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[MOD] Chrome Look/Mirror Polished Transformer Bezel

Ok, so I let my brother borrow my Transformer to take with him as he spent the week at my mom's house. I should have known better...
Apparently my nephew dropped it, which caused an ugly dent directly on the corner of the bezel; in addition, one of the edges also developed a sizeable gap between the glass and the bezel that extended halfway across the tablet.
I decided to make a positive into a negative- I tore down the transformer, manipulated the bezel to be bent back into place (as close as I could get it), then polished it all the way around.
All in all, it was pretty simple - After tearing the TF apart, I just soaked the bezel in Greased Lightning for about 10 min to remove the anodization; then, I sanded it smooth using a combination of wet-sandpapers (800 Grit for the real rough spots, and a combination of 1000, 1500, 2000, and 3000 grit wet sanding paper); finally, I buffed it out using a cotton buff wheel on my dremel with Turtle Wax rubbing compound.
Credit goes to:
WhiteSites for the inspiration from his work on the Sensation 4G
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1184568
Below are some pics of the process and the results:
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Finished Transformer Front Screen Side
Transformer Bezel de-anodized HDMI Side
Transformer Bezel being de-anodized
Transformer Bezel being de-anodized 2
Transformer Bezel being de-anodized 3
Transformer Bezel being de-anodized 4
After rinsing with Vinegar to neutralize the acid, I let it sit and soak in a soap bucket for a couple of minutes
Transformer Bezel Hanging for Rinse
Finished Transformer Dock Side
Transformer Corner Beginning Sanding
Transformer Corner Sanding
Transformer Corner Sanding 2
Transformer next to iPad
Finished Transformer Back cover and sides
Finished Transformer pwr and volume
Finished Transformer top blank side
Finished Transformer HDMI Side
Finished Transformer Corner
Finished Transformer Corner Edge
Finished Transformer Corner Direct View

looks purty. you don't have a matching dock?
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

I can't imagine how much work would have to go into making the dock match the bezel like that. Personally I would be too afraid of breaking the keys on the keyboard during the removal process.

looks damn good. I was debating on doing a flat/matte/satin black thing with the bezel not too long ago.
just brought it back

finalhit said:
looks purty. you don't have a matching dock?
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, I have the dock but have not journeyed that far yet. Who knows I may end up Modding it to match.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

I did end up Modding the dock to match the mirrored look
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

so uh... when are you going to polish my bezel?
that sounds dirty

dbiggss said:
I did end up Modding the dock to match the mirrored look
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got pics? I'd love to see that, though I'd be too terribly frightened to attempt it on my own TF.

jordanjay29 said:
Got pics? I'd love to see that, though I'd be too terribly frightened to attempt it on my own TF.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ 1 on that!

Here it go snapped a couple of quick pics for ya.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

That is beyond awesome. I've never really liked the color of the transformer, it's just so boring and uninspiring. This may be what causes me to void my warranty (The guys at my local Asus shop don't care that I rooted my transformer. When I returned it for a defect I even booted it up with the custom boot screen and told them I put an overseas version of the rom on it). I am definitely going to do this.
A couple of requests/questions:
1) Can we get some more higher quality or close-up pictures of the final product? I really want a better look at the back of it to see the contrast between the bezel and the back plate. Also of hinge, and well everything. The more pictures the better. I'm especially interested in pictures showing the contrast between the bezel/dock and the other parts of the transformer.
2) Also looks like you didn't do the hinge, right? Haven't taken mine apart yet, it's on my to do list, so I guessing that part may not be possible to do or really difficult.
3) What is greased lightning? I'm in China now, so I can't buy American brand names anymore. I know heavy duty cleaning product. But is it like for household or industrial use? I think I saw it once in autoparts store. I'm guessing it's like that purple power stuff I used to use to clean my motor and rims on my car. Had to wear thick gloves to keep it from messing up my hands.
4) Is sanding it necessary? Mine is undamaged and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm guessing the bezel is pretty thin and during sanding could easily be damaged. It looks like you just sanded out the damage that had occurred when it was dropped.
5) How did the key removal process go?
Once, again thank you. This is a totally awesome idea. I've got me some new Chinese words to learn so I can go buy the materials to make this happen.

