I messed up my DZ doing the hinge thing... it's fixable though I reckon. Help? lol - G2 and Desire Z Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I got this phone on Friday (yes I know I'm dumb to have ****ed around with it etc etc, w/e). I tore the phone down to get at the spring in the hinge so that I could stretch out the spring and make it stirdy. Anyway, putting it back together I notice that one of the screw holes to fasten the PCB to the body also lines up with the hole to fasten the back of the phone to the rest of it and I accidentally put the screw to fasten down the PCB in that hole instead. Forgetting I had already put my SIM card back in the phone to test functionality, I went to take off the back just so I could move that screw over... it pulled off normally, and I noticed my SIM card was still attached to the back of the phone... along with the module that holds the SIM card in.
Anyway, if it was held down with cold solder joints I'd have just handled that already, but this is like... a PCB glued to a PCB, and I haven't dealt with this before.
Basically what it looks like is two rows of four squares, kinda like a metallic checkered pattern? (I'd take a picture but my camera is the phone) that look kinda like this:
[] [] [] []
[] [] [] []
Is there like a conductive adhesive that I can get to glue this back down? I'm really bummed out and don't wanna have to spend another bunch of cash on another phone <_<

If there is anyway you can take a picture, that would be really helpful. Are you saying the phone itself has 8 metallic pads and there are 8 spring clips or something on the SIM card holder that line up with the pads (this latter part is my assumption)?
Without being able to actually look at it, I don't think conductive adhesive would be helpful and would actually be a bad idea (since it may short the pins together once you press the two pieces together). If it is designed the way I said above (contact pins on the holder touching surface pads on the PCB), then you would actually want to use something non-conductive like super glue to reattach the holder (making sure to align the pins with the pads and that the super doesn't cover the pads---the pins must make physical contact with the pads). I'm hesitant to actually recommend doing this without actually seeing pictures of it though. I guess as a test, you can try using the phone while simply holding the SIM card holder in place to see if it works (this is once again assuming the design I stated above). If that works, you could even just use some electrical tape to hold it in place. Once you screw the back cover on again, it should press the holder down enough to ensure constant contact with the PCB (you can even add a couple layers of tape to push the holder down more if needed).

They're little copper pads... I THINK I've figured out what I need, confirmation would be good though. I did some internet hunting last night and found that there was such a thing as conductive adhesive double-sided copper tape that's actually used for this **** (and I think might have been used in the first place for this as I peeled off a little piece from each contact).
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Sorry for the picture quality, but you get the jist of it. They're definitely not cold solder joints, and I think that tape is exactly what I need.
ianmcquinn said:
If there is anyway you can take a picture, that would be really helpful. Are you saying the phone itself has 8 metallic pads and there are 8 spring clips or something on the SIM card holder that line up with the pads (this latter part is my assumption)?
Without being able to actually look at it, I don't think conductive adhesive would be helpful and would actually be a bad idea (since it may short the pins together once you press the two pieces together). If it is designed the way I said above (contact pins on the holder touching surface pads on the PCB), then you would actually want to use something non-conductive like super glue to reattach the holder (making sure to align the pins with the pads and that the super doesn't cover the pads---the pins must make physical contact with the pads). I'm hesitant to actually recommend doing this without actually seeing pictures of it though. I guess as a test, you can try using the phone while simply holding the SIM card holder in place to see if it works (this is once again assuming the design I stated above). If that works, you could even just use some electrical tape to hold it in place. Once you screw the back cover on again, it should press the holder down enough to ensure constant contact with the PCB (you can even add a couple layers of tape to push the holder down more if needed).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Interesting. So I take it on the SIM card holder side, there are simply 8 corresponding pads as well? In that case, copper tape is the way to go. Just be careful not to bridge any of the pads and that the holder is properly aligned when you stick it on. Copper tape can get really expensive, but I think the small width ones are pretty reasonable (maybe $10 or $15 a reel). Or you see if any local hobby shops would be willing to just give you a little (or perhaps check for free samples online).
Good luck!

ianmcquinn said:
Interesting. So I take it on the SIM card holder side, there are simply 8 corresponding pads as well? In that case, copper tape is the way to go. Just be careful not to bridge any of the pads and that the holder is properly aligned when you stick it on. Copper tape can get really expensive, but I think the small width ones are pretty reasonable (maybe $10 or $15 a reel). Or you see if any local hobby shops would be willing to just give you a little (or perhaps check for free samples online).
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried my luck with exchanging it... "Yeah, it just won't detect my SIM card..."
All is well in the world of Dingle

did u get them to replace the phone? or u solved the problem?

