Polish for plastic? - Samsung Epic 4G Touch

I been using plastic case off ebay and I got microscratches on the sides of my phone now, anyone recommend a polishing compound or method to polish out the scratches?
Also, for those with the TPU cases, did you get any scratches?

Id say ur best bet would be to grab (and this might sound weird) a headlight restoration kit for automotive headlights. They sell for around 10 or 12 bucks at walmart or ur local carparts store and come with all necessary compounds and polishing cloths. Make sure and test a small area before diving right in.

I am planning to try PlastX plastic polish to try and polish the scratches from the chin on my phone. I have a bottle in the garage somewhere...

chazglenn3 said:
I am planning to try PlastX plastic polish to try and polish the scratches from the chin on my phone. I have a bottle in the garage somewhere...
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Lemme know how that works...I'm going to give this a try when I get some time.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=792980

Related

Scratched my Desire

Actually it was my mom who dropped it and the Desire got it TO THE FACE!!!
I have now 3 pretty big scratches on the aluminium plate, near the power button...
Any idea how to fix that? This is the first time I dropped (actually it wasn't me) my Desire... right into concrete! Ooo how I hate my mom now...
Can't post pics, coz I don't have all my other phones with me... on holyday right now.
I've done the same thing,got a case that covers the scratch but I'm still gutted
BlackLine7 said:
Actually it was my mom who dropped it and the Desire got it TO THE FACE!!!
I have now 3 pretty big scratches on the aluminium plate, near the power button...
Any idea how to fix that? This is the first time I dropped (actually it wasn't me) my Desire... right into concrete! Ooo how I hate my mom now...
Can't post pics, coz I don't have all my other phones with me... on holyday right now.
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Click to collapse
The best way to remove sratches is with " Brasso " its for cleaning copper and metal but it is a light abrasive that buffs scratches out or plastic and metal really well.
Just be careful when using as it can get a bit messy, only us a tiny bit.
Good Luck
R
Thanks for the reply!
Will try Brasso when I get home... I hope it will fix it, but I doubt it will remove the scratches, coz they are pretty bad
I think it's plastic not aluminium
When I dropped mine the top corner of the faceplate dented inwards so I'm pretty sure it's metal... as for buffing out the scratched with Brasso, if they're on the faceplate by the buttons as you said I dont thing Brasso (or any other rubbing polish / compund) will help as all this will do is REMOVE the paint / covering. You need to be adding back not taking away - see if you can find a modeling shop they might have some similar coloured pain that you could cover the scratchs with...
Just a thought without seeing the marks...
I did the same as snear and got a plastic cover from Amazon - they were £4 for 3 (DEAL!) and will take most of the abuse in a drop situation - I hope!
If it is metal, try the wax compounds that car accessory shops sell to fill in scratches
Try some super resin polish sold by autoglym, this will fill in the scratch but it wont remove it.
Thanks for all the answers!
I will try some metal filling compound and report back as soon as I finish it
That sucks bigtime buddy... that's why i keep mine in a gel case with a screen protector applied. I would be so annoyed if my phone had marks/scratches on it, especially when the time comes to sell it
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
BlackLine7 said:
Thanks for all the answers!
I will try some metal filling compound and report back as soon as I finish it
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Any luck with the scratches?