I am glad that's you are interested! I will post more info tommorow and answer the questions that you have.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

typci said:
That is beyond awesome. I've never really liked the color of the transformer, it's just so boring and uninspiring. This may be what causes me to void my warranty (The guys at my local Asus shop don't care that I rooted my transformer. When I returned it for a defect I even booted it up with the custom boot screen and told them I put an overseas version of the rom on it). I am definitely going to do this.
A couple of requests/questions:
1) Can we get some more higher quality or close-up pictures of the final product? I really want a better look at the back of it to see the contrast between the bezel and the back plate. Also of hinge, and well everything. The more pictures the better. I'm especially interested in pictures showing the contrast between the bezel/dock and the other parts of the transformer.
2) Also looks like you didn't do the hinge, right? Haven't taken mine apart yet, it's on my to do list, so I guessing that part may not be possible to do or really difficult.
3) What is greased lightning? I'm in China now, so I can't buy American brand names anymore. I know heavy duty cleaning product. But is it like for household or industrial use? I think I saw it once in autoparts store. I'm guessing it's like that purple power stuff I used to use to clean my motor and rims on my car. Had to wear thick gloves to keep it from messing up my hands.
4) Is sanding it necessary? Mine is undamaged and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm guessing the bezel is pretty thin and during sanding could easily be damaged. It looks like you just sanded out the damage that had occurred when it was dropped.
5) How did the key removal process go?
Once, again thank you. This is a totally awesome idea. I've got me some new Chinese words to learn so I can go buy the materials to make this happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry about the delay, I have been crazy busy lately. I havent had the opportunity to take any new pics yet.
To answer your questions in the meantime:
2). Your correct, I did not do the hinge. However, I am sure that it would be possible to polish that part also -- and I dont think that it would be very difficult at all. The only reason that I didn't go that far is because of time... My plan was/is to sell the transformer+dock together to offset some costs towards getting the Prime... It just got to the point that It seemed like any more time that I would sink into it wouldn't benefit me because I am going to sell it and I figured that it wouldnt get me any more $$$.
3). Your right on the track! Greased Lightning is very similar to Purple Power. As a matter of fact, I ran out of Greased lightning and I actually had to use Purple Power for the Dock.
The Greased Lightning worked better, but I am not sure if the Anodization was just more stubborn on the dock.
The MAIN INGREDIENT that needs to be in the cleaner is "SODIUM HYDROXIDE", which removes the anodization. It is commonly found in oven cleaners, such as "EZ OFF". I did use gloves and took the pictures from my phone during the process which is the reason I don't have more of them-- it became a pain, going back and forth cleaning my hands, taking off gloves, taking pics, etc...
When the anodization was removed I also rinsed the pieces with vinegar and lemon juice briefly to neutralize the acid before rinsing in water w/soap.
4). The sanding is necessary if you are looking for the mirror finish - it really depends on how far you want to go with it. I sanded the entire thing. The keyboard ended up being a real ***** because (and again, im not sure if it is because I used Purple Power instead of Greased Lightning for that part), the anodization did not come off 100% on the dock part with just the cleaner.
5). Although it was a bit tricky, the key removal process wasn't too bad, but it of course requires patience and its important to be careful. The keyboard is glued to the palmrest (top) portion of the dock and the board and everything else is screwed to the base of the dock.
After removing the screws (2 only under the back feet) under the feet I used a guitar pick to carefully unlatch/separate the dock - starting from the back.
After the dock was opened, the keyboard was attached to the board by a ribbon cable that looks the same as you would expect on a standard laptop keyboard. I attempted to raise the lock lever to release the keyboard ribbon connector, but it seemed like it was glued or stationary, so I decided to leave it alone to avoid breaking anything. ---As I was separating the keyboard from the palmrest, the ribbon cable slipped out, but I was able to finesse it back in without messing with the lock/latch and it works fine.
At this point, I went back to using the guitar pick to gently finesse the keyboard away from the palmrest portion that was to be polished. The two are attached with a fairly strong adhesive and just require patience. I used a heatgun during the process, but it didn't seem to really help at all anyways.
---From their on, I polished it, used superglue to reattach the palmrest to the keyboard, reassembled everything and I was good to go!
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Really slick job! I like it a lot.

Thanks. It's freezing cold here and raining everyday for the next week, so not great weather to ride my motorcycle in to say the least. When the weather improves a bit, I'll begin my journey to find the materials I need. Thanks.
Also, you said "sodium hydroxide" (NaOH) was the key ingredient? That's lye, the main ingredient in drain cleaners, and an insanely strong base. Which means a drain cleaner may also be usable. I know where to get some drain cleaner, that I think is mostly NaOH with some thickeners mixed in. Also it's safe to use on metal so I won't have to worry about it damaging the bezel. I'm a chemist by trade so I think I maybe able to find a substitute for the the greased lightning. Also with what you said about the purple power not being strong enough, I can control the strength of the solution if I start with a concentrated NaOH solution. That'll be a lot easier to find than an industrial degreaser. Finding things in China can be a real pain sometime.

Try looking up the MSDS on Greased Lightning, I believe it gives the concentration of NaOH used.
What grit sandpaper would you stop at if you were going for a brushed metal look?