Dinglehoofis said:
I tried my luck with exchanging it... "Yeah, it just won't detect my SIM card..."
All is well in the world of Dingle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And that is why return policies get f'ed up for the rest of us.

Related

Samsung Epix Screen Alignment

I did a hard reset, and am stuck at the screen alignment. I installed Remote Screen Alignment, but it appears not to have a setting for the Epix. Also, when I run it, I get an error trying to configure the remote device.
I am wondering if I need to create a .dat file for the Epix. Does anyone know the Epix calibration settings, or some other work around for beign stuck on this screen?
Thanks!
Sorry you didn't get any response faster.
I had the same problem.
I too asked for the dat and others presets.
Guess what if those didn't work the problem is the touch screen digitizer. No way around it, you have to replace it.
It is cheap on ebay $15-19 shipped. I just finished putting it on.
Caution on taking the phone apart. It's not that easy to do so.
Do you have any tips for taking the phone apart?
My digitizer is crazy and I can't get the screen to allign. I'm ready to replace it, but a little weary about taking the phone apart so far.
andy7079 said:
Do you have any tips for taking the phone apart?
My digitizer is crazy and I can't get the screen to allign. I'm ready to replace it, but a little weary about taking the phone apart so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no resource whatsoever on how to take the phone apart.
I just did it cold turkey. You just can't be afraid.
I took apart an i607 Blackjack before using instructional videos. I think this was a bit easier. Similar and easier.
I did not even refer to those videos again, I just went at it like no ones business. If your scared then you will probably mess up.
You obviously remove the battery tray, battery and sim card
Remove the stylus
Remove the rubber cover nub on the upper left side.
Unscrew all the visible screws. IIRC there are 3 on each side. This is probably one of the tough parts, because each screw looks to have been applied with some loctite material. You really need a proper screw driver. Philips head, but really small. You will see it. If you start stripping the screw, or strip it. START TO GET WORRIED. Because I don't know how you will get it out then. So after you removed all the screws. Do not expect the phone to come off easily.. IT WONT, its like it is still together.
You will need to use some FORCE to pry a small portion of the phone open, and when I say small I mean small because they are clipped together tight.
If you bought the digitizer from EBAY it comes with this
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That included screw driver is a torx head which is no use to you. But that yello tool is what you need to use to pry the case apart without scratching the case.
So again once you pry a small portion.. I STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM, insert that yellow tool in the opening and run it along the case and it will start to pry open the case apart.
After that, you shall see the board.. this is where my memory gets vague.
I don't think there was any other screws to be removed to remove the board, but there might have been 1.
Anyways on the left side you will see a small ribbon cable that runs through the front of the phone, that is the cable that attches to the digitizer. Unclip it and remove it. Then carefully pry the board until you see the front screen digitizer.
Now you will need to decide how you are going to remove this because it is glued on. Be careful as you will need to use force. The OEM case though IS VERY STRONG. I was flexing that b!tch and it did not crack or snap. Good quality for sure Samsung.
Once you have it removed, you will need to have new adhesive, or be ghetto and just peel apart the one from the old digitizer and reposition it for the new one.
Put the new one, attach the ribbon cable and put phone back together.
Wish I could've taken pictures while I did it, but no one ever seems to speak up about calibration problems I thought I was the only one, and I was eager to install it.
I finally got around to fixing the digitizer. Removing the screws went suprisingly well. There was another screw on the PC board that I removed. I reused the adhesive, but I had to trim some parts of it to get it flat. Overall it went pretty well.
Thank you thank you! I just replaced my i907's digitizer and thanks to your thread, it was smooth sail.
If you didn't write it here, I would certainly feared removing the digitizer with such a force, I'd fear that I'm gonna break the frame. Fortunately, Samsung made it so soft it bends almost any angle without breaking.
It helped to put the frame on the table with a digitizer down, push onto the transparent area of digitizer with fingers (starting in some corner), and slowly pull the frame upwards, away from digitizer.
I recommend this seller: http://myworld.ebay.com/e2_express/ - it was a cheapest i907 digitizer on eBay, with free international shipping for $11, and he included all tools I needed for repair. My Epix now works perfectly (well, apart from ROM, but that's a completely different story, f**k you very much, AT&T .
Replace sceen May 2010
This is actually easier and scarier than it sounds.
Six screws: four at the corners of the battery compartment, one under the rubber plug upper left, and one under the stylus. (When putting back together-be careful with the stylus screw. The stylus goes inside and so will the screw. Time to take it apart, again.)
I could not re-use the adhesive. When I was taking off the old screen, the adhesive curled up longitudinally, tried to straighten, then it balled up. My wife scrapbooks so I used her photo adhesive strips. Not as strong, probably not long term, but I needed to put the phone back together.
Putting the ribbon connector back takes patience. Be sure the "clamp" is open before you start.
If the volume rocker comes off, dammit, there is a tiny hole that fits over a tiny peg, then slide the other end into the tiny slot.
I'm impressed with the inside of my Epix. Pretty amazing how much, and how they cram it in there.

