Just polished my Droid... anyone else done this?

[aut0tek]

Ahh. That's cool. I'd end up making the edges look like garbage for sure.

 

[SC300Drifter]

Yeah I just used masking tape, it held up perfectly everything looks sweet, I thought the edges would look bad or the sanding disc would cut through the tape so I took it easy but it looks sweet. Go for it!

 

[aut0tek]

I finally broke down and polished the bezel like I said I would. After I polished it, I clear coated it to keep down on the smudges/scratches. (easier to clean paint than polish aluminum. lol) anyhow, loving it so far.

 

[nikkix]

thats nifty.

it looks really cheapy though now. it tackified your phone.put it back!

 

[nikkix]

If anyone tries this and wants to switch back to all black there is a way to do it where it will feel and look the same, just use a water based acrylic nail polish, i know it sounds strange but the texture is the same and i did some work on my old phone and it stayed for over a year and a half, its also a good way to patch dinks as long as you match the color correctly

id be very interested to see your restoration method..

 

[hypura]

If anyone tries this and wants to switch back to all black there is a way to do it where it will feel and look the same, just use a water based acrylic nail polish, i know it sounds strange but the texture is the same and i did some work on my old phone and it stayed for over a year and a half, its also a good way to patch dinks as long as you match the color correctly

id be very interested to see your restoration method..

Seconded, I got some nasty scratches on my edges that I'd like to restore.

 

[aut0tek]

thats nifty.

it looks really cheapy though now. it tackified your phone.put it back!

...Not mine. I got so many compliments on it today, it's ridiculous. it's POLISHED polished though. 1000grit wet sand, rubbing compound, etc etc.

 

[JimmyD]

thats nifty.

it looks really cheapy though now. it tackified your phone.put it back!

...Not mine. I got so many compliments on it today, it's ridiculous. it's POLISHED polished though. 1000grit wet sand, rubbing compound, etc etc.

Got any pics you could share with us?

 

[aut0tek]

I'll try to get some in the next day or two... Droid's my only camera ;-)

 

[idulfingz]

If anyone tries this and wants to switch back to all black there is a way to do it where it will feel and look the same, just use a water based acrylic nail polish, i know it sounds strange but the texture is the same and i did some work on my old phone and it stayed for over a year and a half, its also a good way to patch dinks as long as you match the color correctly

id be very interested to see your restoration method..

ill post several ways to go about this soon, i have been on a trip backpacking india so i havent done anything with it recently, i get back in about an week and ill show exactly what i did

 

[1xinfusion]

what grit was your scotch brite wheel and the sandpaper you used (in order from first to last) ?

i really want to work on my droid as well lol

 

[tktouch12]

i know this thread is really old, but i just bought a super beat up droid1 and i'd like to polish it to hide some of the scratches. Can someone help tell me how to go about sanding it? then how do i apply the aluminum polish?

 

[bigjonmoo73]

Never thought of that... Very cool.

 

[1xinfusion]

I've actually gotten it to look nice without people giving me any directions

read all instructions & you need a couple of hours for this:

you need either to disassemble it (an insanely difficult job due to the fact its almost impossible to separate the glass from the metal).

OR

mask off areas you do not wish to polish with masking tape (including, the keyboard half of the phone, under the screen, the screen itself!)

the next steps will take around 1/2 an hour to an hour each.

the paint will come off with sanding (180 grit silicon carbide sandpaper). try to sand in one direction as its easier as you go on. Wet sanding may help speed the process, it might be messy but it helps. be aware you are actually removing material from your phone as you do this, so understand that if you sand too hard on the edges, corners and rim of the metal you won't get a straight effect.
the purpose of starting at 180-200 grit is to remove scratches from your finish so it won't show up on your desired result.

move to 400 grit, then 800 grit, then 1200 grit, then etc etc

the point of this is to remove the previous finish, whether it be paint, or a existing finish. so, as you progress into the next grit, sand to remove the previous grit's scratches. (800 grit's finish should "cover" 400's).

eventually if you do wish to polish it you should sand up to around 1500 or so grit. you will have a matte like shiny surface. the next step is to use "mother's aluminum polish". apply a thin amount and rub. use a cloth. you will have to wipe it clean after it changes color or something (i dont remember this part as I kept my droid in a brushed finish, but it says on the label of the can). your droid will change from a matte-like surface to black, and when you wipe it clean, you will have a shiny, polished droid.