2000 wet or dry should work great for polishing. Stopping at 800 would give a rougher surface. If you want a true "brushed" look, try getting up to 2000 grit and neatly wipe the parts with a Scotch Brite pad. As far as de-anodizing I have used Easy off oven cleaner (the lethal yellow can) to remove it in the past. It works great, just let the parts sit in the warm sun for about 30 minutes before spraying the Easy Off on them.
Also, when your done polishing the parts, you can clear coat them to keep the shine indefinitely.
sent from my ASUS Transformer running Prime 2.1.1 using Tapatalk

JoshX said:
Try looking up the MSDS on Greased Lightning, I believe it gives the concentration of NaOH used.
What grit sandpaper would you stop at if you were going for a brushed metal look?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2000 would be good, but I am fanatical about the 3M 3000 grit sheets. they are like $6 at autozone or an automotive supply store and are designed with a sponge like back layer, so its not just regular paper.

Where do i call to get this help
Very good! doesnt seems like u even dropped it (ur son/brother)

dbiggss said:
2000 would be good, but I am fanatical about the 3M 3000 grit sheets. they are like $6 at autozone or an automotive supply store and are designed with a sponge like back layer, so its not just regular paper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! I'll try the 3000. Do you have any suggestions on a brand of clear coat to use?

[GUIDE] How to replace a scratched camera

So not that long after getting a SGS2 at launch I managed to get the camera lens scratched. Pictures became fuzzy and useless. I guess some dirt got caught between my desk and the lens and upon nudging my phone the scratch appeared. I have since received follow up scratches further compounding the issue.
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So ladies and gentlemen, as I could not find much help on the subject, I present a quick guide to fixing said problem.
Polish - didn't work. I then discovered that the camera is covered by a protective screen which is integrated with the case. So... flea-bay, a Hong Kong distributor of replacement Samsung Galaxy S2 Housings and ten quid later I am presented with a new case.
1. Clear some space and give it a wipe down, don't want any more scratches eh?
2. Prepare your new back plate by cutting up a screen-protector and putting it over the camera lens. I'm going to redo mine at some point, but it will do for now:
3. Turn off and remove the usual gubbins from your phone (battery, sim, sd)
4. Using a precision cross-head screwdriver, unscrew the five screws on the rear of the phone. Use a small magnet to lift them from their resting position and put them somewhere safe (preferably in a layout you remember for their return trip).
5. The tricky bit is always separating the case. Do not be tempted to ram a screw driver down the side and twist, this will just mess up the case. I just used my finger nails and worked it free.
The top is the least resistive and easiest to get your nail in. Work the top loose and then work down each side a bit at a time. You can use your new case as a guide for where the clips are. Be careful not to snap the clips at the bottom of the phone. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't break anything, and if I can do it, anybody can.
6. You'll notice a couple of things different - strangely, I had an extra electrical connector at the top of my phone, no adverse effects yet.
The speaker system (and probably some other stuff) is embedded in the lower part of the phone.
A precision flat-head screwdriver gently levered on the left will unclip the left side. For the right side pop your screwdriver in from the other side where the battery cover clips into. The speaker part should just pop out.
Mine came out sans-grille. This isn't glued onto the case, so should just lift off, place back onto the speaker component before inserting into your new device.
7. Remove the protective sticker from the inside of the lens screen.
8. Pop the new back onto your phone, starting at the bottom and working your way up the sides evenly.
11. Replace screws, don't over tighten as you may break the plastic threads. Screw lightly anti-clockwise first and you'll feel the thread line up, this reduces the chances of you getting your thread crossed and wrecking it.
10. Remove the button support stickers and other protective coverings
11. Reinstall your gubbins and power up!
12. Snap away
Hope this helps.
Dash

A great guide, maybe I'll use it one day. The only thing i find strange is that i even have a slightly bigger scratch along the lens protection, yet my pictures still look good...

If you look closely at the first image you'll see faint scratches over the centre of the lens. The big one on the edge I don't think has an impact. It took me ages of peering in bright sunlight to spot them.

Dashers said:
If you look closely at the first image you'll see faint scratches over the centre of the lens. The big one on the edge I don't think has an impact. It took me ages of peering in bright sunlight to spot them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to bump this. This thread is interesting as, upon the first day I got this phone I realized that the place the camera is in seems to be an easy target for scratches. I mean, the camera and flash glasses are ridiculously exposed and when you put the phone on any surface it is actually laying directly over them. So, I was wondering, is there any way to protect the camera? I guess a screen protector would ruin picture quality, right?

i wld agree that yes, even with just resting the phone on table with time YOU WILL get some minor scratches.
Dident compromize my camera quality (yet) but i was affraid in time it will.
So i did what OP did-with screen protector i had spare.
I was not in a need to replace anything so i just cut small cube-shape of protector (thin,dare i say cheap one will work best, not some fancy,thick or reflective protector)
and then i just sticked it well outside the camera lens and put case back on. You cannot see it tbh and no picture quality decrease

So I cut square protective folie and put it on the camera glass... but what about glue which comes with protector folie? There are un-glue protectors but I am not sure the will snap to such small area at all....
Really pictures quality didn't decrease?

not at all.
although,my protector was sticky by itself i quess i wld suggest you do the same
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

Im saving this thread for when I scratch mine!