How To Repair Samsung Captivate Glide Screen

RepairsUniverse compiled this video repair guide which walks you through taking apart your Captivate Glide, allowing you to replace the screen assembly or other internal parts. Following this guide will insure a safe and quick repair is made on your Samsung smartphone.
This guide will help you to install the following Samsung Captivate Glide part(s):
Samsung Captivate Glide LCD + Touch Screen Digitizer Replacement
Tools Required:
Safe open pry tool
Small Phillips
Heat Gun / Hair Dryer
How To Repair Samsung Captivate Glide Screen
First step is to remove the back battery cover, the battery, the sim and the memory card.
Then use Small Phillips Screwdriver and remove the 7 screws as shown at Figure 1.
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Figure 1​
Once all the screws have been removed, slide to open the device then use safe pry opening tool and start prying along all the edges to release all the clips holding the back housing in place.
Once the back housing has been totally removed use Small Phillips Screwdriver to remove the 2 remaining screws. Then use safe pry tool to release the 3 connections. Once the screws and connections are released, you can now remove the motherboard. Once the motherboard has been separated, use safe pry tool to gently lift the lower circuit board and antenna away from the rest of the device.
Figure 2​
Next step is to remove the ten (10) screws.
Once the screws had been removed, use safe pry tool and begin lifting the back plate. Once all the clips had been release, the back can then now removed as well as the keyboard.
Next, we can now need to release the slide flex cable which is adhere to the slide portion of the device. Carefully slide it through the slot and be careful not to ripped the cable.
Remove the four (4) Phillips Screws in each corner. Once removed, you can now start releasing all the clips at all four sides of the screen assembly using safe pry tool. Once release you can now remove the back plate of the device. Be careful not to damaged the slide flex ribbon cable.
Now starts releasing the main jaw connector to totally release the slide flex ribbon cable together with the speaker and the front camera. You can also release the keypad flex cable from the jaw connector.
Figure 3​
With the use of heat gun or hair dryer, begin heating the outside edges of the device for about 45 seconds to soften the held adhesive. Use quick movements when applying heat.
Once the adhesive has been warmed, use safe pry tool to begin releasing the front housing from the front assembly. Once released, the front frame comes up from the front assembly.
Use safe pry tool and gently lift the keypad flex ribbon cable from the screen assembly. The screen assembly can now be replace.
Figure 4​
Reverse the instructions above to reassemble your phone.
Thanks a ton.
Would it be possible to get less fuzzy pictures? The motherboard pretty much looks like a jumble of blobs on my end.
OK, thanks. Now we'd only need a cheap source to buy replacements.
Amazing thanx for the great info and step by step instructions with the pictures. I do not know if I would ever do this as My Big fingers have trouble with such little parts. Very courageous of you and I am glad you were able to fix your Glide.
No problem, glad you found the guide useful.
Please excuse the late reply, figured this would be the best place to ask.
I'm currently repairing my Glide, the slider is damaged and my home keys don't work. I think I've got the slider figured out. My issue is that I'm not sure what to replace to repair the home keys. I believe it's the ribbon that is connected between the screen and the digitizer. I've circled it (and arrowed it) in the image below.
imgur.com/NFCjD (No links yet, sorry.)
I think it's think because there's a slight tear in it. My biggest problem is, I don't know where the hell to find that ribbon or what it's called. Any idea? Thanks.
Havok-San said:
Please excuse the late reply, figured this would be the best place to ask.
I'm currently repairing my Glide, the slider is damaged and my home keys don't work. I think I've got the slider figured out. My issue is that I'm not sure what to replace to repair the home keys. I believe it's the ribbon that is connected between the screen and the digitizer. I've circled it (and arrowed it) in the image below.
imgur.com/NFCjD (No links yet, sorry.)
I think it's think because there's a slight tear in it. My biggest problem is, I don't know where the hell to find that ribbon or what it's called. Any idea? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can find the part that you need: cellphonerepairshop.com. I bought an antenna from there and they shipped the item very fast.
I have a bricked camera and am now convinced that it is a hardware problem and a camera module is only $15 online, do you have better pics of the back with the housing off so I can see the cam module before attempting this or maybe you can answer this, can the cam be replaced after the back housing is off without more disassembly ? I'm 99.9% sure i can fix it but this is my only phone for now and i'm just trying to be educated before i start, Thanx
Dido on the Camera repair
Thx for the walkthrough, my Glide got water damaged but the screen and camera have no visible damage and if I can get a used one for cheap on eBay that just has a scratched screen I will definitely try this out but would also be interested in how to interchange the Camera just in case the Camera lens is scratched as well. My phone wasn't soaked but it was in my pocket when I had to walk home in the rain and I'm pretty sure it just got wet around the battery and probably shorted the board.
I am a noob and yes i used the search and this is where it led me.
It's curious.
You have to use the dryer or something like that with the outside edges of the device in order to soften the held adhesive.
Does this mean that adhesive it's the only thing that fixes the screen to the phone body? I ask this cause I bought what seems to be a refurbished one that I'm returning right know. It looks completely new, but the screen started to come off the phone structure one week after I started to use it.
Is this due to an screen replacement, and that adhesive as the only thing to hold the screen in the device? LOL
It is possible to replace just the LCD screen for this model?
amith12 said:
It is possible to replace just the LCD screen for this model?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We highly suggest using a full screen assembly to do this repair. The lcd is bonded to the touch screen on this model.