Rubberized back cover for Atrix

So I've got to give credit to the fine folks over at the Nexus S forum for giving inspiring the idea. I am a fan of keeping my phone caseless but I'm also a fan of keeping the scratches away. I bought a can of plasti dip in black and sprayed the back cover of the phone. The inside I sprayed 3 coats and the outside I believe 5. I held the can away from the cover about 15 inches while spraying for an even coat. Let it dry 30 mins between coats and sit 4-5 hours when I was finished just as the can said. It turned out great as you can see and now has a scratch proof rubberized cover. The rubber simply peels off if I ever want to remove it.
Looks good, not a bad idea at all. You say you sprayed the inside of the cover as well? Wouldn't think you would need to bother with the inside, why did you cover the inside. Take care.
smsparks said:
Looks good, not a bad idea at all. You say you sprayed the inside of the cover as well? Wouldn't think you would need to bother with the inside, why did you cover the inside. Take care.
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I sprayed the inside as well so it wouldn't start to peel on the edges. It fits just as snug as it did before despite being sprayed inside too. =) I did cover the hole for the speaker before spraying
How well does it slide in and out of your pocket? Is there any spray that would be more of a soft-touch rubber feel?
icedwhiskey said:
How well does it slide in and out of your pocket? Is there any spray that would be more of a soft-touch rubber feel?
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It slides in and out just fine. It's just grippy enough to not slide around on my seat as I'm driving. The best thing is if it gets annoying or I want to change it the stuff just simply peels off
i've used plastidip plenty of times on things, and i dont know about the durability of that over time. I use it on emblems on cars to black them out and stuff and small rock chips etc pull it off fairly easily. Plus the finish usually isnt too smooth. i'd rather spend 20 and get the feather case....i can peel that off too
seriouslyjeff said:
I am a fan of keeping my phone caseless but I'm also a fan of keeping the scratches away.
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How do you plan to keep that arpo over 70 if you don't sell any cases? lol.
link12245 said:
How do you plan to keep that arpo over 70 if you don't sell any cases? lol.
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Click to collapse
Lmao! If we had more than zero cases in the store I would sell em! I take it you work for att too?
poor phone looks like my grandpa's truck bed now.
falconeight said:
poor phone looks like my grandpa's truck bed now.
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Too bad it can't haul
case companies need to stop making ugly ass cases and make some back cover replacements.
First one to make a soft-touch back cover with kick stands wins my money
Very cool idea! I decided just to wet sand the back cover to keep it looking like carbon fiber AND to make it a little easier to grip on to - pics are in the link on my signature.
I don't know if I agree with spraying the inside too just to get the edges uniform.... spraying the inside (and, well, the outside too I guess) will help trap in heat, something you don't want when charging a phone with a dead battery because this thing gets HOT as it is!
Also, I don't know if I would advertise the ability to simply peel the rubberized coating right off if you want to remove it. I've used this stuff dozens of times, I actually have my race car's tow hook covered in it, and that thing sees a LOT of abuse, but doesn't come right off.... If you can use this stuff to protect against giant metal hooks scratching off the coating with exactly as many dips in the can as you have layers of spray, I doubt this stuff would come off completely without a fight!
seriouslyjeff said:
Lmao! If we had more than zero cases in the store I would sell em! I take it you work for att too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes sir. We also have no cases, no accessories, but do have a few of the phones left.
GarciaM25 said:
Very cool idea! I decided just to wet sand the back cover to keep it looking like carbon fiber AND to make it a little easier to grip on to - pics are in the link on my signature.
I don't know if I agree with spraying the inside too just to get the edges uniform.... spraying the inside (and, well, the outside too I guess) will help trap in heat, something you don't want when charging a phone with a dead battery because this thing gets HOT as it is!
Also, I don't know if I would advertise the ability to simply peel the rubberized coating right off if you want to remove it. I've used this stuff dozens of times, I actually have my race car's tow hook covered in it, and that thing sees a LOT of abuse, but doesn't come right off.... If you can use this stuff to protect against giant metal hooks scratching off the coating with exactly as many dips in the can as you have layers of spray, I doubt this stuff would come off completely without a fight!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about it overheating at all although I haven't noticed any problems. As far as it peeling off it peels off without a hitch.. almost too easy, I am going to sand the back of the case in hopes that it will stick a little better. I assume the glossy cover makes it easy to peel but I've peeled it off and sprayed it again already once.
andy2na said:
case companies need to stop making ugly ass cases and make some back cover replacements.
First one to make a soft-touch back cover with kick stands wins my money
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Dude yes I am totally with you!
andy2na said:
case companies need to stop making ugly ass cases and make some back cover replacements.
First one to make a soft-touch back cover with kick stands wins my money
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+2 !!!!!!!
How is it holding up, 2 weeks later?
Ah sorry for the late response. It was holing up pretty well. I peeled it off a few days ago due to it peeling.. I think I might lightly sand the back first this time
Sent from my Google Nexus S using XDA App
Good idea and all but why would you not buy a rubberized case instead (replaces battery door). I have seen a dozen shops selling them in the US but none that ship (or none afford-ably yet) to Australia.
mrinternet said:
Good idea and all but why would you not buy a rubberized case instead (replaces battery door). I have seen a dozen shops selling them in the US but none that ship (or none afford-ably yet) to Australia.[/QUOeditTE]
Oh because when I did it 6 weeks ago (right after release of the phone) there were none available
Edit: I misread. I don't like cases. They make the phone too bulky. I now use best skins ever. This peeled off after about a week each time I did it.
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Rubberized battery cover?