I am going forward to order new housing.
I will follow this guide then !
Thanks
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

great tutorial it should be sticky !!

I just got mine today and will do this swap later today! Checked the case out looks good, looked at the camera lens area and found scratches! Bugged me out that! Turns out there is a plastic covering over it
I got a black s2 which I've polished the chrome bezel off, to make it black and scrubbed the whole back casing to give it that matte finish, I ordered for a white one now to give it that contrasting 'Oreo cookie' look :silly:
Will post pics when done, wish me luck and pray I don't break anything!
UPDATE:
Well I managed to sucessfully do the swap and I must say this device looks killer this way! I am in love with it! The grip seems to have suffered a bit and t (Glossy vs textured) there were some difference between the original and the one I got (a cheap one but fits perfect with good finish) but nothing seems any different function wise.
Sorry for the horrible quality pics as I only had my Nexus 7 with me (Clicking pics with the ffc is a pain) I'll try to get high res images if anyone wants to see...

Good.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

mzone1510 said:
I just got mine today and will do this swap later today! Checked the case out looks good, looked at the camera lens area and found scratches! Bugged me out that! Turns out there is a plastic covering over it
I got a black s2 which I've polished the chrome bezel off, to make it black and scrubbed the whole back casing to give it that matte finish, I ordered for a white one now to give it that contrasting 'Oreo cookie' look :silly:
Will post pics when done, wish me luck and pray I don't break anything!
UPDATE:
Well I managed to sucessfully do the swap and I must say this device looks killer this way! I am in love with it! The grip seems to have suffered a bit and t (Glossy vs textured) there were some difference between the original and the one I got (a cheap one but fits perfect with good finish) but nothing seems any different function wise.
Sorry for the horrible quality pics as I only had my Nexus 7 with me (Clicking pics with the ffc is a pain) I'll try to get high res images if anyone wants to see...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks very cool! nice ideea man.

Thanks it's really useful

Very interesting.
Got a lot of dust inside the lens ..

Nice post
Great Work helped me very much::: (-:

Hi all! I got scratches all over that protective glass so pictures are unusable...
I want to purchase the part to replace it but i'm not too sure what to get from ebay..I found http://m.ebay.com/itm/141303100240?nav=SEARCH this,but is this what I really need or do I need something else?
Please,if this is not the correct part,can someone link me the correct one?
Thanks in advance!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Free mobile app

Dashers said:
A precision flat-head screwdriver gently levered on the left will unclip the left side. For the right side pop your screwdriver in from the other side where the battery cover clips into. The speaker part should just pop out.
Mine came out sans-grille. This isn't glued onto the case, so should just lift off, place back onto the speaker component before inserting into your new device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I dunno about 2011.. But by 2017 the little rubber band around the speaker was basically fused with that placed on the plastic frame.
In the end anyway, it was just about leveraging a bit more with the screwdriver on the bottom left corner of the thing.
Funnily, I discovered just afterwards that if camera is everything you care about there are alternatives.

[USER Tips] Nook HD+ teardown with images (+ video)

Apologies. My English is not a professional!
Hi.
I token apart many mobile and tab items. This one was so easy to do.
If you crack or broke something when you take apart your Nook HD+ then all responsibility goes only for you. My guide is only for knowledge base.
You lose WARRANTY when you take apart your device!
Ok, lets start.
Tools you need:
1. Plastic Triangle Pry Tool
2. Plastic Pry Tool
3. Torx T5 Screwdriver
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1. Take Plastic Triangle Pry Tool and place it to screen on bottom side where screen bezel corner is cut off. VERY GENTLY push the Plastic Triangle Pry Tool behind bezel and screen.
Be aware! Plastic Bezel is very soft and you can broke bezel legs. About which legs I talk, you see on 7 step pictures.
2. Don't take away Plastic Triangle Pry Tool. Move around the entire inside of the plastic bezel. You hear how double sided tape be open.
3. Again don't take away Plastic Triangle Pry Tool. Push it VERY GENTLY more inside, but be aware you can broke little bezel plastic leg.
4. You see that bezel corner goes up at body. Now push Plastic Pry Tool at another side behind bezel and body and remove Plastic Triangle Pry Tool
5. Place Plastic Triangle Pry Tool at outside behind body and bezel and move around the entire outside of the plastic bezel. You again hear how double sided tape be open.
6. Now gently remove bezel at body. You need gently help with Plastic Pry Tool.
7. Hard part is done and this is how looks bezel and legs. These legs are around bezel.
8. Take Torx T5 Screwdriver
9. Unscrew the all screws (marked green on picture) except red marked screws on picture. If you unscrew these screws you can broke one copper foil which one makes ground/background to WiFi antenna.
All screws are same size!
10. Now take Nook to left hand power button side to down and with Plastic Triangle Pry Tool GENTLY detach backside plastic cover a little bit at body. Be aware battery is attached to backside plastic cover and you can broke battery connector on motherboard if you use here power on detach.
11. With right hand fingers GENTLY move battery power cable at mainboard. Place all pieces GENTLY to table.
12. All done. Now it look like this!
Enjoy!
YouTube video example
http://youtu.be/HpVrds3g-M8
When you place back Plastic bezel, you need replace 3mm Double sided tape around bezel. I used this one 3M Sticker tape Double sided tape Adhesive For housing touch screen LCD 3mm
You are welcome to redistribute it but ask for consent before!
I try monitor this thread and reply.