DIY custom car dock for the Galaxy S3

So after getting my new S3 a couple weeks ago I decided I wanted a dock for my truck to be able use navigation, music, etc a little more conveniently….
I was really surprised to find out that Samsung has not made an S3 specific dock yet….
After doing some searching, I found a thread here that showed the Infuse 4G car dock worked (thanks ookba!), so I picked one up from ATT last week to play with.
While it does what I want, I couldn’t use it with my Aduro shell holster case as it does not come off easily. In addition, I couldn’t mount the dock where I wanted in my truck.
So I decided to make my own dock and mount; hopefully someone here can benefit from this. This won't win any beauty awards, but it works.
The materials I used are as follows:
1/8” black Kydex (McMaster-Carr PN 8650K112)
Cannibalized Infuse 4G dock
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Pro-Fit Toyota specific VSM G3 mount – This was sort of a mistake; I didn’t look closely enough where the mount was intended to be installed into my Tundra. The mount was made to be installed on the passenger side of the radio which is way too far away for me. So I ended up using the parts, but as the kit was $50, I probably could’ve done it cheaper if I was paying attention.
1/8 x 1.5 x 6” aluminum strip (Home Depot)
In addition, So I did not melt my expensive S3, I needed to make a replacement that I could use to form the Kydex with, once I heated it up; For that I used the Incipio case that I had first bought, but didn’t really like.
I also got some polyester casting resin and activator from an art supply house to make the form.
(Black electrical tape placed over openings to keep resin from leaking out)
After about 24 hours I had a "new" GS3! This picture shows the new resin S3 in the Incipio case...
Out of the mold. Note that the textured side of the Kydex is what contacts the phone; it almost feels soft.
Next I needed to fit the USB portion of the Infuse dock onto my cradle; In order for my S3 to slide onto the USB port, I had to mill the back of my cradle until the phone slid onto the USB smoothly. I ended up taking off nearly 1/16” from the back.
Once that was done, I cut out the center portion of the Infuse dock connector so I could fill it with epoxy and make it a bit stronger. I also had to grind down the bottom a bit to make it flat.
The scary part was actually gluing the 2 pieces to together so the USB plug lined up with the phone; For this, I had to use the actual phone and not my resin mockup…… Fortunately I did not end up gluing my phone to the dock!
Not the prettiest, but fully functional!
I did polish up the edges so they were smooth with my Dremel.
Here is the dock with the Pro-Fit Lock Plate (PN BR202-LP) secured to the back. You can also see that I molded the top of the cradle over an Exacto knife handle as a retainer for the phone.
With phone
I may cut off the tab at the top, as the phone fits in nice and snug by itself, so I don’t think it is in any danger of falling out. We’ll see…
Next, I need a mount!
I hammered on a 6” strip of 1/8” aluminum to make my mount. You can see the Tundra Pro-fit mount below it… More on that later…
Here is the mount sitting on my dash
This was an experiment, but I decided to try using some Command wall strips to secure the mount to the dash.
Command strips installed, Pro-fit mount bolted onto the end.
Mount “secured “ to the dash….
This is the mount temporarily secured where I wanted it with the owners manual as ballast.
So how did it work? It worked pretty well actually, with just a couple issues: The mount vibrated around a bit too much while driving and was a little too close to the steering wheel; however the dock itself worked well. I will probably mod the mount to stiffen it up.
Very creative !
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j288/beemer533/Custom Galaxy S3 dock/IMG_8442.jpg
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
As far as using Command strips for adhesive.... lets say that was a waste of cash!
I parked in the sun for a couple hours and the mount dropped right off... i measured almost 180 degrees on my dash with my IR thermometer.
I'll just try some heavy duty double sided tape next.... I was hoping to get something that could be removed relatively easily.
