it just begins to look ugly.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless LG G2
Durability report OP?
back in the 80's and 90's when radio control cars (competitive kits, not Tyco stuff) where made of white nylon we used to dye the parts with this same dye. there's was absolutely no adverse effects.
Wonder if this eventually will start to dye my pockets after a while?
I have a royal blue incipio case. Not sure how color blending would do.
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
demonr6 said:
Durability report OP?
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Still looks great. No fading, wear, or bleeding onto pockets.
bsheedy said:
Thanks for the idea! I've been wanting a nice red case for my Verizon G2 and couldn't find anything.
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Nice results. What strength did you mix the dye, and how long did you let the case soak?
30br said:
Nice results. What strength did you mix the dye, and how long did you let the case soak?
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If you go to Rit Dye's website they have a section with different formulas depending on the color you want. I started out using Cool Red #146 and made adjustments till I got color I liked, so I don't have an exact formula. As for amount of soak time I just kept checking every 20 seconds or so.
Cool! I shall try this.
Related
The polished cover mod didn't really appeal to me or the device as far as finger prints went and the original looks well, too matte. So I tried something a little different. It's basically the standard appearance with the matte coating sanded off as well as some of the grey removed. The result is a satin (not glossy) light grey which complements the rubber backing very nicely (think Mac OS X v10.4's Brushed metal window appearance).
I'm curious - what exactly is it made of? I would be concerned that it might rust with the finish being off of it.
JWhipple said:
I'm curious - what exactly is it made of? I would be concerned that it might rust with the finish being off of it.
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I think that as long as he keeps his phone away from water then rust would never even be a consideration.
Do you get your phone wet often?
Hey guys,
dont know what kind of backcover you have but mine is defintly made of stainless steel or some other kind of alloy. Its no alluminium and its no "normal" steel cause its not going to rust
so dont worry
John: I think he just means from general moisture contact. i.e a slightly moist benchtop, or general moisture in the air. Especially if your palm sweats as it contains small traces of sodium which without a doubt speed up corrosion.
Everyone else: Its definitely steel or a mild alloy of steel as RayDog said. The coating has been scratching off for some time especially at the edges. If it was going to rust it would have started after 1 year of having the device. It cannot be aluminium as it is far too difficult to scratch and Al. is a soft metal. I was etching at the back with a blunt stanley knife and only the coating scratched off.
Had mine rubbed down for about 4 months now and I have no signs of oxidation.
I think a rusted battery cover would look sweet and fit in with my rusting vw golf hood.
fastwanabe said:
I think a rusted battery cover would look sweet and fit in with my rusting vw golf hood.
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hahaha we really need to ask xda for a like button
I like this! How did you do it?
The enamel on my cover is starting to come off. I thought it was just metal, but that was until it started peeling. I also prefer the brushed look instead of the chrome.
Is your cover basically just with all the enamel sanded off or something? What about the HTC logo etc?
Hi guys,
I've seen the DIY project which is a pretty decent looking alternative but I was wondering if anyone has seen an actual Matte Battery Door yet? It'd be cool to have one like the Epic 4G's which still said Google on the back. (I think the Google looks oddly classy )
My searches have come up kinda empty so thought I'd ask.
Mini rant.... WHY?! WHY???! Is the back cover so prone to scratches.. it been only a week and a half or so and already I've seen scratches developing, in fact another happened just today.. it's really the one and only thing I don't like about it.. not sure what they were thinking..
Well if anybody has seen alternatives please let me know!
Thanks!
There is the Invisible shield Dry which is a matte back protector for it. It looks pretty sleek.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
N00bsploder101 said:
There is the Invisible shield Dry which is a matte back protector for it. It looks pretty sleek.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
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URL?
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Plasti Dip it
you can get the invisibleshield dry from any of the sprint stores-- it's all they carry.
if you get the invisibleshield from ZAGG, they send the "wet" version, which is the cover everyone's used to.
the dry version is matte, and thinner, and doesn't use spray/sponge/liquid. it's not as "tacky" or sticky as the wet version, and you can still clearly see the google/samsung logo.
just be real sure to follow the instructions, squeegee from the center out, and give it a couple of days to fully cure. i saw a bunch of micro bubbles and what look like flaws after applications, and it looked like the dry shield didn't fully seal around the tiny dots on the cover, but after a couple of days it was perfectly sealed in. don't squeegee too hard, especially around the curves. it'll stick, and give it a day or two.
pretty happy with it, and it comes with the regular clear/tacky/sticky front shield, too, which is also applied dry. i found the squeegee to be a bit too stiff, and it's easy to dent and stretch the shield when squeegeeing it out.