Is there a rubberized battery cover? I just tried to install a full coverage Zagg but it wont stick to the textured back. I need to add some grip to this thing as i almost launch it every time i want to open the keyboard. This phone is slick! Especially coming from HTC phones.
Yeah I iknow where you're coming from, I'd appreciate a new cover too. It'd make the phone easier to open too.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927 using XDA App
I got the zagg to adhere to the back. It takes some time and patience to get it on there.
-Use minimal spray.
-Use extra bits of the zagg material as tape to hold the corners down.
-Let it sit over night on top of a radiator or some where warm.
-CAREFULLY remove the bits of zagg.
-Use your thumb to gently, but firmly rub the zagg into the texture.
-Avoid sitting the phone down on glass and other smooth surfaces it can stick to.
I can now open it with out sliding out of my hands
For most of the time there was a fog that developed in the air gaps under the zagg, they eventually went away.
I know the feeling, especially here in the cdn winter, where my hands are cold and dry. This phone becomes slippery.
I'm almost thinking we could do a back cover, MacGyver style.
Maybe order a spare back cover if possible or take the current one and coat the back of it with rubberized spray. There's the infomercial for Flex Spray [seems dodgy] or hit your local auto parts store for bed liner such as this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-BAA2010-Bed-Armor-Aerosol/dp/B004SJ16QG
I would guess to take off the back, tape around the small flat edge that goes around the back cover and spray!
That's how I would tackle it.
clockwork58 said:
I know the feeling, especially here in the cdn winter, where my hands are cold and dry. This phone becomes slippery.
I'm almost thinking we could do a back cover, MacGyver style.
Maybe order a spare back cover if possible or take the current one and coat the back of it with rubberized spray. There's the infomercial for Flex Spray [seems dodgy] or hit your local auto parts store for bed liner such as this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-BAA2010-Bed-Armor-Aerosol/dp/B004SJ16QG
I would guess to take off the back, tape around the small flat edge that goes around the back cover and spray!
That's how I would tackle it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have thought of that, but at the time i could not find a new battery cover, and did not want to try this on the only one i had.
The stuff on the TV is the same stuff as natural spray rubber, only twice the price for a half-size bottle. With some practice, you can get it to spread thinly and evenly, but something like undercoating or bed liner will apply thick and lumpy usually...

[Q] Cleaning the Leather Back?