Do you by any chance have a power drill I could borrow??? lol
Nice work! i would have ruined the case, cut off a finger or drilled through my phone if I attempted something like that! :laugh:
Beemer533 said:
As far as using Command strips for adhesive.... lets say that was a waste of cash!
I parked in the sun for a couple hours and the mount dropped right off... i measured almost 180 degrees on my dash with my IR thermometer.
I'll just try some heavy duty double sided tape next.... I was hoping to get something that could be removed relatively easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used thos strips as well and they do not hold up in the heat. What I've found to work is using 3M outdoor mounting tape. It holds up to the hot Phoenix weather. Nice Tundra by the way :good:
strengthcoach4 said:
I've used thos strips as well and they do not hold up in the heat. What I've found to work is using 3M outdoor mounting tape. It holds up to the hot Phoenix weather. Nice Tundra by the way :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it holds up in Phoenix than it should work pretty well here in Syracuse... Where did you buy the 3M outdoor tape? I haven't had a chance to drop buy HD or Loews yet.
Thanks! I've been very happy with my Tundra so far. Tows and drives really well.
awesome! I am in the midst of trying something like this myself! KUDOS!!!
Thanks for posting this will crazy details! Might have to steal some of this!!
No problem! Steal away... I have a few more pictures that I didn't post; just ask if you want to see anything in more detail...
if you could show more details of how you mounted the infuse dock... heck any pics! lol
Interesting, thanks for the post!
flawedlegacy said:
if you could show more details of how you mounted the infuse dock... heck any pics! lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, I should have some more pics for that. I will update shortly....
somerandomguy1 said:
Interesting, thanks for the post!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NP, glad to help.
UPDATE
Sooo, I did discover the downside of using Kydex.... I originally selected Kydex as my material due to its relatively low "heat forming" point...(~150)..
I am in Denver this week for work, so I brought my dock with me to use in my rental car; this afternoon I left work and when i put the phone in the dock I found one of the "wings" that holds the phone had opened up a bit.
It was 95 degrees out and I know from my measurements in my truck back home, that I was seeing 175 degrees (measured on the dash with IR)
Judging by how hot the steering wheel was, I'm guessing the interior heated up close enough to the forming temperature of Kydex that it softened up a bit..
This isn't a huge deal for me as I can just remove the dock from the mount when I'm not in the car and set it aside out of the sun.
I would like to get a material that will be more heat resistant though, which means that it will require more heat to form, which in turn means that my current resin mold won't cut it....
Looks like I will have to get some heat resistant silicon and make a mold that I can pour a liquid metal into to make a heat resistant form.
Stay tuned!
In response to previous request about how I secured the Infuse dock to my cradle; here is some additional details...
If you have the Infuse dock, this is the part that slides to insert the USB connector into the phone; I simply removed it from the dock it self. On the rear is a thin piece of plastic that just pulls out; under that you will see 4 small philips screws. Those are what holds this piece to the rest of the dock.
Once I had the screws out, I cut out the center portion so I could fill the cavity with epoxy. My original plan was to fill with epoxy to strengthen it, let harden and then secure it to my cradle with screws. I ended up just using the epoxy to secure it, so probably didn't need to fill it, but no big deal, either way would work.
THis is a close up of the back of my cradle (i think this picture was also in the original post) I took my dremel and with a sanding drum I carefully sanded out an area so the dock would fit correctly.
I spent quite a bit of time lining up the dock with my phone and sanding until it fit correctly
Here is the dock epoxied to the cradle