ZAGG says to keep the device off, cuz the heat or something will affect curing. i just left mine on after application, and everything is perfect. there's orange peel, but it's minimal. no problems with touch sensitivity, and if anything i think it's better because fingerprints and oil don't show up.
i wonder if it's even worth shielding the front, though. i have an old blackberry that had nothing on it, and the screen i think is plastic, and i treated it like crap. no scratches.
but yeah, just go to a sprint store. they have em. best buy around here only sells the front shield. i prefer the dry matte back because it's thinner, and still does a good job.
fyi: ZAGG's guarantee and return policy are top notch. registering on their site is simple, and they'll ship out a replacement pretty quickly, and you just mail back your old shield as proof. they don't care what condition it's in. before i just ripped off an old shield and slapped it on a piece of paper.
spiicytuna said:
URL?
10 chars
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Its Phantom Skins that sells it.....
So the Nexus S still doesn't have any third party back covers or battery doors? I can't stand the shiny plastic back. All I see on ebay are oem battery doors that are the same thing. Don't want to use a sticker/shield or dip.
silverwolf0 said:
So the Nexus S still doesn't have any third party back covers or battery doors? I can't stand the shiny plastic back. All I see on ebay are oem battery doors that are the same thing. Don't want to use a sticker/shield or dip.
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I imagine that is because of the NFC that there aren't any replacement doors.
Backcover
lembowski said:
I imagine that is because of the NFC that there aren't any replacement doors.
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Correct.
The white version of the Nexus S actually has a very nice textured back on it. I wanted the white color to begin with but after seeing (and feeling) the difference between the backplate on the black version versus the white version, I much prefer the white one. The black one has no grip to it and, like the OP said, it scratches way too easily.
Yeah I thought about the zagg body shield but they unfortunately only had the screen. I decided to grab the wet one instead and I've never had better luck applying a screen protector.. heh the "wetness" really makes it easy to get the bubbles out and it cures awesome.
As for the battery cover.. it's already got a few scratches, but on top of that in the lower left corner it doesn't seem to snap in very securely, even in general use when tapping on the lower left part of the phone you can feel the battery door.. "click" a little bit as if its not latched properly, it makes a audible click sound as well.
I resolved this issue by putting a very thin strip of scotch tape on the inside of the door along the edge which produces just enough pressure to keep the clicking from happening and it feels more secure. (No you can't see it )
SO I'll probably just buy a new battery door eventually and use a body shield.. hopefully the new one will latch a bit more securely as well. It's not a big big deal, and the DIY fix by me is definitely just me nitpicking the tiny click feeling but still.. I think Samsung makes good products most of the time but they really should step up the build quality a little bit.
Thanks for the suggestions though guys
Actually I think I'm going to try the plasti dip on the existing cover to.. I could see that helping the latch as well because it would be just the tiniest bit thicker it would seem.
ranphi said:
The white version of the Nexus S actually has a very nice textured back on it. I wanted the white color to begin with but after seeing (and feeling) the difference between the backplate on the black version versus the white version, I much prefer the white one. The black one has no grip to it and, like the OP said, it scratches way too easily.
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Is there any black replacement cover with a similar structure available?
im very interested in this too. if there could be a htc style back door id be very happy
ca509 said:
Is there any black replacement cover with a similar structure available?
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Not that I am aware of, sorry.
Got my case in today, and am very pleased with it.
But......I ordered a roll of white Carbon Fiber 3M Di-Noc vinyl for a reason. After some testing, heat gun application, and stretching........
It's a little rough around the edges, couple of overlap bumps, broke through one corner (too much heat, too much stretch), but overall, I love it. Goes sooooooo well with the white phone. And I have just enough left over to redo it should I see fit. This one wasn't perfect but it was my first attempt at applying a vinyl on a compound corner(s) like that.