Thanks! I've done a few screen-ectomies in my past, and this will be a useful guide if I need to again. The question I have, did you get it back together?

I can't tell from the Pic. Is that space in the center right a Ram slot that might allow and increase to 2 gig? A Rom upgrade looks like it might be simple also.
edit: my mistake - the the ram slot is actually the Battery contact.

dbh369 said:
Thanks! I've done a few screen-ectomies in my past, and this will be a useful guide if I need to again. The question I have, did you get it back together?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This baby opened second time for making this guide. Yes i can make reverse guide too but i dont see reason. Because there are nothing to do. Just put all back. And YES, it works.
One thing have which one i write on monday. You need 3mm double sided clear or black 3M tape to replace tape on bezel.

Nuor60 said:
I can't tell from the Pic. Is that space in the center right a Ram slot that might allow and increase to 2 gig? A Rom upgrade looks like it might be simple also.
edit: my mistake - the the ram slot is actually the Battery contact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are there even ram modules for tablets being sold? With which form factor are we dealing here?
If it can be upgraded though it would be great news, 1 gig is rather constraining.

Added video and link for example 3M double sided 3mm tape.

Huh...
I probably should have not read this topic. As a hardware engineer I might have some sleepless nights dreaming of wireless charging circuitry and a microUSB hacked into this beautiful body...

OyaNET said:
Huh...
I probably should have not read this topic. As a hardware engineer I might have some sleepless nights dreaming of wireless charging circuitry and a microUSB hacked into this beautiful body...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your point?

datas0ft said:
What is your point?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Point is, that I love my HD+, but I miss standard micro USB connection and wireless charging.
I'm already running late on a few projects of mine but after seeing the pics I cant get rid of the thoughts of hardware hacking my HD+ to integrate the above features.
BTW. I'm really grateful for the teardown pictures and description.

OyaNET said:
Huh...
I probably should have not read this topic. As a hardware engineer I might have some sleepless nights dreaming of wireless charging circuitry and a microUSB hacked into this beautiful body...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go for it, then quit your day job! Lol.
Better yet, build a converter adaptor, micro usb female to Nook 30-pin male, then we could use the HD+ for USB hosting.

thanks!

is screen replacement possible?
I am looking at your pictures to determine if it is possible to replace a cracked screen. I dropped mine on the concrete sidewalk and the glass cracked.:crying: The functionality is fine, the lcd was not damaged, just the "glass" (or plastic more likely). I would like to replace it with a new one, but if it is really impossible to do without breaking parts such as the foil ground wire, etc, then I guess I will put up with a cracked screen. Do you think it is really feasible to replace the lcd and digitizer? Thanks.

could i charge the battery directly?

loverppc said:
could i charge the battery directly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nook HD+ is not charging anymore since one week. Battery goes low now, only green light no orange, tried 2 original power adapter, is it possible to recharche batterie without the internal charging electronics with an external one or is it possible to connect 5v power adapter directly to nook hd+?
thanks!

retaped down the bezel on my HD Plus
nice guide

Is the N home button accessible through this method, or is that built within the screen making it difficult to access? My N button on a Nook HD+ is not very responsive and has to be pressed hard to get it to work (purchased it on ebay), anyone know if this is fixable? I have a Nook HD as well which was brand new and that one's button is very responsive and works with the slightest of touch.

Ok, so i opened my Nook HD+ up and the micro switch is definitely accessible, but it needs to be replaced as the previous owner seems to have been a bit too harsh with it. Anyone know where i can get an exact replacement? I've replaced car fob key micro switches before, so this shouldn't be an issue.
Here's a photo from the Nook Tablet, the switch is the same in the HD+ (it's about an inch above the USB)
http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/BWtQHPQKynJJROds

Does anyone know where I could buy one of the connectors to attach the digitizer's flexi ribbon to the motherboard?