DipYourNexus - Galaxy Nexus with Plasti-Dip Housing

I'm not a big fan of gloss plastic, which Samsung seems to just love to bits. I especially don't like plastic that pretends to be anything that isn't plastic. As much as I love my Galaxy Nexus, the one thing that always irked me was the cheap satin-finish plastic housing. I saw that the Nexus 4 uses the ever-familiar soft-touch coating around the sides, so I figured that's the ticket for me. I looked up some DIY methods and found that the most cost-effective option is to use Plasti-Dip, which I have seen used on the Nexus S' battery door. I decided to go a little deeper and dip the Galaxy Nexus' entire housing.
Without further ado:
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It turned out really well, I think. The photos make it look more textured than it actually is. It's not exactly the same soft-touch coating OEMs use, but it's pretty close. I like how it feels, and I love how it looks.
I took some progress shots, which you can find below. They're at 640px, so here's an album at 1024px if you need it. This was fairly easy for me to do as I've done a lot of work with plastic models before. It does take up a day, so if you decide to try it, make sure you've got a lot of free time and something to do in between coats. Also, as with any coat of paint, Plasti-Dip adds some marginal thickness to the phone. With how snug the OEM docks are, I wouldn't try this if you have your heart set on using those. The desktop docks may still work as they don't look to be that tight, but the OEM car dock will likely tear at the coating.
It goes without saying that I am not telling you to attempt this. If you do decide to dip your phone, you are doing so of your own free will and I will not accept responsibility for anything that goes wrong. You have been warned.
You will need to take your phone apart for this. If you're squeamish, you can order a spare housing for your specific Nexus model on eBay. They're not expensive. i9250 (GSM) and SCH-i515 (Verizon) housings are easy enough to find, particularly on wholesale stores like ETradeSupply.com. SPH-L700 (Sprint) housings are less common. It does matter which you use.
A spare housing is preferable for many reasons. You won't have to take your phone apart before you get started, which means you won't be unavailable for contact for a whole day while you're waiting for the Plasti-Dip to cure and dry. You also won't sacrifice the existing housing on your phone in case something goes wrong.
If you need to know how to disassemble your phone, this is the video I used to walk me through it. Use this as a guide when replacing the housing. WATCH THIS VIDEO BEFORE YOU PROCEED. It will give you greater insight as to what you need to mask off and how. It also helps to just examine the housing yourself.
Some things to keep in mind:
Masking
- The rear housing for the Galaxy Nexus has a lot of connectors attached. Don't be stingy in masking them off. Even though Plasti-Dip can be peeled off, you never know what you can pull out of place. I accidentally pulled off a foam gasket without knowing, and had to use the one from my original housing to replace it. Not a huge deal, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
- In addition, make sure to leave at least a little bit of room for the Plasti-Dip to go around edges. This will allow it to grip better and lessen the risk of accidental peeling during use.
- You don't have to mask off the POGO pins on the outside. There's a little bit of space around the pins where they're seated. The Plasti-Dip won't necessarily bridge that space all the way, so you really only have to use a sharp craft knife to get the Plasti-Dip off of the pins. Just take care not to cut or peel off the surrounding plastic. I did try to mask them off at first and found them to be a huge pain. I decided against it and simply figured I'd just go without being able to use the pins. I didn't realize they didn't need masking until after the final coat had cured.
- Masking the rear speaker grill will be a pain. You can cut small pieces of masking tape, using the speaker cutout as a guide. This is how I did it, and it is time consuming, but it will work. You can also use very small pieces of Sticky Tack (the moldable adhesive), which I didn't try but I've used Sticky Tack before to mask off small openings that are difficult to tape off.
- When it's time to peel off the masking tape, use a sharp craft knife to gently cut around the tape. This will make it easier to pull, and you will be less likely to accidentally rip the Plasti-Dip where you don't want to.
Preparation