Alright so I'm sure everyone who has the leather back and has not put a cover on it yet can see that the leather back is getting dirty.
It might be just me but i have the brown leather back. The stitches have gotten blackish and not white like they were in the beginning and the back just keeps getting a darker shade!
Any of you guys try to clean it? If so how'd you do it?
Is it okay to take the back off and clean it under water?
Or should i use windex.
I don't wanna ruin the leather attempting to clean it!
Areebkhan said:
Alright so I'm sure everyone who has the leather back and has not put a cover on it yet can see that the leather back is getting dirty.
It might be just me but i have the brown leather back. The stitches have gotten blackish and not white like they were in the beginning and the back just keeps getting a darker shade!
Any of you guys try to clean it? If so how'd you do it?
Is it okay to take the back off and clean it under water?
Or should i use windex.
I don't wanna ruin the leather attempting to clean it!
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DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
I bought a cheap bottle of leather treatment from CVS for about $6. You spray two coats on it, and you're good to go. It actually gave the leather a nice, grippy-er, feel. And it helps protect from wetness. After that, you should be able to use any type of leather cleaner to keep it looking fresh.
chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
I bought a cheap bottle of leather treatment from CVS for about $6. You spray two coats on it, and you're good to go. It actually gave the leather a nice, grippy-er, feel. And it helps protect from wetness. After that, you should be able to use any type of leather cleaner to keep it looking fresh.
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HAHAHA!!
THANK YOUU!
I knew it was good to ask before doing something!
So cleaning it with that leather treatment gives it the shine back aswell?
chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
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chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
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Click to collapse
Quoted for emphasis. Definitely a very good thing that the OP asked.
I use Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Cleaner followed by Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Conditioner. Yes, I do my own auto detailing, and yes, I hate it when people use cleaners inappropriately and screw up whatever they were trying to clean. My parents are seriously guilty of that and it left me with cleaning-related faux-PTSD flashbacks decades later.
The G4's back wasn't shiny from the factory, but certain cleaners will produce a slight matte sheen on the leather.
Areebkhan said:
HAHAHA!!
THANK YOUU!
I knew it was good to ask before doing something!
So cleaning it with that leather treatment gives it the shine back aswell?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will keep your leather back looking mostly new. Most importantly it will protect against getting wet, which will stain your leather.
Any kind of leather treatment that adds a "shine" is no good in my eyes. I have had a few european luxury cars and i can tell you this...best thing i have ever used to clean my seats and other areas has been...BABYWIPES!!
Seriously it does not take away from the natural state or satin look of the leather and actually clean it very well. If it good enough for your babys ass.....its good enough for the skin on your phone!
You dont have to take my word for it though.
BTW got it wet today. there was a slight dark spot for a fe minutes but went away fully
Snakecharmed said:
I use Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Cleaner followed by Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Conditioner. Yes, I do my own auto detailing, and yes, I hate it when people use cleaners inappropriately and screw up whatever they were trying to clean. My parents are seriously guilty of that and it left me with cleaning-related faux-PTSD flashbacks decades later.
The G4's back wasn't shiny from the factory, but certain cleaners will produce a slight matte sheen on the leather.
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Click to collapse
These kinds of products are unavailable outside the US so we need alternatives.
What do you make of the advice given in this video ?
House hold items available in any country.
white vinegar to clean
shaving foam to remove ink stains
corn starch to remove grease
From the user manual
This product is made of cattle hide and may have different creases and patterns due to the properties of natural leather. If the product gets wet with any liquid (water, soda, seawater, rain, sweat, sunscreen, cosmetics, moisture, etc.), it may lose colour, change colour, or deform in shape.
When this product gets wet or contaminated, get rid of the water by pressing it gently with a dry towel, or wipe it with leather cream and leave it to dry in shade. When the product is exposed to a wet environment for a long time, it may cause creases or mould. The shape of the leather may not be restored to its original state after cleaning because of the properties of leather, and any contamination or deformity may get worse when using regular detergent or an organic solvent.
When the leather is wet with rain or sweat, use caution and avoid contact with clothes. It can cause any dye to become a stain.
Due to the nature of leather, friction for long periods of time or excessive force may damage the surface of the leather.
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This is an important thread or there's going to be a few unhappy people later on.
I used new baseball glove condtioner.
Sent from my VS986 using XDA Free mobile app
what i got is you need a cleaner and then a conditioner.
the cleaner to remove stains and a conditioner to maintain the material.
Mr clean magic eraser to clean it. That's what we use in the automotive detailing world
Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk
I don't know how I feel about the advice in the video. Those suggestions are very common, but I haven't tried them personally. People have conflicting things to say about the extreme acidity of vinegar against the mild acidity of leather, which is why you need to dilute the vinegar in the first place. One alternate suggestion I've read is to use Woolite 10:1 to 6:1 (water:Woolite). Another I've read is Dove soap. Don't use saddle soap, which has a pH level way too basic for leather cleaning.
What I can say is that you should use a soft terry or microfiber cloth to apply the cleaning solution, then wipe it off with a dry cloth. Don't apply a solution directly to the leather and don't apply too much at once. Even the moisture from a water-dampened cloth isn't the worst thing in the world if you're just quickly wiping on and off. Just don't soak the leather in anything, like running it under a stream of water. It's too porous to not absorb it. Once it's clean, condition it so you have some kind of protection from future stains.
As clichéd as this sounds, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm not a super clean freak, but I try to keep my hands clean when I handle the G4. I don't touch the back of it while eating and I try to keep it away from beverages. However, I'm planning to get a plastic back for the G4 as my regular back cover and only use the leather occasionally.
Snakecharmed said:
I don't know how I feel about the advice in the video. Those suggestions are very common, but I haven't tried them personally. People have conflicting things to say about the extreme acidity of vinegar against the mild acidity of leather, which is why you need to dilute the vinegar in the first place. One alternate suggestion I've read is to use Woolite 10:1 to 6:1 (water:Woolite). Another I've read is Dove soap. Don't use saddle soap, which has a pH level way too basic for leather cleaning.
What I can say is that you should use a soft terry or microfiber cloth to apply the cleaning solution, then wipe it off with a dry cloth. Don't apply a solution directly to the leather and don't apply too much at once. Even the moisture from a water-dampened cloth isn't the worst thing in the world if you're just quickly wiping on and off. Just don't soak the leather in anything, like running it under a stream of water. It's too porous to not absorb it. Once it's clean, condition it so you have some kind of protection from future stains.
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Thanks. Even with various leather cleaners around its a tricky affair to do it properly for the layperson. Not impossible. As long as one is aware.
As clichéd as this sounds, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm not a super clean freak, but I try to keep my hands clean when I handle the G4. I don't touch the back of it while eating and I try to keep it away from beverages.
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Click to collapse
hehe, this advice will fall on deaf ears as its impossible to follow. Force of habit. it no secret that keyboards and touch screens contain more bacteria than toilet seats
However, I'm planning to get a plastic back for the G4 as my regular back cover and only use the leather occasionally.
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Bingo! thats is the conclusion i'm reaching too. The idea of leather is fantastic but if you want to look good then be prepared to put in the work.
Leather is just not that practical for day to day in a phone usage scenario..
But it looks so good <sigh>
One of the things I've learned in both buffing/polishing and interior detailing is to not work too large of a surface area at once. You don't want to let a product set or dry before you can work on it. The product ends up being harder to remove and/or stains your surface.
When it comes to patina, the issue for me is that the leather surface is small, so any marks will be more visible. I look at my travel wallet, which I haven't used much, and I'm annoyed that there is wear on one of its corners and the color has rubbed off. I'm far less concerned about a scuff on the seat in my car. Still, I don't own any leather furniture because of the upkeep required.
There are photos one of the Android Central staff posted of a used brown leather Moto X. I don't think it looks bad, and if it came that way out of the box, I don't think anyone would have thought it was dirty. If you're like me though, you like keeping things looking like new. I'm getting better about conditioning or protecting new leather products before wearing them or breaking them in.
The black leather G4 cover would be much more forgiving with stains, but aside from lack of carrier availability, I only would have preferred that version if it had contrasting stitching.
Can someone point me in the right direction? I'm a complete noob at this and have no idea where to start. I was thinking of getting the leather honey conditioner from Amazon, but still wasn't sure if that would be appropriate. No clue where to begin on cleaners. I have the black leather back btw
xbayyx said:
Can someone point me in the right direction? I'm a complete noob at this and have no idea where to start. I was thinking of getting the leather honey conditioner from Amazon, but still wasn't sure if that would be appropriate. No clue where to begin on cleaners. I have the black leather back btw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had a bottle of Leather Honey since about 2000 (before they changed the name), and that's what I used on my leather back. It didn't darken the tan leather (unfortunately), though it did make it a bit sticky for a bit. If you go this route, apply it sparingly before going to bed.
Since this is a thread about cleaning, I feel obligated to mention that product is for protecting leather only, although I believe the same company makes a cleaning product as well.