Mine fast shutdown when in use, despite fully charged. And cannot be tured on, unless plugged in. Use while wired id's fine throughout.
is that battery issue?
Any generic battery module to recommend that can fit?
Dimensions of battery pack please?

Just buy a used Nook. They are fairly cheap. Harvest a battery out of one with a broken screen perhaps.

[HOW TO] Nexus 4 replacing just back door glass lens. (DIY Ghetto Style)

Disclaimer: Read this thread completely before doing anything. I'm NOT responsible for any damage done to your device while doing this. DO IT ON YOUR OWN RISK. I'M ALSO NOT SURE IF THIS VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY OR NOT.
Hello everyone,
Like many of you, I ended up breaking my back glass of new Nexus 4. But being from India finding a replacement wasn't easy and if it was possible it wasn't cheap at all. So I did loads research and found just back glass lens only for cheap ($25 to India from China with free shipping) delivery time was fast got it within 10 days. I thought its cheap so its worth taking a risk. I was unable to find any guide online to replace just glass so I thought I'll make one here to help others out.
Requirement:
Back glass lens only replacement.
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T5 screw driver and few other tools to remove glass from back (As shown in picture below)
Adhesives remover, I used nail polish remover as I had nothing else and at least for me it worked well.
Adhesives to stick new glass on back, I used SYNTHETIC RUBBER BASED ADHESIVE as I had nothing else. But I suggest find something better than this.
Cover yourself properly(full pants, full sleeves shirt or tshirt, glooves, piece of cloth to cover your mouth and if possible eye gear too (You'll need this to protect yourself from small glass particles and glass dust) Basically cover yourself as much as you can, if you don't like to be in mess like me.
This is what removed glass looks like.
LEAST 2-3 HOURS of your time.
PS: You should do this in safe environment, glass is so thin while removing it can cause you serious harm(cuts, can fly into your eyes or mouth) It becomes powder form so if you're not careful you'll be left with glass dust all over you. Also Make sure NO children are around when you do this.
Lets get started.
1. You'll need to remove back door from nexus 4. You can either google how to do that or goto following link for xda guide
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2257896
2. Wireless charging coil and speaker grill is directly attached to glass. So you'll have to remove speaker grill first before removing glass from back and if possible charging coil too, if not you can remove it later like it did.
3. Now you can start removing glass out from where its broken or like me you can look under back door and you'll find 2 holes in upper part. Using something sharp punch through them. You can start from there then. Also make sure you don't use excessive force as plastic used in door is really weak, it can crack or break easily. So always support the part of door with finger from below while you're removing glass on top of it. This took me almost 1 and half hour to get this done. It will take time initially and will be hard but will get faster and easier as you'll get used to it. I removed glass from border of case and corners as it has somewhat plastic support below and left the glass on coil for last as its very delicate.
4. If you did as I did in pictures, you'll be left with charging coil and glass on it. I removed charging coil at this point from back door and removed glass really carefully. Removing glass from coil alone took me an hour. You can see some part of plastic protection of coil is removed while scrapping glass out, though I'm sure its still working fine, but still be really be careful while doing it. After done this is what you'll be left with.
5. Use Adhesives remover (in my case nail polish remover) to clean back door and charging coil. This is really important, as you need no residue left on it before putting new glass on. This is what it looked like after cleaning it.
6. After its all clean, Use Adhesive you chose and apply if on back door evenly and fit glass on it. if its rubber based like one i used let it dry for a bit before fitting glass on it. As rubber based ones takes time to dry. I did not apply adhesive on charging coil as some of its plastic protection was removed so I didn't wanted to take any chances. So I stick glass on back without charging coil and this is end result.
7. Now my back is ready, I stick speaker grill back on it and I just put charging coil on glass back without adhesive I didn't wanted it to be stuck with glass again as incase glass breaks again its pain in a** to remove it from glass. So i just place it in its place and put my phone back together again.
8. My phone is working perfectly fine now, fitting is not as original but that's cause of Adhesives I used. If you use better it will be just as brand new.
Below are few things you should keep in mind before doing this.
It took me least 3-4 hours to do this, was it all worth the pain? I was getting just a back without nfc and wireless charging for $75 shipped to India and original back door replacement with all equipment for $100+ neither were worth according to me and I didn't wanted to spend so much money on it either. I had back screen guard on when it fell, So all broken glass was behind guard and I further sealed it with clear tape so glass wasn't going anywhere and further it was in case. So no one could even see its broken. I fixed it cause I might be selling this phone to replace with Nexus 5 incase its worth an upgrade. Also I bought phone from USA as I was never gonna claim Warranty either so thinking if this will void warranty or not wasn't something I had to worry about. So making phone as good as new for $25 it was money well spent. Infact you can get this glass lens cheaper than what I spent depending on country you live it. Also there is risk to break the back door itself as its fragile. So please consider everything before you even try this. If you're careful enough I don't think you'll have problem doing this fix.
My phone is working perfectly fine now, tested everything besides wireless charging as I don't have wireless charger but nfc and all are working just fine.
I got my replacement from china and it came well packed thought should share with you guys incase you are wondering if its safe to get something so delicate from china.
If you have any questions feel free to ask. I'll try to help as much as I can. Hope this helpful to people. Good Luck with your repair
Arvin