- Use a micro-fiber cloth and maybe some canned air to get all the dust and oils off of the outside surfaces. I'd already masked off the inside at this point, so I just pinched the housing by the middle whenever I needed to hold it. This kept me from touching the outside of the housing.
- You don't need to sand anything, and I would actually recommend against it. Plasti-Dip grips pretty well, and you do want to be able to peel it off if you mess up or want to redo the job.
- When painting, I used a barbecue skewer poked through one of the open screw posts to hold the housing while coating it (not shown). You can also use the screw posts with a bent coat hanger to suspend it in mid-air (see photos). Anything that will allow you to maneuver around the housing will work, so long as it doesn't come into contact with any of the surfaces that you're wanting to dip.
- I mentioned the barbecue skewer because this actually allowed me to lay the housing on top of something in order to keep it flat. This was mostly due to me being afraid of any dripping that might occur. If you decide to do this, make sure that whatever you're laying it on is small enough to only touch the middle of the housing (see pictures below).
Plasti-Dip
- Follow the instructions on the can. Read up on Plasti-Dip just so you can be acquainted with application. It's really not complicated, but it's also not all the same as laying down a coat of paint.
- Most sites that give advice on Plasti-Dip are car-related (DipYourCar.com, for instance, is a site/community dedicated to this), and they will advise you to use about 3-5 coats. This is a much smaller project, so three (3) coats will suffice; at least, that's how many I did. The first coat should be little more than a light dusting, which when dry will allow the second coat to adhere better, so don't lay it on too thickly. The second coat and on will be your full coats.
- Make sure to give each coat at least thirty (30) minutes to dry before you apply the next one. Basically, once you're done, go watch an episode or two of whatever show you like. That's plenty of time.
- When you've applied your last coat (probably your third or fourth), make sure to let the Plasti-Dip cure for at least four hours.
Finishing
- When the Plasti-Dip is fully cured, you're ready to start peeling off any excess and masking tape you've used. Like I mentioned before, a craft knife really helps here. Cut around the masking tape and the areas that need peeling off. This will decrease the risk of accidentally ripping the coating where you don't want to. Be careful when cutting. No need to gouge the housing or any crucial parts. Gentle passes will do.
- You'll need your craft knife to carefully remove the tape or tack from the rear speaker grill. Take care not to cut into the surrounding surfaces.
- You may need to "free" your volume and power buttons, so make gentle cuts around the buttons or just push them in very gently to wiggle them free. I went ahead and just peeled the Plasti-Dip off of my buttons, though you don't have to do that.
- Make sure you cut where the battery door tabs are located. This will help you pop it back in once you put your phone back together.
- When peeling, make sure there aren't any gaskets or parts coming off with the Plasti-Dip.
- You can put clear coat over the Plasti-Dip, at least from what I've read. This does harden the Plasti-Dip and makes it harder to remove, so be aware of that. It will also add a little bit of thickness to the housing. You probably need to do a separate masking for this as I can't guarantee it will peel off as it normally would. I recommend masking off the inside completely, leaving only the outside surface. If you also plan on using the POGO pins, you may want to mask those off, too. That will be a huge pain.
- Be gentle when handling the housing at first during reassembly. Even though the Plasti-Dip is cured, you want to give it a day before you start man-handling it. Also note that the coating does make the housing negligibly thicker, so be gentle when putting everything together.
Photos were taken using a Canon 60D with the 40mm f/2.8 STM lens, and a Promaster FT1750 Bounce Flash.
Pretty cool. Would it still it fit in the OEM pogo desk dock?
Probably not for using with the OEM car dock though.. it's already cherry-tight as it is and the rubber might burst after repeated in & out.
lost_ said:
Pretty cool. Would it still it fit in the OEM pogo desk dock?
Probably not for using with the OEM car dock though.. it's already cherry-tight as it is and the rubber might burst after repeated in & out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The desk dock, I'm not sure. It might. It doesn't look to be that snug. I don't have it so I wouldn't be able to say.
The car dock is a huge no-go, though. Not without modifications, anyway.
Thanks for mentioning that. I forgot to put it in the OP.