Im mad with Xiaomi ?

I didnt expext that from the premium series of Xiaomi. This happened without droping or hitting. It happens from my jeans pocket. The paint went off. Any tricks to permantly fix it-paint it?
Quite sad to see the paint chipped away. Hope the Aluminium frame is an anodised black coating on a 7000 series aluminium. Ideally it would not come off that easy . Do you have warranty? Check with Xiaomi first, if not, you need to do a delicate paint touch up.
Just use cover
You can always use cover to hide the dent..
madhavmarri said:
Quite sad to see the paint chipped away. Hope the Aluminium frame is an anodised black coating on a 7000 series aluminium. Ideally it would not come off that easy . Do you have warranty? Check with Xiaomi first, if not, you need to do a delicate paint touch up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have warranty but i bought that from a chinnese store. So i dont want to have 2 months my phone traveling the world. What kind of paint i should i use?
goxthak0 said:
You can always use cover to hide the dent..
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Click to collapse
Im not a case guy. I was using leather skin stickers and was beautiful. But for a small period i took it off and i loved the ceramic but this happen and from a jewel became a piece of $*** .
masterismos said:
I have warranty but i bought that from a chinnese store. So i dont want to have 2 months my phone traveling the world. What kind of paint i should i use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would suggest any good quality matt Black spray paint can, Try to cover all the phone and just let the scrapped area exposed, Try to spray it on any other metal surface before doing on the phone and check for its color match. I Can assume, how bad it could look with that patch of paint scrap, try this out, if you are not satisfied with the results, you can anytime undo it by removing the paint before it is fully dried.

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