I love it. I may have to steal this idea from you. The white carbon fiber looks so sick
Sent from my LG-LS980 using xda app-developers app
I think once I get my taxes back I'm going to order and all back Incipio Dualpro and do the plastic piece on it. I think I'd rather have a little more coverage around the phone. The feather is nice (especially out of the box, the rubbery black feels so good and fits the phone so well), but it's a little on the thin side and I tend to get drop happy from time to time.
Looks awesome man
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
Dude!! That looks sick as hell, ive got white phone as well and 2 dual pro cases (black one and cyan,LOVE the cyan) but i may try this on my black one since its not being used anyway
ANTLAY said:
Dude!! That looks sick as hell, ive got white phone as well and 2 dual pro cases (black one and cyan,LOVE the cyan) but i may try this on my black one since its not being used anyway
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Let me know how it comes out. I'm waiting for my taxes to come back before dropping coin on a Dualpro, but I think it's where I'm ultimately going to end up. I'd rater have complete coverage around the phone moreso than what the Feather gives.
When the Nexus 5 came out, the white variant was a harder, more plastic feel while the black was more of a softer material. Is this the same for the Nexus 6?
No. The Blue is a fingerprint magnet but once you get it greased up pretty good it looks uniform & not too bad.
wtherrell said:
No. The Blue is a fingerprint magnet but once you get it greased up pretty good it looks uniform & not too bad.
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so is the blue variant the same material as the black nexus 5? or just straight up hard plastic?
stevew84 said:
so is the blue variant the same material as the black nexus 5? or just straight up hard plastic?
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I have the blue and it doesn't feel like either of the N5s. More like a hard plastic. Was really hoping for that soft touch that the N5 and N7 have. Like the previous poster was saying, it just absorbs any kind of grease or dirt you may have on your hand. I don't think I've ever seen any device absorb dirt so badly.
Yes, the blue one sucks up any oil from your skin, as well as the oil from the skin of anyone who's ever stood closer than 6 feet from you in your entire life. I'm pretty sure there's some worm-hole magic involved. That's the only thing that really explains the staggering number of fingerprints it can absorb in just a few minutes of use.
I ordered a D-Brand Skin for mine (Black Titanium). I saw a review on it, and the reviewer was impressed with how much grip it added. Plus, he was constantly pawing all over the phone the entire review, and I never could see one fingerprint.
So I got tired of seeing my Leather back on my phone peel more and more, day by day. It was just way too noticeable on the Brown leather (more like Orange-ish). So I decided to peel the entire top layer off and expose the Natural Leather underneath. In my opinion, it looks 100X better than what it did (but then again I am a BIG fan of the natural leather look, especially when it really starts to get used and worn, so...).
Let me know what you all think...
Looks pretty slick... going to pull mine off now.
mad1111 said:
So I got tired of seeing my Leather back on my phone peel more and more, day by day. It was just way too noticeable on the Brown leather (more like Orange-ish). So I decided to peel the entire top layer off and expose the Natural Leather underneath. In my opinion, it looks 100X better than what it did (but then again I am a BIG fan of the natural leather look, especially when it really starts to get used and worn, so...).
Let me know what you all think...
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Mine is starting to peel as well. How did you get it to come off cleanly? When I go to pull it off, only little bits come up.
hdcp said:
Mine is starting to peel as well. How did you get it to come off cleanly? When I go to pull it off, only little bits come up.
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I just used acetone and a rag. Go in one direction only tho...when you "scrub" back and forth it's actually harder to remove and can scuff up the leather underneath. I waited a few hours and then rubbed a very thin layer of lotion into the leather to help "seal" and re-moisturize it a bit. (It's best to use an actual leather sealer/moisturizer but I don't have any, so...)
Good luck, and post up pictures when you're done.
Wanted to thank you for plowing the way. Did the same as the peeling was driving me crazy.
Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
mrcrusha829 said:
Wanted to thank you for plowing the way. Did the same as the peeling was driving me crazy.
Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
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Looks way better, dont you agree?
mad1111 said:
Looks way better, dont you agree?
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My is not peeling off yet. As soon it starts to peel off I'll do it to mine. I was thinking to buy the black leather back but now I'm not. Thank you
Why wasn't this an option at launch!
I put a clear case on to protect it thinking the leather was fake but i love this new look. Great work guys