Really useful. I do hope never to use it though btw how did u order it? I'm your neighbor from Pakistan, i might drop this thing like u unfortunately did. So was wanting to know that
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

WasifSal said:
Really useful. I do hope never to use it though btw how did u order it? I'm your neighbor from Pakistan, i might drop this thing like u unfortunately did. So was wanting to know that
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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ebay.com

wow LOL what a freaking mess!

Damn, good job man.

exb0 said:
Damn, good job man.
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Thanks

arvinchugh said:
ebay.com
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Links or it didn't happen
I can't seem to find a good reliable ad actually :/

WasifSal said:
Links or it didn't happen
I can't seem to find a good reliable ad actually :/
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There you go.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/140993242760?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Sanded, polished, etched the back case of my phone.

THE STORY:
Since I bought this phone I wanted to do something to the back cover, I just wasn't sure what. Plus I wasn't really set on the idea of doing something to risk damaging a perfectly good (and new at the time) phone. That was until about 2 months ago when I managed to put a small hairline crack in the digitizer. Since the phone was no longer undamaged, yet still 100% functional, I figured why the hell not customize it.
I read awhile ago on XDA about some users discussing what the phone would look like with a polished look but no one was willing to take the plunge. This seemed like a good/fun project now that I didn't care if I screwed it up.
First I used 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper to remove the anodization. While this method was working, it was painstakingly slow to get to bare metal. The interesting thing about 1000 grit though, it doesn't remove the anodizing right away yet takes out a lot of the minor blemishes due to everyday use. This could in turn be used carefully to remove any dings you have without removing the anodizing. In this photo it is hard to see, but the top half near the camera hasn't been sanded, while near the HTC logo it has.
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Since 1000 grit was taking too long, I switched to 400 grit. This seemed to be a decent middle ground. It wasn't too coarse to tear up the aluminum but just enough to take off the anodization a little quicker. You can see I managed to scratch the camera lens cover a bit... don't worry FYI: anodizing can be removed via a chemical bath, but who would be willing to put their whole phone in a vat of liquid....
Now that I was down to bare metal I switched to 3000 grit sandpaper I picked up from O'Reilly's Auto Parts. This smoothed out a lot of the larger scratches from the 400 grit paper and gave a good dull, almost brushed, look to the aluminum.
Now that I had a mostly blemish free surface, I used Turtle Wax Polishing Compound to smooth out any remaining small imperfections. The final step was to use Mothers Aluminum Polish to get a nice mirror finish.
I was pretty satisfied with the result, however, I had to do more...
I recently stumbled across this article on Hack A Day which gave me the inspiration to do the same.
For everyone's information, after polishing the back, this is what your phone will look like after 2 weeks of typical use (for me at least).
Before I started the etching process I had to give the back cover a good re-polishing. Once that was complete I decided on the design I wanted. Typically in most DIY etching, people use some kind of paint or resist to block the areas they don't want etched. Luckily I have an awesome brother-in-law who recently got a hold of an old plotter. So I whipped up a design in Illustrator and he took care of getting me a vinyl cutout to use. Of course I had to go with the two sites I frequent the most as my design... (yes, I know it's a little off center. I got in a hurry ha-ha)
Instead of going with a vinegar and salt solution for my etchant. I decided on a mix of Copper Sulfate, Sodium Bisulfate and table salt. I used a 45% Copper Sulfate, 45% salt, and 10% Sodium Bisulfate mix.
The Copper Sulfate comes as a chunky blue rock/crystal. So I hit it with the mortar and pestle to make dissolve better in water.
After mixing everything in hot water it was time to etch. I used an old 12 volt 1000ma wall wart I had sitting around for my power source. I wired the phone by wrapping it with 1 foot of bare copper wire and tightly wrapping the wire with electrical tape to make sure it would contact the aluminum. I wrapped another wire around a cotton swab tip and connected it to the negative terminal of the wall wart. After making sure the phone was powered off. I connected the positive terminal of the wall wart to the bare wire attached to the phone, making sure it was in contact with the aluminum by testing it with a voltmeter.
Once satisfied with the etch, I cleaned the surface off with a damp paper towel. All that was left was another polish with the Turtle Wax and the Mothers Aluminum Polish. Here is the final result.
A couple of notes:
1. The phone "seems" to get warmer than what it did before (only while watching videos or playing a graphics heavy game). I haven't checked/compared the actual stats, it's just what I have noticed while holding phone.
2. The white plastic that separates the top and bottom will get a little grey from the sanding and polishing. Goof off seems to be a great remedy to make them white again.
3. The scratches on the camera lens protective cover were buffed/polished away while using the Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. Also, the scratches were never over the center portion and did not impact the picture quality while they were there anyway.
4. The speaker phone mic will get compound/polish in it, however a light tap on a table, with the mic facing down, while the compound is still wet removes most of it. Any residual stuff left in the small hole can be removed (CAREFULLY) with the tip of an exacto blade.
5. I have not had any issues with my signal, nor any issues with the mic on the phone since doing this.
I shouldn't have to say this, but anyone who tries this, be careful. You can seriously mess up the phone and I am not responsible if you follow my examples and something goes wrong. Do this at your own risk.
If you would like to do this and have questions or need help, let me know.
-Crack