Faceplate mod = MicroSD card storage?

So I'm thinking to myself, this faceplate should be more useful then just a cosmetic attachment.
If you were to carefully cut out some small chamber into the back side of the faceplate you could probably make a way for storing Micro SDcards.
Seems like a simple enough an idea I thought, not sure if the magnets in it would effect the cards tho?
Why do this? 128s are still pricy, even 64's of a good brand are too. You could store a ton of movies/videos on a bunch of cards and always have them handy.
If your creative enough you could probably make enough room in the back of faceplate to glue in 2-4 of these:
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I wish there was an OEM solution but I'm very tempted to attempt some sort of mod.
An other idea for modding the faceplate would be to some how instal a small camera, tho, not sure where someone get the hardware to do this tho... A professionally made HD camera attachment that would replace the shield however would be cool tho!
Edwii said:
So I'm thinking to myself, this faceplate should be more useful then just a cosmetic attachment.
If you were to carefully cut out some small chamber into the back side of the faceplate you could probably make a way for storing Micro SDcards.
Seems like a simple enough an idea I thought, not sure if the magnets in it would effect the cards tho?
Why do this? 128s are still pricy, even 64's of a good brand are too. You could store a ton of movies/videos on a bunch of cards and always have them handy.
If your creative enough you could probably make enough room in the back of faceplate to glue in 2-4 of these:
I wish there was an OEM solution but I'm very tempted to attempt some sort of mod.
An other idea for modding the faceplate would be to some how instal a small camera, tho, not sure where someone get the hardware to do this tho... A professionally made HD camera attachment that would replace the shield however would be cool tho!
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Click to collapse
I think its a good idea but I'm wondering if the magnets would corrupt the card also. Electronics and magnets don't mix well.
kieso said:
I think its a good idea but I'm wondering if the magnets would corrupt the card also. Electronics and magnets don't mix well.
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Click to collapse
Flash memory isn't really affected by magnets because there are no magnets used in it. You're thinking of floppies and HDDs.
dark42 said:
Flash memory isn't really affected by magnets because there are no magnets used in it. You're thinking of floppies and HDDs.
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Click to collapse
Correction: not affected *as much*.
I would expect the card to work fine still. But magnets moving near any electronics induce a current, this can be the wrong polarity for the card and damage the gates, it could just enable a card read (with nothing to read to), it could reset a memory cell or it could do nothing. The latter is most common but the prior 3 are feasible and can occur.
I would try this, but the fact of the magnet may cause damage scares me... Right now I have 3 32GB cards, one inside and 2 in a little cardboard cut out taped to the back of my shield, pretty easy to move them in and out...
Doodle210 said:
I would try this, but the fact of the magnet may cause damage scares me... Right now I have 3 32GB cards, one inside and 2 in a little cardboard cut out taped to the back of my shield, pretty easy to move them in and out...
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I would like to see this.
Can you post a Image?
ricardo85x said:
I would like to see this.
Can you post a Image?
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Click to collapse
They fit pretty good, easy in and easy out, best part is it doesn't get in the way.
I looked this up to see if I was correct, and I was.
The only major problem with magnets and data storage comes from the hard drives that are not solid state drives. The problem is caused by the fact the this type of hard drive uses a magnetic field to read and write to the drive.
Under normal conditions moving a magnet past a coil of copper magnet wire by hand will only get you millivolts.
EDIT
Dug into browsing history and found the page for this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_read-and-write_head
I am of the opinion that the shields magnet is so weak that even if a micro SD card could be affected by a magnetic field that it would need a much more powerful magnet to damage it. To be realistic the magnets in the shield faceplate can't even hold on to the fridge. When you take a piece of metal and drag it across the back of the faceplate, you will notice that there are actually too small separate magnets in the top and bottom centers of it. Giving you plenty of room to create a cavity or two, away form the magnets themselfs for the micro sd's.
Edwii said:
I am of the opinion that the shields magnet is so weak that even if a micro SD card could be affected by a magnetic field that it would need a much more powerful magnet to damage it. To be realistic the magnets in the shield faceplate can't even hold on to the fridge. When you take a piece of metal and drag it across the back of the faceplate, you will notice that there are actually too small separate magnets in the top and bottom centers of it. Giving you plenty of room to create a cavity or two, away form the magnets themselfs for the micro sd's.
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Nice observation, I will test this tomorrow when I get mine! I'll leave one of my ancient 256mb cards in there for 5-7 days and then test. I think that under there could be a sweet place for SD cards great idea!!!
chevyowner said:
I looked this up to see if I was correct, and I was.
The only major problem with magnets and data storage comes from the hard drives that are not solid state drives. The problem is caused by the fact the this type of hard drive uses a magnetic field to read and write to the drive.
Under normal conditions moving a magnet past a coil of copper magnet wire by hand will only get you millivolts.
EDIT
Dug into browsing history and found the page for this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_read-and-write_head
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the magnets not only affect the data itself, but were also bad for HDDs w/ platters, as the spindles could then damage the drives due to the magnet, iirc...
Regarding the faceplate, is the magnet in the screen or the faceplate? (Or both?)
If it's in the faceplate, could 3d-print a replacement faceplate to hold microsd cards (or even have a cable running from faceplate to back of Shield if rigging up something even more complex), and then fashion some non-duct-tape method of attaching the faceplate back to the Shield.
there are magnets in both, plate and screen.
They are placed in the upper and lower edges, but not in the middle.
intel352 said:
Yeah, the magnets not only affect the data itself, but were also bad for HDDs w/ platters, as the spindles could then damage the drives due to the magnet, iirc...
Regarding the faceplate, is the magnet in the screen or the faceplate? (Or both?)
If it's in the faceplate, could 3d-print a replacement faceplate to hold microsd cards (or even have a cable running from faceplate to back of Shield if rigging up something even more complex), and then fashion some non-duct-tape method of attaching the faceplate back to the Shield.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had 0 issues with magnets and memory cards/ssd/flash drives. The link from the post you quoted tells why in better detail then I will.
HDDs use a magnet system to read and write the to the HDD, flash drives/ssd/memory cards don't work that way.

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