Looks great mate. Don't know if I could be bothered with all the work myself, but props to you for creating such a unique result.

I wonder if it is posible to polish a black one?

zumyman46 said:
I wonder if it is posible to polish a black one?
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My brother-in-law's is black... He wants to try all this out, I may report back if he decides to go through with it..

Chrome One...It actually looks amazing.

kinda looks like the m8. Can you put a clear coat or something to seal everything so that it doesnt scratch so easily?

I remember I saw on a truck show there is a sealant that could be used on chrome wheels to keep them shiny and scratch resistant but forgot what the product was called. Without some type of sealant you will get scratches back in no time flat like the I phones do. This is a great idea of if you want a chrome look and the etching is icing on the cake. You are only limited by your imagination. Could really make your phone yours.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

That's awesome mate it looks great in chrome
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

UltraNoob said:
kinda looks like the m8. Can you put a clear coat or something to seal everything so that it doesnt scratch so easily?
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I thought about this since this phone is mostly an experiment before picking up the new M8. I forgot who made it, but there is a spray paint that gives the "appearance" of an anodized metallic look in different colors. I know that sounds counterintuitive since I removed the stock anodization, again, this is mainly an experiment. I was thinking of doing some kind of a fade between two colors and then a clear coat.
robgee789 said:
That's awesome mate it looks great in chrome
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
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I almost wanted to keep it just chrome without the etch, and I almost stopped after seeing the dull brushed aluminum look because I liked it so much..

robgee789 said:
That's awesome mate it looks great in chrome
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
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Are you talking about plastidip??
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Wow, I've never even imagined the One with a "chrome" look like that. It's gorgeous. Unfortunate that it gets scratched up like that, though.

Wow this is epic. How long did the entire process take all together?

tnx FOR SHARING..
I will start polishing very soon. Tnx for great idea and i will post picture result

Good Job!!

First look. After sandpaper i accidentally damage camera lens. But,i try a tip from youtube with toothpaste and now is maybe better than before everything. Just perfect solution for camera lens.. Now i only need to start polishing with some polish paste and we will see resoults soon..

Crackanug said:
My brother-in-law's is black... He wants to try all this out, I may report back if he decides to go through with it..
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Will work the same. Anodizing only creates a hardened surface a few microns thick. The sand paper will rub through this quickly leaving the base aluminium colour underneath. The anodize process is what is used to surface harden and create different coloured aluminium surfaces. If your brother in law expects to have a polished black surface afterwards, he won't.

diselhead said:
First look. After sandpaper i accidentally damage camera lens. But,i try a tip from youtube with toothpaste and now is maybe better than before everything. Just perfect solution for camera lens.. Now i only need to start polishing with some polish paste and we will see resoults soon..
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Looks good so far. :good:
CaelanT said:
Will work the same. Anodizing only creates a hardened surface a few microns thick. The sand paper will rub through this quickly leaving the base aluminium colour underneath. The anodize process is what is used to surface harden and create different coloured aluminium surfaces. If your brother in law expects to have a polished black surface afterwards, he won't.
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If I recall, those microns sure put up a good fight against the sand paper...

Crackanug said:
If I recall, those microns sure put up a good fight against the sand paper...
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65-70 HRC..................yes...............very hard surface after anodizing. :fingers-crossed:
Sandpaper is also not the best medium for breaking through it either, but definitely the safest to prevent damaging the aluminium below it.

renehd2 said:
Are you talking about plastidip??
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
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Hot damn this looks gorgeous just plainly polished. The chrome/mirror look is niiiice - might have get scrubbing this afternoon.

I kind of want to sand my One down and hit it with some automotive grade basecoat and a few coats of clear coat. Anyone have any experience? Will it give me the beautiful glossy finish I think it will?